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I couldn't parse this paragraph: >To JB Straubel, one of the brains behind Tesla Inc., TSLA -1.13%▲ that refuse holds the key to driving the electric car revol

I couldn't parse this paragraph: >To JB Straubel, one of the brains behind Tesla Inc., TSLA -1.13%▲ that refuse holds the key to driving the electric car revolution forward—and making the vehicles affordable enough for everyone to own one. Could someone help? >Mr. Straubel said in his first in-depth interview about his new venture since it was formed in 2017 while still at Tesla. Was that with Tesla's blessing?

peteretep 6y ago
Are you missing that “refuse” can be a noun?
- Jugurtha 6y ago
  Absolutely. I'm a native French speaker, but the comma separating the ticker symbol from the company name mislead me into understanding "one of the brains behind Tesla Inc [..] that refuse", and given the common pattern in articles in which either employees, shareholders, or investors join their forces against X, I bought it hook, line, and sinker. Thank you! I completely ignored the possibility.
jhardy54 6y ago
Refuse (noun): worthless or useless part of something. (Prounuced 'ref-use', rhymes with 'refuge'.)
- Jugurtha 6y ago
  Much appreciated!
- pbhjpbhj 6y ago
  Where are you from? I'm en-gb native and refuse doesn't rhyme with refuge. Ref-use: ref as in referee, use as in noose, or loose. But then in en-gb we'd say "waste" or maybe "rubbish".
  - coldpie 6y ago
    In en-US, refuse (verb) is pronounced reh-fuse ("I refuse to do that."), while refuse (noun) is pronounced ref-use ("This refuse must be disposed of.") The accent switches syllables.
  - samatman 6y ago
    Pretty sure they meant a "slant rhyme", the stress and first syllable of refuse (n.) and refuge are the same. In the US we say ref as in referee, use as in news or lose, fwiw.
  - jhardy54 6y ago
    I'm en-us. It doesn't rhyme because they end with different consonants, but I pronounce 'refuse' exactly like 'refuge' (obviously changing the soft G sound to an S sound). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24318964 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24318964
  - jhardy54 6y ago
    Ref-oos? TIL.
  - detritus 6y ago
    I'm en-gb native too and it checks out here.
AndrewBissell 6y ago
It was easy to guess this article was written by Tim Higgins before I even clicked the link.

peteretep 6y ago

Are you missing that “refuse” can be a noun?

Jugurtha 6y ago
Absolutely. I'm a native French speaker, but the comma separating the ticker symbol from the company name mislead me into understanding "one of the brains behind Tesla Inc [..] that refuse", and given the common pattern in articles in which either employees, shareholders, or investors join their forces against X, I bought it hook, line, and sinker. Thank you! I completely ignored the possibility.

jhardy54 6y ago

Refuse (noun): worthless or useless part of something. (Prounuced 'ref-use', rhymes with 'refuge'.)

Jugurtha 6y ago
Much appreciated!
pbhjpbhj 6y ago
Where are you from? I'm en-gb native and refuse doesn't rhyme with refuge. Ref-use: ref as in referee, use as in noose, or loose. But then in en-gb we'd say "waste" or maybe "rubbish".
- coldpie 6y ago
  In en-US, refuse (verb) is pronounced reh-fuse ("I refuse to do that."), while refuse (noun) is pronounced ref-use ("This refuse must be disposed of.") The accent switches syllables.
- samatman 6y ago
  Pretty sure they meant a "slant rhyme", the stress and first syllable of refuse (n.) and refuge are the same. In the US we say ref as in referee, use as in news or lose, fwiw.
- jhardy54 6y ago
  I'm en-us. It doesn't rhyme because they end with different consonants, but I pronounce 'refuse' exactly like 'refuge' (obviously changing the soft G sound to an S sound). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24318964 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24318964
- jhardy54 6y ago
  Ref-oos? TIL.
- detritus 6y ago
  I'm en-gb native too and it checks out here.

AndrewBissell 6y ago

It was easy to guess this article was written by Tim Higgins before I even clicked the link.