John Gordon Ross

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 » Men in Slips.

Saturday 2 August 21:33:25 UTC 2014

A couple of years ago I read and loved To the Lighthouse (LH post); now I’m reading the other of Woolf’s books that I think is generally acknowledged as a masterpiece, Mrs. Dalloway , and I’m just as enthralled as I remember being the last time I read it, decades ago. This time around, not only do I read with more … [Link]

Language Log » Mistake or grammatical variation?

Saturday 2 August 14:52:54 UTC 2014

From reader B.D.: I ran across this sentence today on a news website and thought that you might find it interesting: "The accident caused for two lanes and one inbound express lane to be blocked." I was able to find a few other examples of "caused for" from news sites using Google News: "Philadelphia has been looking to start a … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Saturday 2 August 10:23:08 UTC 2014

I’m off to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye, later today to do a course in Scottish Gaelic song (Òrain Ghàidhlig) with Christine Primrose. This is the third time I’ve done the course with Christine, and the fourth time I’ve been to the college – last year I was there later in August for a … [Link]

World Wide Words: Updates » New online: Blooper

Saturday 2 August 7:30:00 UTC 2014

'Blooper', for an embarrassing error, is from the early days of radio. [Link]

World Wide Words: Updates » New online: Lucubration

Saturday 2 August 7:30:00 UTC 2014

A 'lucubration' is a pedantic or muddled attempt to make a point. [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » Banana-Hammock

Saturday 2 August 7:00:00 UTC 2014

A male-thong-like bathing suit. Not for use by every man (please)! Discretion and tight-buns required. Arnold should not wear a banana-hammock – – his modeling days are so over! [Link]

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