English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

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reohn2
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Re: English Language - what

Post by reohn2 »

Mike Sales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Gear changing requires presicion,OTOH with language,as long as I understand what's being conveyed I couldn't give a monkey's :mrgreen:


There's the problem. When language is used without precision it can lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding.
Metaphor and simile when fresh are illuminating and enlivening. When they get stale and worn they are blunt and boring.

You gave me a towelling there Mike.......
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Mike Sales
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Mike Sales »

reohn2 wrote:You gave me a towelling there Mike.......


Now there is a nice,fresh metaphor.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Bmblbzzz
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Mike Sales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:You gave me a towelling there Mike.......


Now there is a nice,fresh metaphor.

Whatever you have to say, come out and say it. Stop flannelling!
Mike Sales
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Re: English Language - what

Post by Mike Sales »

Bmblbzzz wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:You gave me a towelling there Mike.......


Now there is a nice,fresh metaphor.

Whatever you have to say, come out and say it. Stop flannelling!


Again, a vigorous use of language which provokes a smile. Thanks.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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horizon
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by horizon »

Have we covered the dropping of country adjectives:

Hundreds of jobs to go as 2 Sisters plans Scotland factory shutdown


(from the Guardian)
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
Cyril Haearn
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Cyril Haearn »

horizon wrote:Have we covered the dropping of country adjectives:

Hundreds of jobs to go as 2 Sisters plans Scotland factory shutdown


(from the Guardian)

A factory where Scotlands are made?
Must have been a lot of work to make New Caledonia and Nova Scotia, how did one get export permits?
Where was New South Wales manufactured?
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Bmblbzzz
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Bmblbzzz »

Headlines do have their own grammar in most languages.
profpointy
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Re: English Language - what

Post by profpointy »

Mike Sales wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Gear changing requires presicion,OTOH with language,as long as I understand what's being conveyed I couldn't give a monkey's :mrgreen:


There's the problem. When language is used without precision it can lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding.
Metaphor and simile when fresh are illuminating and enlivening. When they get stale and worn they are blunt and boring.


Don't need precision if the meaning's obvious:

"I helped my Uncle jack off his horse"
profpointy
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by profpointy »

Cyril Haearn wrote:So I rather like the new (?) habit of starting a sentence with *so*


"So, the Spear-Danes in days gone by, led by their Kings, who had courage and greatness"
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Graham
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Graham »

I have just been hearing * Peter White, presenting something-or-other on Radio4.

He starts nearly EVERY sentence with "So. . . . . . "

* hearing - as in not listening, on the grounds that anyone suffering from the "so-affliction" has nothing of value to communicate.
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Vorpal »

I used to work with someone who finished practically every sentence with 'and so on...' Starting with 'so' would be much less iritating.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Graham wrote:I have just been hearing * Peter White, presenting something-or-other on Radio4.

He starts nearly EVERY sentence with "So. . . . . . "

* hearing - as in not listening, on the grounds that anyone suffering from the "so-affliction" has nothing of value to communicate.

I thought Peter White was good, haven't heard him for a while
Why did you not hit the off switch? :?

Positive thread alert, just had a couple of hours presentation at work, the speaker was good, she did not use ums and ers
I bothered to congratulate her, although I had already done a good deed earlier, that makes two today at least, when will I get my reward? :wink:
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Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mike Sales »

Not all changes in the language are improvements.
Some seem to come from a need to disguise the unpleasant.
I see "pass" for "die" as mealy mouthed. My mother died recently and I made sure to say "she died".
An Americanism I dislike is "ass" for "buttock". We are loosing a good old Anglo-saxon word. Earwig (arsewiggler) and wheatear (whitearse) both derive from it.
I think that problems have all changed into issues from a desire to soften the sense.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Mike Sales
Posts: 7882
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Mike Sales »

Mike Sales wrote:Not all changes in the language are improvements.
Some seem to come from a need to disguise the unpleasant.
I see "pass" for "die" as mealy mouthed. My mother died recently and I made sure to say "she died".
An Americanism I dislike is "ass" for "bottom". We are loosing a good old Anglo-saxon word. Earwig (arsewiggler) and wheatear (whitearse) both derive from it.
I think that problems have all changed into issues from a desire to soften the sense.


Edit. I see that the robot censor objected to my use of the good old Anglo-saxon. Is it a merkin? I did not write bottom, but the word I did write was acceptable as part of two other words.

Edit again. I'm watching Alice Roberts on the box talking about Viking "poo". This seems to be the TV acceptable word. I wonder if "turd" or "stool" will survive our unquestionable electric nanny?
They did. It is a whimsical robot.
I doubt sh1t would, spelt correctly.
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: English Language - what "Does your head in" ??

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Mike Sales wrote:
Mike Sales wrote:Not all changes in the language are improvements.
Some seem to come from a need to disguise the unpleasant.
I see "pass" for "die" as mealy mouthed. My mother died recently and I made sure to say "she died".
An Americanism I dislike is "ass" for "bottom". We are loosing a good old Anglo-saxon word. Earwig (arsewiggler) and wheatear (whitearse) both derive from it.
I think that problems have all changed into issues from a desire to soften the sense.


Edit. I see that the robot censor objected to my use of the good old Anglo-saxon. Is it a merkin? I did not write bottom, but the word I did write was acceptable as part of two other words.

Edit again. I'm watching Alice Roberts on the box talking about Viking "poo". This seems to be the TV acceptable word. I wonder if "turd" or "stool" will survive our unquestionable electric nanny?
They did. It is a whimsical robot.
I doubt sh1t would, spelt correctly.

Usually there are three or more different words for any part of the body or bodily functions, euphemisms are fun, toilet costs 50c now, not a penny, but what are the wee wee frees in Scotland, is that a veiled reference to free toilets?
I use p******e, for tyres, obvious reasons :!:

Did Uncle jack win the grand national?
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Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
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