This Chinese Student's Sentence: Redundant or Acceptable?

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A Chinese student wrote a sentence as below:

Sometimes, what parents say is garbage that is useless.

My question here is how to improve this sentence.

(1) Since garbage is garbage, so "that is useless" is redundant and should be removed.
Now we have the sentence:

Sometimes, what parents say is garbage.

Rhetorically, this improved sentence still sounds more or less rude. We can make it a bit more euphemistic:

Sometimes, what parents say is useless.

It is now acceptable to me. What is your opinion on the process of my editing?

Thanks in anticipation.

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 1,644 • Replies: 41

View best answer, chosen by oristarA

@oristarA,

I'd say "Sometimes what parents say is useless garbage"

There's an expression "What's one mans trash is another mans treasure"

Some people will not find what parents sometimes say is garbage, or useless at all.

Some garbage is useful to someone who can think of something to do with it.

1 Reply

@chai2,

Thank you Chai.

Your analysis is excellent.

0 Replies

That is,
"Sometimes, what parents say is useless garbage" sounds natural while "Sometimes, what parents say is garbage that is useless" sounds Chinglish?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

"Sometimes, what parents say is garbage that is useless"

That sentence does not sound 'Chinglish' at all. It conveys the meaning, but does sound very stilted. Chai's paraphrase is excellent.

1 Reply

"Garbage" is US-specific, like "trash". Other locales might say "rubbish".

1 Reply

@roger,

WELL ROGER, CHEATED DEATH ANOTHER YEAR, AND TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY.
AND YOU ADMITTED YOU PUT YOUR OWN NAME IN THERE.

0 Replies

@centrox,

You all don't say "junk" either, right?

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

InfraBlue wrote:

You all don't say "junk" either, right?

Sometimes. It still has a US flavour. Saying someone has junk in the trunk when you mean they have a fat arse is definitely American.

3 Replies

@centrox,

Sometimes 'junk' is just a polite way of referring to your 'package'.

Men only, of course.

0 Replies

@centrox,

centrox wrote:

InfraBlue wrote:
You all don't say "junk" either, right?

Sometimes. It still has a US flavour. Saying someone has junk in the trunk when you mean they have a fat arse is definitely American.

In the U.S. saying a woman has junk in the trunk isn't saying she's got a fat ass.

It means she very curvaceous, with a sexy ass.

Like the phrase "She's built like a brick shithouse"

Beyonce has junk in her trunk and is built like a brick shithouse.

https://media.giphy.com/media/zxcBUaoBryYW4/giphy.gif

2 Replies

BTW, to me the word trash, junk and garbage are not totally interchangeable.

In my mind trash is more like papers, dry stuff. Like the things you put in a waste paper basket at work. I wouldn't feel like I would have to wear rubber gloves to go through household or office trash.

Junk are things that are now useless or don't work right anymore. It's junk when it's not worth keeping.
However, Americans have the term "junk drawer". That's the drawer that you never get around to organizing, and is filled with odds and ends, mostly small items. The items are still useful, it's just really disordered. Do you have a particular name for that sort of thing?

Garbage to me is more messy. Wet and/or dirty. It's what accumulates in your kitchen garbage can, and is taken to the dump to molder and fester and attract rats and sea gulls.

When you rake and trim your garden or lawn, that's yard waste.

https://newhopechurchtn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_5615-001-384x216.jpg

1 Reply

@chai2,

Yes! To me, garbage always includes broken egg shells and wet coffee grounds.

1 Reply

@roger,

Exactly!!!!

0 Replies

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

Beyonce has junk in her trunk and is built like a brick shithouse.

Have you ever considered writing erotic fiction?

0 Replies

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

centrox wrote:

InfraBlue wrote:
You all don't say "junk" either, right?

Sometimes. It still has a US flavour. Saying someone has junk in the trunk when you mean they have a fat arse is definitely American.

In the U.S. saying a woman has junk in the trunk isn't saying she's got a fat ass.

It means she very curvaceous, with a sexy ass.

Like the phrase "She's built like a brick shithouse"

Beyonce has junk in her trunk and is built like a brick shithouse.

It is consistent with the argument "that Beyonce is part of the hyper sexualization of women in the pop industry since the 90's."

The nuance of American English is important, especially for a writer.

1 Reply

@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

It is consistent with the argument "that Beyonce is part of the hyper sexualization of women in the pop industry since the 90's."

The nuance of American English is important, especially for a writer.

Ah, bull. Beyonce is pretty tame compared to others like Nicki Manaj or Rhianna.

Beyonce is more of a wholesome sexiness.

There's been sexy women in the arts since time began.

Check out Josephine Baker, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit.

1 Reply

@centrox,

centrox wrote:

InfraBlue wrote:
You all don't say "junk" either, right?

Sometimes. It still has a US flavour. Saying someone has junk in the trunk when you mean they have a fat arse is definitely American.

I saw an interview of Jessica Ennis after the 2012 Olympics and she said that the first thing she'd do is eat "rubbish food." In the US we'd say "junk food."

1 Reply

@InfraBlue,

I didn't realise Jessica Ennis was in charge of how we talked. I'd better stop calling it junk food before someone tells the beefeaters and I end up in the Tower.

1 Reply

@chai2,

One thing I don't understand:

How could the shape of "a brick shithouse" be curvaceous and sexy?

4 Replies

This Chinese Student's Sentence: Redundant or Acceptable?

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