4 ms·

There are a few spelling mistakes here: > gage their interest (should be gauge) > You're happiness (should be your) > someone elses wheel (missing ' in else'

There are a few spelling mistakes here: > gage their interest (should be gauge) > You're happiness (should be your) > someone elses wheel (missing ' in else's) > until their comfortable (should be they're)

chillingeffect 10y ago
if you're going to play the pedant's game, learn to play it well: "The verb gauge, which refers to measuring or estimating, also has a variant gage." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage
- proaralyst 10y ago
  Now I'll know for next time :)
- throwanem 10y ago
  A variant so archaic that I, a linguistic pedant par excellence, have never even once seen it used in anything written since the turn of the last century, save mentions of its existence as an archaic variant of the common form, and its usage in the phrase "weather gage", itself (and the concept it denotes) rather outdated since the close of the Age of Sail. In any modern usage not deliberately aping archaism, 'gage' for 'gauge' is fairly called a misspelling.
  - chillingeffect 10y ago
    Have you got any other authorities besides yourself? Here are mine: 1. I have looked at the Cambridge Dictionary which makes no claims to it being archaic: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gage http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gage 2. I have looked at the Merriam Webster Dictionary which makes no claims to it being archaic: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage 3a. Although it's unclear where they get their info from, Dictionary.com makes no claims to it being archaic, and says that "gage" is used "especially in technical use." http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gauge http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gauge 3b. Dictionary.com claims the verb "gage" is only archaic when used to mean a "pledge, stake or wager," which is not how it's used. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gage http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gage 4. The Oxford English Dictionary makes no claims to the verb gage used as a synonym for gauge being archaic. Only when used to mean "Offer (a thing or one's life) as a guarantee of good faith" and that's not that spelling, but the meaning which is archaic. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/gage#gage-2 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/gage#gage-2 Concession speech?
    - elemenopy 10y ago
      In fact Merriam Webster [1] very explicitly advocates for "gauge": > The verb gauge, which refers to measuring or estimating, also has a variant gage. This variant appears to show up primarily in informal sources, though not often. Gauge is by far the preferred spelling in general usage for both the noun and the verb; we encourage you use it. 1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage
      - chillingeffect 10y ago
        Keep sight of your goalposts. This isn't a discussion about whether a source encourages its use or not. It's about whether it's a typo or a correct spelling. Your quote above, in which 'gage' is implicitly referred to as a spelling further supports that it's not a misspelling. I don't know how to state this in a more friendly way. These are merely facts documented here for verification purposes. If anyone's immediate reaction to verifiable facts in the face of an imposter spreading misinformation differs from gratitude, I would fear for their ability to take in other easily verifiable facts.
    - throwanem 10y ago
      Not hardly: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cgage%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgauge%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&y... The ~1920-~1960 bump is surprising, but not significant when "gauge" has one as well, and especially when taken alongside the solid difference of usage frequency that's persisted since before the American Civil War. If you favor prescriptivism in general, that's your lookout, but to argue that "gage" in this context might not be a misspelling seems quixotic at best.
      - chillingeffect 10y ago
        That's a pretty graph. If one continues it in time past 2000, one sees "gauge" begins to tank again in 2001 in popularity while "gage" holds on tight. :) https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&year_start=1800&year_end=2017&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cgage%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgauge%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&y... Unfortunately, merely counting spellings of the word in books as that graph does isn't sufficient evidence. It fails to account for how the word is used over time. It's fully possible "gauge" as a noun experienced a radical uptick following the Age of the Sail as steam machines were introduced. These usages would obscure the frequency of the "gauge"(verb) vs. "gage"(verb). Nevertheless, the corpus of "gage" merely underscores its acceptability. Even if it's not as popular, it continues to be used to today, as your evidence shows, so it is both correct and not archaic. I value greatly the perspective you've brought, but it's just not aligned with the evidence and facts. If one were to adopt that worldview, one would have to call every less popular option archaic. But would it make sense to say that red is an archaic color for a car, because it's less popular than white and black? https://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/car-color-popularity-2.jpg https://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/car-color-popular... Finally, with respect to the descriptive usage of language, I will document these entries directly from "the wild" as used by our colleagues on Hacker News, deploying 'gage' in the Larry Wildman sense: 1. "... I'd love to get feedback on and gage interest." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9410624 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9410624 2. "now I'm trying to gage how crazy it is to devote..." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469954 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469954 3. "Was hoping to gage the interest of any Hn'ers in long island." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2663638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2663638 4. "Show HN: Gage- Validate your ideas with user feedback (gage.io)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8639928 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8639928 5. "...if possible, gage how many Heroku Web Dynos I should add." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6214062 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6214062
  - rripken 10y ago
    The dozens of people I deal with at the US Army Corps of Engineers prefer 'gage' to 'gauge'. Both when used as a noun or a verb. I have no idea why that is their preference but I have been made aware of it on multiple occasions. When 'gauge' is used in USACE software or documentation it is treated as a typo and results in defect reports. On one occasion someone's (not saying who's) slides were mocked for using 'gauge'. It's entirely possible that you are technically correct. If you are looking for example reading material that uses the 'gage' spelling see usace.army.mil
    - throwanem 10y ago
      Good to know! I've seen other examples of specific institutional cultures enshrining such quirks of usage, and always enjoy hearing of another.
- echelon 10y ago
  FYI, I think you're being downvoted because of your tone. You can point out things like this in a friendlier way, and I think HN will respond positively.

