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

Language Log » Palatine boors swarming into our settlements

Saturday 4 February 23:30:54 UTC 2017

Benjamin Franklin, "Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc.", 1751 [emphasis added]: 23. In fine, A Nation well regulated is like a Polypus; take away a Limb, its Place is soon supply'd; cut it in two, and each deficient Part shall speedily grow out of the Part remaining. Thus if you have Room and Subsistence enough, as … [Link]

Language Log » Hu Shih and Chinese language reform

Saturday 4 February 20:44:20 UTC 2017

Hu Shih 胡適 (Pinyin Hú Shì [1891-1962]) is widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese intellectuals of the 20th century. As such, he is known as the "Father of the Chinese Renaissance". In my estimation, Hu Shih was the single most influential post-imperial thinker and writer in China. His accomplishments were so numerous and multifarious that it is … [Link]

Language Log » Another country heard from

Saturday 4 February 19:35:44 UTC 2017

First it was "The Netherlands Second". Now it's Switzerland making a bid: (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/~ fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); In a more serious vein, it's clear that comic writers around the world have figured out how to caricature Mr. Trump's rhetorical style. … [Link]

Language Log » "Big mistake": Infectious rhetorical style

Saturday 4 February 17:43:44 UTC 2017

Josh Solomon, "Largest heroin bust in Hernando history comes with image of Donald Trump", Tampa Bay Times, 2/3/2017: One pile of wax paper envelops that contained individually wrapped doses of heroin bore the name of El Chapo, the infamous Mexican drug lord. Another pile had envelopes with the name of Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. Yet another pile had the name … [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » lord dampnut

Saturday 4 February 8:00:00 UTC 2017

An anagram or "alternative name" for the worst president in the history of the USA. Coined by Colin Mochrie (of Whose Line is it Anyway fame) on 20 January 2017. Did you read the latest tweet from Lord Dampnut? [Link]

languagehat.com » The Trials and Triumphs of Leon Dostert.

Saturday 4 February 3:54:34 UTC 2017

I’ve been wanting to post this article from the Occidental Magazine since I got the physical copy a year and a half ago (I’m an alumnus), but it takes the good people at Oxy a long, long time to put issues online. At any rate, here it is; it starts with Dostert’s creation of the simultaneous translation system that made … [Link]

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