tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post115828051680936235..comments2023-10-29T21:28:41.709+10:30Comments on Pavlov's Cat: Words we'd like to banKerryn Goldsworthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11270814460793882309noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158805039716176372006-09-21T11:47:00.000+09:302006-09-21T11:47:00.000+09:30There's a comic that appeared in Viz about a year ...There's a comic that appeared in Viz about a year and a half ago where Isaac Newton (who is trying to persuade an apple to fall of a tree and thus prove his theory correct) stumbles through the window of (who else?) Dr Samuel Johnson, in the process of writing his dictionary. <BR/><BR/>Johnson then utters the immortal line: <B>"Bust my glazed fenestral aperture, would you? Take THAT!"</B>, and bashes Newton over the head with a club or similar. <BR/><BR/>In the next frame, we find Newton at it again with a rake: "I'll twat one of them sodding pippins with me rake!" Hilarious stuff.TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158797546904388712006-09-21T09:42:00.000+09:302006-09-21T09:42:00.000+09:30One of my all-time favourite ever writers, the gre...One of my all-time favourite ever writers, the great Dorothy Dunnett (and I can't think why I haven't blogged about her yet) has her hero say, when he is comprehensively shot through the gut with some kind of messy 16th-century weapon and his brother is insisting that he can bandage him up and fix it, something like (through gasps of pain) 'I don't think so, Richard, the fenestration seems fairly extensive.' <BR/><BR/>I assume this is the 16th-century equivalent of that charming contemporary expression 'tear him a new one'.Kerryn Goldsworthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11270814460793882309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158795177270736242006-09-21T09:02:00.000+09:302006-09-21T09:02:00.000+09:30I've always liked 'defenestrate' though one barely...<I>I've always liked 'defenestrate' though one barely gets a chance to use it.</I><BR/><BR/>Use your imagination! Or get some more annoying cow-orkers. . .<BR/><BR/><BR/>Wordbitch: nclroxx<BR/><BR/>I'm just waiting for nclsux0r, now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158662477568004362006-09-19T20:11:00.000+09:302006-09-19T20:11:00.000+09:30I think petrichor is the best word ever. Bad words...I think petrichor is the best word ever. <BR/><BR/>Bad words: I recently did a council job and I have subsequently developed a huge hatred of the words 'outcomes' and 'holistic' and 'strategic'. Pah.<BR/><BR/>I've always liked 'defenestrate' though one barely gets a chance to use it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158654947233667032006-09-19T18:05:00.000+09:302006-09-19T18:05:00.000+09:30I wouldn't mind too much if the following words we...I wouldn't mind too much if the following words were banned:<BR/><BR/>'Teh'<BR/>'Dog whistle'<BR/>'Strawman'<BR/>'Anti-American'<BR/>'Anti-intellectual'<BR/><BR/>There's more, but I can't think of any at this time.TimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333303180015967125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158614956195652322006-09-19T06:59:00.000+09:302006-09-19T06:59:00.000+09:30Two legitimate but less acknowledged usages of "en...Two legitimate but less acknowledged usages of "engage":<BR/><BR/>1. In military parlance (which I suspect is the aura the word's abusers hope to invoke.)<BR/>2. In setting a scrum - "Crouch and hold ... engage!" Admit it - it sounds dead cool.<BR/><BR/>Otherwise, yes.Mentis Fugithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07964443139632139131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158543209751601932006-09-18T11:03:00.000+09:302006-09-18T11:03:00.000+09:30I don't have much to add to the weasel word list, ...I don't have much to add to the weasel word list, but what about the horrific increase in eggcorns?<BR/><BR/>I hatessssss them, except for the occasional point and laugh value at the most (ooh! Ooh! Miss! I found an overused phrase!) egregious examples.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158460171965011942006-09-17T11:59:00.000+09:302006-09-17T11:59:00.000+09:30Scribe publisher Henry Rosenbloom has recently blo...Scribe publisher Henry Rosenbloom has recently blogged about his loathing of the term 'issue' as a eupemism for 'problem', illustrating the larger issue of the way that corporate 'doublethink' has infested the langauge. It's an interesting post (though I have to admit, I think Henry, who generally says what he thinks and publishes what he likes, is always interesting!)<BR/><BR/>He says:<BR/><BR/>'What does this have to do with book publishing, you ask? Not a lot, directly. But I can’t help thinking about it most days, as we look at piles of unsolicited submissions and manuscripts, most of them struggling to breathe life into a common language that has been systematically denuded of colour and movement.<BR/>The problem for serious book-publishers isn’t just the increasing incidence of time-poor readers, or competition from other media, or the attractions of other leisure activities. It’s also the fact that we’re dependant on a staple product – the English language – that’s being robbed of vitality by a Western culture that’s had enough of reality. Except, of course, on television.'<BR/><BR/>Full post is on: http://www.scribepublications.com.au/blogArielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570339715916432947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158445667844240012006-09-17T07:57:00.000+09:302006-09-17T07:57:00.000+09:30oh goody! - we're off again.I hate 'conquering' wh...oh goody! - we're off again.<BR/>I hate 'conquering' when applied to climbing a mountain - what an egotistical idea it is that a mountain would feel defeated by a small gnat picking a labourious path up the crags and planting a stick with a bit of rag tied to it at the top.Stegetroniumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15881823966680751798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158397109377598602006-09-16T18:28:00.000+09:302006-09-16T18:28:00.000+09:30Gah! The word "closure" makes me grit my teeth no ...Gah! The word "closure" makes me grit my teeth no matter what the context. I also detest "synergy", "benchmarking" (but especially "triple benchmarking" - is this three times as meaningless?) and "address" for anything but an envelope.redcaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01916750858980883634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158395932792511832006-09-16T18:08:00.000+09:302006-09-16T18:08:00.000+09:30Hey! Wot about "passionate"?I can understand the m...Hey! Wot about "passionate"?<BR/><BR/>I can understand the management of a brothel claiming they are passionate about their clients - but a computer company?? It just makes me feel uncomfortable.<BR/><BR/>ps: memo to self: come here more often.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158386598636245312006-09-16T15:33:00.000+09:302006-09-16T15:33:00.000+09:30can I add 'losing his/her battle with (cancer)'? e...can I add 'losing his/her battle with (cancer)'? <BR/><BR/>every time I hear that I want to reach for a crowd pleaser.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158382612606223042006-09-16T14:26:00.000+09:302006-09-16T14:26:00.000+09:30a good word: omniscient (did I spell that right?)a...a good word: omniscient (did I spell that right?)<BR/><BR/><BR/>a crap phrase: "they died doing what they loved."<BR/><BR/>given the choice, chances are that was *living*. most people right now are doing what they love - being alive.worldpeace and a speedboathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00735857941964784431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158382191338542302006-09-16T14:19:00.000+09:302006-09-16T14:19:00.000+09:30petrichor n from the OED: A pleasant, distinctiv...petrichor n <BR/><BR/>from the OED:<BR/><BR/> A pleasant, distinctive smell frequently accompanying the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions. Also: an oily liquid mixture of organic compounds which collects in the ground and is believed to be responsible for this smell.<BR/>1964 I. J. BEAR & R. G. THOMAS in Nature 7 Mar. 993/2 The diverse nature of the host materials has led us to propose the name 'petrichor' for this apparently unique odour which can be regarded as an 'ichor' or 'tenuous essence' derived from rock or stone. This name, unlike the general term 'argillaceous odour', avoids the unwarranted implication that the phenomenon is restricted to clays or argillaceous materials; it does not imply that petrichor is necessarily a fixed chemical entity but rather it denotes an integral odour. 1971 Listener 4 Nov. 612/3 No matter what kind of rock or earth was used, the oily essence always possessed the aroma of petrichor{em}the smell of rain falling on dry ground. 1975 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 2 Nov. 32/2 The globules, nicknamed 'petrichor' or 'essence of rock' by the researchers, contained at least 50 different compounds, not unlike a perfume and were absorbed into the ground from the air. 1993 Canad. Geogr. Sept.-Oct. 13/1 Petrichor comes from atmospheric haze, which contains the terpenes, creosotes and other volatile compounds that emanate from plants. 1998 L. FORBES Bombay Ice (1999) 11 First there is petrichor, the dry smell of unbaked clay, from the Greek for 'stone-essence'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158379962152752602006-09-16T13:42:00.000+09:302006-09-16T13:42:00.000+09:30Sorry. It is, apparently, 'stay on task' not 'keep...Sorry. It is, apparently, 'stay on task' not 'keep on task'. Which does scan better, I suppose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158379441666043282006-09-16T13:34:00.000+09:302006-09-16T13:34:00.000+09:30It's a scourge! Just now in the backyard, five yea...It's a scourge! Just now in the backyard, five year old to three year old: 'seek permission and keep on task'. They are playing soccer. I have taught them the word beginning with F (well, I taught them to say it, they learnt to spell it at the tram stop), but I didn't teach them to keep on task.