eternal light Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 There's only really increase in technology-related words and colloquialisms Ebonics, n. Black English Vernacular [blend of ebony and phonics] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manderlyh Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 a colloquialism is not two words put together. A colloquilism is a saying like "kick the bucket," or "hit the hay." Things like what you're talking about--like brunch= breakfast and lunch is a blend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footsteps of Dawn Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I miss big words. I love ones like "vociferous" and "extrapolate." Although on the other hand, ones like "spatial interferometry" and "dielectric spectroscopy" drive me crazy. Anyway, I know what you mean. It seems like the average 18 to 24-year-old's vocabulary consists primarily of, "Like, oh my god, totally!" or "C U L8er" when they're writing ("texting" I should say...writing actually involves skill). Funny (and a bummer) how we've lost the art of writing articulately just as computers pop up and we really need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marolyn Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Whats wrong with "splat"? nothing...sounds good to me...funny though that no matter what word i tried to come up with it wasn't quite right...they pulled out several translation dictionaries but seemed to get the same english word for the all the various danish words they have. (they explained to me that it was a different word for the size of the wave, the speed, the type of rock material it was hitting ect.) really i couldnt give that much distinction in one word... they enjoy discussing the english language and enjoy our explanation's for all of the slang we use which they call us on all the time because they are more aware of it learning english as a second language... ...one response they frequently use when we invite them over is, "that would be pretty ok"...always try to to contain my smirk on that one and didn't explain why that sounds funny to an american because it was cute...one day they told us to fess up and i explained...ok=average, so to us that would be just really average...pretty funny...to which they replied they had words for varying degrees of ok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 they enjoy discussing the english language and enjoy our explanation's for all of the slang we use which they call us on all the time because they are more aware of it learning english as a second language... When you think about English though, some words we put into sentences are slightly difficult to explain to a non-english speaker. For example take these sentences: "still, I can't really complain..." "I still feel like going to White Castle or something..." "Are you still dating Matthew?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marolyn Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 they enjoy discussing the english language and enjoy our explanation's for all of the slang we use which they call us on all the time because they are more aware of it learning english as a second language... When you think about English though, some words we put into sentences are slightly difficult to explain to a non-english speaker. For example take these sentences: "still, I can't really complain..." "I still feel like going to White Castle or something..." "Are you still dating Matthew?" i'm still trying to figure out why i put an apostrophe in explanations... ...i'm gonna mess these danes up real good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marolyn Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 When you think about English though, some words we put into sentences are slightly difficult to explain to a non-english speaker. For example take these sentences: "still, I can't really complain..." "I still feel like going to White Castle or something..." "Are you still dating Matthew?" ...especially after a few gin and tonics (which is usually when the best american slang rears it's head)...our last get-together led to the topic of the nuances/correctness of being "mad at" vs. "mad with" somebody... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 ...especially after a few gin and tonics (which is usually when the best american slang rears it's head)...our last get-together led to the topic of the nuances/correctness of being "mad at" vs. "mad with" somebody... tsk tsk... now you're doing it's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manderlyh Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 tsk tsk... now you're doing it's And I absolutely HATE that rule. It's (as in it is) the one that I always overthink in an effort to be "correct." When I am incorrect, I'm like: "awww...fuck it. I don't care!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 And I absolutely HATE that rule. It's (as in it is) the one that I always overthink in an effort to be "correct." When I am incorrect, I'm like: "awww...fuck it. I don't care!" Yeah it's a very common mistake mostly I think because it's occurs more frenquently than its, and people are more used to using the former than the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marolyn Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 tsk tsk... now you're doing it's ...damn...mrs. hermann's ghost coming to haunt me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 ...damn...mrs. hermann's ghost coming to haunt me... "Now write it out 50 times, Marolyn..