Stilgherrian » Language

Wayne Swan’s “Yes Minister” moment

Stilgherrian — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:30:54 +0000

After he’d given the Budget Speech to parliament last night, Treasurer Wayne Swan was interviewed by the ABC’s PM program — where he delivered what I think has to be the best line of the night.

Swan was explaining that unlike his Liberal predecessor Peter Costello’s Future Fund, which was never spent on anything, Labor’s future funds would be spent on “contemporary” infrastructure needs. Journalist Mark Colvin asked how they could still be called future funds.

MARK COLVIN: I mean, if they’re not for the future, what are they for? Why aren’t they just government spending?

WAYNE SWAN: No, no. You’re confusing the name Future Fund with a fund for the future.

Yes, I can see how he’d be confused…

[Update 10.30am: Here's the relevant piece of audio.]

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Communication usually fails, except by accident

Stilgherrian — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:20:46 +0000

Every time I read 37signals’ blog, I find something of value. Today they tell me about a Finnish researcher in human communication, Osmo Wiio, and his Murphy-like laws of communication.

If communication can fail, it will.
If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in just that way which does the most harm.
There is always somebody who knows better than you what you meant by your message.
The more communication there is, the more difficult it is for communication to succeed.

After that, you may want to read more about Osmo Wiio.

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Fairfax drops Macquarie Dictionary

Stilgherrian — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:20:31 +0000

I’m not the only one critical of the Macquarie Dictionary, it seems. Big fat media empire Fairfax is switching over to using the Australian Oxford Dictionary. Crikey has the story (behind the paywall for the moment). They quote the Fairfax memo: “Style officers from major papers in the group agree that the Oxford has a stronger sense of style than the Macquarie, offers concise, informative definitions and clearly states its preference for word usage, and therefore is better suited for use in a media organisation.”

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Stupid uses of “solution”

Stilgherrian — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:14:51 +0000

Pet gripe: the use of the word “solution” in (originally) the IT industry and now, seemingly, everywhere.

Wikipedia doesn’t give it it’s own page, merely saying:

In business, a solution is a product, service, or combination of both which is said to solve a business or consumer’s problem; the term is often considered an overused and unimaginative buzzword.

So when I saw this truck (pictured) in Stanmore yesterday afternoon I wondered, “WFT is a ‘tree solution’?”

I assume this guy is an arborist, or “tree surgeon”. The former ain’t great marketing in the 21st Century ‘cos it’s latinesque, but I can live with the latter — after all, he’s a bloke what cuts down or fixes trees, yeah?

Other annoying buzzwords for me: “business ecology”, “DNA” (when used to talk about “our business’ DNA”), “space” and “Web 2.0″. Any others?

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Quotes of the Day, 11 March 2008

Stilgherrian — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:53:56 +0000

Eavesdropping highlights from the last 24 hours:

“Somehow I suspect book lovers feel the same way about Harry Potter as music lovers feel about Jeff Buckley.” (Alastair Rankine)
Overheard while walking past a house where young boys were playing noisily: “I’m the birthday boy so I have to be team leader.”
“Someone in my office just said ‘cyberspace’. I hope I’m not paying them.” (abacab)
In response to my comment, “Stilgherrian is thinking about things that geeks think about”, someone who should probably remain nameless said: “Most geeks I know think about banging Natalie Portman in a blow-up-pool filled with custard…”
“Stilgherrian, one day in the future, your life will confuse historians.” (Nick Hodge)

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Howard vs Rudd: a tag cloud

Stilgherrian — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:09:08 +0000

I’ve already mentioned the two very contrasting speeches given by John Howard and Kevin Rudd last week. Those differences are well highlighted in these tag clouds.

On the left, Howard’s speech emphasises “government”, “economic”, “values”, “continue“… “years“. Years… eleven long years. On the right, Rudd’s speech emphasises “development”, “cooperation”, “partnership”, “relationship”, “build”, “future“… “change“.

Have a look at the full images, each showing the top 120 words in each speech (minus common English stop words) and tell me what you can see.

John Howard’s Speech

Irving Kristol Lecture, given to the American Enterprise Institute gala dinner, Washington DC, 5 March 2008. Text from The Australian.

accommodation achieve against american asia asian australia battle become being bring britain care case challenges changes children china chinese class clear common confront consequences conservative continue country cultural deal democracy democratic developed direct economic education effectively energy experience extremist faith families food free freedom fundamental given government growth ideas important increases inflation institutions interest involved iraq iraqi islamic japan labour laws less liberal life maintain major market middle military nation organisations pacific parents particular past people policy political possible power pragmatic president pressure prices prime produce provide rate reagan reality reform region relationship religious remains ronald schools security seen share social societies states strategic strength stronger support surge system taxation thatcher threats united values view western work world worth years

created at TagCrowd.com

Kevin Rudd’s Speech

Address to the State Dinner, Port Moresby, 6 March 2008. Text from the Prime Minister’s website.

21st achieve affairs afl agree ahead already areas australia australians based being benefit boom brisbane build business century certainty challenges change children climate committed complexities connection cooperation country course created critical culture decision democracy development different discovered discussed east economic education enjoy ensure exist face foreign forward friendship future global goroka government growth guinea health history hope idea important institutions investment island join key kokoda lie links long-term looking mal match means measures meet mining minister modern moresby mr nations neighbours officials opportunities pacific papua partnership people phase pleased pleasure policy politics port prime prosperity region relations relationship seeing services share significant smaller solomon special stability start statement strong symbol talk ties today track understand unique used visit work world

created at TagCrowd.com

So, what can you see?

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Odd obituary for Heath Ledger

Stilgherrian — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:05:30 +0000

Who’d have thought? An obituary for Heath Ledger in Middle English! Well, for a character he played. Doffing the hat to Quatrefoil, who writes, “Whoever writes this blog is frequently side-splittingly funny, but he or she can write (and knows their Middle English passing well). I am filled with wonder and envy.”

