Modern English vs Old Style English

[Anonymous]

I can only venture to suggest that some people might have been brought up on the Mainland at the time of the cultural revolution or there around, when newspapers were a scarcity and people were used to reading the People's Daily and whatever local papers posted on billboards outside community halls, train stations, public parks and what not. By force of habit, they have grown to enjoy peering over the shoulders of others for a scrap of free information without even aware what nuisance they are causing to their victims.

By force of habit =From habit
what not?

-- This is classic. If you happened to be interested by a news story and couldn't help yourself from a sideward glance, that's excusable. But make it a point of reading other people's paper and brazen enough not only to call names when they show the least sign of being annoyed but further brag here on the thought that your OLO colleagues are all a petty group to echo?! Have some self-esteem, man.

This is classic = This is typical or what?
call names = scold?
brag on - shouldn't be brag about?

a petty group = tiny group or else?
man - salutation by the black people - Hey Man
to echo = resonate?

[Tdol]

This is classic. If you happened to be interested by a news story and couldn't help yourself from a sideward glance, that's excusable. But make it a point of reading other people's paper and brazen enough not only to call names when they show the least sign of being annoyed but further brag here on the thought that your OLO colleagues are all a petty group to echo?! Have some self-esteem, man.

This is classic = This is typical or what? This is great
call names = scold? insult
brag on - shouldn't be brag about? It is, but 'on' goes with 'the thought'

a petty group = tiny group or else? petty = small and unimportant
man - salutation by the black people - Hey Man used by people of many ethnic groups now- Blacks in the UK use 'bruv' (brother) and 'blood' alot nowadays
to echo = resonate? imitate by repeating (I think)

[RonBee]

These are the definitions of classic that apply to the cited example.

classic
4 a : AUTHENTIC, AUTHORITATIVE b : TYPICAL <a classic example of chicanery>
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionar...amp;va=classic

2. definitive: authoritative and perfect as a standard of its kind
a classic example of mixed metaphor English
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/featur...fid=1861597645

adjective
1 having all the characteristics or qualities that you expect:
He's a classic example of a kid who's clever but lazy.
He had all the classic symptoms of the disease.

2 INFORMAL DISAPPROVING bad or unpleasant, but not particularly surprising or unexpected:
It's classic - you arrive at the station on time and find that the train's left early.
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/defi...&amp;dict=CALD

(2)b. Of a well-known type; typical: a classic mistake.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/99/C0389900.html

9. traditional or typical: a classic comedy routine.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipd/A0375322.html

adj.
2.
a. Adhering or conforming to established standards and principles: a classic piece of research.
b. Of a well-known type; typical: a classic mistake.

n.
4. A typical or traditional example.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=classic

:)