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

Omniglot blog » Slight mishap

Saturday 15 April 21:03:11 UTC 2017

A photo of Regent's Park in London Today I had a nice walk and lunch in Regent’s Park (see above), then went ice skating in Queensway (pictured below). A photo of Queensway ice rink in London - the scene of my slight mishap The skating went well for the first hour or so. Then I fell awkwardly and dislocated and fractured my ankle. The staff at the ice rink helped me off the ice and called an ambulance. It came quickly and … [Link]

Language Log » Not not

Saturday 15 April 19:40:21 UTC 2017

This is NOT a post about misnegation, a frequent topic at Language Log. This is a reflection on the sublimity of nonnegation, which is not quite the same as transcendental affirmation. It is a linguistic and philosophical inquiry on the absence of nothingness. First comes the linguistics; at the end comes the philosophy. In Mandarin, we have expressions such as … [Link]

Omniglot blog » Homeward bound

Saturday 15 April 18:54:30 UTC 2017

Yesterday I had a good time in London with a Russian-speaking friend. We talked mainly in English with a sprinkling of Russian from time to time. In the morning we went to the Design Museum and saw a special exhibition about Moscow, which was interesting. Then had a wander around Holland Park, which is beautiful, especially at this time of … [Link]

Wordorigins.org » kick the bucket / bucket list

Saturday 15 April 15:19:11 UTC 2017

This evocative phrase meaning to die is of uncertain etymology. The most likely explanation is that it does not refer to a washing tub or pail, the sense of bucket that most of us are familiar with. Instead, it comes from another sense of bucket meaning a yoke or beam from which something can be hung. The imagery evoked by … [Link]

Wordorigins.org » bucket list

Saturday 15 April 15:19:10 UTC 2017

See kick the bucket. [Link]

Urban Word of the Day » SSDGM

Saturday 15 April 7:12:15 UTC 2017

Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered This creep followed me for four blocks. SSDGM, everyone! [Link]

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