I am writing copy for a loyalty program that has the usual 'earn points and redeem them for rewards' message.
However, I'm getting confused about how to use the word redeem.
Is it better/right to say 'redeem points
for products such as laptops', or redeem points
on products such as laptops' or 'redeem points
against products such as laptops'?
I am also considering suggesting we use the word 'spend' instead. It's a simpler and older word, and less tricksy to use.
Would that be better? Any thoughts?
posted by Summer
on Jan 26, 2013 -
15 answers
Despite having no ties to the community beyond a few old facebook friends and the blogs they link to, I'm fascinated by the language quirks of modern conservative Christianity. Less so the specifically theological terms (washed in the blood, new life, etc.), but more how particular words and turns of phrase mark the speaker as belonging to the community even when they are not talking about premillenialism.
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posted by heyforfour
on Jan 17, 2013 -
49 answers
I spent 4 years learning French in high school, and have retained just enough since then to vaguely eavesdrop on a fellow commuter's French novel the other day. I would like to brush up on my reading comprehension, and could use some suggestions for some simply written fiction to pick up.
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posted by thirdletter
on Jan 16, 2013 -
25 answers
My mom has
a bar of soap that I probably gave her as a gift several years ago. We're trying to figure out what language, if any, the logo/brandname are in and what it means. It could be mirrored or upside down but it still doesn't look like any character set I recognize. The soap was probably purchased at a fair trade store so it could be from anywhere.
posted by ChrisHartley
on Jan 14, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm giving a talk tomorrow where I will be covering the work of typographer Eiichi Kono. So my question is pretty simple: how does one best pronounce his name?
posted by garius
on Jan 9, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm looking for any examples of two-letter acronyms that are pronounced as words in English (IT wouldn't count because it is pronounced as two individual letters). Due to the fact that the word "acronym" is widely used to refer to any abbreviation based on initial letters this seems to be quite difficult to search for. Any suggestions?
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posted by tomcooke
on Jan 7, 2013 -
25 answers
What languages have seen minimal linguistic drift over the last few centuries, or even millennia? Which ones have changed dramatically? I'm also hoping for accessible, layman's answers rather than deeply technical resources. Help?
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posted by scaryblackdeath
on Jan 7, 2013 -
23 answers
What is the native San Francisco accent? That is, the accent that San Franciscans had in the middle of the 20th century. Was it as distinctive as a Boston or New York accent? This is a question that I've pondered on and off for a while...
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posted by vacapinta
on Dec 31, 2012 -
15 answers
What are some insightful well-written books or articles, academic or otherwise, on the mechanics of how we learn second-languages and anything about the application of linguistics to learning languages?
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posted by pynchonesque
on Dec 30, 2012 -
8 answers
Which languages, if any, have the same word for "
beak" and "
mouth"? Or: which languages lack a specific word for referring only to a "beak" (aka the hard, pointy, front end of a
bird)?
posted by Greg Nog
on Dec 27, 2012 -
9 answers
I am in Seattle. I'd like to learn French, to the point where I could (in 6 months, say) carry on a rough conversation with someone in Québec or France. I have knowledge of a few words but would essentially be starting from scratch. With which group/center/school should I take classes, but most importantly:
why? (In other words, what would make that class better than those offered through alternatives?)
posted by Blazecock Pileon
on Dec 25, 2012 -
9 answers
I need help in acquiring a lot of a vocabulary for a lot of languages. How can I best proceed and what should be my expectations and timetables be?
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posted by SollosQ
on Dec 16, 2012 -
9 answers
Dear French speaking Mefites: I am an idiot. I can't get the prepositions down! Knowing when to say "au" or "du" is KILLING me. I've made cheat sheets and have memorized most of the set phrases I can, but when I'm writing on my own I inevitably foul it up or blank. Can you help?
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posted by two lights above the sea
on Dec 4, 2012 -
11 answers
Are grammatical genders, as a rule, consistent across the Indo-European languages which use them?
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posted by obloquy
on Dec 4, 2012 -
30 answers
"Book review" typically refers to the review of a single book. Is there a term for a single article that reviews the collective works of an author?
posted by NotMyselfRightNow
on Nov 30, 2012 -
13 answers
Linguists, is there a name for this annoying trend, and can we point to where/when it originated: Overusing the word "that" without first defining what you are talking about?
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posted by jbickers
on Nov 26, 2012 -
17 answers
Hi everyone,
I am a 24 y/o English native about to start a PhD in London. During the next 3 years, I would very much like to begin learning French alongside my doctoral studies, and I am interested in finding out the most effective and efficient way of going about this.
