My preciousssssssssss.......

[Nanohedron]

I've found it in Wiktionary, and it looks sufficient to me, but not entirely helpful, since it says that the suffix "-pause" is "indicative of a pause or discontinuance". In other words, it could be either temporary or permanent.

I've been furiously scouring the Web in every way I can think of - the Wiktionary entry you mention is also part of the monkeypile - and I've had to arrive at the same conclusion as you: Even in Boffinspeak, it looks as if it's a tossup.

Nano's 'plain English' Great Pause has the right feel for me.

Well, it's not "mine", strictly speaking, because I didn't coin it. Wish I had, though. That's what I love about plain English: Although simple, it's reliable for much better poetic force than ornate loanwords can ever lend. We still have to use loanwords, but I'm always a tad wary of them at the same time; it's too easy to fall into the lurid trap of sesquipedalian euphuism.

[david_h]

...In other words, it could be either temporary or permanent.

Which, I suggest, is a good reason not to use it even if others do. I have been racking my brains for a term use in earth sciences. Found it in the thesaurus. Hiatus.

I do think a spatial use for anthropause is better. With climate change it couldn't be strictly applied but I think it would be good for things like the edge of the exclusion zone round Chernobyl.

[DrPhill]

That's what I love about plain English: Although simple, it's reliable for much better poetic force than ornate loanwords can ever lend.

Try this for simple english: https://www.splasho.com/upgoer5/.

I tried to describe a mobile phone: "small box that lets you speak to me with from a long way off" was the best I managed.

[benhall.1]

Try this for simple english: https://www.splasho.com/upgoer5/.

I tried to describe a mobile phone: "small box that lets you speak to me with from a long way off" was the best I managed.

I've had a go. It's interesting. My version was:

"thing you can use to speak to me from far away and also allows me to speak to you"

[DrPhill]

"thing you can use to speak to me from far away and also allows me to speak to you"

Way better than mine..... though we are allowed 'something' instead of 'thing'. Would that be an improvement?

[benhall.1]

"thing you can use to speak to me from far away and also allows me to speak to you"

Way better than mine..... though we are allowed 'something' instead of 'thing'. Would that be an improvement?

I can't make up my mind between "thing" and "something" in that context.

[DrPhill]

To me 'thing' sounds like a one off but 'something' sounds like a class of things.

(That is allowed too)
(thing that uses its self)

[Nanohedron]

C'mon, guys. Everyone knows it's "That which nobody takes their eyes off of so they bump into things and get cricky necks and sore thumbs".

We can't do without loanwords altogether; even the common "allow", which Ben and DrPhill used, is one. When I say simple or plain English, I don't mean simple words: I mean clear, easy-to-grasp speech. Simple words are indeed plain speech's workhorse, but they can't do it all. In limiting our word selection as in the exercise above, it's obvious that simple, plain English is rendered impossible because eliminating words that convey complex ideas in a concise way makes it harder to communicate.

[benhall.1]

their eyes off of

Ugh! Is that an Americanism?

Also, "cricky" is not a permitted word.

[Nanohedron]

their eyes off of

Ugh! Is that an Americanism?

I doubt it. It's just not a Benism, as I have now learned. In the dangling of participles there is a quaint Americanism, though, that is popularly held to be a signature feature of the upper Midwest and Minnesota in particular: "Are you coming with?" The "me/us" is implied, in case anyone's missed the obvious. But I don't think my region should get all the blame; I know I've heard it out of New Yorkers and others as well, so ...

In any case I don't see what the big deal is. After all, people say, "Are you coming along?" all the time, and think nothing of it. It's just a variant of the same thing.

[an seanduine]

I managed ´far speak listen box´.

Bob

[Nanohedron]

Oops. Sorry, Ben, I just trampled on your post thinking I was replying. I can't find a way to correct it. Ouch. My bad.

[DrPhill]

I managed ´far speak listen box´.

**well done that is the shortest yet**

(I am using ** as shorthand for it passed the test)

EDIT: **'far speaking and listening box' seems a little cleaner**

[benhall.1]

Oops. Sorry, Ben, I just trampled on your post thinking I was replying. I can't find a way to correct it. Ouch. My bad.

Er. Yes. I'll delete it. Took me a while and a fair bit of thought, too.

[Nanohedron]

Aw, jeez, Ben - I just got it all fixed and was ready to bring it back to the way it was...

We still can, you know.