Steve Rubel looks at 10 common phrases that could soon be made redundant due to changing technology.
English language
Oxford Word of the Year: Unfriend
Oxford University Press has named Facebook term “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year. Other contenders included “hashtag”, “paywall”, “birther” and “zombie bank”.
Study: What kids nickname Lego pieces
Every household has its own set of words for describing particular Lego pieces, says Giles Turnbull: one kid’s “round flat one-er” is another kid’s “bronze jewel”. And so he set out to document the Lego dialects that are unique to different families.
Hooray for cliché!
Leave clichés alone! says James Parker (especially that little viral YouTube classic): adages, catchphrases and idioms go viral for a reason, and writers should use them with pride.
NT Police to be charged with murder… of the English language
The latest NT Ombudsman’s report into Northern Territory Police misconduct reveals some appalling conduct by members of the force, writes Bob Gosford, with prisoners subjected to torrents of verbal abuse.
Pottymouth NT police redefine the language of policing
The Northern Territory police should be charged with murder — of the English language, with reports showing members of the force swear like sailors.
Chillax? Manscaping? Enough with the portmanteaus, already!
Simply taking two words and cramming them together isn’t clever; it’s insufferable. But portmanteaus have become such an epidemic in the media, we’re under a constant barrage of stupidity.
Just what is a fascist?
It’s an insult slung regularly at just about everyone from all over the political spectrum, but just who and what is really a “fascist”? Is it the synonymous with “Nazi”? Does it assume racism? The BBC goes in search of a definition.
Speaka my language: a finalisation of the revitalisation of corporate communication
It’s no to next-generation scenarios and yes to plain English in business, especially since GFC blame is being laid on confusing corporate speak. Will Australia follow the US’s plans to introduce plain English rules?
Talking the Town: Don Watson’s Bendable Learnings launch
Management language has spread to the most unlikely places and has “seeded itself” — mainly through consultants, according to Don Watson. Margot Saville reports from his book launch.
Has Google killed the dictionary?
Google is beating dictionaries at their own game, offering more information, relevance and ease-of-use than the old-fashioned paper tomes or even their online versions. Can dictionaries fight back with a new model, or will they disappear into obscurity forever?
Cocos Islands: the view from Asia
“First language first” is a fundamental premise of bilingual education, but not in the Cocos Islands, where children are being punished for speaking their native Cocos Malay, writes Pauline Bunce.
“Goon Bag” added to the dictionary
Australia continues to make grand contributions to the English language, with news that “goon bag” has finally been added to the Collins English Dictionary. Other new additions include “Twitter”, “OMG” and “beer o’clock”.
Language without borders: how English is conquering the world
For those who claim that the post-American world is a fait accompli, there is one big problem: The English language is winning hearts and minds faster than politics ever can.
