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December 15

What's the correct term for an unusually well-rounded reference book?

Probably they were made for people who didn't want the expense of buying one book that's just an atlas plus one book that's just an almanac plus one book that's just a thesaurus plus a large dictionary plus an encyclopedia etc. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 00:40, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

It's been decades since I last saw a copy of either Whitaker's Almanack or Pears' Cyclopædia; but back then, according to my (unreliable) memory, both had those aims (minus the lexicography), under the comforting (to the British market) assumption that British matters were of supreme importance and that it would be fine to deal with the rest of the world in summary fashion. A single book that attempted to do all that plus "a large dictionary" would I think be "unwieldy" or "disastrous" or most likely both. (Incidentally, for several years Japan had the three rivals イミダス, 知恵蔵, and 現代用語の基礎知識, which attempted to do this, but only for what was then new/current/newsworthy; the genre differed radically from those of traditional dictionaries or encyclopedias so perhaps merited a distinctive name, but I don't think that it ever got one.) -- Hoary (talk) 02:12, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

The Grand dictionnaire encyclopédique Larousse was a dictionary and encyclopedia wrapped into one. The circumlocution "grand encyclopedic dictionary" suggests that there is no one-word French term for such an encompassing comprehensive reference work. Its predecessors, such as the Grand dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle, did not carry the attribute encyclopédique in their names, but were nevertheless primarily an encyclopedia.  --Lambiam 07:43, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

Secretaries of the United Nations

Has anyone here heard of "Jackie Lane, the Secretary of the United Nations"?

No, no name that even remotely resembles this one appears in the list of secretaries-general. So this bloke would have been a secretary of a specific rather than general kind -- assuming that the matter wasn't introduced as an editor's brainfart (or mere fiction). (My comments on the article within which this nugget is embedded.) -- Hoary (talk) 01:51, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

The claim was added to the article on its second edit, by its creator, User:Simon.josey, who was hoping to write a book about his relative, judging by that user page. The broken link should go to [1], so I guess I'll fix that now.  Card Zero  (talk) 02:36, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for the link fix, Card Zero. I read or misread the comment on publishing as referring to the promotion from draft to article -- though that promotion took place before before the comment was written. -- Hoary (talk) 03:39, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

No, your interpretation is correct, because although he wrote "26th November 2011" he actually wrote that on the 25th, at 9:30, before the article was created. (Hold on. Do we all get localised versions of the timestamps for events in page histories?)  Card Zero  (talk) 04:18, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

I wish I knew, Card Zero; but the wish is mild and I don't much want to find out. Finding out might lead me to spend hours reading a succession of more or less esoteric pages hereabouts, and I can't risk it. -- Hoary (talk) 06:17, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

The default is UTC, but in their Special:Preferences (or if they choose so, their Special:GlobalPreferences) users can set a different time zone; either that of their browser or by selecting a major city, from Africa/Abidjan to Pacific Ocean/Wallis.  --Lambiam 10:31, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

is kaya can be a girl name in turkey?

But according to this website, it is a masculine name as evidenced here: https://charlies-names.com/en/kaya/ But i am very suspicious about this name as this is appear on one of the siblings in the instagram account the piplets of the turkish immigrants of uk. is kaya name similar to maya? 2404:8000:1005:555:C0EE:F0EE:B396:6DF3 (talk) 07:50, 15 December 2021 (UTC) I hope some people can use the name Kaya on girls.

Turkish given names fall generally into one of two classes: (1) Traditional ones, generally (but not always) derived from Arabic names and having a connection to Islam, often occurring in the Qur'an or being the name of a companion of Muhammed. These typically have a strict gender assignment. Ahmet is masculine, Ayşe is feminine. (2) Later ones, generally (but not always) a Turkish common noun used as a name. These are often unisex; an example is Deniz, which as a common noun means "sea". However, names in class 2 can still have a strong gender predominance. The name Işıl ("bright") is generally given only to girls; the name Savaş ("war") only to boys. Kaya ("rock") is generally given only to boys, but there is no rule other than convention or conformism keeping parents from choosing the name for a girl.  --Lambiam 10:16, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

Inflation in Britain

I would be grateful if a user could please calculate for me how much 273 pounds sterling in 1954 would be today on the basis of inflation in Britain during this period? Thank you. ````— Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.172.129.31 (talk) 15:47, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

