Etymologie, Etimología, Étymologie, Etimologia, Etymology, (griech.) etymología, (lat.) etymologia, (esper.) etimologio
UK Vereinigtes Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland, Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda del Norte, Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord, Regno Unito di Gran Bretagna e Irlanda del Nord, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (esper.) Britujo
eXterne Wortlisten, (esper.) eksteruloj vortlistoj
XMMDIB - Macmillan Dictionary Blog
macmillandictionaryblog
XMMDIB
Macmillan Dictionary Blog
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/
The Macmillan Dictionary Blog is a multi-authored blog discussing the English language today. We explore a wide range of topics related to English as it is used around the world, and hope to be of interest and relevance to the international community of English speakers.
Erstellt: 2022-03
XMMDIB
Macmillan Dictionary Blog
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/
Macmillan Dictionary Blog
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2021/01
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(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/12
Archive - December 2020
- Stories behind Words: Hogmanay
- New Year’s resolution: no adverbs
- language resources
- For the twelfth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Stories behind Words: Boxing Day
- Season's Greetings 2018
- Uncategorized
- Season’s greetings!
- Are you feeling Christmassy?
- Words in the News
- Pick of the year: Language discussion
- Christmas comes but once a year
- Language tip of the week: Christmas words
- Open Dictionary Word of the Year 2020
- Stories behind Words: Christmas, Noel and Yule
- Word of the Day: carol
- How many words is a picture worth?
- Word of the Day: elf
- Word of the Day: Hanukkah
- Word of the Day: mincemeat
- Word of the Day: vaccine
- Militate against mitigate
- Word of the Day: rakish
- Word of the Day: painstaking
- Word of the Day: December
- Word of the Day: Advent calendar
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/11
Archive - November 2020
- Word of the Day: thistle
- Word of the Day: Black Friday
- Word of the Day: thankful
- Word of the Day: conundrum
- Word of the Day: music
- Word of the Day: flip
- Word of the Day: bedlam
- Word of the Day: shed
- Word of the Day: doldrums
- Word of the Day: concede
- Word of the Day: bully
- Word of the Day: mithai
- Word of the Day: elect
- Word of the Day: cenotaph
- Word of the Day: Dracula
- Word of the Day: sandgroper
- Word of the Day: nail-biter
- Word of the Day: Guy Fawkes’ Night
- Word of the Day: windfall
- Word of the Day: November
- Are you incentivized to use this word?
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/10
Archive - October 2020
- Word of the Day: the Dunning-Kruger effect
- Word of the Day: ballerina
- Word of the Day: electoral college
- Word of the Day: pasta
- Word of the Day: tier
- Word of the Day: town hall
- Word of the Day: apple
- Word of the Day: crass
- Word of the Day: firebreak
- Word of the Day: POTUS
- Word of the Day: WFP
- Word of the Day: adopt
- Word of the Day: swing state
- Word of the Day: computer
- Word of the Day: girlish
- Word of the Day: porridge
- Word of the Day: history
- Word of the Day: Nobel Prize
- Word of the Day: educator
- Policing grammar on the radio
- Word of the Day: long covid
- Word of the Day: October
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/09
Archive - September 2020
- Word of the Day: poesy
- Word of the Day: translator
- Word of the Day: modern languages
- Word of the Day: doodle
- Word of the Day: draconian
- Word of the Day: mingle
- Word of the Day: pirate
- Word of the Day: fresher
- Word of the Day: pomegranate
- Word of the Day: twit
- Word of the Day: grouse
- Word of the Day: gathering
- Word of the Day: pomp
- Word of the Day: moonshot
- Word of the Day: adverse
- Word of the Day: vulture
- Word of the Day: bookworm
- Word of the Day: beard
- Word of the Day: full stop
- Word of the Day: bootees
- Word of the Day: the Proms
- Word of the Day: September
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/08
Archive - August 2020
- Don’t be piqued by peek and peak
- Exciting news! Macmillan Collocations Dictionary comes online
- Word of the Day: innings
- Word of the Day: unseasonable
- Word of the Day: mycology
- Word of the Day: human chain
- Word of the Day: scintillate
- Word of the Day: tit for tat
- Word of the Day: canine
- Word of the Day: convention
- Word of the Day: mock
- Word of the Day: furore
- Word of the Day: jus cogens
- Word of the Day: feline
- Word of the Day: desertification
- Emoji come to Macmillan Dictionary
- Word of the Day: Zoom shirt
- Word of the Day: boundary
- Word of the Day: cinch
- Word of the Day: August
- Grubbing around for etymology
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/07
Archive - July 2020
- Word of the Day: mask up
- Word of the Day: duck
- Word of the Day: gully
- Word of the Day: slip
- Word of the Day: crease
- Word of the Day: company chop
- Word of the Day: comet
- Word of the Day: cocoon
- Word of the Day: palaver
- Word of the Day: mandatory
- Word of the Day: Do you emoji?
