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Don't make it personal
2007-08-15 10:11:00
Like JD one of my major roles is to serve as a filter; yesterday I filtered the following introduction to a news story: "One of the largest motorway services on the M25 has defended its decision..."Would our readers understand it? Yes. Can an inanimate object defend a decision? No ? or not on our watch.To be fair to the writer concerned, organisations can be considered as legal entities in that a company can be said to make or lose money so maybe each case should be judged on its merits. All that intro needed was the insertion of "The operator of..." at the beginning.Yes, one inanimate subject has been replaced by another so the rule is not a simple one. Maybe I'm happy with "The operator..." because the operator is a company (of people) but unhappy with "...motorway services" because the service area comprises steel, concrete, glasss, plastic and dodgy food at high prices.Comments, anyone?
More About: Personal , Make , Sona

News stories: dodgy sentences
2007-08-14 10:58:00
A couple of dodgy sentences in news stories I've spotted recently. The first, from a recent BBC story on the M40 biker shooting:The shooting bears similarities with a similar incident in 2001Well, if the incidents are similar, of course there are similarities... Secondly, something from our own publication. The story is about exam passes:Even those who failed the grade are already applying for a retestThis implies that those who passed are also applying for a retest - don't worry, the sentence didn't make it into print.
More About: News , Stories , Sentences , Sentence

Red tea: giraffe identification
2007-08-13 13:49:00
Another post on packaging today...I like to drink red tea, or rooibos, and recently tried a new brand - Clipper organic rooibos.As you can see from the image to your right, the Clipper box has a large picture of a giraffe on it. This is presumably because both rooibos and giraffes come from Africa, not because rooibos is made from giraffes. A tenuous connection, but fair enough.What you probably can't make out, however, is the small writing along the side of the picture of the giraffe. It says 'Gira ffe', for anyone who is unable to identify the strange, long-necked, yellow animal. Thanks, Clipper.Not only that, but it then gives the Latin name for the giraffe, 'giraffa camelepardolis' - perhaps to assist any red-tea drinking, non-English speakers with a grasp of Latin out there who cannot identify a giraffe from a picture alone. Marvellous.
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Portmanteaux: foodswing and doga
2007-08-10 14:37:00
Further to Apus's post yesterday on portmanteau words, here are a couple I've come across recently and actually rather like:Foodswing - if you get cranky when you are hungry, then like me you suffer from foodswings. A blend of 'food' and 'moodswing'. Amusingly there's an American food manufacturer called FoodSwing...Doga - simply, yoga for dogs. William Berloni wrote a book called Doga: Yoga for Dogs, but I'm not sure whether he coined the word. There's also, inevitably, a Yoga for Cats book and even a rather tongue-in-cheek Yoga for Chickens book (by different authors), but the words 'coga' and 'choga' seem not to have entered the language pool. Yet.Lynn Brunelle's Yoga for Chickens (sadly not known as 'choga')
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Portmanteau words... ugh!
2007-08-09 18:34:00
During my summer holidays I spotted a job ad in the local rag which invited readers to apply not for an 'application pack' (in itself a rather naff phrase) but for an "applipac".It would have ruined my entire morning, were it not for the fact that I was demolishing a large 99 at the time.JD, it's good to be back in the engine room...
More About: Words , Portman

TLA: LOL
2007-08-09 10:42:00
There appears to be some confusion over the meaning of the three-letter acronym (or TLA) 'LOL', often seen in instant messaging, emails, text messages etc.While most people (including myself) take it to mean 'Laughs Out Loud', a minority take it to mean 'Lots of Love'.Don't believe me? A friend of mine recently received a text from his mother saying: "Uncle Robert passed away at 3:00 this morning LOL xx"I have to admit I laughed out loud...

Hablo español!
2007-08-07 11:37:00
Keen to learn a little Spanish before my holiday in several weeks, I recently bought an 'Instant Spanish' book and CD set."Study for thirty-five minutes a day for six weeks and you'll speak Spanish," it promises. Doesn't seem very instant to me - not compared to, say, instant mashed potato."Stir your flakes for thirty-five minutes a day for six weeks and you'll have mashed potato..."I'm also amused by some of the strange sentences that language learning sets teach you as a beginner. Along with the Spanish for 'my name is James', 'good evening', and 'how are you?' I've learnt 'I have a large house and it costs a lot of money. And I have a Mercedes'. This is likely to get me mugged if nothing else.I can also say (in Spanish) 'I worked for the Bank of Spain for three years' - which is neither useful nor true. And it might make people wonder why my Spanish isn't better - although perhaps it could explain the Mercedes...Tengo un Mercedes...

Oh burger
2007-08-06 11:16:00
At a rugby match yesterday, I was queuing up for a hotdog when a teenage girl behind me in the queue asked her friend:"What's a one-stroke-four-ell-bee burger?""It's a quarter-pounder," her friend replied. Obviously it was written on the sign as '1/4lb burger' - enough to confuse one of the metric generation...A one-stroke-four-ell-bee burger
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Overseas goods and fisking
2007-08-03 12:54:00
A couple of things today.Firstly, one of the writers on our magazine submitted copy that included the following sentence:more and more goods coming into the country are coming from overseasThe UK does have a land border, where Northern Ireland meets the Republic of Ireland, but I don't think our writer was referring to that...Secondly, if you are interested in blogging and strange new words, check out this list of blogging terms. Here are a few of my favourites (perhaps because they all sound slightly rude):blawg: a blog about lawflog: a fake blog - ie one that is ghostwrittenplog: a political blogfisking: a point-by-point rebuttal of a blog post or news story (named after Robert Fisk)I'm not sure how many of the words in the list will achieve widespread usage outside the - ahem - blogosphere...
More About: Goods , Seas , Overseas , Fisking

Word of the day: tarantism
2007-08-02 16:41:00
Today's word of the day, as brought to my attention by Rehana, is 'tarantism'. The Concise OED defines tarantism as:a psychological illness characterised by an extreme impulse to dance, prevalent in southern Italy from the 15th to 17th century and formerly believed to be caused by the bite of a tarantula.That has to be the dictionary definition with everything - history, strange but amusing illnesses, spiders and Italians...The word listed above it in my dictionary is 'tarantella', "a rapid whirling dance originating in southern Italy". Could the two be connected? Wikipedia says yes...Not dancing, just dodging a spider
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Continent under hammer attack
2007-08-01 17:42:00
Gingerous Humerous Maximus has emailed in the following headline from the BBC Football website:Bellamy targets Europe with Hammer sHe says: "Now clearly it is a reference to [footballer] Craig Bellamy hoping to get into European competitions with West Ham but still it made me giggle!"Europe: beware hammer-wielding footballer
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Orangina: not evil, may stain
2007-07-31 14:09:00
The product warning saga continues ? recently I was highly amused by a warning on a bottle of orange soft drink Orangina: "If spilt, this product may stain."Really? Unlike orange juice, or other carbonated soft drinks such as Coke, which don't stain at all...I wonder what compelled Orangina Schweppes, the current manufacturer of the drink, to place this particular warning on the packaging. Perhaps it is connected with the fact that it also encourages you to "shake the bottle, wake the taste" ? surely increasing the likelihood of spillage.Incidentally, one French TV advert for Orangina had - according to Wikipedia - "a mad chainsaw-wielding killer attacking a family in a car who travelled through a forest." The catchphrase: "But why is he so evil?" "Because!"You've got to love the French...
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Smother you
2007-07-30 16:03:00
In my local supermarket last week, past the aisles called 'CEREALS' and 'TINNED FOOD', I came across an aisle called 'SMOTHER YOU'. My blood ran cold at this incredibly sinister sign.It was only on second inspection that I realised the sign actually said 'SMOOTHER YOU' - the supermarket had some kind of aftershave promotion going on.Then at the weekend I was in the same supermarket and I misread the same sign in the same way - and scared myself again. It's strange how the brain works...

