A logophilic English author and blogger shares some of this
favourite facts about what is arguably the world’s weirdest language.
Do you know what gandermooner means? Photo: Getty
English is awesome and weird and full of words and rules that make absolutely no sense. And that’s why we love it.
No one loves it more than Paul Anthony Jones, one of the world’s foremost logophiles.
The world’s biggest word lover, Paul Anthony Jones.
The Christmas gift of an illustrated edition of the Oxford English
Dictionary when he was a kid sparked a life-long interest in the minutia
of “the greatest language in the world”.
“I sat and read it cover to cover. I can remember writing down all
the words that I didn’t know or didn’t recognise, and all the words that
sounded strange or had weird spellings. I’d finished it by Boxing Day,
and that was it, I was hooked,” Mr Jones tells The New Daily.
Now with a bachelor degree in English language, a Masters degree in linguistics, and two books on the subject, Jones is pretty much the king of odd English facts. His Twitter account, Haggard Hawks, gained 500 followers in its first month, and just hit 7000 followers earlier in December.
When not posting to social media, the Englishman — who lives in
Jesmond in Newcastle-upon-Tyne — spends his days trawling through the
huge searchable database of the Oxford English Dictionary and reams of
obscure, out-of-print dictionaries and glossaries bought from second
hands shops and on eBay.
“I’m constantly stumbling across some new and unusual word from the dustier corners of the dictionary,” he says.
Jones has been kind enough to share some of his favourite English oddities with The New Daily. Enjoy.
Forty of the things that make English absolutely wonderful
1. Eleven per cent of the entire English language is just the letter E.
An umbrella can be a very handy ombrifuge. Photo: Getty
2. Psithurism is the sound of the wind rustling through leaves. 3. An ombrifuge is anything or anywhere that provides shelter from the rain. 4. The proper name for cutting your own hair is self-tonsorialism. 5. Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the proper name for an ice-cream headache. 6. ‘Nice’ originally meant ‘ignorant’ or ‘simple’. 7. Posing a question and then immediately answering it yourself is called sermocination. 8. A joke-fellow is someone who you share a joke with. 9. To bumfiddle means to spoil a piece of paper or invalidate a document by scribbling or drawing on it. 10. To metagrobolise someone is to utterly confuse them. 11. The opposite of déjà-vu is jamais-vu — the unnerving feeling that something very familiar is actually completely new. 12. To quomodocunquize means ‘to make money by whatever means possible.’
The leaders of India and Australia famgrapsing a political agreement. Photo: Getty
13. If you were to write down the name of every English number in order (one, two, three, four…) you wouldn’t use a single letter B until you reached one billion. 14. Shaking hands with someone in an agreement is called famgrapsing. 15. There was no word for the colour orange in English until the 16th century. 16. Dermatoglyphics is the study of fingerprints and
skin patterns. It’s also the longest English words comprised entirely
of different letters. 17. Swear words were nicknamed ‘tongue-worms’ in the 1600s. 18. If the weather has ‘flenched’ then it’s failed to improve even though it looked like it would. 19. Shivviness is an old Yorkshire word for the uncomfortable feeling of wearing new underwear. 20. To outbabble someone is to talk over them and drown them out. 21. In Victorian English, ‘follow-me-lads’ were
loose curls of hair hanging over a woman’s shoulders, or loose ribbons
on the back of a dress. 22. The most common adjective in the English language is good. The most common noun is time. 23. A paraphenalia was originally all of a woman’s
possessions that did not automatically become her husband’s property
after marriage.
This desert plant is decidedly jaculiferous. Photo: Getty
24. To exulcerate someone literally means to annoy or irritate them as much as an ulcer would. 25. Anything described as jaculiferous is covered in prickles. 26. “The countryside” is an anagram of “no city dust here”. 27. The deliberate use of old fashioned language in modern writing is called gadzookery. 28. To cample is to angrily answer back to someone who has just reprimanded you. 29. A shrug of the shoulders can also be called a hunkle. 30. An abydocomist is a liar who boasts about the lies they have told. 31. Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary defined music as “the science of harmonical sounds”. 32. Cultrivore is the proper name for a sword-swallower. 33. A cabotin is a bad actor. Cabotinage is bad acting. 34. Shakespeare used the word armgaunt in ‘Antony & Cleopatra’. No one knows for sure what he wanted it to mean.
