John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Language Stuff

Almost everyone uses language, so inevitably almost everyone thinks they are an expert in it. I don’t consider myself an expert, though most of my work requires at least language competence and sometimes actual skill, but I do follow the blogs featured on this feeds page.

(If you are wondering where the translation-related feeds have all gone, I have put them on their own page.)

Most of the blogs represented here are in English, most of the time, but don’t be surprised to find other languages used. Go with the flow – I occasionally find myself pleasantly surprised at how much I can grasp in languages I have never seen before.

Language On the Net

languagehat.com » Elephantine.

Friday 28 March 18:06:12 UTC 2014

My wife and I have begun watching Simon Schama’s BBC series The Story of the Jews, and I was quite taken aback when I heard him refer to the island of Elephantine (once inhabited by Jews) as “el-ə-fan-TEE-nee.” All my life I’ve thought of it (when I had occasion to think of it, which was very infrequently) as “el-ə-FAN-tine,” just … [Link]

Language Log » 'That's'

Friday 28 March 16:49:02 UTC 2014

From Breffni O'Rourke — David Alexander and Phil Stewart, "Nine officers removed, one resigns in Air Force cheating probe", Reuters 3/27/2014: Nuclear critics say the problem is deeply rooted and has been going on for years, becoming increasingly acute since the end of the Cold War as the nuclear mission has increasingly come to be seen as a dead-end career … [Link]

Language Log » Ten years ago in LLOG

Friday 28 March 12:01:54 UTC 2014

From 3/28/2004, a post that asks a question for which I still don't have a good answer: How many times does a word or phrase need to be repeated in order to seem characteristic of a speaker or author? I think that the answer is "not very many times, maybe only once or twice, if the use in context is … [Link]

Language Log » Five years ago in LLOG

Friday 28 March 11:41:44 UTC 2014

Following up on a suggestion to bring back classic (or at least old) posts, here's one I'd completely forgotten: "Was Strunk imitating Quintilian?", 3/28/2009. Bill Walderman asked whether the "rule" prohibiting clause-initial position for however might have been an imitation of Latin and Greek second-position elements, and especially the treatment of autem. After a two-cup-of-coffee research project, I concluded that … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » adults chewing gum

Friday 28 March 7:30:00 UTC 2014

A pack of condoms. Used as an innuendo term to fool little children. Child: What are these balloons doing in your bottom draw mummy? Mother: Those are mine and daddy's adults chewing gum, the mint in them is too sting for little kids. [Link]

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