h a l f b a k e r yRenovating the wheel
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In this pre-Brexit turmoil, it seems (according to a reporter
on
the BBC) that there are a slew of people plotting against our
PM (Theresa May, at the time of ending this sentence).
This is very loose terminology, and not what one would
expect
of the BBC. A little research shows that a
slew is defined
only
in the vaguest of terms, with little consensus. We need to
sort
this out ahead of Brexit, before the French leave and take
their decimal system with them.
Proposed, therefore, is the setting and formal benchmarking
of a British Standard Slew, equal to precisely twelve. Use of
the duodecimal will mean that most larger and smaller
conspiracies can be conveniently expressed (for instance "a
slew and a half", or "a quarter of a slew").
British Standard Stew
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maconochie
"... cold, it was a mankiller." [8th of 7, Dec 14 2018]
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Precisely twelve volts. Slew rate is normally given in units of volts per microsecond, so it stands to reason that slew is measured in volts. |
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This does make using the term a little more cumbersome -- "a slew-per-volt of people are plotting..." but that's a small price to pay for dimensional accuracy. |
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So, if slew/V = 12, then what is slain? |
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Are you not keeping the dozen? |
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// volts per microsecond // |
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Or, equivalently but much scarier-soundingly, megavolts per
second. |
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On the other hand, wouldn't the slew rate of a crane or
excavator be given in degrees per second or similar units? |
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I know that, but the rotation of a crane or excavator's top
part in relation to its base is also called "slewing". |
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So effectively you're both correct, which is a deeply unsatisfactory state of affairs. |
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//A little research shows that a slew is defined only
in the vaguest of terms, with little consensus.// |
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Aha, very apropos, considering these features are
precisely the characteristics embodying the entire
Brexit "adventure" itself. |
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I have taken to watching BBC news while I eat my
breakfast. The news coverage is about 90% brexit.
I call it my brexfast. |
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The use of the word "turmoil" is pretty consistent, but I've
yet to complete my internal brexit bingo card with the
phrase "slow-motion trainwreck". |
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Incidentally, apparently a vote of no confidence has been
submitted today, which required four slew. |
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I believe the plural of "slew" is "slewen". |
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Everyone's gotta believe in *something*, I suppose. |
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The majority of words in English that have a plural which employs an -en suffix, e.g. Oxen, originate from Anglo-Saxon. |
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Exactly. Like "woven" - made by taking one thread (or "wov",
from which we get "weft") and combining it with many others. |
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Is that like Max Headroom ? |
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I read that as "stew" and my stomach turned over a few times. Nevertheless I'm bunning this. |
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Interestingly, there is indeed a British Standard Stew <link>, developed in the late 19th century (probably what finished it off, actually) but brought to its peak of perfection during WW1, most likely as a direct response to the first use of chemical weapons by the Germans. |
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By 1918, even though the German front-line troops were starving, they kept fighting ferociously - because they were told by their officers that if they were captured they would be forced to eat food cooked by the British. |
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No wonder they held out for so long ... |
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Verb infinitive "to slay", past imperfect "he slew Abel", past perfect "they have slain the hosts of Midian", pluperfect "she had slain the Nazgul". |
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The declension of the participles indicate that the root is Anglo-Saxon, giving it an archaic nature and accounting for its popularity with the sword-and-sorcery genre. |
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Would it not be equally valid to keep the spelling, but modify the pronunciation ? |
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sp. "slew", pron. "number" |
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