When asked "What month is the hottest here?", how to reply?

[tonbei]

What month is the hottest here?

When asked that question
which answer is right?

1) It's August. 2) August is.

I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
2) feels a little too unexpected.

[spains...@gmail.com]

Both are right.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

They're both right.


--
Athel -- French and British, living mainly in England until 1987.

[Horace LaBadie]

In article <10a3f42b-5136-42d4...@googlegroups.com>,

Both.

There's a third option, "August," omitting the verb.

[tonbei]

2021年11月26日金曜日 23:11:16 UTC+9 Horace LaBadie:

I'm not sure, but I hear in a rule of the English expression, when you say something new, or give a new information,
it's put out afterwards. If this applies, "August", if this is something new, would be said around the end of the sentence.
Am I saying wrong?

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, November 26, 2021 at 11:48:34 AM UTC-5, tonbei wrote:
> 2021年11月26日金曜日 23:11:16 UTC+9 Horace LaBadie:
> > In article <10a3f42b-5136-42d4...@googlegroups.com>,
> > tonbei <aut...@infoseek.jp> wrote:

> > > What month is the hottest here?

"which month"

> > > When asked that question
> > > which answer is right?
> > > 1) It's August. 2) August is.
> > > I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
> > > 2) feels a little too unexpected.
> > Both.
> > There's a third option, "August," omitting the verb.
>
> I'm not sure, but I hear in a rule of the English expression, when you say something new, or give a new information,
> it's put out afterwards. If this applies, "August", if this is something new, would be said around the end of the sentence.
> Am I saying wrong?

You're not using a sentence, you're answering the question.

All three responses are fine. ("August is" is the most unlikely,
probably for the reason you gave.)

[Ken Blake]

On 11/26/2021 5:42 AM, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2021-11-26 12:02:22 +0000, tonbei said:
>
>> What month is the hottest here?
>>
>> When asked that question
>> which answer is right?
>>
>> 1) It's August. 2) August is.
>>
>> I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
>> 2) feels a little too unexpected.
>
> They're both right.

Yes, but to me, better is simply "August."

[Richard Heathfield]

On 26/11/2021 18:43, Stefan Ram wrote:

> It might sound boring or obsequious when you answer
> questions in a very conventional way.

On the other hand, it might not.

> Think about giving
> a creative answer that will baffle the interlocutor, like:

...like one that doesn't answer the question.

> "Who cares about months! My girlfriend, she is the hottest
> chick in the whole country!". People also often use iambic
> pentameters, here's my attempt at such a verse:
>
> The HOTTest MONTH the AUGust SURely IS.

If you would like to stay on friendly terms
With any member of the fairer sex
Describing her as poultry (overcooked
And immature) might not be your best plan.




--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

[Sam Plusnet]

On 26-Nov-21 12:42, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> On 2021-11-26 12:02:22 +0000, tonbei said:
>
>> What month is the hottest here?
>>
>> When asked that question
>> which answer is right?
>>
>> 1) It's August.    2) August is.
>>
>> I think  1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
>> 2) feels a little too unexpected.
>
> They're both right.

I'm pretty sure Peter Moylen will not agree.


--
Sam Plusnet

[Paul Wolff]

On Fri, 26 Nov 2021, at 20:10:31, Sam Plusnet posted:

I am not he, but my preferred answer is "Each is right."
--
Paul

[Sam Plusnet]

Perhaps I should have said Peter, and the others who live in the
southern hemisphere.

"In" or "on"?
Which takes precedence, geometry or geography?

--
Sam Plusnet

[Dingbat]

Both are right. Be that as it may, "January" might be even more unexpected
if you're unacquainted with climes in the southern hemisphere. That would
be in the answer you'd get in Alice Springs, Australia.

[Ken Blake]

And not everyplace in the northern hemisphere is the same. Here in
Tucson, June is usually the hottest month.

[Peter Moylan]

On 27/11/21 06:08, Richard Heathfield wrote:
> On 26/11/2021 18:43, Stefan Ram wrote:
>> tonbei <aut...@infoseek.jp> writes:
>>> What month is the hottest here?
>>> When asked that question
>>> which answer is right?
>>> 1) It's August. 2) August is.
>>> I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
>>> 2) feels a little too unexpected.
>>
>> It might sound boring or obsequious when you answer
>> questions in a very conventional way.
>
> On the other hand, it might not.
>
>> Think about giving
>> a creative answer that will baffle the interlocutor, like:
>
> ...like one that doesn't answer the question.
>
>> "Who cares about months! My girlfriend, she is the hottest
>> chick in the whole country!". People also often use iambic
>> pentameters, here's my attempt at such a verse:
>>
>> The HOTTest MONTH the AUGust SURely IS.
>
> If you would like to stay on friendly terms
> With any member of the fairer sex
> Describing her as poultry (overcooked
> And immature) might not be your best plan.

When I see my baby
What do I see?
Poultry,
Poultry in motion.

