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Subject: 
English phrase
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Wed, 11 Nov 1998 18:27:55 GMT
Viewed: 
225 times
  
Here's a *really* off-topic question for native English speakers:

What does the buzz phrase 'plain vanilla computer' exactly mean?
A very good (everybody *likes* vanilla) computer or a very boring
(*everybody* likes vanilla) computer?

Eric



Message has 4 Replies:
  Re: English phrase
 
(...) I *love* vanilla. The stonger the better. The way I understand it, the term just means just "plain", and whether it's boring or not is derived from its context. For example, for most males a "plain vanilla Hugh Grant movie" would probably be a (...) (26 years ago, 11-Nov-98, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: English phrase
 
(...) It comes from ice cream, where 'vanilla' is the default flavor. Minus all the chocolate goodies, etc. A plain vanilla computer would just be your basic normal computer, with no fancy "multimedia" features. ("Multimedia" in quotes because (...) (26 years ago, 11-Nov-98, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: English phrase
 
(...) <ramble> Well, I do like vanilla so don't get me wrong. It means no fancy features. It's an ice cream metaphor comparing plain vanilla to some other more complicated flavor like jamocha almond fudge or rocky road. Yet a computer that is plain (...) (26 years ago, 11-Nov-98, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: English phrase
 
(...) I don't think it has to have positive or negative connotations to most people. It's just plain. Normal. Maybe boring, maybe just nothing "special" about it. Like vanilla ice cream. Yeah, it's good, but it isn't fudge ripple. (26 years ago, 11-Nov-98, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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