Archive:

Month: January 2017

Why is Iran one of the most hated countries?

By: | Post date: January 31, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Countries

I love questions about Iran, Anon. I actually know very little about Iran, and much of what I do know is through people right here on Quora. But I know enough about the neighborhood, as their neighbours’ neighbour, that I can make intelligent guesses. They may be very far from correct guesses, of course. But […]

Is the employment of rhetorical tropes dishonest?

By: | Post date: January 31, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

You come to me highly recommended, Melinda Gwin, by the Magister, with a very ticklish question. You ask me a question that the Magister has already answered exhaustively, and morally, and Stageritically. What then may I say? Τί σοι προσοίσω, δέσποινα;—What shall I offer thee, lady? (Though you may not be that familiar with Comnenan […]

Why do people compare a woman’s body shape to fruit?

By: | Post date: January 30, 2017 | Comments: 1 Comment
Posted in categories: Culture

… Do we, Kat? I mean, pear-shaped we do say, yes, and the body shape is old (1815); the “things went wrong” meaning is much later, and may (may) be unrelated: Pear-shaped. But banana-shaped? I haven’t heard that. I have heard “flat as a pancake” instead, and pancakes aren’t fruit. Apple shaped? I haven’t heard […]

Why is The Bachelor / The Bachelorette so popular? Why do people like watching the shows?

By: | Post date: January 29, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture

Originally Answered: Why do people like to watch The Bachelor? I’m sure I’ve seen this question somewhere else already, but I’m on my phone, so I won’t go hunting to merge. The Bachelor draws on a potent combination of factors, although the proportion of factors seems to differ by country. The Australian Bachelor and Bachelorette […]

How do people deal with “unfortunate” last names?

By: | Post date: January 29, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Personal

You’re not hinting that my last name is unfortunate there, Michael, are you? 🙂 I haven’t suffered all that much for it. Certainly not as much as some respondents. If someone carries on about it, I inwardly (or maybe even not that inwardly) roll my eyes, and move on. I used to be nicknamed Nick […]

How can one use the word “Quora” in a limerick?

By: | Post date: January 29, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Quora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapaest In Sodom, we know from the Torah,the sinful did dwell, and Gomorrah.When guests came to visit,they’d leer: “How exquisite!What to do to them? Oh! Let’s ask Quora!” Answered 2017-01-29 [Originally posted on http://quora.com/How-can-one-use-the-word-Quora-in-a-limerick/answer/Nick-Nicholas-5]

Can you recite a poem, sonnet or any literary device in the languages of your choice?

By: | Post date: January 28, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Culture, Quora

http://vocaroo.com/ Poem #1 My favourite Esperanto sonnet—which actually dissolves the very form of the sonnet; see: What is your favorite phrase or line from a poem not in English? Mi, dezirante ĉerkon(kapitulaci,ekshipokrito laca,ĉi ŝakan ŝercon), pluportis mian serĉonĝis la palacode ĉi korpo kuraca,en kies riĉon mi kitelumaspli pace miajn ostojnol feton lulas la utero; kaj […]

Is University of Melbourne better for electrical engineering?

By: | Post date: January 25, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Academia, Australia

My experience in studying Elec Eng at Melbourne as an undergrad was 25 years ago, so it would be monstrously unfair of me to answer this question. I’ll do it anyway. See how my bio says “former Sessional Lecturer at University of Melbourne”? That was in Linguistics, not Elec Eng. 🙂 That’s on me: I […]

What misconceptions about sex did you have growing up?

By: | Post date: January 24, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Personal

Well, I’d read the children’s encyclopaedia Childcraft when I was 6. And I was pretty proud of my reading capabilities. Childcraft had an age-appropriate elucidation of the reproductive system. And I duly read that. Somehow, this came up on a visit with my uncle George (God rest him) and aunt Hariklia. (She goes by Iris […]

Why are some Americans so bad at geography?

By: | Post date: January 22, 2017 | Comments: No Comments
Posted in categories: Countries

Originally Answered: Why are Americans so bad at Geography? I responded to Nick Nicholas’ answer to What do you think when you hear the words, “United States”? with a map, to undo such questions. I got the ball rolling, with all the questions listed in the answer wiki under How many Central and South American […]