Can't get enough of them pickups! 😋

I don't think I can pick up this truck. Looks to heavy

it's a F-850, ask your local Ford dealer for 10 year financing options

Are we abbreviating something into so. now?

Easier to say than sthing

I think it's a native German speaker -- you said 'oder so' for 'or something'...

This day's TIL, thanks!

I knew that "or so" is also a common expression in the English language, so assumed it to be used in the same way as in German.

As I just learned, this is only the case when dealing with numeric values (e.g. "five eggs or so" and not with uncertainties regarding more general things or distinctions between things.

So "Looks like a bug or so" apparently would be wrong.
As I now understand it you would say "Looks like a bug or something" instead?

You would also say it "five or so eggs". The "or so" gets tied directly to the number, not the eggs.

But it's becoming more common to say "ish" for an uncertain quantity. How many eggs? Five-ish.

And I have no idea why that's the case.

You would also say it “five or so eggs”. The “or so” gets tied directly to the number, not the eggs.

Interestingly Gemini Pro that I asked to make sense of the topic told me all its examples in the other word order:

„I’ll be there in 10 minutes or so.“
„It costs 50 dollars or so.“
„There were 20 people or so at the party.“

So either there are additional circumstantial or regional differences, or the LLM was sycophantic again and fantasized a form more pleasing to a German chat partner.

You would also say it "five or so eggs". The "or so" gets tied directly to the number, not the eggs.

I feel like that's context dependent. Or maybe regional.

I'd certainly say "I need 30 or so feet of rope".

But if asked "how much rope do you need?" My answer would be "30 feet or so".

Don't worry about potentially upsetting the driver by getting it wrong; he won't have seen you.

Or so what? I don't get it

Actual should have been "or something".

In the English language, "or so" is used only for numeric uncertainties (like "5 eggs or so" / "5 or so eggs"),but not for general uncertainties, like not knowing what specific type of thing an object is.

That's different to my 1st language (German) and I didn't know that before learning it from other comments in this thread.

Good point! I wonder if the difference is that feet is actually a feature of the rope? Because you wouldn't say I need 30 ropes or so.

I really love and hate this language.

no testicles, not lifted, no stupid wide wheels, not a pickup.

Is that a meta joke because of the "half a pickup truck" sized satelite that dropped to earth or pure, Pickup truck sized coincidence?

Also, I am hungry now.

Yes, it's a meta-joke inspired by the funny unit of size used in that article and on the fact that it is even more opaque to Europeans, which have even less of a feeling what that actually means.

Also, the format is a pretty common standard template ("xxx or something - no idea I'm yyy"), which is very popular in Germany, but I am not quite sure it is also a thing internationally...

And yes, I am also now graving for one of those delicious Pickup choco biscuits!