Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <python-python-list@m.gmane.org>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.003
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.99; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:not': 0.03; 'messages.': 0.05; 'ambiguity': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:instance': 0.09; '\xe2\x80\x94': 0.09; 'finney': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'subject:)?': 0.16; 'subject:object': 0.16; 'terse': 0.16; 'language': 0.16; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'error': 0.23; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'especially': 0.30; 'writes:': 0.31; 'ourselves': 0.33; 'subject: (': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'really': 0.36; 'so,': 0.37; 'manager': 0.38; 'ben': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'rather': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'lost': 0.61; 'wish': 0.70; 'received:125': 0.84; 'cause,': 0.91; '\xe2\x80\x9cthe': 0.91; 'have.': 0.93
X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/
To: python-list@python.org
From: Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au>
Subject: Re: An object is an instance (or not)?
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2015 18:03:12 +1100
References: <MPG.2f320f923eedd5a69896a1@nntp.aioe.org> <80a9f882-6b13-45a7-b514-8c47b3a4c37d@googlegroups.com> <MPG.2f321c24a502d2bb9896a3@nntp.aioe.org> <1422423466.366357.219840709.1CB2D6D1@webmail.messagingengine.com> <CABicbJKM9xZmT+L4b=WxqXUpT60yS3sZGS56VzKt_NrZNaXbrg@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.18204.1422424871.18130.python-list@python.org> <d7d48e3b-c278-40f7-b13f-ee7ac968a6f1@googlegroups.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: jigong.madmonks.org
X-Public-Key-ID: 0xAC128405
X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 517C F14B B2F3 98B0 CB35  4855 B8B2 4C06 AC12 8405
X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-pubkey.asc
X-Post-From: Ben Finney <bignose+hates-spam@benfinney.id.au>
User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.4 (gnu/linux)
Cancel-Lock: sha1:qcJv7D8Y90ZnOJJBs6o4njJtp5I=
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.18206.1422428706.18130.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 20
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1422428706 news.xs4all.nl 2890 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:59198
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:84722

Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> writes:

> Me(Rusi): Prefer a not so cavalier adjective-noun equivalencing

I can sympathise with that preference. It really is a lost cause,
though; the English language just works that way.

We use nouns as verbs, nouns as modifiers, adjectives as nouns; and
rather than wish it were not so, we must to take care to express
ourselves to avoid unintended ambiguity — especially in writing. And
*especially* in writing terse formal error messages.

The English language is imperfect, but it's what we have. Live with it.

-- 
 \      “The manager has personally passed all the water served here.” |
  `\                                                  —hotel, Acapulco |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney