Posts

Showing posts from March, 2011

OMG! Why did the Oxford English Dictionary include OMG?

Image
Because the OED tries to reflect the language as spoken and written. English is as Richard Lederer pointed out 'the most democratic language in history'.  To learn about the process by which words are selected see this interview with the OED editor. Oxford Dictionary of English Concise Oxford English Dictionary: 11th Edition Revised 2008 Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: Sixth Edition

Where does the word tsumami come from?

Image
Tsunami is a Japanese word combining 'tsu' meaning port with 'nami' meaning wave. This word seems to have replaced the more technical 'tidal wave' in public discussion. More Japanese words in English (with audio) here : Japanese Demystified: A Self-Teaching Guide

How do children learn language?

Image
Child Language: Acquisition and Development

What is mission creep?

Image
Mission creep is when an original plan or objective is progressively widened by events on the ground. Significantly the phrase has military origin Originating in Somalia in 1993, the modern term “mission creep” became part of official U.S. Army vocabulary a decade late r. Field Manual 3-07, Stability Operations and Support Operations (February 2003) acknowledges two types of mission creep. The first occurs when “the unit receives shifting guidance or a change in mission for which the unit is not properly configured or resourced.” Lewis and Clark  In other words you start with a limited objective but this expands to the point where it is no longer clear. This phrase has also been used to describe non-military matters - financial regulation, for example . The Dictionary of Military Terms

Where does the word 'dude' come from?

Image
The King of the Dudes (1888) dude,  now perhaps most familiar as a slang term with a wide range of uses (including use as an all-purpose interjection for expressing approval:  "Dude!" ) Read more:   The use of 'dude' to describe a male person is becoming increasingly universal amongst young English speakers. Its origins are disputed but certainly date  back a little further than Dude, Where's my Car? (2000).  According to the American Heritage Dictionary: Originally it was applied to fancy-dressed city folk who went out west on vacation. In this usage it first appears in the 1870s.   Dude makes an appearance in and in Mark Twain's  A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court  (1889) and  pops up in the letters of that unlikely hipster P.G Woodhouse  ('the only English characters the American public would read about were exaggerated dudes ' )   The word maintained its cult status, appearing in two classic rock songs  'All the

What is a Ponzi scheme?

Image
Texas Governor Rick Perry caused some controversy in recent Republican Presidential Debat by referring to the US social security system as a Ponzi scheme. Here's what he was alluding to: A Ponzi or pyramid scheme attracts investors by offering very high and consistent profits. In reality these 'profits' do not exist - early investors are paid with the money contributed by later ones. The original Charles Ponzi (1882 -1949) was not the first to run a pyramid scheme, but the collapse of his Boston-based financial fund in 1921 became an international scandal. All Ponzi schemes are eventually destroyed by the thing that sustains them: confidence. While the scheme is successful there does not appear to be a problem. The infamous Madoff fund prospered for decades until the financial crisis of 2008. It was when investors tried to withdraw their capital that the fraud was revealed. The use of the term Ponzi Scheme is no longer restricted to describing direct financial f

What is 'black swan' theory?

Image
Nassim Taleb's The Black Swan (2007)puts forward the theory that the most important events are usually impossible to predict. The title refers to the fact that all swans were believed to be white - until a black one was discovered. This unpredictability is particularly important in relation to finance. A trader can calculate what he thinks is likely to happen in the market, taking into account known contingencies. What can't be predicted is what Donald Rumsfeld called - 'the unknown unknowns', There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on February 12, 2002 Taleb puts it like this The events that impact on our lives most are impossible to predict. After they occur we find rationalisations for them but we should accept

Is the misuse of the apostrophe a modern problem?

Image
Not according to Henry Hitchings new book: ‘The Language Wars: A History of Proper English' in the 18th-century authors were sprinkling apostrophes over everything. Though you may think the shopkeeper is ignorant and wrong to advertise “CD’s & Video’s”, he has history on his side.   From the Economist Hitchings goes on to suggest that the apostrophe may be nearing its sell by date. Tell me this isn’t true, I can’t live in a world without contractions .... Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation The Language Wars: A History of Proper English

Which language has the most a) native speakers b) 2nd language speakers?

Image
The discussions on how to save the euro were, bizarrely conducted in English, though there were not a Briton in sight .   The Sunday Times 14/02/10 Listen! More on this & related topics below. (English language level: Upper Intermediate CEF (B2) According to David Graddol's extensive survey for the British Council, the number of non-native or second language speakers of English now outnumbers those of primary or native speakers. At the same time there is an ever increasing need for speakers of different languages to communicate with each other: international tourism is growing, but the proportion of encounters involving a native English speaker is declining (1.9). There were around 763 million international travellers in 2004, but nearly 75% of visits involved visitors from a non-English-speaking country travelling to a non-English-speaking destination. This demonstrates the ... growing role for global English. (free)  Interview with Robert McCrum: The rise of Gl

Why is 1611 a key year in the evolution of the English language?

Image
The King James Bible 1611 The publication of the a translation of The Bible into English authorised by King James. Leading linguist David Crystal describes its impact: I think the King James Bible did something that nobody else had done ... and that is increase the idiomatic range of the language.   The Bible has had an enormous influence on the evolution of the English language. It not only expanded vocabulary but introduced new ways of  expressing complex ideas. Until recently most educated English-speaking people had at least some knowledge of  the Bible. Many words, phrases and idioms have entered the language. The translation with the greatest influence on modern English is the what is the translation authorized by King James in 1611 . This became the version used in Anglican (protestant) churches in England. It is widely admired for the beauty of its language. More on the role of The Bible in the evolution of English here : Audio interview with David Crystal about the KJB

Is English an 'easy' language to learn?

Image
Not according to millions of student of English as a foreign language! But English does have some 'user friendly features as an OUP lexicographer explains in this short extract from a BBC interview Easy English (ESL)

Why can't I comment on Eng Lang FAQ posts?

Because I accidentally restricted access! Have corrected - comments welcome!

The word for someone who admires American culture?

Image
There does not seem to be an agreed term as you can see from the number of Google references here: yankophile 945 americanophile 716 americophile 233 americaphile 150 usaphile 14 usphile 1 Contrast this with the situation for lovers of French, English, Chinese or Japanese culture anglophile 102,000, francophile 84,700, japanophile 20,400, sinophile 3450 Why is this? Snobbery, perhaps - a 'new' culture looked down on by traditional ones? Or is it just linguistically awkward - americaphile really isn't a pretty word. You might want to check out:  (audio) discussion about the relationship between British and American English here . Time Magazine piece on The Next American Century The New American Century Alistair Cooke's America

What is TOEFL?

Image
The Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL  is the standardised test used by American universities and many employers to test the language level of non-native speakers of English.  Nik Peachey guides you through a typical reading activity or you can try a free practice test here , English as a foreign - or second or other - language has many obscure acronyms.