Adam Sandler is, arguably, guilty of cabotinage. Photo: AAP
35. Hogwash is literally kitchen scraps used to feed pigs. The first writer to use it to mean ‘nonsense’ was Mark Twain. 36. Quantophrenia is an overreliance on statistics to prove a point. 37. The word noon originally referred to 3pm. 38. The Scots word hansper means ‘the pain or stiffness in the legs felt after a long walk’. 39. In Tudor English, a gandermooner was a man who flirted with other women while his wife recovered from childbirth. 40. As well as being a unit of weight, an ounce is a duration of 7½ seconds.
Are you a non-native English teachers full of questions to ask about English, and nobody to turn to for help? Well, lots of free help is already existing out there, waiting for you to make full use of. Here is one of those sources of free help: English Language and Usage website.
If you are to lazy to go there and find out for yourself, here is the self-introduction taken from the page cover:
What it is:
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question
and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English
language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
How it works
Anybody can ask a question. Anybody can provide an answer. Good answers are voted up and rise to the top.
So, what else are you waiting for? Go, ask questions, or just look at the questions asked and the answers provided. I am sure you'll be delighted, and no longer feel like the poet in Tennyson's poem In Memoriam: An infant crying in the night
Almost anything you need, really! From writing, public speaking, American English, business and entrepreneurship, gender issues, civic engagement, to world geography ... things that expand your horizon, fill your knowledge gap, and, of course, improve your English at the same time.
The first few days of school can be a bit of a blur for
students who are bombarded with syllabi and class rules. One of the ways
I like to break the cycle of “sit and get” that first week of school
is to use a crowdsourcing activity to put the responsibility of
establishing expectations on my students. Instead of telling them what I
expect, I ask them questions like:
What would make this class feel like a community?
What can your peers do to make you feel welcome?
How can you help to keep this classroom a safe space?
My students have been in school for 10 years by the time they get to
my class, so they have a pretty good idea of what makes a classroom a
welcoming and safe community. The second day of school, I asked them to discuss what they thought
was polite versus rude when engaging in different forms of
communication. In small groups, they had time to talk about their
particular mode of communication. Then they constructed a “dos and
don’ts” list of behaviors for face to face communication, text messages,
photos sharing with commenting ability (Snapchats or Instagram), and
email. Given the large number of students using photo sharing apps, I
was particularly interested in their take on what was polite and what
was rude. The challenge is that I don’t have enough wall space or white board
to capture all of their incredible ideas. I also want to make sure we
can reference the ideas they generate throughout the year. Instead of crowdsourcing on the board, which is temporary, students
post their ideas directly to our class blog. Our class blog is a space
specifically designated for them to share ideas. I have a class website,
but the class blog belongs to them. Using Blogger to Crowdsource Step 1: Set up your blog You’ll find the Blogger app by clicking the collection of squares in
the upper right hand corner of your Gmail. Blogger is Google’s free
blogging tool, so it’s attached to your Gmail account. Step 2: Give your blog a name Step 3: Change setting to allow students to email and text directly to your class blog You’re all set! Now students can use their devices in class to post
their ideas and crowdsource. You can capture it in one shared space
where everyone can view the information that has been generated.
Transatlantic Trouble: British and American English
Although British and
American people technically speak the same language, there are lots of
variations in the kinds of English we speak. We’ll discuss some of the
most important ones, focusing on both language and culture. This time
let’s think about how British and American people talk about
achievements.
◆◆◆ I nailed it! ◆◆◆ SARAH says: A big
difference I’ve noticed between American and British behaviour is the
way in which we talk about our achievements. Americans seem to “sell
themselves” more, whereas us Brits tend to be more humble. For example
if I cook a nice meal then I might say “this isn’t so bad today…” or
“this is quite good” if I do say so myself, but if Sam cooks a nice meal
then he has no problem in saying “this is amazing!” In the UK it
doesn’t look good to boast about yourself, your skills and achievements.
We even have some expressions to describe this idea, for example we say
“don’t blow your own trumpet,” or “don’t sing your own praises.” Of
course in a job interview it’s different—you are expected to sell
yourself, but in a social situation I prefer to be more
self-deprecating. Although I may know I am good at doing something, I
would never say so, because I don’t want to appear “full-of-myself.”