How many is several?
2007-07-27 11:42:00
How many is 'several'? If I said to you I'd posted on this blog several times this week, how many times would you think I meant?Personally I use 'several' to mean a very small number, three to five perhaps - for me it is almost synonymous with 'a few'. But I realise that a lot of other people use 'several' to mean a higher number than this.One person I spoke to yesterday believed 'several' to mean 'a number around seven', perhaps because of the similarity between the words 'several' and seven'. Although the two words have different etymologies, making connections like this between similar-sounding words is quite common and understandable.To my surprise the OED agrees with me on 'several', defining it as "more than two but not many". 'A few', in comparison, is "a small number of; not many". So I wouldn't say that 'several' is bigger than 'a few', at least according to the dictionary definition. But then, I would love to hear what you think...A few, or several...

ITA: Initial Teaching Alphabet
2007-07-26 17:46:00
I wrote a little while back about my opposition to simplifying the spelling of English, but today one of my colleagues mentioned that he remembered a simplified spelling system that was brought in at his school for a year or so. This must have been back in the late 60s.The Initial Teac hing Alphabet , or ITA, relied on more than 40 characters (our alphabet plus a number of other characters to represent different vowel combinations and sounds such as the 'ng' of 'ring') to spell words in a more consistent, phonetic way. My colleague recalls entire books being written in ITA.The idea was that children would initially learn to read in ITA, then move over to conventional English spelling. A number of schools brought ITA in, but it was never considered a resounding success. Many people who used ITA seem to blame it for their poor spelling in later life.Incidentally, all ITA text was written in lower case, so I suppose it should really be called ita.My colleague later found a BBC articl...

Words our colleagues hate
2007-07-25 16:34:00
All writers and sub-editors have their personal writing bugbears. If you read this blog regularly, you will be familiar with many of Apus's and mine - I, for example, have unresolved issues with the word 'new'.Today I asked a few of my colleagues (designers, subs and writers) for the bugbear words and phrases they hate to see appear in the pages of our publication. Here's a selection - and note that I don't necessarily agree with all of them:Together with. No! Just use 'with' or 'and'.Interestingly. No! If it's going in the magazine, of course it should be interesting - you don't need to tell the readers so.Of course. No! If it's obvious, why are you mentioning it? If it's not obvious, don't make readers feel small for not knowing something. Is it a sign of insecurity on the part of the writer?Back in (1996, for example). No! Just put 'in 1996'.Explains. Especially in interviews. For example: "We entered this sector because it is growing fast," he explains. It makes ...
More About: Words , Hate , Leagues , Coll

Journalism: your cup of tea?
2007-07-24 17:13:00
I expected only the best when I placed my order for a cheese omelette and chips. I wasn't disappointed. Normally, I don't get too excited about chips or French fries, but these had a crispy, rough surface and this made a pleasant change from those boring oven chips.The above quote comes from an amazing piece of incisive investigative journalism that Col stumbled upon. 'Pot of Jam at the End of a Rainbow' appears to be part review of Balcombe Tea Rooms, part travelogue involving a gentle motorbike ride to said tea rooms. Written, I am assured, by a professional journalist.If you ever wanted to be a journalist yourself but were worried about long hours, dangerous situations, interesting characters, too much excitement ? take heart. The tea room awaits.Pot of Jam at the End of a RainbowHave a sit down
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Crime: hugger muggers
2007-07-23 16:01:00
Recently you may have read about the phenomenon of hugger muggers - criminals who pretend to befriend people in pubs and clubs in order to steal their belongings.Hugger mugger (posed by model)'Hugger mugger' isn't the most accurate of names seeing as these criminals don't mug anyone (mugging being to 'attack and rob in a public place', OED) and they don't necessarily hug anyone either. Mind you, 'befriender-thief' sounds more like a misguided social initiative than a new strain of criminal.But ignoring all that, what is the crime associated with hugger muggers? Is it hugger mugging? Hugger muggering? Hugging mugging? Huggering muggering?Incidentally, I was almost the victim of a rather incompetent hugger mugger in Camden a few weeks ago. He managed to lift my mobile phone from my jeans pocket whereupon it fell on the floor and I picked it up again. Actually seeing as my phone is rather old and dented now he may well just have decided not to bother...
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Independent: wackiest words
2007-07-20 16:27:00
If you are interested in words and live in the UK, I recommend you pick up a copy of the Independent today. In the Independent Extra is a great feature on 'The Wackiest Words You've Never Heard Of', as selected by Christopher Foyle, chairman of Foyles bookshop.The feature does indeed include many words I've never heard of (such as batterfang, which means 'to attack with the fists or nails'), as well as a few of my and Apus' personal favourites (I've always had a soft spot for fabiform, 'shaped like a bean').beans are, by their nature, fabiformIf you are unable to buy a copy of the Independent today, you can find the same article online.Thanks to Col for bringing this to my attention.
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More mixed metaphors
2007-07-20 13:52:00
A couple of nice mixed metaphors that didn't make it into our publication this week:This is the mantra currently running through the veins of the organisationThere is no clear black and white path for the industry to followWords in your veins? And why is a black and white path easier to follow than any other path? Sheds new light on the Wizard of Oz, perhaps...A black and white path (well, greyscale)
More About: Mixed , Mixe , Metaphors

