8 ms·

By "balk" did you instead mean "budge"? Or am I misunderstanding what you meant?

by dataflow 1mo ago

jjp 1mo ago
Baulk - refuse to comply
- codethief 1mo ago
  > He got personal visits from both Ballmer and Gates that pressured him to stay with Microsoft[2] but did not balk. So he did not refuse to comply, i.e. complied? I think the parent is right: Grandparent probably meant "he did not budge".
  - deleted 1mo ago
    [deleted]
  - cygx 1mo ago
    Per Merriam-Webster, 'to balk' means: 1: to refuse abruptly 2: to stop short and refuse to proceed Per Cambridge Dictionary, it means: to be unwilling to do something or to allow something to happen So "He did not balk" can be read as "He did not stop" / "He was willing to let things proceed"
    - dataflow 1mo ago
      > Per Cambridge Dictionary, it means: to be unwilling to do something You agree balking means being unwilling, right? So not balking means being willing, right? He did not balk, therefore he was not unwilling, therefore he was willing, right? So he was willing to do what Microsoft asked, "but" so was the next guy? What?
      - Someone 1mo ago
        > So he was willing to do what Microsoft asked? No. Balk = stop and return on your steps. He was moving towards ”migrating more than 14000 PCs in public administration to Linux”, Gates and Ballmer tried to make him stop, but he continued on his path.
      - deleted 1mo ago
        [deleted]
      - cygx 1mo ago
        > So not balking means being willing, right? In this case, willing to proceed with what he was planning to do, that is, moving from Windows to Linux against Microsoft's wishes. edit: And you're right that this implies "balking at Microsoft's proposal". Personally, I did read the sentence as intended ("they wanted him to balk (= stop his plans), but he did not"), but I can see how the phrasing can be misleading...
zachwlewis 1mo ago
balk is the American spelling of baulk, meaning to hesitate, stop short, or refuse to proceed due to reluctance, fear, or an obstacle. "He got personal visits from both Ballmer and Gates that pressured him to stay with Microsoft but did not balk" can be rephrased as "He was pressured by Microsoft [to stay with Windows] but that pressure did not cause him to hesitate [with switching to Linux]."
- dataflow 1mo ago
  If he did not balk that means he did not refuse. Which means he complied. What he did not do was comply/capitulate/etc.
  - cygx 1mo ago
    Merriam-Webster has balk as to stop short and refuse to proceed. To understand the intended meaning, put the emphasis on the first part: If the mayor did not balk, he did not stop, that is, he refused to comply and proceeded with his plan.
    - dataflow 1mo ago
      > Merriam-Webster has balk as to stop short and refuse to proceed. To understand the intended meaning, put the emphasis on the first part: If the mayor did not balk, he did not stop, that is, he refused to comply and proceeded with his plan. I feel like one of us is extremely confused. "Balk" = "stop" = "refuse to proceed", right? So "<did not> balk" = "<did not> stop" = "<did not> refuse to proceed", right? "<Did not> refuse to proceed" with Microsoft's proposal therefore means he in fact complied with Microsoft's proposal and did proceed with it, right?
      - mjdv 1mo ago
        The thing he "<Did not> refuse to proceed" with was LiMux, his project for moving away from Microsoft.

By "balk" did you instead mean "budge"? Or am I misunderstanding what you meant?

jjp 1mo ago

Baulk - refuse to comply

codethief 1mo ago
> He got personal visits from both Ballmer and Gates that pressured him to stay with Microsoft[2] but did not balk. So he did not refuse to comply, i.e. complied? I think the parent is right: Grandparent probably meant "he did not budge".
- deleted 1mo ago
  [deleted]
- cygx 1mo ago
  Per Merriam-Webster, 'to balk' means: 1: to refuse abruptly 2: to stop short and refuse to proceed Per Cambridge Dictionary, it means: to be unwilling to do something or to allow something to happen So "He did not balk" can be read as "He did not stop" / "He was willing to let things proceed"
  - dataflow 1mo ago
    > Per Cambridge Dictionary, it means: to be unwilling to do something You agree balking means being unwilling, right? So not balking means being willing, right? He did not balk, therefore he was not unwilling, therefore he was willing, right? So he was willing to do what Microsoft asked, "but" so was the next guy? What?
    - Someone 1mo ago
      > So he was willing to do what Microsoft asked? No. Balk = stop and return on your steps. He was moving towards ”migrating more than 14000 PCs in public administration to Linux”, Gates and Ballmer tried to make him stop, but he continued on his path.
    - deleted 1mo ago
      [deleted]
    - cygx 1mo ago
      > So not balking means being willing, right? In this case, willing to proceed with what he was planning to do, that is, moving from Windows to Linux against Microsoft's wishes. edit: And you're right that this implies "balking at Microsoft's proposal". Personally, I did read the sentence as intended ("they wanted him to balk (= stop his plans), but he did not"), but I can see how the phrasing can be misleading...

zachwlewis 1mo ago

balk is the American spelling of baulk, meaning to hesitate, stop short, or refuse to proceed due to reluctance, fear, or an obstacle. "He got personal visits from both Ballmer and Gates that pressured him to stay with Microsoft but did not balk" can be rephrased as "He was pressured by Microsoft [to stay with Windows] but that pressure did not cause him to hesitate [with switching to Linux]."

dataflow 1mo ago
If he did not balk that means he did not refuse. Which means he complied. What he did not do was comply/capitulate/etc.
- cygx 1mo ago
  Merriam-Webster has balk as to stop short and refuse to proceed. To understand the intended meaning, put the emphasis on the first part: If the mayor did not balk, he did not stop, that is, he refused to comply and proceeded with his plan.
  - dataflow 1mo ago
    > Merriam-Webster has balk as to stop short and refuse to proceed. To understand the intended meaning, put the emphasis on the first part: If the mayor did not balk, he did not stop, that is, he refused to comply and proceeded with his plan. I feel like one of us is extremely confused. "Balk" = "stop" = "refuse to proceed", right? So "<did not> balk" = "<did not> stop" = "<did not> refuse to proceed", right? "<Did not> refuse to proceed" with Microsoft's proposal therefore means he in fact complied with Microsoft's proposal and did proceed with it, right?
    - mjdv 1mo ago
      The thing he "<Did not> refuse to proceed" with was LiMux, his project for moving away from Microsoft.