Realistically I will probably be able and willing to dedicate between one and two hours a day to studying French. I am interested in learning to both speak and write the language in equal measure.
Any advice is much appreciated.
posted by FuckingAwesome
on Nov 23, 2012 -
13 answers
As a reader, how do you feel about invented language versus familiar words in imaginary worlds?
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posted by batmonkey
on Nov 21, 2012 -
67 answers
I want to create a spreadsheet from the hyperlinks and words in a word list on Wiktionary. Please take me through the steps. Thanks!
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posted by iamkimiam
on Nov 20, 2012 -
8 answers
What is a good skill to learn on a commute? 90-120 mins each day, subway/bus, mostly sitting without a table. Kindle/IPod/iPad available. Preferably looking for NON-language suggestions.
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posted by lalochezia
on Nov 7, 2012 -
16 answers
Stamp collecting is philately. Coin collecting falls under numismatics (perhaps as a subdivision). Rock collecting is not really geology in the same way as the above terms are used. Is there a similar term for rock collecting?
posted by Jahaza
on Nov 3, 2012 -
7 answers
What does this Egyptian Arabic song mean in English?
Listen to the song
here.
Thanks! : )
posted by thatgirl1985
on Nov 2, 2012 -
4 answers
Looking for scenes (television or film) in which an actor plays a character with a different accent and then
that character puts on the actor's native accent.
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posted by 256
on Nov 2, 2012 -
27 answers
Is there a design term which describes the aesthetic, "things which show the details of their construction". Examples inside.
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posted by primer_dimer
on Oct 31, 2012 -
10 answers
Is there a verb in the English language that describes the process of leaves changing color, withering and falling?
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posted by shew
on Oct 22, 2012 -
12 answers
We're hosting a grad student from Thailand tonight who speaks very little english and has some trouble following conversation. What do we do to be good hosts?
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posted by elvissa
on Oct 19, 2012 -
15 answers
Which language is claimed to have shifted between language families?
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posted by Jehan
on Oct 14, 2012 -
6 answers
Year off between undergrad and dental school. Optimally, I would like to go to South or Central America for the purpose of learning Spanish. Best way to do this?
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posted by mellosphere
on Oct 11, 2012 -
13 answers
What is a good resource for understanding art theory - book recommendations, websites, things of that nature. I keep finding myself realizing that there's uses of language in art that doesn't match up with what I think it should be.
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posted by mephron
on Oct 11, 2012 -
5 answers
Best structured cheap or free Spanish conversation classes in Toronto (better yet, at the University of Toronto)?
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posted by 256
on Oct 9, 2012 -
2 answers
Can you share ways of sounding less direct and polite while contradicting / disagreeing / sharing ideas in a business context?
For example in a scenario where one wants to say : Why don't we have a website for this product a more polite way of saying the same thing could be: I am new here and was wondering if there would be any value in having a website for this product.
I would love to hear ideas around how individuals can sound polite and make their point in business setting where often times you need to make your point to senior management.
Also, Any books or websites that can help with this?
posted by r2d2
on Oct 7, 2012 -
13 answers
I spend a lot of time sitting around waiting, with my iPhone. I also spend a fair amount of time having very similar conversations, in my very poor conversational spanish, with native-speakers who (usually due to tragic life circumstances) lack education in their own language. What I don't do is expand my vocabulary or learn proper grammar. As a consequence, while I can usually understand the gist of what people say and make myself generally understood, I don't understand the details, can't express myself precisely, and I'm not getting any better at any of those tasks.
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posted by Nx
on Oct 6, 2012 -
13 answers
I am looking for a 2D animation toolkit that helps me animate various actors, like man, woman, cat and helps in realising various actions like sleeping, running, etc. with programmatical ease. I have looked into processing.org and started to toy with simple geometric shapes, but yet to stumble across an animation with man/woman actors. Could you help me find some good resources where I could learn to animate such things? TIA.
posted by godugu
on Oct 4, 2012 -
3 answers
Recommend some good Spanish language media (TV series, online radio, podcasts etc) for my girlfriend to immerse herself in while she learns Spanish.
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posted by knapah
on Oct 2, 2012 -
13 answers
Tell me a little bit about this recording I made in a taxi in the UAE. I think it's in Urdu.
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posted by mykescipark
on Sep 28, 2012 -
9 answers
