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 » Her Italian Resembled the Iliad.

Monday 20 June 22:37:18 UTC 2016

The world-conquering Elena Ferrante has invaded our household as well; my wife is on the second novel in the Neapolitan series and has passed the first, My Brilliant Friend , on to me. I’m enjoying it greatly — it’s one of those unputdownable books — but I was stopped by an expression in chapter 2 of the second section. A teacher … [Link]

Language Log » Singing an escape from Foreign Accent Syndrome

Monday 20 June 18:11:34 UTC 2016

Last weekend's Snap Judgment profiled an interesting case of "Foreign Accent Syndrome", in which Ellen Spencer's speech disorder, caused by a stroke, disappears when she sings — and even to some extent when she thinks about singing: A couple of previous LLOG posts on FAS: "Notes from the ESL Trauma Unit", 9/16/2007 "Foreign Accent Syndrome", 4/27/2010 And in "The therapeutic … [Link]

Language Log » You aim too please

Monday 20 June 15:12:18 UTC 2016

From a men's room at the Beijing airport: (Source) The Chinese says: xiàng qián yī xiǎo bù, wénmíng yī dà bù 向前一小步，文明一大步 ("one small step forward; one big step for civilization") This is a meme that we have previously covered on Language Log, e.g.: "Signs from Kashgar to Delhi " (10/11/13) It is, of course, based on the famous Neil … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Language quiz

Monday 20 June 10:31:59 UTC 2016

Here’s a multilingual sign I saw on a café at Oxford Road station in Manchester yesterday. Can you identify and translate the languages on it? Click on the photo to see a larger version. This should be an easy one. [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » spange

Monday 20 June 7:00:00 UTC 2016

To collect spare change, either from couches, passerbys on the street or any numerous other ways and means Jimmy doesn't have enough money for the show, he will have to spange. [Link]

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