Sometimes
I even get embarrassed if Sam says nice things about me in front of
other people. One of my previous students once told Sam she thought I
was a good teacher and he replied with “I know!”—I felt so embarrassed! I
thought he should have said something like “Well she really enjoyed
teaching you so she’ll be happy you said that.” I was worried that he
sounded a bit arrogant…
SAM says: There is no doubt that on
the whole, Americans tend to build themselves up more than Brits. In the
U.S., it’s seen as extremely important to raise children to believe in
themselves in order to be confident in what they are doing. The
traditional British idea of self-effacement is often seen by unaware
Americans as a sign of weakness or lack of confidence.
This
idea is ingrained in American culture. We like to think of our country
as the land of opportunity, where anyone can succeed with enough hard
work, determination, and self-belief. Whether or not this is in fact
true, is beside the point. Being proud of yourself, your family, or your
country, and not being afraid to say so, is seen as a great quality to
have in America. It’s why so many Americans can say definitively that we
are the best at nearly everything. We don’t need proof; we’ve got blind
faith and boundless self-confidence!
But all jokes aside, why
would anyone want to sell themselves short? I’ve never understood why
Sarah feels embarrassed in such situations, and am frankly astonished
when she later scolds me for being so arrogant. What she also fails to
realize, is that in my opinion, I am being humble about her
achievements. Honestly, to say that Sarah is a good teacher is a
complete understatement. = = =
Sam and Sarah Greet have
been teaching English and travelling the world together for seven years.
Sarah is from Bristol in the South West of England, and Sam is from the
U.S. city of Philadelphia. Despite being together as a couple for many
years, they are always finding differences in the way they speak.
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation
for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We offer practical
English lessons for both adults and kids in Tokyo and Yokohama. For
more information, please visit British Council
Most experts agree that the best way to learn a language is by immersing yourself in it. Now,
with more sophisticated technology, another theory around language
learning is being tested: the use of avatars to practice speaking.
Alongside traditional methods, like listening, repeating, and digital flashcards, created by companies like Rosetta Stone,Livemocha, and AccelaStudy, a
few tech companies have leveraged the idea that becoming someone else
helps to learn a foreign language, especially when speaking it. Companies like Second Life and Middlebury Interactive Languages
both offer digital avatar programs to give language learners a chance
to practice their skills in virtual environments. Britain’s Language Lab
has created “English City” using Second Life, where learners are
promised realistic conversations with native English-speaking teachers,
also using avatars, in virtual but plausible digital environments, like
checking in at the airport, going to an art museum, or giving a
presentation.
“Speaking practice was
only possible in the classroom, and that meant very little practice for
students who have no contact with English outside their school.”
Few studies exist on the effectiveness of avatars for language learning, and just as recently as 2009, a study conducted by Griffith University
on digital technology and second language learning found that “although
significant advances have been made recently with chatbots [avatars]
for conversation practice… reliable programs of this type are ‘still some way off being a reality.’” That reality is now here – and while Second Life and Language Lab are
meant for the language learner at home on her laptop, what about using
digital avatars in classroom environments? Some teachers say that
language-learning avatars work well for classroom students, if used in a
slightly different way. English teacher Ana Maria Menezes uses web tool Voki
with her high school students in Uberlandia, Brazil, and said she has
watched them become more comfortable speaking English when it’s not
really “them” doing the talking. Voki, a free education web app created
by Oddcast, allows students and teachers to create their own talking
character – they can be historical figures, animals, or a person that
looks just like the user.