--
Peter Moylan Newcastle, NSW http://www.pmoylan.org

[Peter Moylan]

On 27/11/21 09:22, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 26-Nov-21 20:37, Paul Wolff wrote:
>> On Fri, 26 Nov 2021, at 20:10:31, Sam Plusnet posted:
>>> On 26-Nov-21 12:42, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>>>> On 2021-11-26 12:02:22 +0000, tonbei said:
>>>>
>>>>> What month is the hottest here?
>>>>>
>>>>> When asked that question
>>>>> which answer is right?
>>>>>
>>>>> 1) It's August. 2) August is.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
>>>>> 2) feels a little too unexpected.
>>>> They're both right.
>>>
>>> I'm pretty sure Peter Moylen will not agree.
>>>
>> I am not he, but my preferred answer is "Each is right."
>
> Perhaps I should have said Peter, and the others who live in the
> southern hemisphere.

If, for the sake of answering the question, I ignored the fact that
August is a cool month[1], I would say that the very best answer is the
one-word response "August".

> "In" or "on"?
> Which takes precedence, geometry or geography?

Here I have to say "in". Saying "on" would give me the insecure feeling
that I was clinging to the outer skin of a globe that had an almost
negligibly thin layer of atmosphere around it. Which, although true, is
an unpleasant thought.

[1] August used to be a cold month here. Spring arrived in about the
last week of September. Now, as a result of global warming, we see signs
of Spring in the last week of August. It's still true, though, that the
hottest month is either January or February.

That takes me back to my childhood. January was holiday time, when we
ran around half-naked and spent a lot of time at the river. My main
memory of February is sitting in a pool of sweat in a hot classroom,
watching the flies buzz around and realising that the flies were more
interesting than the teacher.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

About the fact, probably (nor would my wife), but I think he'd agree
about the usage.

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 09:32:06 +0100
Athel Cornish-Bowden <acor...@imm.cnrs.fr> wrote:

> On 2021-11-26 20:10:31 +0000, Sam Plusnet said:
>
> > On 26-Nov-21 12:42, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> >> On 2021-11-26 12:02:22 +0000, tonbei said:
> >>
> >>> What month is the hottest here?
> >>>
> >>> When asked that question
> >>> which answer is right?
> >>>
> >>> 1) It's August.    2) August is.
> >>>
> >>> I think  1) is right, but couldn't be sure.
> >>> 2) feels a little too unexpected.
> >>
> >> They're both right.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure Peter Moylen will not agree.
>
> About the fact, probably (nor would my wife), but I think he'd agree
> about the usage.

Oh come along, arguing is what this NG is all about.

(That was never 5 minutes!)


--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

[CDB]

On 11/27/2021 3:32 AM, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> Sam Plusnet said:

>> Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>>> tonbei said:

>>>> What month is the hottest here?

>>>> When asked that question which answer is right?

>>>> 1) It's August. 2) August is.

>>>> I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure. 2) feels a little
>>>> too unexpected.

>>> They're both right.

>> I'm pretty sure Peter Moylen will not agree.

> About the fact, probably (nor would my wife), but I think he'd agree
> about the usage.

From a Paraguayan* song, "Río Manso": "Enero estaba fundiendo/ Sobre el
río su calor ...". I had to give myself a shake at that point.

Ramona Galarza's recording ws popular in the '60s.

*(Checking around, I see that it's credited to the Argentine province of
Corrientes, and the song does speak of "una noche Correntina". Galarza,
also Correntina, sings in Guaraní sometimes, so I was confused.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myinFEBRVw0

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

On 2021-11-27 13:29:37 +0000, CDB said:

> On 11/27/2021 3:32 AM, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>> Sam Plusnet said:
>>> Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>>>> tonbei said:
>
>>>>> What month is the hottest here?
>
>>>>> When asked that question which answer is right?
>
>>>>> 1) It's August. 2) August is.
>
>>>>> I think 1) is right, but couldn't be sure. 2) feels a little
>>>>> too unexpected.
>
>>>> They're both right.
>
>>> I'm pretty sure Peter Moylen will not agree.
>
>> About the fact, probably (nor would my wife), but I think he'd agree
>> about the usage.
>
> From a Paraguayan* song, "Río Manso": "Enero estaba fundiendo/ Sobre el
> río su calor ...". I had to give myself a shake at that point.

Argentinians (and maybe Paraguayans) take their summer holidays in
January; Chileans take theirs in February. I don't know how much that
reflects a difference in climate, or just custom.

>
> Ramona Galarza's recording ws popular in the '60s.
>
> *(Checking around, I see that it's credited to the Argentine province of
> Corrientes, and the song does speak of "una noche Correntina". Galarza,
> also Correntina, sings in Guaraní sometimes, so I was confused.)
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myinFEBRVw0

[Quinn C]

* Kerr-Mudd, John:

<folding arms, looking away>

--
Veronica: You named your puppy "The Missus"?
Cliff: Says the owner of a dog named "Pony".
-- Veronica Mars, S04E05