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 » Jabotinsky’s Hebrew II.

Tuesday 1 September 22:47:39 UTC 2015

I’ve gotten to another good passage on language in Halkin’s Jabotinsky (see this post); the context is Jabotinsky’s founding of the Hebrew publishing house Hasefer: One of Hasefer’s first volumes, issued in 1923, was a slim collection of Jabotinsky’s Hebrew poetry translations. In it were selections from Poe and D’Annunzio, the whole of Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat, and sections of Edmond Rostan’s … [Link]

Language Log » Mind the gap

Tuesday 1 September 20:00:23 UTC 2015

Our previous post in the Chinglish Annals was "Mind your head" (8/28/15). As promised, in this post we turn to the other extremity of the body. The following sign is displayed on vessels of the Shanghai Ferry service: Zhùyì gāodī kòngdàng 注意高低空档 ("note the level / height of the gap") More often, however, we encounter "mind the gap" notices when … [Link]

Language Log » Unselfishlessly

Tuesday 1 September 12:20:04 UTC 2015

From Stan Carey: *Unselfishlessly* pic.twitter.com/uMrj5QWUsZ via @IsMise_Dixie cc @StanCarey — Ciarán Ferrie (@ccferrie) August 31, 2015 There are surprisingly many instances of unselfishlessly Out There. Presumably these are a sort of blend of unselfishly and selflessly, with (un)selfishness cheering from the sidelines, and the spirit of misnegation brooding over all. [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » best friend whore

Tuesday 1 September 7:00:00 UTC 2015

That one person who refers to everyone as their "best friend" when it's convenient. Not to be confused with bestfriend whore Cindy (to Janice): Hey, best friend! Do you have a pencil I can borrow? Shaniqua: Bitch, you said I was your best friend. Janice: Cindy's such a best friend whore. [Link]

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