Word of the day: heavage
2007-07-19 09:39:00
I forgot to mention that my post on smirting was mentioned recently on Buzzfeed ? the day the smoking ban came in, I believe.Chuffed to be picked up by Buzzfeed, I had a bit of a look around. In amongst a lot of guff about giant fish, disposable underwear and third nipples (it's a classy site), I did come across a page on a new word - heavage.Heavage is man cleavage - you know, when the boys have their top couple of shirt buttons undone to show off the top of their chest. Not something that I often do.It's such a new word that there isn't even a Wikipedia entry on it. However Googling it seems to suggest that Jon Bon Jovi is a particular offender....Don't worry, I know some of you are sensitive souls so I'm not going to post a picture!***(In case you were wondering, Apus is on leave yet again and will be until some time in August - one of the perks of being a chief sub seems to be that you get several months' holiday a year...)
More About: Word , Word of the Day , The D

Man-eating badgers: denial
2007-07-18 13:57:00
UK military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."That memorable quote comes from a story about honey badgers in Basra on the BBC News website which Gareth has brought to our attention. Well, it amused us.I eat honey, not people
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Word of the day: copacetic
2007-07-17 15:11:00
This email recently arrived in the Engine Room inbox:We came across a word the other day, which neither of us two have heard before.It?s ?copacetic? and means ?something is in excellent order?. Apparently, it?s an obscure American word! Have you come across it before?It was used to describe the mood of my cow, Malcolm, who I?ve adopted online and after I fed him some broccoli....I have to admit it was a new one on me too. However Wikipedia says copacetic is used "almost exclusively in North America", so maybe it is not so surprising I haven't come across it before. I wonder where Malcolm the cow lives?Copacetic, which rhymes with 'oh, pathetic' and has a number of variant spellings, is an interesting word because its origin is highly debated. Theories variously suggest it comes from Creole French, Hebrew, or African American slang. It may even be a corruption of 'the cop is on the settee' (my personal favourite).There's too much to write about copacetic here, but if you want t...
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Western Mail: dead easy
2007-07-16 14:37:00
Following on from Norwich Union telling us in a rather sinister manner that 'accidents happen', Colin has emailed in the following cutting from Welsh newspaper the Western Mail . (If it's too small to read, click on it to see a bigger version.)For those of you who don't do pictures, it says: "Arranging the death of a loved one isn't easy. But there are companies and services here to help you every step of the way... if you can offer your services and wish to advertise with us please call Claire or Emma."Don't be surprised to see Norwich Union advertising in the Western Mail any day now...
More About: Dead , Easy , Este

