Presumably a few of you have noticed the random quote block towards the bottom of the sidebar? I’ve been having a bit of fun with that. Via fillyjonk: Speaking of stages, I think there are stages of perception: 1. When… Read More ›
language
use, misuse and cynical manipulation of language in common and specialist speech and writing
Well, there goes Facebook then
Facebook asked to pull Scrabulous. In other news, the fossilised remains of a R.O.U.S. have been discovered in Uruguay. Image Source: CNN In other other news, CNN seems to have sacked all employees with a smidgen of grammatical nous. H/T… Read More ›
PoCo A PoCo: Fifty Two Acts of Political Correctness
Babalon-93 has suggested that I expand my previous post, “Words Mean Stuff: thorny language”, into a Fifty Two Something series: 52 Something Choose something you would really like to do on a weekly basis and commit to sharing it with… Read More ›
Just for Kate: Macquarie Word of the Year vote
[image source] The Macquarie Dictionary is running their Word Of The Year 2007 vote. Thought it really should be called “Word Or Phrase Of The Year 2007”. Not all of these originate in Australia, of course, but they were all… Read More ›
Words Mean Stuff: thorny language
Y’all know I’m picky about words. Dismissing a verbal or textual argument with that piffly lip-noise and a snide “Oh, but that’s just semantics” doesn’t do it for me. Semantics is meaning, and when you’re using words as persuasion, meaning… Read More ›
More rape denial: NT AMA president
What is with the colossal deluge of rape-denial lately? This time it’s the Northern Territory president of the Australian Medical Association. The ABC reports on high rates of “sexually transmitted diseases” in children in the NT: Northern Territory AMA president… Read More ›
Yet another case of “Shh! Don’t mention the rape!” from a judge
ABC News: “‘Rape’ not to be used in NT child abuse case: judge” Can anyone explain this to me in a way that makes sense? The judge in a child sex assault case being heard in the Northern Territory Supreme… Read More ›
Bad Science Translation: I do not think that means what you think it means.
Online pulp medicorag “Medical News Today” brings us an illustration of the need for competent science translation. “First Transgenic Kids With The Human Lactoferrin Gene” [bold is mine]: Human beings consume lactoferrin with breast milk since the very birth. Lactoferrin… Read More ›
An Embuggerance
Author Terry Pratchett has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. I can only imagine how distressing it must be for someone who has spent his life as a wordsmith to start… Read More ›
LJ and the Scunthorpe Problem: No Spice Girls or Doo-Wop for you!
kwoff_id = 7474; So Russian outfit SUP have taken over Livejournal. As I discussed last week, there has been much concern about their rumblings about “taste”, “decency”, and “political concerns”. elfwreck has just discovered that they have already started blocking… Read More ›
Hoyden About Town 