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 » What Australian Slang Has Given the World.
A BBC piece by Mark Gwynn begins: In 2013, ‘selfie’ became Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year. It’s become such a ubiquitous word, but few stop to think about where it came from. It may come as a surprise to learn that is has its origins in Australia: the first evidence of the word in use comes from an online … [Link]
Language Log » Arirang
"Arirang" (Hangul: 아리랑) is arguably the most famous Korean folk song. Indeed, "Arirang" is so well-known that it is often considered to be Korea's unofficial national anthem. Yet no one is sure when the song arose nor what the title means. Here is one version of the song (there are many variants): Arirang, arirang, arariyo. Arirang, crossing over the hill, … [Link]
Urban Word of the Day » dick date
When two guys hang out together in a non-romantic fashion over dinner or a show. Also referred to as a "man date". I was planning to take my wife out to see the Bostones with dinner beforehand. She bailed at the last minute, so I invited Eric and we went out on a dick date.
[Link]
Language Log » Chinese Telegraph Code (CTC)
Michael Rank has an interesting article on Scribd entitled "Chinese telegram, 1978" (5/22/2015). It's about a 1978 telegram that he bought on eBay. Here's a photograph: 
A preliminary note before providing the transcription and translation of the text: Chinese telegrams are sent and received purely as four digit codes. The sender has to convert a character text to numbers and … [Link]
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