Talk:sort

From Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language

Note that "sort" also has an alternate meaning, primarily in British English, as in the phrase "we'll have to sort that out later", where it means to figure out or solve the problem, it doesn't mean to put in chronological order, alphabetical order, or any other order. StuRat 08:37, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

That is defined at sort out SemperBlotto 22:14, 8 January 2006 (UTC)

French translation

Is the French translation of the meaning type correct? From the comments in English I would say this refers to the meaning person.

out of sorts

What meaning is used in out of sorts ? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:13, 22 October 2019 (UTC)

The best discussion I have seen was at: https://grammarist.com/phrase/out-of-sorts/

We might add another meaning to the definition. JonRichfield (talk) 08:51, 23 October 2019 (UTC)

of a sort

of a ˈkind/ˈsort (disapproving) (used after a noun) 
of poor quality; not what somebody/something should be: 
He is a poet of a kind. ♢ They gave us meat of a sort; we could hardly eat it.
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/of+a+sort

--Backinstadiums (talk) 14:40, 16 September 2020 (UTC)

New to me. I think the Encarta dictionary is not perfect. Equinox ◑ 15:30, 16 September 2020 (UTC)

@Equinox: It's not form Encarta. This is the link to it: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/of+a+sort --Backinstadiums (talk) 18:50, 16 September 2020 (UTC)

@Equinox:@Backinstadiums: I do on occasion use thefreedictionary, but never as an authority; IMO Encarta would be better. However, although I am familiar with the sardonic usage "of sorts/a sort/a kind", I am uncertain whether it is well enough characterised to justify an entry... I would compare it with say: "Call yourself a doctor? You couldn't cure a flitch of bacon!" I don't think I would oppose such an entry, but it might take some thought. Would someone be likely to look it up to understand the meaning? How do we handle sardonic or ironic or figurative usages in general? After all, the literal meaning in such cases is the same as the headword. We don't seem to have a consistent policy on figurative usages, and I am not sure how to formulate one. Should we have an entry for say: "a horse of another colour?" Maybe under the quotations? I find myself as it were of two minds, both more or less in agreement with each other... JonRichfield (talk) 03:55, 17 September 2020 (UTC)

@JonRichfield, Equinox: We do already have some of the variants: of sorts, of a kind. Why not add the others too? --Backinstadiums (talk) 07:44, 17 September 2020 (UTC)

@Equinox:@Backinstadiums: I am in doubt. I have no strong objection. JonRichfield (talk) 08:31, 17 September 2020 (UTC)

If you can cite it convincingly then go for it, of course. Equinox ◑ 12:54, 24 September 2020 (UTC)