Teachers and students can give their character a voice by using one
of three methods: text to speech, recording by microphone, or uploading
their own pre-recording audio file. Voki characters can speak in over 25
languages, and 150-plus voices, according to Eric Kiang, Voki’s Product
and Marketing Manager. Menezes has students record themselves speaking English, and then has
them play it for the class on a computer, using their avatar. “Most of my students were very embarrassed when asked to record their
voices while speaking English; many of them had never actually heard
themselves using a foreign language,” she said. But students felt more
comfortable watching their avatar speak for them. “It has to do with the
‘hiding behind the mask’ effect: when we speak behind a mask, it’s as
if you’re another character, you’re safer and less exposed.” Middle and high school Spanish and German teacher José Picardo doubts
that using avatars alone causes dramatic improvements in learning a new
language. “But I do think that incorporating tools such as Voki into
the teaching and learning that goes on in my classroom, and practices
such as regular peer-assessment, has had a very positive influence in
attainment.” Picardo puts all of his students’ avatars on the
departmental blog at Nottingham High School in Nottingham, UK, where
they can be used by teachers, parents and students both as a showcase of
student work as well as for peer review and assessment. For Menezes, the most important use of digital avatars is the ability
to get students doing more speaking outside the classroom. “Years ago,
it was unthinkable to assign speaking homework to EFL or ESL students;
all we could expect from them at home was to complete written exercises
or write texts. Speaking practice was only possible in the classroom,
and that meant very little practice for students who have no contact
with English outside their school. Using an avatar for both for
listening and for speaking purposes, I clearly noticed several
improvements in their language use: Students were braver when expressing
themselves and were also able to observe their pronunciation for the
first time.” One drawback teachers mentioned is the learning curve to use the
apps; Second Life’s virtual world recommends that students be 16 to use
it. Menezes mentioned there is a ramp-up time to using Voki, too, and
that students need access to good recording equipment and fast Internet
connections to get started. But even with learning curves, the
technology is intuitive and tech-savvy students catch on quickly. “Is there such a thing as a non-techie 13-year-old?” joked Picardo.
“It could be argued that using these tools ensure that we are teaching
children a range of skills that are necessary for later life, not just
foreign languages.” Even for the non-techie school setting, though, there’s another
option. Wake Forest Latin teacher-scholar Ted Gellar-Goad developed an
original pen-and-paper avatar game for his Latin prose composition
students. Students role-play and interact in ancient Rome, in the spirit
of Dungeons and Dragons, and the game is meant to help students stay
engaged and have fun performing the arduous task of writing difficult
Latin sentences. For the imaginative teacher, there’s always a way.
May 7, 2014
by Kate Woodford
Last week we looked at the ‘softeners’ (polite words and phrases) that
people use to make requests sound nicer. This week we’re taking a look
at the sort of phrases that people use when they are disagreeing with people and they don’t want to sound rude or express opinions that sound too strong. The statement, ‘I disagree with you.’ sounds very strong in English and people often choose not to use it. However, if people do want to express strong disagreement and they use this phrase, they often ‘soften’ it slightly by first apologising:
I’m afraid I disagree with you there. I’m sorry, I disagree with you there.
Another way of slightly softening the statement ‘I disagree with you.’ is to introduce it with ‘I have to say’:
I have to say, I disagree with you, James.
Very often, though, people prefer to use phrases that are less strong
when they are disagreeing with statements. A very common way of doing
this is to use the phrase ‘I’m not sure…’ or another phrase with a similar meaning:
I’m not sure I agree with you there. I’m not sure that’s always true. I’m not convinced that’s the case.
Statements such as these usually mean, ‘I don’t agree.’ even though they seem to be saying something less certain. They are generally just a gentler way of saying it.
In a similar way, people may disagree with a statement by seeming to
ask a question. Again, this is a slightly ‘softer’ way of disagreeing:
Statement: In any case, women are better at these sorts of tasks than men. Reply: Is that really true? In my experience, men are just as good. Response: Is that alwaysthecase? I know plenty of men who are just as good as women. Response: Do you think so? I’m not so sure that’s the case.
A third way of ‘softening’ disagreement is by first saying that you understand
what someone is saying, or that you accept that part of what they are
saying is true. You may then go on to say exactly what it is that you
disagree with:
I take your point – she’s a very experienced teacher, but I’m afraid I don’t think she’s right for this particular job. I do understand what you’re saying. I just don’t think we have the resources to do this. I hear what you’re saying – the problem needs fixing. I just don’t think now is the time to do it.
Of course, you are free to disagree in any way that you choose, but if you want to make sure that you don’t sound too direct or rude, here are a few useful hints. About these ads
Dec 21, 2014
The Christmas gift of an illustrated edition of the Oxford English
Dictionary when he was a kid sparked a life-long interest in the minutia
of “the greatest language in the world”.
2. Psithurism is the sound of the wind rustling through leaves.
13. If you were to write down the name of every English number in order (one, two, three, four…) you wouldn’t use a single letter B until you reached one billion.
24. To exulcerate someone literally means to annoy or irritate them as much as an ulcer would.
35. Hogwash is literally kitchen scraps used to feed pigs. The first writer to use it to mean ‘nonsense’ was Mark Twain.
