Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Today's Public Service Announcement.

Chundles

Chundles

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jul 4, 2005
12,037
493
OK, there have been a few things bugging me recently, mostly due to television and its inability to get things right about my country. These are:

1. The Koala is not a bear. It is a marsupial and is not related to the bear in any way aside from the fact that they are both mammals. If any of you are involved in writing for television series please ensure that you never refer to a "Koala Bear." It's just plain old "Koala."

2. The Emu, a large, flightless bird native to Australia is pronounced "EEm-ewe" NOT "EEm-ooo." Get. It. Right.

That's all for the moment. I'm in a mood tonight, and I'm not going to pull any punches.
 
Right. And if you wouldn't mind, here's something you can do for me.

1. Learn the difference between its and it's. It's = it is. Its = belonging to it.

2. Don't pluralize ordinary words with apostrophes. I think it's customary for an abbreviation or acronym like PhD to take one (as in, PhD's, though not CDs or DVDs), but there's no need to add any type of punctuation to a word like series to make it plural.

Meanwhile, I'll be repeating to myself, "The Koala is not a bear" and "Eem-ewe" to get it into my thick American skull.

[Edited twice now. Ouch.]
 
eji said:
but there's no need to add any type of puncutation to a word like series to make it plural.
Click to expand...

Damn, I'm normally pretty good at keeping those things right. I'll fix it. The series thing was just a proper typo though.
 
Chundles said:
Damn, I'm normally pretty good at keeping those things right. I'll fix it. The series thing was just a proper typo though.
Click to expand...

Yeah and plus you're Australian, which is almost like being British, you're not supposed to make those mistakes. :p

Now can someone tell me if my second comma was supposed to be a semicolon or just a comma?. :confused:
 
MACDRIVE said:
Yeah and plus you're Austrailian, which is almost like being British, you're not supposed to make those mistakes. :p

Now can someone tell me if my second comma was supposed to be a semicolon or just a comma?. :confused:
Click to expand...

Hmmm - two things here:
1. Austrailia is actually Australia (don't want to be picky, but ..... :D ).
2. It definitely should be a comma. The sub-clause about being British can be taken out of the sentence without there being any loss of sense. Look here, for instance.

Apart from those two things, looks like this will be turning into a very interesting thread. :)
 
UKnjb said:
Hmmm - two things here:
1. Austrailia is actually Australia (don't want to be picky, but ..... :D ).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I went back and fixed it. I can't stand spelling errors. :mad: One of the things I like so much about MR, is being able to edit your post anytime. :)
 
While the Koala is not in the bear family, it does have "bear" in its name.

The Koala's scientific name is "Phascolarctos cinereus." It is broken up as follows:
  • phaskolos = pouch
  • arktos = bear
  • cinereus = ash-colored
 
EricNau said:
While the Koala is not in the bear family, it does have "bear" in its name.

The Koala's scientific name is "Phascolarctos cinereus." It is broken up as follows:
  • phaskolos = pouch
  • arktos = bear
  • cinereus = ash-colored
Click to expand...

Yeah, but the bear family start with the name "Ursus." And bears don't raise their young in a pouch.
 
Chundles said:
Yeah, but the bear family start with the name "Ursus." And bears don't raise their young in a pouch.
Click to expand...
I wasn't trying to prove that it was a bear...

I just wanted to point out that calling it the "Koala Bear" is somewhat accurate to its scientific name, which translates to somethin' like the "ash-colored pouched bear."

It's also known as the "native bear" to Australia, and according to New Oxford American Dictionary, the koala is "bearlike."

What's that saying? If it looks like a duck... ;)


Sorry, I'm just giving you a hard time. :p
 
The point everybody has been avoiding is that koalas are perpetually drunk, usually asleep, and should never be touched. They're vicious, snarly, scratchy biting machines. Don't let their cute facade fool you. If ever you owe a koala money, leave the country.

As with any good island, exit Australia from any direction, but take appropriate floatation device(s). :)
 
EricNau said:
I wasn't trying to prove that it was a bear...

I just wanted to point out that calling it the "Koala Bear" is somewhat accurate to its scientific name, which translates to somethin' like the "ash-colored pouched bear."

It's also known as the "native bear" to Australia, and according to New Oxford American Dictionary, the koala is "bearlike."

What's that saying? If it looks like a duck... ;)


Sorry, I'm just giving you a hard time. :p
Click to expand...

I know, but just to pull you up there. It's most definitely not known as the "native bear" down here. It's just called a Koala, and yes, Mad Jew is right, they sleep for 20 hours a day every day of the year and are vicious if you cross them (although that's pretty hard to do seeing as most of them are quite jolly drunks, you can normally tell the nasty drunk Koalas by the large number of tattoos).

However, compared to their bigger, meaner, cousins the Drop Bear, the Koala is a cuddly little friend.
 
mad jew said:
The point everybody has been avoiding is that koalas are perpetually drunk, usually asleep, and should never be touched. They're vicious, snarly, scratchy biting machines. Don't let their cute facade fool you. If ever you owe a koala money, leave the country.
Click to expand...

I had to read that paragraph several times as I wasn't sure if you were describing koalas, or Australians in general.

I'm still not sure of the difference... :p
 
eji said:
2. Don't pluralize ordinary words with apostrophes. I think it's customary for an abbreviation or acronym like PhD to take one (as in, PhD's, though not CDs or DVDs), but there's no need to add any type of punctuation to a word like series to make it plural.
Click to expand...

But CD and DVD are acronyms, too.
CD - Compact Disc
DVD - Digital Versatile Disc

So what's the exact rule? Or do CDs and DVDs take apostrophes too?
 
skunk said:
Some people like that sort of thing.
Click to expand...


Not those people who dress in leather and whip each other, whilst hanging precariously over burning candles, perchance?


dietcokevanilla said:
I had to read that paragraph several times as I wasn't sure if you were describing koalas, or Australians in general.

I'm still not sure of the difference... :p
Click to expand...


Sadly, that's all too true. :eek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back