• £273 in 1954 is worth £7,850.21 today. —2603:6081:1C00:1187:9426:C089:AB21:5AB2 (talk) 21:04, 15 December 2021 (UTC)

December 16

Donation suggestion

Hello, just offering a suggestion about your donation ask. Consider a structure where individuals can donate in their own currency/own jurisdiction. Yes, it's more complicated, and requires setting up "subsidiaries" worldwide. But right now non-US individuals have a disincentive to donate to your worthwhile cause - they effectively receive no donation credit. Take me, a Canadian. Unless I have US income to apply the US-based donation credit to, I can't use it. And since you have readers worldwide, and the majority of the world's population (I'm assuming) earn income in only one country (not the US), you run into a problem.

I've been practicing, studying, and researching tax for a long-time. Humans can be altruistic, but they're also practical. Given the choice between "donating" without a credit, and donating with a credit, most will choose the latter (and thus send their money somewhere else).

You provide a great service, and get a small uptake of individuals donating. Why not try and stack the deck in your favor?

Good luck,

Andrew — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2607:FEA8:1CDD:7F00:DD41:7C5F:748E:1093 (talk) 15:45, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

See [2] for how to donate in currencies other than US Dollar. Suggestions and comments on the donation process should go to donate@wikimedia.org RudolfRed (talk) 17:05, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

This is indeed not the spot to discuss this, but the point of the suggestion is not about the currency, but about the possibility for donors to claim a tax credit for donations to charities or other nonprofit institutions serving the common good. The International Red Cross is formally a federation of national societies. If there is a disaster anywhere in the world for which the International Committee of the Red Cross decides relief should be offered, each donor can give their donation to their national society, thereby making them tax deductible in many taxation jurisdictions. The national societies serve as a conduit from the donors to the internationally managed relief fund.  --Lambiam 22:14, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

Apparently the relevant structure already exists: see List of Wikimedia chapters. The original poster may wish to look here for information on donating to the Canadian entity. --184.144.97.160 (talk) 06:51, 17 December 2021 (UTC)

December 17

Redirect unexplained in target article

Currently a search on Cinch (company) redirects to BCA Marketplace, but in the latter article there is no mention whatsoever of Cinch (or cinch, which may be the branding format).

I was searching for Cinch because I was curious as to the nature of a current sponsor displayed on the jerseys and shorts of Northampton Saints Rugby Club. The latter article mentions that cinch [sic] is an online car dealership, which is also what BCA Marketplace is/was, but it's unclear (beyond the existence of the redirect) if cinch is or is not connected with BCA (whose article states was renamed Constellation Automotive Group in 2019), and if so how. Is it a yet newer name, or what? Perhaps Fox (who created the redirect on 7 Nov 2021) or another knowlegeable editor can elucidate and add some explanation to the article? {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.205.227.133 (talk) 23:47, 17 December 2021 (UTC)

Connected, yes, because a handover from BCA Central Limited to Cinch took place on 17 September 2020.  Card Zero  (talk) 00:21, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

December 18

I have a question about the US Post Service

Should I be worried that my Christmas mail from USA isn’t coming? I was supposed to get a envelope from someone near Boston MA and I live in British Columbia near Vancouver. It has been 2 and a half weeks since she said she shipped it by normal mail and I don't think she sent a tracking number. Is it ok that it’s taking this long? Could it be affected because of the floods in BC? I don't live around a flooded area. 2001:569:526D:3C00:CC6C:6314:3430:E15D (talk) 03:29, 18 December 2021 (UTC)2001:569:526D:3C00:CC6C:6314:3430:E15D (talk) 03:26, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

Did you ask this same question a year ago? In any case, did your friend get a tracking number from the post office? If so, you could try to find out where it is on its journey. --←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:03, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

From what I recall, from the handful of times I sent & received mail to and from Canada, a full 3 weeks was perfectly normal, if not expected. 2600:1702:4960:1DE0:E915:C0E7:63E2:3E2C (talk) 03:12, 20 December 2021 (UTC)

As for the flooding in BC, that's in Canadian mail's domain, and I am thinking it very unlikely that localised flooding in BC would delay Canada-bound mail from Boston from getting across the border; I *think* when our two countries send mail to the utter, the postal service of the country it comes from just gets it across the border the fastest way possible, then the receiving country does the rest. 2600:1702:4960:1DE0:E915:C0E7:63E2:3E2C (talk) 03:19, 20 December 2021 (UTC)