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Quote of the Day, 6 February 2008

Stilgherrian — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:15:47 +0000

Headline of the Decade, perhaps? “Police: Crack Found in Man’s Buttocks”. Who’d have thought. “Hagerstown, Md. (AP) — Police searching a downtown home found a man hiding 15 plastic bags of crack cocaine in his buttocks.” Hat-tip to Angus Wheaton.

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Word of the Year 2007: last chance to vote

Stilgherrian — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:46:21 +0000

Final reminder: You have until midnight tonight (Sydney time) to vote in Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year poll.

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What sort of weird psychology is this?

Stilgherrian — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:18:22 +0000

Every time I try to type “Heath Ledger” it comes out “Heather Ledger”. Why is that?

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It’s an organic… what?

Stilgherrian — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:01:32 +0000

Maybe it’s just because I’m an Australian of A Certain Age, but I find this sign in an African grocery shop on Enmore Road rather funny. The fact that it’s “organic” is even better.

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Word of the Year 2007: category “online”

Stilgherrian — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:08:13 +0000

Time to look at the Macquarie Dictionary’s nominations for Word of the Year and decide how to vote. Since we’re online, we’ll start with the category online…

I’m disappointed with the choices. The criterion is “the most valuable contribution to the English language in 2007.” All of these words pre-date 2007, and in this category the Macquarie faces its strongest criticism for being slow to add new data.

Four of the terms refer to quite specific technologies or phases of Internet development, and I reckon all of them will sound completely yesterday in just a year or two.

cyber cheating

noun 1. plagiarism of material sourced on the internet.

2. engagement in an online romance, the conduct of which constitutes unfaithfulness to one’s spouse or lover.

flog

noun a blog which is contrived for marketing purposes. [f(ake) + (b)log]

microblog

noun 1. an internet posting which is extremely short, designed to give a brief but immediate text update.

–verb (i) (microblogged, microblogging)

2. to issue such an internet posting.

–microblogging, noun

–microblogger, noun

web 2.0

noun a perceived altered state of the world wide web, equivalent to a second generation of a software product, which features social networks, creative commons, wikis and other such sites that encourage user input and information sharing.

“Blogging” as a concept will soon sound as outdated as “desktop publishing” does now. Anything with “cyber” in it will fade fast too. Cheating is cheating, no matter what the medium.

So that leaves as my choice:

griefing

noun the sabotage of online computer games, virtual sites, etc., by players intent on causing havoc rather than abiding by the rules of the game.

–griefer, noun

I like this because it echoes English working-class slang. Perhaps I’ve watched The Bill too much over the years (I’ve dropped it now), but I can hear a Cockney “He was causing me grief, Sarge.” And “griefer” also echoes “grifter”.

So that’s my vote. Griefing. Do you agree?

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Electronica Challenge

Stilgherrian — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:01:13 +0000

Hey here’s a challenge! Macquarie Dictionary reckons the word “electronica” is from 2007. I reckon it’s older. So we have to find 3 independent usages in mainstream media.

Here’s what they say:

electronica

noun the broad array of music created electronically.

If we want to improve the reference, we have to prove it. Send info!

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Word of the Year 2007: voting open

Stilgherrian — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:34:00 +0000

The truly god-like people at Macquarie Dictionary have opened voting for the Word of the Year 2007 (”the most valuable contribution to the English language”) in various categories. Voting closes at midnight on 31 January.

In the “online” category you can choose from:

cyber cheating

noun 1. plagiarism of material sourced on the internet.

2. engagement in an online romance, the conduct of which constitutes unfaithfulness to one’s spouse or lover.

flog

noun a blog which is contrived for marketing purposes. [f(ake) + (b)log]

griefing

noun the sabotage of online computer games, virtual sites, etc., by players intent on causing havoc rather than abiding by the rules of the game.

–griefer, noun

microblog

noun 1. an internet posting which is extremely short, designed to give a brief but immediate text update.

–verb (i) (microblogged, microblogging)

2. to issue such an internet posting.

–microblogging, noun

–microblogger, noun

web 2.0

noun a perceived altered state of the world wide web, equivalent to a second generation of a software product, which features social networks, creative commons, wikis and other such sites that encourage user input and information sharing.

My immediate reaction is that some of the terms are perhaps older than 2007. However Macquarie Dictionary is a mainstream dictionary of Australian English.

Mainstream means that the words have to be used in mainstream publications and broadcasts such as daily newspapers and TV news bulletins without further explanation. Three independent usages are needed before a word will be listed.
Australian English means those citations have to be in Australian media (obviously).

So my innate geekery means I’m probably ahead of the pace when it comes to adopting new words.

In any event, I’ll go through their lists and post more considered thoughts before I cast my votes. I’m happy to take side-wagers on the eventual winners.

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Writing to be heard

Stilgherrian — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:25:58 +0000

My old photographer mate Jay has noticed that I write in “spoken English”.

Stil, you write as you sound, or you sound as you write. Every paragraph has the voice of radio.

Yes, Jay, you’re right. And it’s deliberate. I write so that my words can be read aloud and “sound good”.

I don’t know whether there’s any evidence to back it up, but my theory is that when people read the speech centres of their brain are also active. If so, then I reckon the communication will be more effective, more memorable, if it triggers the natural rhythms of good speech.

When I’m writing, I’m usually sounding out the words in my head. When it comes to the final draft. I usually read it aloud — several times as I polish it.

And to make sure I get the “tone” right, I sometimes use a trick that Keith Conlon taught me. I imagine a specific person sitting across the desk from me. It all helps to write in a more natural style, as one human talking with another.