Well I'm a Dutchman
2007-07-13 19:11:00
The English language absorbs words and phrases from a bewildering variety of sources, including our former adversaries.Take the Dutch. We have a Dutch treat (which is no treat at all); double Dutch (gibberish); Dutch courage (based on alcohol); and "if that's true I'm a Dutchman" (you're lying). There's no doubt that the Dutch were once ferocious trading rivals who were not afraid of a scrap ? the naval encounters between the two nations in the 17th century included the "four-day battle" which reflects the fact that neither side was prepared to give an inch. But perhaps the most telling Dutch-based phrase is "Dutch cap" as slang for a diaphragm contraceptive device. The use of "French letter" for condom reminds us that we've also been known to fall out with our next-door neighbours ? while the infamous aphrodisiac (and toxic) Spanish fly ensures that our third major naval adversary is not left out of this somewhat disreputable list.
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Odds and ends from the subs' desk
2007-07-13 14:44:00
Just a few odds and ends from the past couple of weeks on the subs' desk.1. A reporter wrote about the "problems that are ripe in the industry" - couldn't work out if this was an unfortunate typo or a misunderstanding of the phrase. Made me smile anyway. Obviously, he meant 'rife'.2. A few nice tautologies that our writers supplied (and didn't make it into print):Damning indictmentExpendable pawnsPanacea to cure all illsHere's an expendable pawn3. One writer talked about something being "increasingly critical" - not sure how that works!4. Lastly, a couple of great phrases. One of our IT systems was described by a senior manager as "a lego set that is one big brick" - and in the same meeting he said that some of our company websites "look as though they haven't been designed, they've congealed"...Now that's a 'damning indictment' if ever I heard one!
More About: Desk , Odds , Ends , Subs

Fighting: not just for drunks
2007-07-12 13:58:00
Earlier this week I saw some kind of government health and safety poster with the following advice:There are some things you only do when drunk. Fighting shouldn't be one of them.It was in a bar in Borough, London, and I don't think it was meant ironically. Strangely it seems to suggest that you shouldn't only fight when drunk - you should fight at other times as well...Who wants a scrap?

No to simplified spelling
2007-07-10 17:00:00
Today on the BBC website I came across an interesting debate on whether English spelling should be simplified - I personally agree with Vivian Cook who argues against simplification.In addition to Vivian's points I'd like to say that when I taught English as a foreign language, my students struggled much more with English grammar (especially tenses), and with phrasal verbs, than they did with spelling. I hope that's not a reflection on my teaching...Also, spellings often indicate a word's etymology - and by simplifying spellings, we would lose a lot of visual clues to the origin and history of words.A third point I believe is not raised in the debate is that related words are often pronounced differently but spelled similarly, for example 'maniac' and 'maniacal'. If the spellings of these words were 'simplified', the connection between these words would no longer be so obvious in the spelling - which might actually hinder language learning.Masha Bell, arguing in favour of...
More About: Spelling , Spell , Simplified

Fine herbs: the truth
2007-07-09 15:41:00
One word can have several meanings, or many different shades of meaning, and advertisers can use this to give a misleading impression of their product without actually breaking the truth.I'll give you a silly example. Our staff restaurant recently had on its menu "vegetable soup with fine herbs". I bought some, thinking that "fine herbs" sounded very classy. As it turned out, the herbs were of an average quality but just chopped up very small. Fine can mean both "high quality" and "consisting of small particles" (OED).Any excuse for a food photoOf course, these two meanings of 'fine' are related - fine jewellery, which has "delicate or intricate workmanship" (another OED meaning of fine), is probably of "high quality". There is an association between being small and delicate, and being of high quality - which, sadly, isn't true in every case, as my vegetable soup showed.All these meanings of fine have the same origin - the Latin word 'finire', which also gave us the English wo...
More About: Truth , Herbs , Herb , Ruth

London Lite and £4m notes
2007-07-08 16:13:00
Yes, it's time to mock free London newspaper London Lite again. This time I was amused by a headline regarding a 'gang of cash conterfeiters': "Prison for £4m notes cheats".If I received a £4m note in my change, or indeed from the cash machine, I would probably assume it was counterfeit...Later in the story, we are told:Ringleader Kenneth Howe, 35, of Rainham, was arrested after he tried to outrun police cars and two helicoptersClever boy all round is our Kenneth.
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