Sunday, July 04, 2004
Thought for the day:
Americans celebrate Independence Day [today], yet call the American War of Independence, the [American] Revolutionary War.
Just a random thought. But the American War of Independence is probably a Briticism [that word courtesy of the country that brought you "burglarised"]. As are apparently a great many other phrases, illustrated in this article [yes I did finally get the City Comforts link to work].
It's quite odd reading about all these strange new words, which aren't. Though one seems odd: Sell-by date? Whatever happened to "Best before..." or "use-by..."? I think even "display until..." is more common here, in the original context. But then the American author argues it should be "expiration date". What's wrong with "expiry date"? [Other than a narrow form of grammar].
But then any article than states the following, apparently without irony, is going to be a bit odd: I would say that qualifies it as a cliché, and a fairly pretentious one at that.
Because "and a fairly pretentious one at that" isn't a clichéd form of writing at all, and saying something is a pretentious cliché also isn't in the slightest bit clichéd [said he using a cliché or two].
It does feel strange having people arguing about the effect of English on American English. Admittedly I couldn't see the point when there was that row about some anglicised sub-editor using the title "Californian Wines" in the New York Times [or maybe the New Yorker] some while ago. The American version should have read "California Wines". Well, I'd expect I'd be sounding like a tired 3 year old too if I had Schwarzenegger as govern[at]or. Oh no, that would be "whines" spelt with an "h" wouldn't it?
Yes, spelt is spelled like that. And while I'm at it, "h" is pronounced "aitch", and "z" is "zed".
Oh, what can you expect from a country that tries to make tea with cold brine [bet you put the milk in first too].
Happy Buggering-Off Day to all my American readers. Cue: fireworks, sparkly bands, barbecues and beer, and many scenes of Flight of the Navigator goodness [that or pretty explosions and Will Smith kicking arse (or ass if you prefer, though the RSPCA might have something to say about that)].
What? It's not like they are real people with feelings. If they were, they wouldn't be living in Texas [I guess that's my own silly fault for picking a Southern American colloquialism as the only distinctive part of this blog's name].
WARNING: Do not actually try speaking whilst doing tongue-in-cheek, as you're liable to bite your own tongue, and that hurts. Quite a lot.
Anyhoo,
Americans celebrate Independence Day [today], yet call the American War of Independence, the [American] Revolutionary War.
Just a random thought. But the American War of Independence is probably a Briticism [that word courtesy of the country that brought you "burglarised"]. As are apparently a great many other phrases, illustrated in this article [yes I did finally get the City Comforts link to work].
It's quite odd reading about all these strange new words, which aren't. Though one seems odd: Sell-by date? Whatever happened to "Best before..." or "use-by..."? I think even "display until..." is more common here, in the original context. But then the American author argues it should be "expiration date". What's wrong with "expiry date"? [Other than a narrow form of grammar].
But then any article than states the following, apparently without irony, is going to be a bit odd: I would say that qualifies it as a cliché, and a fairly pretentious one at that.
Because "and a fairly pretentious one at that" isn't a clichéd form of writing at all, and saying something is a pretentious cliché also isn't in the slightest bit clichéd [said he using a cliché or two].
It does feel strange having people arguing about the effect of English on American English. Admittedly I couldn't see the point when there was that row about some anglicised sub-editor using the title "Californian Wines" in the New York Times [or maybe the New Yorker] some while ago. The American version should have read "California Wines". Well, I'd expect I'd be sounding like a tired 3 year old too if I had Schwarzenegger as govern[at]or. Oh no, that would be "whines" spelt with an "h" wouldn't it?
Yes, spelt is spelled like that. And while I'm at it, "h" is pronounced "aitch", and "z" is "zed".
Oh, what can you expect from a country that tries to make tea with cold brine [bet you put the milk in first too].
Happy Buggering-Off Day to all my American readers. Cue: fireworks, sparkly bands, barbecues and beer, and many scenes of Flight of the Navigator goodness [that or pretty explosions and Will Smith kicking arse (or ass if you prefer, though the RSPCA might have something to say about that)].
What? It's not like they are real people with feelings. If they were, they wouldn't be living in Texas [I guess that's my own silly fault for picking a Southern American colloquialism as the only distinctive part of this blog's name].
WARNING: Do not actually try speaking whilst doing tongue-in-cheek, as you're liable to bite your own tongue, and that hurts. Quite a lot.
Anyhoo,