- Word of the Day: the Black Country
- Word of the Day: folklore
- Word of the Day: revolution
- Words in the News
- Gaelic
- Word of the Day: Rooseveltian
- Word of the Day: test
- Word of the Day: Wimbledon
- Word of the Day: picnic
- The dinkum oil on ‘fair dinkum’
- Word of the Day: independence
- Word of the Day: July
- Word of the Day: Canadian
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/06
Archive - June 2020
- Word of the Day: watchdog
- Word of the Day: champion
- Word of the Day: stan
- Word of the Day: wellbeing
- Word of the Day: midsummer
- Word of the Day: insect
- Word of the Day: albatross
- Word of the Day: emancipation
- Word of the Day: asylum
- Word of the Day: LGBT
- Word of the Day: carer
- Word of the Day: guru
- Word of the Day: bubble
- Word of the Day: greenish
- Word of the Day: symptom
- Word of the Day: flashpoint
- Word of the Day: mendacious
- Word of the Day: environment
- Word of the Day: cycle
- Word of the Day: wiseacre
- Word of the Day: June
- Dude, where’s my etymology?
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/05
Archive - May 2020
- Word of the Day: aide
- Word of the Day: mosaic
- Word of the Day: wisecrack
- Word of the Day: memorial
- Word of the Day: Eid
- Word of the Day: anosmia
- Word of the Day: mental health
- Word of the Day: wean
- Word of the Day: pasting
- Understanding Dictionaries: Another opportunity to do our MOOC
- Word of the Day: epidemiology
- Word of the Day: alert
- Word of the Day: dawn chorus
- Word of the Day: nurse
- Word of the Day: Europe
- Word of the Day: VE Day
- Word of the Day: long weekend
- Word of the Day: the ECHR
- Being bidialectal
- Word of the Day: lightsaber
- Word of the Day: stork
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/04
Archive - April 2020
- Word of the Day: Ramadan
- Word of the Day: ramp
- Word of the Day: platitude
- Word of the Day: ANZAC
- Word of the Day: immunize
- Word of the Day: St George
- Word of the Day: Earth
- Word of the Day: salute
- Word of the Day: crazy
- Word of the Day: social distancing
- Word of the Day: unprecedented
- Word of the Day: Herculean
- Word of the Day: nightingale
- Word of the Day: Seder
- Word of the Day: piano
- Word of the Day: poet
- Word of the Day: April
- A complement of compliments
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/03
Archive - March 2020
- Word of the Day: meteorology
- Word of the Day: primrose
- Word of the Day: happy
- Word of the Day: forest
- Word of the Day: Irish
- Word of the Day: parade
- Word of the Day: ides
- Word of the Day: pi
- Word of the Day: scientist
- Word of the Day: parasite
- Word of the Day: pandemic
- Word of the Day: woman
- Word of the Day: March hare
- Word of the Day: wildlife
- Word of the Day: grammar
- Word of the Day: leek
- You might should know about double modals
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/02
Archive - February 2020
- Word of the Day: leap year
- Word of the Day: coronavirus
- Word of the Day: Ash Wednesday
- Word of the Day: Shrove Tuesday
- Word of the Day: pinking shears
- Word of the Day: mother tongue
- Word of the Day: boondocking
- Word of the Day: myriad
- Word of the Day: menace
- Word of the Day: president
- Word of the Day: valentine
- Word of the Day: chow
- Word of the Day: science
- Word of the Day: February
- Word of the Day: chestnut
- A new look for Macmillan Dictionary
- Word of the Day: quarantine
- Word of the Day: boxer
- Word of the Day: groundhog
- Wet your appetite for eggcorns
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2020/01
Archive - January 2020
- Word of the Day: khinkali
- Word of the Day: dachshund
- Word of the Day: Alsatian
- Word of the Day: haggis
- Word of the Day: kangaroo
- Word of the Day: education
- Word of the Day: jade
- Word of the Day: sepia
- Word of the Day: eggshell
- Reflecting how we talk about gender: a new update of Macmillan Dictionary
- Word of the Day: volunteerism
- Word of the Day: vegan
- Word of the Day: lifeboat
- Word of the Day: SOS
- Word of the Day: purse strings
- Word of the Day: firey
- Word of the Day: koala
- Word of the Day: January
- Word of the Day: resolve
- Hello, vocative comma
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/12
Archive - December 2019
- Word of the Day: Happy holidays!