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158368495473319742006-09-16T10:31:00.000+09:302006-09-16T10:31:00.000+09:30Do people read Language Log? Deeply satisfying ev...Do people read <A HREF="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/" REL="nofollow">Language Log?</A> Deeply satisfying every day. The blog that invented the term <A HREF="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000350.html" REL="nofollow">snowclone</A>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158365914851656892006-09-16T09:48:00.000+09:302006-09-16T09:48:00.000+09:30Hah. Anyone with a University IP should be able t...Hah. Anyone with a University IP should be able to check the latest of the One True Dictionary, at http://dictionary.oed.com/ .<BR/><BR/>Pretty sure 'petrichor' is in there, not at work now so can't check 'cromulent'.<BR/><BR/>There's one word that really bugs me, and that's 'obligate'. WTF is wrong with 'oblige'?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158361533180632742006-09-16T08:35:00.000+09:302006-09-16T08:35:00.000+09:30Ha. I wrote a paper for my ex-boss to read at a co...Ha. I wrote a paper for my ex-boss to read at a conference and suggested the phrase 'at the coalface of making' as a joke but she leapt upon it and now uses it in most of her writing. It was at that point that I realised that she would say *anything* I wrote, especially if it was subtle. In our last weeks together I had fun with that. She also calls Bunbury 'Bumbury' even when in the fair city, and I'm happily letting her run with that one.<BR/><BR/>I just got a note from my son's teacher inviting me to a demonstration of the class's 'Learning Journey' next week. Erg.Ampersand Duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12245377686193859488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158336471900310062006-09-16T01:37:00.000+09:302006-09-16T01:37:00.000+09:30The authority to which I bow is the OED, actually,...The authority to which I bow is the OED, actually, but petrichor and cromulent are both neologisms so that probably doesn't have them either. 'Cromulent' is a Simpsons joke: 'a perfectly cromulent word' was originally used in the relevant episode to mean one that is acceptable and perhaps a shade more than acceptable, but it has taken on the ironic meaning of 'bogus' in Simpsons-fan usage.<BR/><BR/>'Petrichor' was coined by two Australian scientists in 1964 to denote the smell of rain on dry ground (and more specifically the organic oil from which that smell derives), and is a whole lot more etymologically legitimate than 'cromulent'.<BR/><BR/>Personally I like something my ex-GP's receptionist (who always addressed the GP as Doctor and frowned ferociously whenever she heard me call her Lillian) said once when I asked her some now-forgotten question about whether I should do X or Y. 'I don't know,' she said earnestly, 'Doctor didn't stiplify.'Kerryn Goldsworthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11270814460793882309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158329929988960612006-09-15T23:48:00.000+09:302006-09-15T23:48:00.000+09:30What's the definition of petrichor? Cromulent? Mer...What's the definition of petrichor? Cromulent? Merriam-Webster doesn't have them listed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158323244460851402006-09-15T21:57:00.000+09:302006-09-15T21:57:00.000+09:30'Among students', Whitebait? Don't you mean 'among...'Among students', Whitebait? Don't you mean 'among clients'?Kerryn Goldsworthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11270814460793882309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158322274616199872006-09-15T21:41:00.000+09:302006-09-15T21:41:00.000+09:30What about 'intertextualising'? One of my tutors a...What about 'intertextualising'? One of my tutors at Uni once said 'Oh, sorry, I think I am intertextualising xx with yy". She meant: I think I'm getting mixed up. <BR/><BR/>And "get some traction"? As in, "I thought I'd throw this idea out there and see if it got any traction".Georg Hibberdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17042823932172668960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158304793575036312006-09-15T16:49:00.000+09:302006-09-15T16:49:00.000+09:30I've noticed that 'impactful' is in vogue among st...I've noticed that 'impactful' is in vogue among students and frankly it isn't on.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for facilitating the summary list PC :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17433936.post-1158303600203992812006-09-15T16:30:00.000+09:302006-09-15T16:30:00.000+09:30Actioning at the Coalface<I>Actioning at the Coalface</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com