What's your first answer to this problem?

[CountDeMoney]

Still no goddamned vowels, though.

[grumbler]

Surely the plus sign should be replaced with another symbol.

It's using a different grammar. The question is, what is the grammar that makes it correct. It's less a math problem and more a linguistics problem, although you can solve it mathematically as I suspect frunk did.

And as he said, there are probably an infinite number of grammars that would fit, including ones where the numerals have different values.

It's not a different grammar (unless grammar means something different in Canadian English); it is using an existing language incorrectly.  If I were to say "Seedy sucks donkey dicks" and Seedy got offended, I couldn't argue that I was just using a different "grammar" in which "sucks" means "likes" and "donkey dicks" means "cats."

Once one accepts that the formulas are wrong, though, you are correct that there are an infinite number of ways in which it could be wrong.

[merithyn]

Surely the plus sign should be replaced with another symbol.

It's using a different grammar. The question is, what is the grammar that makes it correct. It's less a math problem and more a linguistics problem, although you can solve it mathematically as I suspect frunk did.

And as he said, there are probably an infinite number of grammars that would fit, including ones where the numerals have different values.

It's not a different grammar (unless grammar means something different in Canadian English); it is using an existing language incorrectly.  If I were to say "Seedy sucks donkey dicks" and Seedy got offended, I couldn't argue that I was just using a different "grammar" in which "sucks" means "likes" and "donkey dicks" means "cats."

Once one accepts that the formulas are wrong, though, you are correct that there are an infinite number of ways in which it could be wrong.

It can mean something different than your understanding, yes. See: Definition 4.

Full Definition of grammar
1
a :  the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence
b :  a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax
2
a :  the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of a language
b :  a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language
3
a :  a grammar textbook
b :  speech or writing evaluated according to its conformity to grammatical rules
4
:  the principles or rules of an art, science, or technique <a grammar of the theater>; also : a set of such principles or rules

[crazy canuck]

Surely the plus sign should be replaced with another symbol.

It's using a different grammar. The question is, what is the grammar that makes it correct. It's less a math problem and more a linguistics problem, although you can solve it mathematically as I suspect frunk did.

And as he said, there are probably an infinite number of grammars that would fit, including ones where the numerals have different values.

It's not a different grammar (unless grammar means something different in Canadian English); it is using an existing language incorrectly.  If I were to say "Seedy sucks donkey dicks" and Seedy got offended, I couldn't argue that I was just using a different "grammar" in which "sucks" means "likes" and "donkey dicks" means "cats."

Once one accepts that the formulas are wrong, though, you are correct that there are an infinite number of ways in which it could be wrong.

That is a pretty narrow use of the word grammar to simply make two insults in one post

[grumbler]

It can mean something different than your understanding, yes. See: Definition 4.

Full Definition of grammar
1
a :  the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence
b :  a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax
2
a :  the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of a language
b :  a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language
3
a :  a grammar textbook
b :  speech or writing evaluated according to its conformity to grammatical rules
4
:  the principles or rules of an art, science, or technique <a grammar of the theater>; also : a set of such principles or rules

I don't see how definition 4 applies, but acknowledge that Canadian English isn't always the same as American English.  Thus, your understanding may include "grammar" to mean for "incorrect usage" (as in "the principals or rules of the art of incorrect usage, I suppose) while mine does not.

[grumbler]

That is a pretty narrow use of the word grammar to simply make two insults in one post

Congrats on seeing insults even where not present? 

[crazy canuck]

That is a pretty narrow use of the word grammar to simply make two insults in one post

Congrats on seeing insults even where not present? 

I guess you are so used to be an abrasive jerk that it doesn't register for you anymore   

[derspiess]

Languish has not yet perished.

[merithyn]

It can mean something different than your understanding, yes. See: Definition 4.

Full Definition of grammar
1
a :  the study of the classes of words, their inflections, and their functions and relations in the sentence
b :  a study of what is to be preferred and what avoided in inflection and syntax
2
a :  the characteristic system of inflections and syntax of a language
b :  a system of rules that defines the grammatical structure of a language
3
a :  a grammar textbook
b :  speech or writing evaluated according to its conformity to grammatical rules
4
:  the principles or rules of an art, science, or technique <a grammar of the theater>; also : a set of such principles or rules

I don't see how definition 4 applies, but acknowledge that Canadian English isn't always the same as American English.  Thus, your understanding may include "grammar" to mean for "incorrect usage" (as in "the principals or rules of the art of incorrect usage, I suppose) while mine does not.

I'd forgotten how limited your scope is with the English Language. Never mind then.

[Valmy]

Languish has not yet perished.

So long as we still live.

What the alien force has taken from us,

We shall retrieve with a sabre.

[Maximus]

It's not a different grammar (unless grammar means something different in Canadian English); it is using an existing language incorrectly.  If I were to say "Seedy sucks donkey dicks" and Seedy got offended, I couldn't argue that I was just using a different "grammar" in which "sucks" means "likes" and "donkey dicks" means "cats."

Sure you could. Grammar is a technical term: in linguistics as I mentioned.

As a non-linguist I can excuse your ignorance; as an academic I can not excuse your professing that ignorance to be "truth".

[11B4V]

12

[grumbler]

That is a pretty narrow use of the word grammar to simply make two insults in one post

Congrats on seeing insults even where not present? 

I guess you are so used to be an abrasive jerk that it doesn't register for you anymore   

And you are moaning that I am the one who is being insulting? 

[grumbler]

Sure you could. Grammar is a technical term: in linguistics as I mentioned.

As a non-linguist I can excuse your ignorance; as an academic I can not excuse your professing that ignorance to be "truth".

Grammar has a specific meaning in linguistics; it isn't a catch-all word that means whatever you want it to mean.

As a linguist, I can excuse your non-linguist misunderstanding of the term "grammar" (after all, you have probably seen a poster on the internet correct another poster's punctuation and seen them called "grammar police").  As an academic, I have to reject your misappropriation of the term "grammar" to describe a change in word meaning.  Grammar involves syntax and morphology, not definitions.  As a mathematician, I must reject your contention that there is a "grammar" that allows 2+5 to equal 12 in a base ten numbering system.  As a Languish poster, I am not surprised that you want to double down on your mistake.

[Martinus]

In hindsight, this being Languish, I guess I should have included another poll option "Depends on what the meaning of 'is' is".