Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: Abusage

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  • James Francis,

    Is 'ye' really non-existent? (He scrambles for the dictionary). He recites woodenly: archaic plural form of 'thou' And, ha, you're right,'pseudo-archaic form of 'the'

    Yes, the pseudo makes it an acceptable crime.

    St John's, Newfoundland • Since Nov 2006 • 121 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    Oh, I remember that one well - I was moved to comment at the time...

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • James Francis,

    Sorry, acceptable to label it a crime.

    St John's, Newfoundland • Since Nov 2006 • 121 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    OK, I read the editorial, it's not that Team NZ were tossing bombs at the opposition. </disappointed>

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

    Speaking of which, I'm going to punch on the side of the head the next person that, asked by me if they feel like a hot drink, replies "I'll have a coffee, but only if you're making one."

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Favourite linguistic bugbear: People (mis)using the phrase "hoist by his/her/thier own petard" in such a way that it's clear they have no idea what a petard is, or what it means to be hoist by one.

    I always thought it meant, you make your bed , you lie in it at your own cost. Am I one of the "clear they have no idea" department,and if so, can you explain?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    I've always assumed it meant blown up by your own bomb. Please tell me I haven't been wrong for all these years...

    Nope, you're dead right. Lots of people though, see the word "hoist" and just assume a petard must be some sort of flagpole that you hoist things up on. Or, in the case of the editorial Herr Slack mentioned, something which gets hoist up. Argh.

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    And, ha, you're right,'pseudo-archaic form of 'the'

    Yeah, we used to have another letter in the alphabet that looked like a cross between a Y & P, and was called a "thorn" and pronounced "th" So Ye, is really just the humble old "the" after all. Not sure why the urge to add a "e" to any word, but especially "shoppe".

    We should've kept that letter.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    My fave euphemism for poor is from cricket, when a slog is described as "agricultural". No idea where it came from or what it is supposed to mean.

    Without looking it up, I have always assumed it had something to do with the stroke looking like the batsman is scything corn or something.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    To use two non-number-related examples: 1) if a halfback throws a hospital pass to a first-five, it gets described as "average", when, in fact, such passes are poor, bad, etc, etc. If it was an "average" pass, it would be a regulation, good, easy to catch pass.

    2) if a fullback makes a clearing kick and the ball slices off the side of his boot and bearly makes any ground, it gets described as an "average" kick, when, again, it is poor, bad, dreadful, etc. If it was an "average" kick it would be kicked well and make a bit of ground.

    You have to blame our boot licking, cheerleading rugby commentators for a lot of that.

    Many an AB ballsup (or any of our professional rugby teams for that matter) have shocking handling errors, kicks or performances in general described in harsh terms like "average", "didn't have a great game", "will be disappointed with", or they simply won't even describe it at all. Probably part of the reason why some of the ABs were smiling seconds after the whistle last weekend. Didn't they realise people around the country had just erupted into violence because Mealamu drifted too wide on defence? ;)

    At least the league commentators (and the radio ones are the best) will call something a "shocker", or somebody is having a "nightmare", or a "brain explosion". All great sporting terms that get the blood pumping. We shouldn't have to put up with light-weight words during sport, It's War!!!

    Full credit to you other posters though. You're all giving 110%, some of you even more, and can go home proud of your performance.

    ;)

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Oh, I remember that one well - I was moved to comment at the time...

    Did you eventually define a dangling participle Josh? Lessee, Jesus had 12 participles, and one of them ended up hanging himself - it's a reference to Judas?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Heh. I note that a typographical thorn now looks like this in a sentence: 'a rose between two þorns'.

    (Oh dear. I þink þat looks like 'porn'.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    "and so, without further adieu"

    when the speaker is clearly unaware this is supposed to be a joke...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    (Oh dear. I þink þat looks like 'porn'.)

    Who'd have thunk rose was that kind of girl?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    "and so, without further adieu"

    when the speaker is clearly unaware this is supposed to be a joke...

    at risk of taking something too literally... (feel free to label me a petard) isn't it "ado"?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    In defence of cricket commentary Brian Johnston was a god with the English language. For those very few who have not heard his giggles, here's an clip:

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    they readily hoisted the Team NZ petard

    It seems clear to me that the author was thinking about hoisting a standard in the archaic sense of flag or emblem, but got sidetracked onto the wrong cliche. It happens, but that's what you have editors for.

    My own personal favourite was a real estate agent a couple of years back who described a property as having the penultimate kitchen. I eventually worked out that must meant "the kitchen you have immediately before you transform it into the one you want."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    Did you eventually define a dangling participle Josh? Lessee, Jesus had 12 participles, and one of them ended up hanging himself - it's a reference to Judas?

    Do you know, that's the least blatantly pornographic explanation of the term I've ever heard. I was going to go with "look at those dangling participles - big as grapefruits, they are" or something. I like yours better.

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    >My fave euphemism for poor is from cricket, when a slog is >described as "agricultural". No idea where it came from or
    >what it is supposed to mean.

    I quite like 'agricultural' as a cricketing adjective. Evocative if a little pejorative. Cricket seems to be a glorious exception to the banality of most sports language - what's not to love about a sport that gave us the verb 'to nurdle'?
    (it means to work the ball around quietly for ones and twos - kind of the opposite to an agricultural approach).

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I've noticed a journalistic trend of late to misuse "begging the question".

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    I understood begging the question to mean jumping over a logical step - politician X's promise to end public spending on widgets begs the question of what if anything the public actually spends on widgets."

    But people use it to mean someone didn't answer something important: Tony said he lashed out, begging the question "what DID you do to her..."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • B Jones,

    Er, any further discussion on that last reckless example should perhaps be directed elsethread.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    New words are coined when people find a need to convey a concept that no word exists for.

    If a price list has big leaps between different levels, then the word "quantum" is very appropriate to convey that. Quantity doesn't mean the same thing.

    Likewise, the plural "ye" dropped out of English usage a few hundred years ago, but has made its way back in as "youse". Because it's useful to distinguish when one is addressing a person or a multitude.

    People also often desire to colour and emphasise their language - saying "absolutely" (or "you bet", "sure can", "does it rain in Melbourne", "are the bears Catholic" or "does the Pope shit in the woods") achieves this.

    However, using "could of" shows ignorance. It's an incorrect transcription of a mispronununciation and indicates that the user is *stupid*.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    I've noticed a journalistic trend of late to misuse "begging the question".

    It's not just journalistic, and it's not just of late. As a former Philosophy student, seeing a technical term misused into meaninglessness, it makes my head explode.

    As a former Linguistics student, familiar with the ever-shifting sands of our constantly evolving language, meh.

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    Now, one I've never been clear on: do you give someone a reality check, or do you write them a reality cheque?

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

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