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Hi, Ardith Hinton! -> Alexander Koryagin
I read your message from 25.11.2023 00:02

> Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to All:
>
> AK>  I learned recently that an English pie can be countable
> AK>  and uncountable.
>
>
>           Uh-huh.  And since you just happen to know an English major who
earned her university fees working in the restaurant business...
>

bla bla bla

>
>
> AK>  What does the latter mean?
>
>
>           ... I can tell you the average pie is about the size of a dinner
plate & may be divided into roughly six or eight pieces, depending on various
factors such as what one's customers want &/or how many mouths one is expected
to feed. Nowadays I know of a few places around here where one can get
individual sizes. Maybe one couldn't years ago, but you didn't say when your
excerpt was written. Singletons & childless couples were less common when I
was growing up....  :-))
>

bla bla bla

>
>
> AK>  She was sitting at the dining room table with the other
> AK>  children, two of whom were eating pie and ice cream with
> AK>  expressions of immense satisfaction."
>
> AK>  I understand uncountable ice cream, but I don't understand
> AK>  uncountable pie. ;-)
>
>
>           Where I come from, ice cream is measured by volume or by weight...
and I see you understand that.  When you visit a bakery, however, you may
notice it offers "pies, cakes, and pastries" for sale.  You can purchase one
or more such items as you wish or make them yourself at home.  Either way I
see that in this example there are probably one or more grownups & at least
two kids who need to be fed, in which case the thrifty housewife would cut a
large pie into servings (or pieces or portions) of whatever size she deems to
be most appropriate.  :-Q
>
>
>
>
> --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
>   * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)
>


Bye, Ardith!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2023

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