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
Language Log » K-pop English
[This is a guest post by Alex Baumans] I've been following the Kpop scene for a bit, and I noticed that there is a special flavour of English being used on websites and the like. This is different from the English being used in the songs themselves, which is also worthy of study. In the major websites (Koreaboo, Allkpop…) the … [Link]
languagehat.com » The Earliest Known Abecedary.
I had meant to post this a while back, but it got lost in the shuffle: A flake of limestone (ostracon) inscribed with an ancient Egyptian word list of the fifteenth century BC turns out to be the world’s oldest known abecedary. The words have been arranged according to their initial sounds, and the order followed here is one that … [Link]
Omniglot blog » La vie de baguette
The best-known type of French bread is the baguette, which was possibly introduced to France in the early 19th century by August Zang from Austria, though that’s another story. Baguettes only stay fresh for a day, so what do you do with them once they start to go hard? Here are a few possibilities: 
Here’s a translation: 1. First Day: … [Link]
Language Log » Mea culpae? Meae culpae? Meis culpis? Mea culpas?
The following is a guest post by frequent LLOG commenter J.W. Brewer: Someone forwarded me a link by a distinguished emeritus professor (I recognize the name, think I once saw him speak at a conference, have the impression his scholarly work is generally well-regarded by people whose judgment I trust) writing about current campus turmoil, and I was caught short … [Link]
Language Log » That should work well
I made a phonetic first verse & chorus of the Marseillaise for singers at #EngvFra pic.twitter.com/EcL2dAzI0F — India Knight (@indiaknight) November 17, 2015 [Link]
Urban Word of the Day » shamefuck
The person you're compelled to fuck, even though they're not the hottest/sexiest/smartest or clever or remotely appealing to most people. The guy is a pig. He's stupid and repulsive. I can't keep my hands off him. I don't know why I want him. He is my shamefuck.
[Link]
Language Log » Technical Sauna at Buddy Hair
Another intriguing sign from Nagoya, Japan sent in by Nathan Hopson: 
Since this is all in English (except for the straightforward heading of the price list), there's no need to explain any translation gaffes. I simply want to call attention to several unusual usages in the English: 1. Technical Sauna. At first I thought that was the name of the … [Link]
Language Log » Mind your manners at the urinal, won't you?
Nathan Hopson sent in this photo of a sign that is posted above the urinals at the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, the #2 shrine in Japan's Shinto hierarchy: 
The sign reads: shǒuhù lǐyí ba bùyào bǎ kǒuxiāngtáng rēng dào xiǎobiànqì nèi 守护礼仪吧 不要把口香糖 扔到小便器内 guard / protect / defend etiquette / decorum / ceremony / ritual, why don't you / … [Link]
Language Log » Clogged drains and "Uncle Hanzi"
I spotted this photograph in an article that I'll describe below: 
Before I introduce the article, during the course of which I'll identify the gentleman in the photograph, it is incumbent upon me to explain what all that red and black writing on the wall is about. Here's what it says: tōng xiàshuǐ dǎyǎn 通下水打眼 85337719 shūtōng gǎidào dǎyǎn 疏通改道打眼 … [Link]
languagehat.com » Crowdsourcing Scholarship.
I was quite excited to see this Jordan Center post by Eliot Borenstein, in which he discusses blogging his new book: I started my academic career planning a dissertation and book about my favorite Russian author, Yuri Olesha. Depending on whom you ask, Olesha was either a talented novelist and playwright driven by Stalinism to abandon prolific writing for prodigious … [Link]
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