I think that's one of the most normal guys' activities out there.

[ghoul]

I think that's one of the most normal guys' activities out there.

I'm trying to use "out there" in a way that means "that's one of the most normal activities for guys that are available to the average person" basically. Does it mean that?
Is "guys' activities" a correct phrase or should I change it?

 

[jutfrank]

Does it mean that?

Yes, that's right.

Is "guys' activities" a correct phrase or should I change it?

No, it's not correct. Change it to 'guy activities'.

 

[ghoul]

No, it's not correct. Change it to 'guy activities'.

got you
Would it sound very unnatural to you if someone used it the way I did? Btw, I think you use hyphens to show you've made a compound-neologism, right? For example: guys-activities

 

[Tarheel]

Use a hyphen when you want to link two words closely. For example, if you want to have a civil discussion don't engage in name-calling.

 

[jutfrank]

Would it sound very unnatural to you if someone used it the way I did?

Yes.

Btw, I think you use hyphens to show you've made a compound-neologism, right? For example: guys-activities

That's not necessary, in my opinion. Remember that were talking about very casual spoken English.

 

[ghoul]

Yes.

Unfortunate... I want to hear a US-Americans take on this as well cause it would feel rather unsatisfying for me to say it like you.

 

[5jj]

Unfortunate...I want to hear a US-American's take on this as well because it would feel rather unsatisfying for me to say it like you.

It's fine to use informal language in the words you are asking about, but please try to use standard English in your questions and comments. The word is because in standard English.

 

[jutfrank]

Unfortunate... I want to hear a US-Americans take on this as well cause it would feel rather unsatisfying for me to say it like you.

I have little idea of why or how you would find saying it in the right way 'unsatisfying'.

 

[ghoul]

It's fine to use informal language in the words you are asking about, but please try to use standard English in your questions and comments. The word is because in standard English.

I will try to pay more attention to it. I didn't expect "..." to be informal, actually. Is there something else I could use for a break that is longer than that of a dot?

I have little idea of why or how you would find saying it in the right way 'unsatisfying'.

I'm used to saying the German equivalent, "Jungs-Aktivitäten", with an s too. It may actually not even be correct either but I suspect I'm the kind of guy who would rather use words that sound good to him (for whatever reason) rather than using correct ones. On the other hand, I don't want to appear uneducated so I have to try not to overdo it and not make too many unintended mistakes.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm used to saying the German equivalent, "Jungs-Aktivitäten", with an s too.

That's okay in German but you're asking about English, which is a different language. The fact that saying 'guy activities' sounds unsatisfying to you is because your sense of what 'sounds good' is still developing.

 

[emsr2d2]

It may actually not even be correct either but I suspect I'm the kind of guy who would rather use words that sound good to him (for whatever reason) rather than using correct ones.

Given that the purpose of this forum is to help people speak/write correct English, I suspect you'll find many of our responses unsatisfying.

 

[ghoul]

That's okay in German but you're asking about English, which is a different language. The fact that saying 'guy activities' sounds unsatisfying to you is because your sense of what 'sounds good' is still developing.

Maybe you're right; I haven't had that much exposure to the language and a lot of times it's been on other forums where a lot of people haven't even spoken correctly so maybe my sense of what I find satisfying has adapted a bit to the "bad speaking habits" I've developed through that. Besides, in German I actually feel like incorrect phrases feel unsatisfying, oftentimes.

Given that the purpose of this forum is to help people speak/write correct English, I suspect you'll find many of our responses unsatisfying.

It depends; I still do a fair amount of mistakes I consider unnecessary and don't mind correcting.

 

[emsr2d2]

It depends; I still do make a fair amount of mistakes I consider unnecessary and I don't mind you correcting them.

No mistake is necessary! The main error in your post was one we see from speakers of many European languages in which the verbatim translation is "do a mistake". However, in English, it's always "make a mistake".

 

[ghoul]

No mistake is necessary! The main error in your post was one we see from speakers of many European languages in which the verbatim translation is "do a mistake". However, in English, it's always "make a mistake".

Odd, it's even "make" and not "do a mistake" in German. Maybe I've picked that up somewhere; a lot of people in other forums I browse make tons of English mistakes.

Regarding "I don't mind you correcting them", are you implying "correcting" can only be used when someone else is correcting ones' mistake?

 

[emsr2d2]

If you say "I still make a lot of mistakes and don't mind correcting them", that suggests you're able to correct them yourself without any help. That's not the case here. I thought you were trying to say that you're happy to see our corrections to your posts (you'd be amazed how many learners here get upset and offended when we make corrections to their entire post, not just the sentence(s) they're asking us to look at!)

 

[ghoul]

If you say "I still make a lot of mistakes and don't mind correcting them", that suggests you're able to correct them yourself without any help. That's not the case here. I thought you were trying to say that you're happy to see our corrections to your posts (you'd be amazed how many learners here get upset and offended when we make corrections to their entire post, not just the sentence(s) they're asking us to look at!)

I guess you need a tough skin like me to [be able to take] that much criticism!
[Square brackets] mean I'd like to know a shorter alternative for the phrase inside them.

I wasn't trying to say I'm happy you're correcting my mistakes in that sentence but that is true generally and I understand why you thought I was implying that.
What if I was speaking broadly(?) and meant that I intended to correct them using a range of different means such as dictionaries, picking the correct phrases up naturally and having them corrected only as part of the equation(?)?

 

[jutfrank]

Odd, it's even "make" and not "do a mistake" in German.

Actually, no, it isn't. You're probably thinking of the German verb 'machen'.

 

[Tarheel]

@ghoul Say:

I guess you need a tough skin like mine ...

We use "thin skin" to refer to people who are sensitive to criticism and its opposite (thick skin) for the opposite. However, "tough skin" works well in my opinion. Everybody will know what you mean.

 

[ghoul]

Actually, no, it isn't. You're probably thinking of the German verb 'machen'.

What do you mean, "it isn't"? "Do" is "tun" and "make" is "machen" and in German you have to say "einen Fehler machen".

I guess you need a tough skin like mine ...

Makes sense. What if I said "I guess you need a tough skin, like me, to be able to take that much criticism!" with commas like that? Wouldn't it work then?

 

[Tarheel]

I don't know how you can make it work with "me".