The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[Carotte]

Virg! Turns out you were right about mentioning the screws, maybe we're not talking about the same kind (mines are not visible, hidden behind one part of the switchplate) but they do exist!
Turns out all I have to do is (cut the electricity) separate the 'back with switch' from the part around, put the back/switch in the wall and tighten the screws of the doo-hiky things that will catch the wall and stay in place. And just clip the second part of the cover back on.

It's one like this:
no screws apparent, didn't cross my mind there could be some inside.

[Slartibartfast]

Stupid multilingual question:

In languages which use gendered pronouns for objects (Spanish, French, Italian, etc.) - who determines whether new words are masculine or feminine?  I'd assume most normal words are based on centuries of tradition, but something like a modem or a blog wouldn't have that history.  And what about invented words, like Dr. Seuss?  If I declare that a huffletywub is a thing, do I get to pick the pronoun too?

[Virg]

Slartibartfast wrote:

"I'd assume most normal words are based on centuries of tradition, but something like a modem or a blog wouldn't have that history."

For most words I imagine it's based on where the word came from.  For your examples, "modem" and "blog" are both contracted forms of existing words (modulator/demodulator and web log, respectively) so their gender would follow the gender of the words involved (modulator and log).  For fully invented words there are rules that tend to be true in general for languages that would guide choices, and for most languages there's an entity that's either directly or indirectly considered the "authority" for the language, so for stuff that doesn't fit precedent I'd look to whatever entity is considered to be the authority.  Just to give an example, most people in the UK would recognize Oxford's decisions regarding new additions to English.

Virg

[Virg]

Carotte wrote:

"Virg! Turns out you were right about mentioning the screws, maybe we're not talking about the same kind (mines are not visible, hidden behind one part of the switchplate) but they do exist!"

Now I see the confusion.  As you deduced, the switchplate and screws are hidden behind a snap-on coverplate.  I didn't think of that either, but electrical code (in the U.S. at least) requires switches to be anchored to the wall box so I figured there had to be screws on the switchplate somewhere.  I had pictured a standard coverplate with screws that was attached to a standard switch, and the whole thing was wedged into a hole in the wall, and that didn't seem right which is why I suggested finding the anchor screws.

Virg

[lady_disdain]

Stupid multilingual question:

In languages which use gendered pronouns for objects (Spanish, French, Italian, etc.) - who determines whether new words are masculine or feminine?  I'd assume most normal words are based on centuries of tradition, but something like a modem or a blog wouldn't have that history.  And what about invented words, like Dr. Seuss?  If I declare that a huffletywub is a thing, do I get to pick the pronoun too?

Yup. Neologisms are usually gendered by their creator. As for other words, they generally tend to creep into common language and get whatever gender "sounds" right. Often, there is a period when both genders are in use, before one ends up dominating. It can depend on the word origin, on phonetics (if it ends in A, in portuguese, it will probably be feminine, if in O, masculine), etc.

The results aren't always consistent. In Portugal, computer (computadora) is feminine. In Brazil, computer (computador) is masculine.

[Onyx_TKD]

Why does my bank waive certain account fees if there are sufficient direct deposits every month? The fee waiver for a particular checking account type requires maintaining a minimum balance of $X or having direct deposits of at least $Y each month. I understand why a minimum balance would be beneficial to the bank (the customer keeps more of their money in a non-interest-bearing account at the bank) but why do they reward direct deposits? Is there a direct benefit to the bank, are they correlated with other financial behavior that benefits the bank, or what?

[Harriet Jones]

Why does my bank waive certain account fees if there are sufficient direct deposits every month? The fee waiver for a particular checking account type requires maintaining a minimum balance of $X or having direct deposits of at least $Y each month. I understand why a minimum balance would be beneficial to the bank (the customer keeps more of their money in a non-interest-bearing account at the bank) but why do they reward direct deposits? Is there a direct benefit to the bank, are they correlated with other financial behavior that benefits the bank, or what?

Because you're not taking up a teller's time?  Or adding to the wear and tear on an ATM?

[jpcher]

Because with a weekly/bi-weekly direct deposit from an employer means that the account is active.

For some reason banks like active accounts.