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I hate now that people say "Bored of" - I was taught relentlessly by my English teacher that that is WRONG - you say "bored WITH" (I once wouldn't let my daughter buy a "Bored of the Beckhams" t-shirt. Because of the grammar. ) I also hate "is, is" being used in a sentence. Simon Cowell is the worst offender. "The problem with this is, is that you are a terrible singer" etc. etc., ad infinitum. You don't need to say "is" twice!!! But I get "it's" wrong all the time. I did it today. I hate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 3, 2008 Author Share Posted July 3, 2008 I also hate "is, is" being used in a sentence. Simon Cowell is the worst offender. "The problem with this is, is that you are a terrible singer" etc. etc., ad infinitum. You don't need to say "is" twice!!! When is Simon Cowell going to confess that he's really just in it for the money? But I digress from our discourse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeTheDuke Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I'm italian so I'm not the one to say the last word ... I'm reading this thread and ... I've to talk! We've obviously the same problem but I really can't stand the abnormous use of english terms instead of perfect and more explicit italian words. If you watch the news you'll hear so many words like "feeling, manager, boss, face to face, welfare" [in english, of course, just to say a few] from people totally aware from the real meaning and, worst of all, in the wrong context. By the way, what really hit my nerves is the use of 100% latin words - so totally similar to italian language - with "an english accent"!! I'm talking about "plus, minus, mania, media etc." ... No! now, these words are no more from the latin language, are english words! Unbelievable. I think that sooner or later I'll see something strange with "pizza" as well .... ... and I don't want to talk about international standards (ISO) as meters, liters etc still unknown by the english people ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knebby Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 Is it also absolutely essential for every TV chef to use the word "literally" ten times in every sentence? "I'm literally going to just add a pinch of salt and then, literally, just mix it all up for literally two minutes........" James Martin you should be ashamed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evermore Posted July 3, 2008 Share Posted July 3, 2008 I think the contraction in English has to do with the increase in the number of messages sent and received by people today compared to the past. In the days before radio, television and the internet, the printed word was pretty much all everyone had. The cost of printing, or handwriting, and distribution of the written word was considerably high so the content had to be worth the investment. Nowadays the cost of sending or receiving a particular message is practically nothing. In the past, people had just a few books and a newspaper. People are now bombarded with shows, music, movies, websites, bookstores, and cell phones. It's impossible to keep up. The messages all compete for attention. The successful messages are the ones that are efficient at getting the message across. Using symbols to convey meaning is much more efficient than text, so we see semiosis replace the written word. Just like the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". So in some sense I think our communication is much richer than it ever has been but it has come at the expense of the written word. As a reaction, I think that there has been a crisis in English education. I know that in school my teachers strongly advocated plain English. I think this was a reaction to poor professional and academic nonfiction writing. This writing was full of jargon like tech speak, and legalese. As far as nonfiction writing goes, I think that to be clear and concise is the way to go. The lament I think is that this leads to writing that is boring using few words, always using them in their predictable place. I would agree that the pendulum has swung too far. But maybe really, it has come back a full circle. Maybe all the best writing is now done for movies, or more personally our own one to one conversations. Maybe we have come back to the tradition of the spoken word. How's that for irony? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted July 4, 2008 Share Posted July 4, 2008 Gainsbarre, I have several books to recommend that should assuage your hunger for a more florid English tongue: "The Superior Person's Book of Words" by Peter Bowler. There are three volumes, available individually or in a box set. "Shakespeare's Insults: Educating Your Wit" by Wayne Hill & Cynthia Ottchen. And, of course, one of my perennial favourites... "An Exaltation of Larks: Or, the Venereal Game" by James Lipton, written long before he became famous as the "Inside the Actor's Studio" host. The first edition arrived in 1968, and there have been several updated editions published over the years since...the latest, being the "Ultimate Edition" in 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunChild Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Do you speak Dutch, Sunchild? I ask because I learned Afrikaans (I know, the language of the oppressors but it was the only common language in multilingual schools where staff and students were still learning English) when we were living in southern Africa and, for me, it was one of the easiest languages to learn. It is based on the Dutch language but it is much simpler and combines (what for me) were easily recognizable words from English (the words derived form German). After struggling through French, English, and Spanish grammar, the Afrikaans grammar was very easy too. Verbs are not conjugated differently for different subjects and there are no irregular verbs. In order to ask the question, "how do you say (insert word) in Afrikaans, you ask "Hoe sê u (insert word) in Afrikaans?" - which sounds like "How say you?" The word for dish, for example, sounds like how we would pronounce "board". I love the Afrikaans language and accent, too. Fascinating that it's based on Dutch; of course it makes sense doesn't it? I can HEAR the Dutch in "Hoe sê u" No, I don't speak Dutch, though I understand a bit. My parents were adamant their children only speak English, they wanted us to assimilate as Americans. In some ways I'm sorry they felt that way, I regret not learning another language growing up, and that would've been the natural one to know. Manders, do you know how close Dutch