Category Archives: Language

There are many articles available on the internet about the so-called ‘intrusive r’, but as a visitor to this blog has written asking me to correct people who “persist in inserting an extra [R] between the [W] and the [I] … Continue reading →

I’ve recently been given a copy of this little book, which appears to have been published about 1880 (no author’s name is given, and it’s undated) by Whittaker & Co., London. In fact even the title is in some doubt … Continue reading →

Jack Windsor  Lewis has sent a comment to my post on “two names and a word” which dealt with an unusual pronunciation of sedentary: This morning, 28 Dec 09, also on Radio 4 but on Andrew Marr’s ‘Start the Week’ … Continue reading →

I’ve been following John Wells’ thread on nursery rhymes, and have found this rare example from a French one: “Oui, oui, choux!” un maire y crie, “ça masse!”

Nicholas Glass, in his report for Channel 4 News yesterday on the arrest of five men charged with stealing the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from Auschwitz, named two other places: Gdynia and Wrocławek. He can be excused (as we are … Continue reading →

It’s often said that English has more words than any other language. I’m not aware of any bona fide linguist who’s said this, but the statement crops up in newspaper articles from time to time. Is it true? How would … Continue reading →

The death has been announced of Professor Eva Sivertsen, at the age of 87. She was born in 1922 in Trondheim, Norway, and was Professor of English there from 1961, first at the then Norges Lærerhøgskole, and then, when this … Continue reading →

Not only do most people find it difficult to name ten famous Belgians without falling back on Tintin and Hercule Poirot, but Belgium seems to be the only country name that English-speaking people get mixed up with its adjective. From … Continue reading →

One of my voluntary jobs is proofreading a local newsletter. In this month’s offering, I have just changed the following description: Beautiful singing and top draw musicianship in the English folk tradition My immediate reaction – and the one I … Continue reading →

“An elderly woman was the victim of a street robbery which netted the thief just £10. … The offender walked behind the victim for a short time before grabbing her handbag, causing her to fall to the floor.” (My local … Continue reading →