Do I give too much information? Or too little?

[conuly]

Sometimes, people think I'm being condescending when I'm trying to help. Or, that's what they say, anyway. I'm not sure why that is, but it occurs to me that it might have something to do with how much I say. Actually, it occured to me right now with this exchange (cut short because it's a bit long):

On the NC forums, a debate was... well, not quite raging, but going on about the use of "rp speech". For those not in the know, RP is role-play (I hope all my friends know that!) and rp speech is, apparently, the affected mode of English used by certain RPers (orbs for eyes, auds for ears, and so on). One person was defending it a bit, and phy mentioned that it's pretentious. Except that in her sentence, she used the word mihi (which you may remember me telling everyone about).

Now, I know she wasn't doing that to be ironic, so I pointed out that, while I *love* anybody using that word, since most people don't, in fact, know what it means, using it in that particular statement was a bit silly. And we keep talking and rp-speech-defenderperson eventually says:

I shall defenestrate anyone who thinks otherwise

Oh, and, um [embarrassment] what is mihi a contraction of? [/embarrassment] (I can't find it on dictionary.com if it is, in fact, a full word...)

*grins* You know I can't pass up an opporunity like this!

So here's my response, in its entirity:

*takes pity on you because you know the word defenestration*

Mihi isn't a contraction... it's the dative of ego in Latin.

Basically, the dative is the indirect object: to/for me. In this sense, it's what's called the dative of relation (?)... something seems pretentious to me (or, more formally, in relation to me). My Latin class is nothing but a trio of geeks... well, a duo of geeks and Tina, so when we learned the dative of relation (?) we (me and michael) actually started using it in English. I told people on my livejournal about it, and some of them (like phy) liked it.

And yes, my latin class (well, me and michael) DOES use the verb "defenestrate" (to throw somebody out a window) properly, as well as the verb "rusticate" (to live in the country)

I have no intention of changing that, but... is the middle paragraph too involved? Does she need/want to know all that? Is it useful? Was I talking too much? Do I often talk too much? Is that rude? Is it showing off? Is it insulting? *is confuzzled slightly*

_{Oh, and offtopic, lookie, cool new icon!}

Comments

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I was confused by the whole description. But that may just be my stupidness.

I still think 'pinna' sounds like a fruit.

[conuly]

Pinna isn't a word for ear... I'm really not sure where she got that from.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

*imagines lupe with pineapples stuck to it's head for ears*

[feathered.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of pina colada. So I imagine lupes with alcoholic ears.

That list was horrifying in places. But then, I'm an elitist bitch who dislikes Madge, so I'm probably bound to feel compelled to ridicule her.

Hey Joey, can I add you to my friendslist? I can't remember why I didn't ask before.. I think you're very cool and intelligent, etc.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually read the list, because I suck. I probably should though... But I dislike "wolfspeak" anyway. It's tacky.

Sure you can add me! I can add you back, right?

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Well, you prolly shouldn't read the list unless you're feeling particularly masochistic...

Sure, of course you can add me back. :)

[mhari.livejournal.com]

For those not in the know, RP is role-play (I hope all my friends know that!) and rp speech is, apparently, the affected mode of English used by certain RPers

Oh, noooo. People aren't seriously tarring all RPers with the Purple Prose brush. *readies puny little fists* Send 'em over here. I'll show 'em how RPers write. >:O

To answer your question, no, I don't think you're being condescending or rude. Just detailed.

(It sounds like an Aspie thing, once on one's hobbyhorse to go on at length whether anybody wants one to or not...)

Really must learn Latin one of these days.

[conuly]

*grins* Latin is COOL. I'd suggest Wheelock's if you like the grammar lessons contained within. And it's cheap, only about $20 for the book, which is enough info to get you through to Cicero and beyond.... Plus you can teach yourself if you have help like latin.

And yeah, most of the people in that convo DO RP (unlike li'l ol' me), so they know better than to accuse E V E R Y BODY of doing that, but it's an irk.

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Oh GOD, I hate RP speech. It makes me think of The Eye of Argon (http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/sf/eyeargon.htm), which uses orbs for eyes, axe for penis and describes blood with every word BUT "blood", usually some variation of "swirled crimson."

[feathered.livejournal.com]

*twitches* As someone who used to RP a lot (though on MUSHes, not chats or discussion boards) I take offense to blanket statements. We called people who used stupid inflated vocabulary without substance "twinks," and they are the bane of every game. The majority of the people I ever played with were quite good at writing normally and intelligently. The neoboards have a higher than usual rate of stupidity, though, so it's not surprising that they've got their own brand of twinks as well.

[black-rat.livejournal.com]

*Point's to Figment's post* I second. Just cause you haven't participated in any role plays doesn't mean you can group us all in as those wolf speakers.

[conuly]

I hope you don't think I was doing that! I do know most RPers don't do that, I was refering specifically to a convo about "rp speech" which SOME people think makes you a good RPer. Some people need to be taken out of the gene pool, but let's not get into that.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

I know that... I dunno about the other person who commented, but I was specifically referring to... gah, I don't remember the name... the person who commented above me. Their post didn't have such a clear distinction.

