Proper "english" in menu...

[jamewoong]

I've navigated through few DVDs movie and something is not the same in others... So, it catch my curiosity.

In a proper english, please correct:

1. Language and subtitles Selection --> Is that correct? Should we add a "s" in the word "Language"? Or should we remove a "s" in the word "subtitles"? (in that movie, there are few languages and subtitles available). It is a mistake or something?

2. No Subtitles or No Subtitle?

--> In proper english, there are some restriction such we write drama and not "dramas" when there are more than one ; those people and not those person ; Internet and not internet.

Can anyone solve the 2 statements above?

Thank you.

[foxyshadis]

What DVD player are you talking about? Or do you mean DVD menus?

[setarip_old]

@jamewoong

Hi!Language and subtitles Selection --> Is that correct?technically, this is correct because you can choose a/one language, but you can only select a stream of subtitles (not subtitle)...

[blutach]

Not sure where setarip is coming from. Of course, you can only select one subtitle at a time!

On this basis, perhaps most correct is "Language and subtitle selection".

And either "No subtitle" or "No subtitles" is fine. Only the preceding verb in the (implied) sentence would change:

There is no subtitle; or
There are no subtitles.

But the distinction between all of these is irrelevant on a DVD menu.

Regards

[setarip_old]

Of course, you can only select one subtitle at a time!You can select one SET of subtitleS (e.g. English subtitleS, French subtitleS) - and one language...

One subtitle is what would appear onscreen at a specific point in the movie (e.g. "Where did Superman go?"), while a SET of subtitleS would be the entire script of the movie...

[Brother John]

On the one hand "subtitle" is the name for a single one of those junks of text that a subtitle stream consists of. On the other hand "subtitle" can also mean the complete subtitle stream itself.

Depending on how you prefer to see things, the S is appropriate or not. But there’s no definite right or wrong.

[Doobie]

I prefer to think of the entire subtitle track as a single subtitle. So, subtitles would be something like English and French subtitles, rather than the serious of phrases in an English track.

For a book, a subtitle is just a single phrase. But, in a movie, a subtitle isn't a true subtitle, it's a single transcript.

"Language and subtitles" is inconsistent but not necessarily wrong. You must select one language and you can select one, or none, of the subtitles. The inconsistency might be more intuitive.

[Episodio1]

I guess it depends on what you understand as SUBTITLE.

Is it ONE title/text written at the bottom? So, as setarip_old says, for a movie you'd have "subtitles" for one language.

[Shinigami-Sama]

I'm with setarip on this one
a subtitle is one instance of the script
and subtitles are the whole series of them
it also doubles as it can mean more than one set as well

[Inventive Software]

I blame Americanisation of our beautiful language.... :D

[Shinigami-Sama]

I blame Americanisation of our beautiful language.... :D

1+ I agree
what happened to the all the Us?

[Dr.Khron]

Pluralization rules are different between the Queen's English and American English. Comma usage is slightly different, too, but thats an evolving standard. A good Book on the topic. (http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8370919-3859215)

At the end of the day, there are surprising few hard rules in the English language, much of the rules are subjective/interpretive.

The biggest difference is the handling of "greater" plurals... For example:
In the UK, students study maths.
In the USA, students study math.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Pluralization rules are different between the Queen's English and American English. Comma usage is slightly different, too, but thats an evolving standard.

Surely, you mean:

"Pluralisation rules are different between the Queen's English and American English. Comma useage is slightly different, too, but that's an evolving standard." :)

Though I doubt people in the UK could ever succumb to placing a comma before "and". I have had to write some very convoluted sentences to avoid the ambiguity of phrases such as "salt and vinegar and cheese and onion" wherein the placing of judicious commas provides clarity, i.e., "salt and vinegar, and, cheese and onion". Of course, that places commas either side of "and". And then there's the forbidden act of starting sentences with "and". (I can hear my English teachers now.)

@Inventive Software,

As a man born in the land (indeed city) of Snot and living in North Carolina, I don't whether to agree or disagree! Since I'm in London right now, I'll agree but will disagree once I get back home (lest my native North Carolinian wife finds out)!

[blutach]

In the USA, students study math
This is not a difference in plurals, rather a contraction for "mathematics" (aka "math" in the US and "maths" in the UK).

Though I doubt people in the UK could ever succumb to placing a comma before "and".
As long as the clause is subordinate it is perfectly legal. In lists, you would even place a semi colon before it.

But, I've never seen a full stop after it (except in the context of your sentence, where the word "and" is, in fact, a noun). :)

I actually find the biggest difference between "the Queen's English" and "the President's" :) is spelling. That might colo(u)r my thoughts a bit :)

Regards

[foxyshadis]

I actually find the biggest difference between "the Queen's English" and "the President's" :) is spelling. That might colo(u)r my thoughts a bit :)

As long as we're on the topic... (http://worsethanfailure.com/Comments/Constant-Extensibility.aspx?pg=2#156137)

[RickA]

The way my crude sense of logic sees it in your example "Language and subtitles Selection" the word and combines the two objects on either side of it into one unit. When you have more then one unit you can slap an s on the end to make it plural. Sometimes you may have just one language with multiple subtitles on a disc. So labeling it as "Language and subtitles Selection" makes for a generic boiler plate expression. Instead of having to change the spelling for each and every disc depending on it's makeup. May not be completely proper, but as the saying goes.. good enough for government work.

As to this comment "I blame Americanisation of our beautiful language...." I'd like to add, have you ever seen the movie Snatch ? Great movie by the way. The part where Avi (an American) is asking Bullet Tooth Tony (an Englishman) what blagged means.

Tony - Bookies got blagged last night.
Avi - Blagged? Speak English for me Tony. I thought this country spawned the f*cking language and so far nobody seems to speak it.
Tony - Blagged, robbed.

So what is good for the gander is also good for the goose my friend. We've all kinda mangled the language in our own ways over time. ;-)

Cheers,
Rick

[JohnnyMalaria]

In good English fashion (the people), the word "blag" has more than one meaning. "I blagged my way into first class" or "I blagged my way out of a parking ticket". Basically, to bullshit your way out of a bad situation or into a better one. Another is "who blagged on me?" - who told/grassed/split on me.

Personally, this is the meaning that comes to mind when I hear the word rather than the stiffed/nobbled/tealeafed and bullshitting ones.

Context tells you which one. "After someone blagged on me, I blagged my way out of taking the rap for last night's blag."

[HyperHacker]

Silly people, blag = blog (http://xkcd.com/148). :p

[RickA]

I was just poking fun with the blagged comment :-). Saw the movie again the other night so when I read what Inventive wrote, Avi's comment was the first thing to pop into my mind.

I've been a big time BritCom fan for decades so I knew what he was meaning. I do admit that when Pitt started talking pikey I had to use the subtitle option to figure out what exactly he was saying. I'm in NC too, maybe our paths will cross one day.

Cheers,
Rick