Language, Color, and Perception

13 August 2011

A rather good report (unusual for the BBC when it comes to linguistic issues) on how language impacts how we perceive color. What I especially like about it is that the discussion is limited to color, and no one jumps to broader conclusions about how language “affects how we think.”

My one quibble is the statement that English has only eleven words for color. That’s utter bollocks. But otherwise, it’s quite compelling.

(Hat Tip: Anthony Oliveira)

Green's Dictionary of Slang Online

12 August 2011

Jonathan Green’s monumental Dictionary of Slang is now available online. It’s a subscription service, however, and OUP has not published the pricing. It’s also available through a number of libraries in Britain (and for my sake, I hope the University of Toronto will pick up a subscription).

Dialect Blog, Acting, and The Wire

10 August 2011

I don’t think I’ve mentioned the Dialect Blog here before. But I’ve been meaning to, and this is a good opportunity. The blog, which is relatively recent addition to the online family of language sites, is a superb one that, as its name implies, deals primarily with questions about accent and dialect.

Yesterday’s post on that blog is about my favorite television show, The Wire, and the flawless American accents put on by British actors Idris Elba and Dominic West in that series. The blog also links to a Language Log post about accents in acting in general. The topic of British actors putting on American accents has come up in the Wordorigins discussion forum.

Singaporean Housing Jargon

7 August 2011

While this Economist article is mainly about the market for upscale condos in Singapore, it contains lots of juicy word goodness, from nonsensical apartment complex names like Foresque, Illuminaire, and Waterina, to architectural jargon like residential typologies. The use of swish is one I’ve never encountered before, but it appears to be a well-established synonym for posh.

(Hat tip: Joanne Leow)