Randomness: I love your icon. That comic made me giggle. The ones with the cat and the dog are the best sinfest comics.

I really appreciate you speaking up for me on cheese's thread about his lost transfer. I'm not sure I will reply to Madge this time -- it seems she doesn't like me, and nothing I say is likely to change that. Anyway, I'm not sure I can think of things to say that *wouldn't* sound cold, and that would probably just reinforce her perceptions of me. Oh well. Thanks, you're the best.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's good that you did clear up the RP thing. Because I skimmed this entry at first, and saw "RP", "affected mode of English", and "pretentious" in more or less the same breath. So I assumed that RP there meant Received Pronunciation. Which would have left me very confused.

Anyway, I don't think the middle paragraph is too bad there. Plenty of people talk too much. I know I do. :)

[conuly]

Yeah, I realized that was a possible interpretation just a wee bit after I posted. Oh well!

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

Love that icon. Is it new? :)

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I was confused by the whole description. But that may just be my stupidness.

I still think 'pinna' sounds like a fruit.

[conuly]

Pinna isn't a word for ear... I'm really not sure where she got that from.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

*imagines lupe with pineapples stuck to it's head for ears*

[feathered.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of pina colada. So I imagine lupes with alcoholic ears.

That list was horrifying in places. But then, I'm an elitist bitch who dislikes Madge, so I'm probably bound to feel compelled to ridicule her.

Hey Joey, can I add you to my friendslist? I can't remember why I didn't ask before.. I think you're very cool and intelligent, etc.

[joeymew.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually read the list, because I suck. I probably should though... But I dislike "wolfspeak" anyway. It's tacky.

Sure you can add me! I can add you back, right?

[feathered.livejournal.com]

Well, you prolly shouldn't read the list unless you're feeling particularly masochistic...

Sure, of course you can add me back. :)

[mhari.livejournal.com]

For those not in the know, RP is role-play (I hope all my friends know that!) and rp speech is, apparently, the affected mode of English used by certain RPers

Oh, noooo. People aren't seriously tarring all RPers with the Purple Prose brush. *readies puny little fists* Send 'em over here. I'll show 'em how RPers write. >:O

To answer your question, no, I don't think you're being condescending or rude. Just detailed.

(It sounds like an Aspie thing, once on one's hobbyhorse to go on at length whether anybody wants one to or not...)

Really must learn Latin one of these days.

[conuly]

*grins* Latin is COOL. I'd suggest Wheelock's if you like the grammar lessons contained within. And it's cheap, only about $20 for the book, which is enough info to get you through to Cicero and beyond.... Plus you can teach yourself if you have help like latin.

And yeah, most of the people in that convo DO RP (unlike li'l ol' me), so they know better than to accuse E V E R Y BODY of doing that, but it's an irk.

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Oh GOD, I hate RP speech. It makes me think of The Eye of Argon (http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~susan/sf/eyeargon.htm), which uses orbs for eyes, axe for penis and describes blood with every word BUT "blood", usually some variation of "swirled crimson."

[feathered.livejournal.com]

*twitches* As someone who used to RP a lot (though on MUSHes, not chats or discussion boards) I take offense to blanket statements. We called people who used stupid inflated vocabulary without substance "twinks," and they are the bane of every game. The majority of the people I ever played with were quite good at writing normally and intelligently. The neoboards have a higher than usual rate of stupidity, though, so it's not surprising that they've got their own brand of twinks as well.

[black-rat.livejournal.com]

*Point's to Figment's post* I second. Just cause you haven't participated in any role plays doesn't mean you can group us all in as those wolf speakers.

[conuly]

I hope you don't think I was doing that! I do know most RPers don't do that, I was refering specifically to a convo about "rp speech" which SOME people think makes you a good RPer. Some people need to be taken out of the gene pool, but let's not get into that.

[feathered.livejournal.com]

I know that... I dunno about the other person who commented, but I was specifically referring to... gah, I don't remember the name... the person who commented above me. Their post didn't have such a clear distinction.

Randomness: I love your icon. That comic made me giggle. The ones with the cat and the dog are the best sinfest comics.

I really appreciate you speaking up for me on cheese's thread about his lost transfer. I'm not sure I will reply to Madge this time -- it seems she doesn't like me, and nothing I say is likely to change that. Anyway, I'm not sure I can think of things to say that *wouldn't* sound cold, and that would probably just reinforce her perceptions of me. Oh well. Thanks, you're the best.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's good that you did clear up the RP thing. Because I skimmed this entry at first, and saw "RP", "affected mode of English", and "pretentious" in more or less the same breath. So I assumed that RP there meant Received Pronunciation. Which would have left me very confused.

Anyway, I don't think the middle paragraph is too bad there. Plenty of people talk too much. I know I do. :)

[conuly]

Yeah, I realized that was a possible interpretation just a wee bit after I posted. Oh well!

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

Love that icon. Is it new? :)