I have a savings account that has been dormant for many years. I don't pay a fee for it because my other accounts meet the "standard non-fee" requirements. But every year I have to sign a paper due to non-activity on that account which says "Yes. This is my account."

I'm curious as to how others would respond, but I'm betting that it has something to do with the direct deposit puts the account into active status rather than a dead account.

[ClaireC79]

Possibly silly question:

I noticed on a BBC news broadcast that a senior nurse was titled with "Matron". I was just wondering, if a male nurse achieves the same rank, is he also Matron, or does he get another title?

Males can be Matrons however only a female nurse will be known as 'Sister', male nurses at that grade are 'charge nurse'

Freaked me out the first time someone referred to me as 'sister', I was a newly qualified midwife but our uniforms were very similar to the sister uniform (ours were navy with pink piping, theirs were navy with white piping) as traditionally all midwives were sisters

[Slartibartfast]

I'm guessing banks like direct deposits because they create a barrier to the customer taking their business elsewhere.  It's nice and easy to have direct deposits and automatic payments set up, but if there's a problem - yeah, it's annoying to have to stop things, and the bank/company you're having a dispute with has no real incentive to expend energy to straighten things out.  But a customer with a direct deposit can't just say "I'm taking my ball and going home!" without having to jump through hoops, so is probably more willing to put up with little stuff that other customers won't.

(That's my guess, anyway!)

[RebeccainGA]

Because with a weekly/bi-weekly direct deposit from an employer means that the account is active.

For some reason banks like active accounts.

I have a savings account that has been dormant for many years. I don't pay a fee for it because my other accounts meet the "standard non-fee" requirements. But every year I have to sign a paper due to non-activity on that account which says "Yes. This is my account."

I'm curious as to how others would respond, but I'm betting that it has something to do with the direct deposit puts the account into active status rather than a dead account.

If the account is dormant, but not abandoned, they don't have to remit the funds to the state. If they go to abandoned, they have to give the money to the state for their 'unclaimed funds' programs - which causes the bank some work, lowers the amount of their 'deposits on record' and reduces their number of open accounts - none of which are desirable, as the number of open accounts, and their total deposits amounts, are both indicators of the health of the institution for regulators and investors, and the way they do business (they can 'borrow' your deposits to use to invest/loan out if they meet certain conditions).

[Virg]

Slartibartfast is closest to the truth for direct deposit.  Direct deposit encourages customer loyalty.  The difficulty in closing the account is a small part of it, but the main reason is that you're more likely to go to your bank of account than elsewhere when you need a loan, and there's big money in consumer loans.  The fees they lose from a hundred direct deposit waivers can be made back from one mortgage or a few car loans, so it's good business.

Virg

[DaisyG]

Stupid multilingual question:

In languages which use gendered pronouns for objects (Spanish, French, Italian, etc.) - who determines whether new words are masculine or feminine?  I'd assume most normal words are based on centuries of tradition, but something like a modem or a blog wouldn't have that history.  And what about invented words, like Dr. Seuss?  If I declare that a huffletywub is a thing, do I get to pick the pronoun too?

Yup. Neologisms are usually gendered by their creator. As for other words, they generally tend to creep into common language and get whatever gender "sounds" right. Often, there is a period when both genders are in use, before one ends up dominating. It can depend on the word origin, on phonetics (if it ends in A, in portuguese, it will probably be feminine, if in O, masculine), etc.

The results aren't always consistent. In Portugal, computer (computadora) is feminine. In Brazil, computer (computador) is masculine.

In Spanish it's the other way round from Portuguese - i.e. in South America 'computadora' is  more widely used but in Spain it's 'ordenador'!

[Carotte]

Could someone enlighten me about what word in this forum is autochanged to "CRUD MONKEYS" ?
Most of the other auto-changes I can find out from the context but never this one.
PM me if it's really something we shouldn't say here, although I never got that impression from the context.

[SlitherHiss]

Could someone enlighten me about what word in this forum is autochanged to "CRUD MONKEYS" ?
Most of the other auto-changes I can find out from the context but never this one.
PM me if it's really something we shouldn't say here, although I never got that impression from the context.

CRUD MONKEYS! = the abreviation for Oh My God/dess/osh