chillingeffect 10y ago

if you're going to play the pedant's game, learn to play it well: "The verb gauge, which refers to measuring or estimating, also has a variant gage." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage

proaralyst 10y ago
Now I'll know for next time :)
throwanem 10y ago
A variant so archaic that I, a linguistic pedant par excellence, have never even once seen it used in anything written since the turn of the last century, save mentions of its existence as an archaic variant of the common form, and its usage in the phrase "weather gage", itself (and the concept it denotes) rather outdated since the close of the Age of Sail. In any modern usage not deliberately aping archaism, 'gage' for 'gauge' is fairly called a misspelling.
- chillingeffect 10y ago
  Have you got any other authorities besides yourself? Here are mine: 1. I have looked at the Cambridge Dictionary which makes no claims to it being archaic: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gage http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gage 2. I have looked at the Merriam Webster Dictionary which makes no claims to it being archaic: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage 3a. Although it's unclear where they get their info from, Dictionary.com makes no claims to it being archaic, and says that "gage" is used "especially in technical use." http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gauge http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gauge 3b. Dictionary.com claims the verb "gage" is only archaic when used to mean a "pledge, stake or wager," which is not how it's used. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gage http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gage 4. The Oxford English Dictionary makes no claims to the verb gage used as a synonym for gauge being archaic. Only when used to mean "Offer (a thing or one's life) as a guarantee of good faith" and that's not that spelling, but the meaning which is archaic. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/gage#gage-2 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/gage#gage-2 Concession speech?
  - elemenopy 10y ago
    In fact Merriam Webster [1] very explicitly advocates for "gauge": > The verb gauge, which refers to measuring or estimating, also has a variant gage. This variant appears to show up primarily in informal sources, though not often. Gauge is by far the preferred spelling in general usage for both the noun and the verb; we encourage you use it. 1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gage
    - chillingeffect 10y ago
      Keep sight of your goalposts. This isn't a discussion about whether a source encourages its use or not. It's about whether it's a typo or a correct spelling. Your quote above, in which 'gage' is implicitly referred to as a spelling further supports that it's not a misspelling. I don't know how to state this in a more friendly way. These are merely facts documented here for verification purposes. If anyone's immediate reaction to verifiable facts in the face of an imposter spreading misinformation differs from gratitude, I would fear for their ability to take in other easily verifiable facts.
  - throwanem 10y ago
    Not hardly: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cgage%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgauge%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&y... The ~1920-~1960 bump is surprising, but not significant when "gauge" has one as well, and especially when taken alongside the solid difference of usage frequency that's persisted since before the American Civil War. If you favor prescriptivism in general, that's your lookout, but to argue that "gage" in this context might not be a misspelling seems quixotic at best.
    - chillingeffect 10y ago
      That's a pretty graph. If one continues it in time past 2000, one sees "gauge" begins to tank again in 2001 in popularity while "gage" holds on tight. :) https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&year_start=1800&year_end=2017&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cgage%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgauge%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gage%2Cgauge&y... Unfortunately, merely counting spellings of the word in books as that graph does isn't sufficient evidence. It fails to account for how the word is used over time. It's fully possible "gauge" as a noun experienced a radical uptick following the Age of the Sail as steam machines were introduced. These usages would obscure the frequency of the "gauge"(verb) vs. "gage"(verb). Nevertheless, the corpus of "gage" merely underscores its acceptability. Even if it's not as popular, it continues to be used to today, as your evidence shows, so it is both correct and not archaic. I value greatly the perspective you've brought, but it's just not aligned with the evidence and facts. If one were to adopt that worldview, one would have to call every less popular option archaic. But would it make sense to say that red is an archaic color for a car, because it's less popular than white and black? https://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/car-color-popularity-2.jpg https://www.terrapass.com/images/blogposts/car-color-popular... Finally, with respect to the descriptive usage of language, I will document these entries directly from "the wild" as used by our colleagues on Hacker News, deploying 'gage' in the Larry Wildman sense: 1. "... I'd love to get feedback on and gage interest." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9410624 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9410624 2. "now I'm trying to gage how crazy it is to devote..." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469954 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7469954 3. "Was hoping to gage the interest of any Hn'ers in long island." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2663638 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2663638 4. "Show HN: Gage- Validate your ideas with user feedback (gage.io)" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8639928 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8639928 5. "...if possible, gage how many Heroku Web Dynos I should add." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6214062 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6214062
- rripken 10y ago
  The dozens of people I deal with at the US Army Corps of Engineers prefer 'gage' to 'gauge'. Both when used as a noun or a verb. I have no idea why that is their preference but I have been made aware of it on multiple occasions. When 'gauge' is used in USACE software or documentation it is treated as a typo and results in defect reports. On one occasion someone's (not saying who's) slides were mocked for using 'gauge'. It's entirely possible that you are technically correct. If you are looking for example reading material that uses the 'gage' spelling see usace.army.mil
  - throwanem 10y ago
    Good to know! I've seen other examples of specific institutional cultures enshrining such quirks of usage, and always enjoy hearing of another.
echelon 10y ago
FYI, I think you're being downvoted because of your tone. You can point out things like this in a friendlier way, and I think HN will respond positively.