is to German? I think the contraction in English has to do with the increase in the number of messages sent and received by people today compared to the past. In the days before radio, television and the internet, the printed word was pretty much all everyone had. The cost of printing, or handwriting, and distribution of the written word was considerably high so the content had to be worth the investment. Nowadays the cost of sending or receiving a particular message is practically nothing. In the past, people had just a few books and a newspaper. People are now bombarded with shows, music, movies, websites, bookstores, and cell phones. It's impossible to keep up. The messages all compete for attention. The successful messages are the ones that are efficient at getting the message across. Using symbols to convey meaning is much more efficient than text, so we see semiosis replace the written word. Just like the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". So in some sense I think our communication is much richer than it ever has been but it has come at the expense of the written word. As a reaction, I think that there has been a crisis in English education. I know that in school my teachers strongly advocated plain English. I think this was a reaction to poor professional and academic nonfiction writing. This writing was full of jargon like tech speak, and legalese. As far as nonfiction writing goes, I think that to be clear and concise is the way to go. The lament I think is that this leads to writing that is boring using few words, always using them in their predictable place. I would agree that the pendulum has swung too far. But maybe really, it has come back a full circle. Maybe all the best writing is now done for movies, or more personally our own one to one conversations. Maybe we have come back to the tradition of the spoken word. How's that for irony? Brilliant post, Evermore! Especially the "plain English" thing. You need the hide of a rhino any more to write with "big" or esoteric words. I subscribe to a wonderful service called Vocab Vitamins: http://www.vocabvitamins.com/ It's sort of like eternal light's daily word from the OED. It's a great way to keep your vocabulary healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led_zep_girl_92 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 How tasteless is your English? I just hope that mine isn´t the worst; and I`m always scared that I may could have a significant german accent while speaking English. Probably most English texts released in the world wide web are some kind of easy and simple because English isn´t everybody´s mothertongue; and not everybody speaks or writes it the best. For example my English is may good enough to ask for the way or order something in a restaurant, but I´m really not sure if everything I wrote yet is correct.( But I hope so.) The only thing that could help me dealing with a difficult scientific English text are my Latin lessons at school, but except Germany I don´t know any other countries where Latin is a subject at school like math or any other subject. Is my English really that tasteless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gainsbarre Posted July 5, 2008 Author Share Posted July 5, 2008 How tasteless is your English? I just hope that mine isn´t the worst; and I`m always scared that I may could have a significant german accent while speaking English. Probably most English texts released in on the world wide web are some kind of easy and simple because English isn´t everybody´s mothertongue; and not everybody speaks or writes it the best. For example my English is may maybe good enough to ask for the way or to order something in a restaurant, but I´m really not sure if everything I wrote write yet is correct.( But I hope so.) [Alternatively you could've written, depending on your meaning: "I'm really not sure if everything I've written so far is correct"]. The only thing that could help me in dealing with a difficult scientific English text are is my Latin lessons at school, [thing = is, singular. Things = are, plural] but except for Germany I don´t know any other countries country [Or: I don't know of any other countries]where Latin is a subject at school like math ['Math' is American English. 'Maths' is UK/Ireland/Australian English] or any other subject. Is my English really that tasteless? No it's fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led_zep_girl_92 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 But at least my English will be better than your German ...Hopefully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
led_zep_girl_92 Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 And I once used to believe my English would be good I´m really not telling you a joke when I say I´m class best in English. Believe it or not! Shame on me for my awful English. It´s that absolutely bad!!!!! By the way, you start to sound like my English teacher; and absolutuly nobody wants to sound like my English teacher. He beats us with a flyswatter if we make mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 And I once used to believe my English would be good I´m really not telling you a joke when I say I´m class best in English. Believe it or not! Shame on me for my awful English. It´s that absolutely bad!!!!! By the way, you start to sound like my English teacher; and absolutuly nobody wants to sound like my English teacher. He beats us with a flyswatter if we make mistakes. Your English is better than the English of some of the native speakers in here. You should teach English to some of the English speakers in here. Have you read many of the threads? I am serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marolyn Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 By the way, you start to sound like my English teacher; and absolutuly nobody wants to sound like my English teacher. He beats us with a flyswatter if we make mistakes. he's gonna haunt you the rest of your life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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