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conuly

Poll #26119 Language questions

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 101

View Respondents

Is the phrasing "$NAME talks why being healthy still means [....]" a valid output in your English?

View Answers

Yes
19 (24.1%)

No
60 (75.9%)

Maroon

View Answers

Reddish-purple (I'm from the USA)
36 (36.0%)

Brownish-red (I'm from the USA)
38 (38.0%)

Reddish-purple (I'm from somewhere else)
12 (12.0%)

Brownish-Red (I'm from somewhere else)
14 (14.0%)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

buttonsbeadslace

"This person talks [noun]" is valid for something like a headline or a description of an event... like "Coming up next, two veterinarians talk cat nutrition". But "This person talks *why*..." is not something I've heard before.

From:

conuly

You'll note that the description at YouTube says "talks about" which is more cromulent to me. (DO NOT READ YOUTUBE COMMENTS YOU WILL DESPAIR FOR HUMANITY.)

From:

agoodwinsmith

Yes in younger journalists, talkshow folks.

PS:

X Brownish-purple (I'm not from USA)

From:

melannen

1. It's valid for situations like headlines that have limited space for words, but awkward. And I agree that the "why" makes it even worse. Not valid in any other context.

2. Sort of a brownish-purplish-red? (From USA) Like it's more brown than burgundy but more purple than brick. (Also one of those colors that does not reproduce well in pixels.)

Edited Date: 2021-09-15 12:58 am (UTC)

From:

loligo

Yes, that's the perfect way to put it: more brown than burgundy but more purple than brick.

From:

bitterlawngnome

I said yes on the grammar question because I can imagine it being a headline, where the rules are relaxed or at least different; but in everyday speech, no.

Maroon is used here for a dark muddy purplish red, but my understanding is that it's from _marron_, chestnut? which would suggest brown.

From:

wendelah1

After answering, I looked it up. I'm wrong. Burgundy is reddish purple. Maroon is from the French "marron," a brownish-red.

From:

shewhostaples

My mind inserted an 'about' in there when I read it.

I'd call maroon a deep red, probably more brown than purple but both notes could be present. I know it's from 'marron' but would say that 'chestnut' is a different colour, more of a reddish-brown.

From:

pauamma

Phrasing: Accepted but not used. I can parse and interpret it, but I'd say "discusses", "explains", or "talks about".
Color: No idea which color it refers to. In my English idiolect, "maroon" is only a transitive verb. The apparent French cognate "marron" means brownish(-red) to me, in addition to the edible fruit.

From:

steorra

I don't know what maroon is, not really. Something dark and reddish.

From:

Depends on the YouTube channel. The comments on Yoga with Adriene videos are probably the happiest, most positive place on the planet right now.

From:

brokenallbroken

Depends on the YouTube channel.

Truth. All of the YouTubers I regularly watch have great commenters.

From:

larryhammer

Interestingly even split on those color descriptions ...

From:

conuly

Okay, well, don't read those comments to the linked video.

From:

conuly

You're not wrong, the dictionary you looked it up in is - at least with regards to your own idiolect!

Edited Date: 2021-09-15 03:45 pm (UTC)

From:

conuly

Unsurprising, really.

From:

conuly

Hey, you know what happened when the red boat crashed into the brown/purple* boat? All the passengers were... marooned.

* Pick one. I'll wait.

From:

wendelah1

Except I didn't look it up in a dictionary. I got the definition from a couple of different design websites. Burgundy is close enough to maroon that unless they're side by side, I'd be hard-pressed to say which is which, but my color perception is only a little above average. If I asked my hairdresser for maroon highlights and she gave me burgundy instead, I doubt I could tell the difference. But I'm convinced I'd look better in maroon, because it's a warmer color!