- Word of the Day: merry
- Word of the Day: winter solstice
- Word of the Day: cracker
- Word of the Day: holly
- Word of the Day: deck
- Word of the Day: tinsel
- Word of the Day: phobia
- Word of the Day: franchise
- Word of the Day: ballot
- Word of the Day: doorstep
- Word of the Day: chapeau
- Word of the Day: supervillain
- Word of the Day: landslide
- Word of the Day: fishwife
- Word of the Day: cyber Monday
- Criticizing -ize and -ise
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/11
Archive - November 2019
- Word of the Day: retirement
- Word of the Day: turkey
- Word of the Day: insubordination
- Word of the Day: subpoena
- Word of the Day: evolution
- Word of the Day: pseudonym
- Word of the Day: stir
- Word of the Day: plague
- Word of the Day: masculine
- Word of the Day: flood
- Word of the Day: poppy
- Word of the Day: kind
- Word of the Day: remembrance
- Word of the Day: the Berlin Wall
- Word of the Day: armistice
- Word of the Day: oke
- Macmillan Dictionary Trending Words 2019 Quiz
- Word of the Day: springbok
- Word of the Day: guy
- Catfishing, blackfishing, sadfishing: the spread of a new libfix
- Word of the Day: Devonian
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/10
Archive - October 2019
- Word of the Day: Halloween
- Word of the Day: GMT
- Word of the Day: SAD
- Word of the Day: Diwali
- Word of the Day: crottle
- Word of the Day: limbo
- Word of the Day: ballet
- Word of the Day: stutter
- Word of the Day: chicanery
- Word of the Day: crusty
- Word of the Day: scoff
- Word of the Day: definition
- Word of the Day: adoption
- Word of the Day: astronomer
- Word of the Day: girl
- Word of the Day: teacher
- Word of the Day: atonement
- Who’s confused by ‘whose’?
- Word of the Day: biscotti
- Word of the Day: poem
- Word of the Day: wistful
- Word of the Day: translation
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/09
Archive - September 2019
- Word of the Day: judgment or judgement
- Word of the Day: climate strike
- Word of the Day: mellow
- Word of the Day: Emoji and dictionaries part two
- Word of the Day: sign
- Word of the Day: rubiginous
- Word of the Day: hit
- Word of the Day: lexicography
- Word of the Day: Emoji and dictionaries part one
- Understanding English Dictionaries: an exciting new MOOC
- Word of the Day: shrinkflation
- Word of the Day: stymie
- Word of the Day: flummery
- Word of the Day: literacy
- Word of the Day: whip
- Word of the Day: supervolcano
- Word of the Day: deselect
- Word of the Day: toady
- Word of the Day: labor
- Passive voice is not to be shunned
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/08
Archive - August 2019
- Word of the Day: contronym
- Word of the Day: prorogue
- Word of the Day: bemoan
- Word of the Day: nonplussed
- Word of the Day: masquerade
- Word of the Day: pre-loved
- Word of the Day: Jacobite
- Word of the Day: posture
- Word of the Day: cauliflower
- Word of the Day: boffin
- Word of the Day: allotment
- Word of the Day: promenade
- Word of the Day: fledgling
- Word of the Day: elephant
- Word of the Day: ailurophile
- Word of the Day: lepidoptery
- Word of the Day: fudge
- Macmillan Dictionary Flowers Quiz
- Word of the Day: owl
- Only one right place for ‘only’?
- Word of the Day: opprobrious
- Word of the Day: getaway
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/07
Archive - July 2019
- Word of the Day: greycation
- Word of the Day: rover
- Word of the Day: staycation
- Words in the News: moth
- The lexicography of politics: a new update of Macmillan Dictionary
- Word of the Day: booster
- Word of the Day: Apollo
- Word of the Day: astronaut
- Word of the Day: axiom
- Word of the Day: catchphrase
- Word of the Day: rocket
- Word of the Day: lore
- Word of the Day: finals
- Word of the Day: deuce
- Word of the Day: seed
- Word of the Day: let
- Word of the Day: wild card
- Word of the Day: bagel
- Macmillan Dictionary Trees Quiz
- Word of the Day: lioness
- Word of the Day: championship
- Simple in the correct sense of the word
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/06
Archive - June 2019
- Word of the Day: chumocracy
- Word of the Day: reckless
- Word of the Day: charlatan
- Word of the Day: altercation
- Word of the Day: pride
- Word of the Day: yogi
- Word of the Day: refuge
- Word of the Day: socialite
- Word of the Day: prodigy
- Word of the Day: secretary
- Word of the Day: pop
- Word of the Day: bail
- Word of the Day: lodestar
- Word of the Day: laureate
- Word of the Day: ocean
- Macmillan Dictionary Word Story Quiz
- Word of the Day: D-Day
- Word of the Day: protocol
- Word of the Day: bicycle
- Words in the News
- Orwell and the English Language
- Word of the Day: wicket
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/05
Archive - May 2019
- Word of the Day: biscuit
- Word of the Day: cricket
- Word of the Day: swallow
- Word of the Day: clang
- Word of the Day: Whitsun
- Word of the Day: tiger
- Word of the Day: ping
- Word of the Day: milkshaking
- Word of the Day: cuckoo
- Word of the Day: buzz
- Word of the Day: toxic
- Word of the Day: cowboy
- Word of the Day: lonesome
- Word of the Day: calamity
- Word of the Day: sandbox
- Does anyone really need to use a dictionary?
