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March 16

Can't Find Definition

What does breviloquent mean? It was used by the character Raymond Redding on Blacklist and I can't find a definition anywhere.50.153.125.142 (talk) 03:13, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

From the Latin, it presumably means ~~taking~~ talking briefly or concisely. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:17, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Taking what briefly? Do you mean 'borrowing'?

KägeTorä - (影 虎) (もしもし！)

04:51, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I think Robert meant "talking". wikt:breviloquent. Rojomoke (talk) 05:07, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. A typo that would confuse someone who didn't know the Latin roots. Oops. Robert McClenon (talk) 01:30, 20 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'm looking for a series of four words, which means "to surprise", and which consists of the word "to" - followed by a verb - followed by the words "a surprise".

I wonder if the expression "to do/make a surprise", which is sometimes used in the spoken language, could also be used in the written language. HOTmag (talk) 11:06, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"Give" would work, and if so, these would work too. --Jayron 32 11:15, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"To reveal a surprise" sounds natural to me, as does "to unveil a surprise", if it's something akin to a work of art. Carbon Caryatid (talk) 11:32, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

To spring a surprise on someone. 109.150.174.93 (talk) 11:39, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, 'to spring a surprise' is the obvious one... though I guess you could also 'foist a surprise' (normally for unwelcome surprises) GrahamHardy (talk) 12:26, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"Spring" was my first thought, too, although "unleash" might work with a particularly big surprise (especially a furry one). StuRat (talk) 17:47, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Why exactly four words? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:52, 19 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I meant "not less than four words" (I assume you understand why this can't be less). HOTmag (talk) 00:30, 20 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

So you're actually looking for "a series of at least four words"? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:37, 20 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah. For example, the series: "to spring a surprise on", contains five words, and means "to surprise". HOTmag (talk) 07:44, 20 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

How do I correctly punctuate a date range involving years?

Let's say that I need to list a date range (for example, 1978 - 1984). Questions: (1) Do you use a hyphen, an en-dash, or an em-dash? (2) Do you put spaces or no spaces before/after the dash (for example, 1978-1984 versus 1978 - 1984)? (3) And what is the proper format for when the years contain many of the same digits? (For example, if I want to describe 1972 to 1979: Is it 1972-1979 or 1972-79 or 1972-9 ...?) Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 20:27, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

According to WP:MOS#In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with to or through

In ranges that might otherwise be expressed with to or through:

pp. 211–19; 64–75%; the 1939–45 war

Thus, en dash with no spaces, with the 19 omitted from 1945 and the 2 omitted from page 219

Loraof (talk) 21:09, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

So for 1972 to 1979, is it 1972-79 or 1972-9 ...? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 00:08, 17 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'd use 1972-79, and pp. 211-219. The only reason we can omit the first two digits on years is that it's customary. Otherwise, it's likely to cause confusion (211-19 might be taken to mean something like the 19th item on page 211). StuRat (talk) 17:19, 17 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

See MOS:DATERANGE. For example, just to be totally aggravating, a person's lifespan does include the full year of death. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:28, 16 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

A direct clear, rational quote from WP:MOS#Dashes in which most editors believe, and Loraof quoted its main part above:

"Do not mix en dashes with prepositions like between and from.

450–500 people;

between 450 and 500 people, not between 450–500 people;

from 450 to 500 people, not from 450–500 people;

If negative values are involved, an en dash might be confusing. Use words instead.

−10 to 10, not −10–10;

The en dash in a range is always unspaced, except when at least one endpoint of the range includes at least one space.

23 July 1790 – 1 December 1791, not 23 July 1790–1 December 1791;

14 May – 2 August 2011, not 14 May–2 August 2011;

10:30 pm Tuesday – 1:25 am Wednesday; Christmas Day – New Year's Eve; Christmas 2001 – Easter 2002;

1–17 September; February–October 2009; 1492? – 7 April 1556;

Best absorbed were wavelengths in the range 28 mm – 17 m." [Quotation ended]

For most uses of en dashes and em dashes, and where one is allowed to insert a space before/after them, you can read WP:Manual_of_Style#Dashes. :) Hamid Hassani (talk) 13:31, 18 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

That's assuming Joseph is asking for the purposes of Wikipedia. In the wider world, there are more options. For example, MOS frowns on spaced emdashes in article space — but I find them useful and natural, and use them freely in talk space. --Trovatore (talk) 21:10, 19 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

You dashing rebel, you. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:33, 20 March 2016 (UTC) [reply]

Thanks, all. Geez, who would have thought it would be such a complex issue? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 17:00, 18 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]