Found this URL on a languages forum, and it's *interesting* - not just for linguists, I think, but writers and others interested in 'how language works' too. It's a short article about... well... just read it :)

And yes, I am always going to be a language bore :)

"Mum, John Who's coming to school tomorrow"

Me: Who's John Who?

"Well, John Hoe. Oh Ho-ey. Or maybe who-ey."

Me: Spell it?

"Ash, oh, double-vey euh" (as it's spelled out in French), i.e. "H O W E"

Me: "You pronounce it "how".

"That's what I'm asking youUpshot: John Howe, who drew the stuff for Lord of the Rings, is a Brit living in... li'l ( Read more... )

Law on clinical trials is not better than anal tags. No.

Prizes for anyone who can read this footnote without their eyes crossing. Note: every single directive has an official English title, for which I needed to find the equivalent on Google. Ew. And there are 30 pages of text plus zillions of these footnotes in font 8...

*weeps*

Directive 93/ ( Read more... )

Extract from David Armstrong's book 'How not to write a novel. Found it on a writers' mailing list, and just found it... half amusing and half too close to the truth for comfort.

"So, if you're thinking of becoming a writer, like the TV ad used to say, don't do it, eh: just say No. Think of it as doing a public service. After all, not everyone ( Read more... )

Watched the Last Samurai on DVD last night (Junior hired it ( Read more... )

Last night, decided I was useless. Unable to finish stories I'd promised to beta. Unable to cope with a 15-stitch knitting pattern (two aborted tries, much frustration). Unable to stay awake for the Friday night Stargate triple-episode extravaganza. Crawled up to bed feeling like shit in every possible way ( Read more... )

This is SO interesting (and more so than translating economics... sooo...). iamgerg's entry is fascinating too. Go look.

Do you believe...

( cutting here )

Oh my, have we got snow. To the point where people are being asked not to drive in some towns, which hasn't happened since we lived in Lausanne and people took the little metro up to the top and used the road down to the lake as a ski slope. There must be about 18" here now, which is a fair quantity in 24 hours, and apparently there's even more ( Read more... )

My LiveJournal 12 DaysMy True Love gave to me...12 alexpgps a-writing.11 charlotteamesss a-grinning.10 daphniss a-hopping.9 estoiles a-milking.8 iamgergs a-tripping.7 icekestrels a-smooching.6 jenniek45s a-leaping.5 red-orange lemur_mans.4 kicking marags.3 Portuguese minisinoos.2 iguana ninamonkeys.And a rhianne in a kiwi tree.Another fun meme ( Read more... )

Whatever the link's to, dear anonymous flamer, no mileage out of me this time. I'm not going there whether it 'concerns my so-called friends' or not. So go find somebody else to hassle.