Annoying "Misuses" of Words, Featuring Literally

15 August 2011

CBC Radio has a very good discussion with Ben Zimmer on the “misuse” of literally and other language peeves.

My two cents is that the figurative use of literally is not a “misuse” at all. For instance, take the opening line of James Joyce’s 1914 The Dead:

Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, was literally run off her feet.

If the usage is good enough for Joyce, it’s good enough for me.

Of course, as Zimmer says, there times when the figurative use of the word should be avoided. But that doesn’t mean that it is improper in all instances.

Freeman Departs from the Globe

13 August 2011

Jan Freeman is ending a fourteen-year run as language columnist for the Boston Globe. While her writing in the pages of that paper will be missed, she will continue to write about language on her blog, Throw Grammar From the Train, and in other venues. The Globe column will continue under Erin McKean and others. 

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.