Grocery store "specials"

[zzm9980]

Every store in the US I've regularly shopped at operates in the way which you apparently have not seen.

Luckily I haven't been back to the US in 12 yrs so let's leave this strange practice out of it.

Even today I went into Watsons and there was something at $2.95... but you could also buy 2 at $4. I hardly think you can take just one and demand to pay 1.50. That's what these offers are all about... buying more. It would seem idiotic to promote a 2 for $2 sale for instance if you could just buy one at $1. What would be the point?

So in the US, it's subliminal marketing. They're making the price $1.50 (or $1.475 in your example), but just advertising it as "2 for $2.95". It gets people to buy two without thinking. Any major store chain in the US will have the per-unit price in small font on the price label, and let you buy just one. Safeway, Target, Walmart, almost any place. Any exceptions to this will have a "Minimum Purchase X", where X is 2, 3, or whatever.

[aster]

Interesting. I noticed they frequently add -o at the end of many words (track-k-o eleven - while explaining to us what platform our train was going to departure) and now I also googled out this is because Japanese words generally end with a vowel. Is this correct? But why "o"?

Seems like "o" might be the Japanese version of our "lah."

[JR8]

Interesting. I noticed they frequently add -o at the end of many words (track-k-o eleven - while explaining to us what platform our train was going to departure) and now I also googled out this is because Japanese words generally end with a vowel. Is this correct? But why "o"?

Seems like "o" might be the Japanese version of our "lah."

Lah is a Stressed Tonal Particle, and that has nil connection or commonality with Japanese spelling.

In Japanese, Hiragana and Katakana script, each written character represents a full syllable. This is also why they have such apparently long alphabets, but they're not alphabets, they're er, 'syllable-ets'.

Consonant sound + vowel sound = one syllable.

Hence almost without exception, Japanese words end in a vowel.


p.s. The only exception of note, of syllables not ending in a vowel, are those that end in 'N'. Hence for example Shinjuku, denki, genki, Roppongi, Kirin, and so on...

[Brah]

The closest equivalent to "lah" for Japanese would be "ne". They both end phrases or sentences to soften, add a personal touch, emphasis, color or lilt to the statement, and are separate from words themselves.

The added vowels end words, and are just shortcomings (longcomings?) of the Japanese phonetic system grappling with non-Japanese words.

Interesting. I noticed they frequently add -o at the end of many words (track-k-o eleven - while explaining to us what platform our train was going to departure) and now I also googled out this is because Japanese words generally end with a vowel. Is this correct? But why "o"?

Seems like "o" might be the Japanese version of our "lah."

Lah is a Stressed Tonal Particle, and that has nil connection or commonality with Japanese spelling.

In Japanese, Hiragana and Katakana script, each written character represents a full syllable. This is also why they have such apparently long alphabets, but they're not alphabets, they're er, 'syllable-ets'.

Consonant sound + vowel sound = one syllable.

Hence almost without exception, Japanese words end in a vowel.


p.s. The only exception of note, of syllables not ending in a vowel, are those that end in 'N'. Hence for example Shinjuku, denki, genki, Roppongi, Kirin, and so on...

[JR8]

The closest equivalent to "lah" for Japanese would be "ne". They both end phrases or sentences to add a touch or lilt to the statement and are separate from words themselves.

The added vowels end words, and are just shortcomings (longcomings?) of the Japanese phonetic system grappling with non-Japanese words.]

So des, honto ne!


ps. Sorry, my Japanese is not good (as you will have noticed hehehe), but i do find the language fascinating.

[nakatago]

For starters...

Sou desu, hontouni!

[beppi]

Sou desu, hontouni!

He meant "nee" (long e, not pronounced as in knee), which is the Japanese "lah" (although it's less assertive, meaning more like "isn't it?").
"ni" is an adjective ending, like the "-ly" in really.

[Brah]

Sou desu, hontouni!

He meant "nee" (long e, not pronounced as in knee), which is the Japanese "lah" (although it's less assertive, meaning more like "isn't it?").
"ni" is an adjective ending, like the "-ly" in really.

Is there an echo in here?

[iamsen]

From where I've been it'd be 'honma ya na'.

I've had returning expats tell me Singlish is easy to learn because it's almost like Japanese literally translated into English.