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I can't type a key suddenly. a,e,i,u, yes, I can type that. I can't type the fifth letter in that set. This is bad because I am already using my backup USB key-thingy, I b0rked the built-in keythingy awhile back. Luckily I already did my writing in this day (and am ahead! \0/) It is weirdly hard, typing negatives in particular? I didn't ken that this many negatives used that letter but it is true. I tried writing 'must be the thing that is negative reversed' but I can't say that either, can't win.

Anyway I may be silent-ish until I get new a keythingy. I may give up and remap instead. A USB keythingy is cheap but I am lazy, we'll see. I have laundry, making things in kitchen, cleaning, leaf raking, finally finishing that musical with A.Ham, yuletide review, practicing music, mending, reading Ancillary Mercy, etc. as well anyway, typing is luxury time-waste rn.

But if any readers feel like talking with me using just a,e,i,u please say hi, it is an interesting exercise.

(Think I b0rked my backup hard drive yesterday as well. I am having all the luck with electrical things lately.)

(maybe I can make the keythingy qwerty again, in that case it will be missing 'S'. S is the key I b0rked last time I remapped. But it was the 'S' that is ';' in qwerty, a different physical keycap. This can't be sheer chance can it? I am haunted by a b0rked S.)

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I am thinking that I am unlearned in whether skipping that letter will make the writing likely Germanic, maybe French in inception. Perhaps there's scarcely an affiliation but I'd like if I definitely twig the linkage.

I'd investigate the linguistics, but perhaps it's cheating if I use the English terms reference manual made by the university press that isn't Cambridge, since I can't even say its name sans that letter.

I am using 'b0rked' liberally, I think cheating is already in play. <_< (Is 'b0rked' in that big language reference guide yet? It's in the language, definitely.) ...I am having a weird issue with saying abstract thing-signifiers, I keep skipping 'I', 'it', 'a', 'the', & etc., despite them having just usable letters? With a letter missing I try talking like Luna's Manny apparently. Strange.

the English terms reference manual made by the university press that isn't Cambridge

*can't participate, suffering death caused by the laugh*

Laughing is acceptable! Laughing used just typeable letters. ^_^

...My guess is that whatever language is in ancestry with that letter skipped, latinate it isn't. (Given that twice already latinates with that letter were used in what has been said by thee! :P)

grar! I saw the first and intended change -- didn't see the latter, feh.

Ah, and my reply prevented change, eh? Alas I replied and thus thy shame will last till time's end. (Well, DW's end, anyway.)

I'd investigate the linguistics, but perhaps it's cheating if I use the English terms reference manual made by the university press that isn't Cambridge, since I can't even say its name sans that letter.

By that metric, y'all (I include R. replying) participating is cheating! See usernames. :-D

The speech part that precedes what in Latin is an ablative-case term—are these terms in English typically Germanic? I think yes, but am unsure. A fascinating exercise indeed, escaping using such terms!

It is difficult! It's difficult, making things happen when I can't with the usual way 'making a thing happen' is said, especially making a list with things that need happening, I can't write the usual title.

(Mind, just 'making things happen' is just plain difficult, that is always true I guess, I can't use the missing letter as my excuse with laundry still being a mess can I? Alas.)

Well, at least it wasn't the 'e' key - that is a specific writing challenge that seems like a different pain in the butt. But I can't say it's exact name because it has the denied letter! But as it excludes it's banned letter, perhaps we can swap and call this exercise a lipegram instead. Considering the exact meaning, this may still be the unnamable thing (referencing texts defining Enlgish terms), as it can technically exclude any single letter. It is usually 'e', but that is not required.

dangit! "Investigating the exact meaning"; "isn't required." I was very near the target, I am just terrible at self-betaing >.>

See, I am literally incapable when I try typing the banned letter; this is much easier here! Try b0rking that key, then mistakes can't be made! ^_^

That requires industry greater than I can currently muster ;)

I have heard tales regarding the lengendary writers achieving much length with such a challenge, even if I didn't recall the name! I have never tried reading their results; has Elanya? Are they readable at length? Banning the 'e' seems much harder, true. But all these little bits in the language with my banned letter! It's less simple than I expected.

I haven't, alas! But there are examples available by searching the internet which are fairly readable. A friend has relevant links, and examples. I must cheat with the site's name, I'm afraid, but I can hide it's tricksy glyphs with a clickable link! I find the style suffers significantly and feels unnatural, quite like what we are seeing here.

augh this instant I am missing that glyph! this is bad, it's v. v. hard with just u a and i, this typing thingy is all augh alas. I cry.

Edited 2015-11-22 00:59 (UTC)

Wait! I have my o back! They all came back! The quick brown fox is jumping! o joy, o glee.

Victory! \o/

Now: to cook jello. pots on stove! bowls!

om nom nom!

At least the n survives, lacking that negatives are even harder.

Yeah, I can still say 'can't' and 'isn't', there's that at least. Yay English letting me cut a letter here and there, I guess.

This is like that time my machine decided that the letter 'i' needed duplicates, triplicates and perhaps being eliminated entirely. It was, indeed, quite irregular.

(this is much like that xkcd panel with the 100 highest used terms in the English language)

I recently read the science text built with that xkcd panel! It was interesting, with much dark matter in it.

As it isn't cheating since that evil key has regained itself...

oooooooooooooooooooooooh! sounds fun and sciencey. =)

It's this text here - it says it's the All-That-Is but really it's just "What Dark Matter Is". But just Dark Matter isn't easy! It was fun.

XKCD guy did a text using it as well! Huh. This is news to me, but it seems interesting: Thing Explainer (that title I can say!) - with many pictures.

i would absolutely read 'Thing Explainer'... (it is way too late for me to try to purposely leave out the letter 'o' in words)

Can't you CTRL+V as needed?

I can, I guess. As well, I can use 0 instead. And I can remap, make that key use a different key, a less useful key. And I have a backup machine - less fast, but keys that can type! And I can get a friend to lend if I must. But why? I need but these letters, really. See? It's all fine.

I suspect Thurber is laughing in the afterlife.

Alternatively? This.

Back in my past, I had a cohort among whom it was a particular kind of play, writing fic and stanzas, both original and translations, without that fifth glyph - I know, not that which you must omit. It was a lot of fun! (A book I own calls this "Anglo-Saxon".)

But I have never tried evading the letter in this case. It's weird - a very different issue!

Yes! There are fewer language parts in general that can't be said, and 'the' and past tense stay, which is great, but many missing parts here are the little parts that shape a sentence, and making sentences absent them is hard in a different way - it isn't the number of things that can be said as much as the ways they can be strung in a line that is much less.

BTW some books which may be relevant to your interest on this topic:

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, which is actually the source of my first Yuletide fic - in which letters one by one disappear from use

Eunoia by Christian Bök - in which each chapter uses only a single vowel.

I sympathize with your difficulty, but your w0rkarounds are making me giggle.

I am happy that I am entertaining, as always. ^_^

I'm impressed that this missive is quite clever and fun! I'm thankful that I am given a chance to play within these rules!

It is a better game than I'd anticipated! I am a bit sad my key is magically better already. (But just a *tiny* bit sad.)

The replies here are delightful.

Always my readers are delightful!

I haven't any advice, but I'm entirely entertained by the replies here, and the number which, with strictest scruples, eschew the denied letter as well! Certain circumnavigated sentences are peculiarly and delightfully versical.

(I say, arriving ten minutes late with Starbucks, and amused by finding that that phrase is entirely legal in this game.)

Edited 2015-11-30 21:14 (UTC)

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