- Word of the Day: hedgehog
- Word of the Day: union
- Word of the Day: souvenir
- Word of the Day: spike
- Where does ‘OK’ come from?
- Word of the Day: jazz
- Word of the Day: abdicate
- Word of the Day: labour
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/04
Archive - April 2019
- Word of the Day: chorus
- Word of the Day: fit
- Word of the Day: beacon
- Word of the Day: climate
- Word of the Day: clan
- Word of the Day: bard
- Word of the Day: black hole
- Word of the Day: kilt
- Word of the Day: loch
- Word of the Day: ceilidh
- Why we check in at the CHECK-IN and check out at the CHECKOUT – OR: Is the spelling of English compounds really chaotic?
- Word of the Day: blizzard
- Word of the Day: flurry
- Spelling tip of the week – assessment
- Word of the Day: hail
- Word of the Day: storm
- Word of the Day: shower
- Word of the Day: health
- Word of the Day: MOOC
- Do you speak Scouse?
- Word of the Day: Scouse
- Is ‘alright’ all right?
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/03
Archive - March 2019
- Word of the Day: cookie
- Word of the Day: menu
- Spelling tip of the week – immigrant
- Word of the Day: avatar
- Word of the Day: bookmark
- Word of the Day: web
- Word of the Day: water
- Word of the Day: poetry
- Spelling tip of the week – appalling
- Word of the Day: happiness
- Word of the Day: catwalk
- Word of the Day: shamrock
- Word of the Day: march
- Word of the Day: quartet
- Spelling tip of the week – conform
- Word of the Day: overture
- Word of the Day: dormouse
- Word of the Day: declutter
- Word of the Day: womanhood
- Word of the Day: brimstone
- Spelling tip of the week – possess
- Word of the Day: ash
- Word of the Day: pancake
- A quick dive into ‘dived’ vs ‘dove’
- Word of the Day: carnival
- Word of the Day: hyacinth
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/02
Archive - February 2019
Word of the Day: snowdrop
- Spelling tip of the week – disease
- Word of the Day: crocus
- Word of the Day: daffodil
- Word of the Day: schism
- Word of the Day: atlas
- Word of the Day: compendium
- Spelling tip of the week – arbitrary
- Word of the Day: almanac
- Word of the Day: thesaurus
- Word of the Day: encyclopedia
- Word of the Day: unicorn
- Word of the Day: Orwellian
- Spelling tip of the week – develop
- Word of the Day: Kafkaesque
- Word of the Day: Dickensian
- Word of the Day: Shakespearean
- Word of the Day: rugby
- Word of the Day: badminton
- Spelling tip of the week – extension
- Word of the Day: hoover
- Word of the Day: mesmerize
- How to use (or misuse) a dictionary
- Word of the Day: nicotine
- Word of the Day: algorithm
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2019/01
Archive - January 2019
- Word of the Day: panic
- Spelling tip of the week – satellite
- Word of the Day: silhouette
- Word of the Day: mentor
- Word of the Day: sandwich
- Word of the Day: boycott
- Word of the Day: speaker
- Spelling tip of the week – renowned
- Word of the Day: cavalier
- Word of the Day: caravan
- Word of the Day: vote of confidence
- Word of the Day: logjam
- Word of the Day: hostile
- Spelling tip of the week – successful
- Word of the Day: mammoth
- Word of the Day: amendment
- Word of the Day: avalanche
- Word of the Day: pantomime
- Word of the Day: epiphany
- Spelling tip of the week – collectable
- Word of the Day: gremlin
- Word of the Day: reflection
- Word of the Day: renewal
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Archive - March 2017
- Language and words in the news – 31st March, 2017
- Word of the Day: repeal
- Word of the Day: cyclone
- Language tip of the week: shocking
- Word of the Day: climate change
- Word of the Day: schmuck
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: patio diplomacy
- Language and words in the news – 24th March, 2017
- Word of the Day: vaccinate
- Word of the Day: inflation
- Love English: ‘Stakeholder’ stakes a claim
- Language tip of the week: feeling shocked
- Live English: You say ‘global warming’, I say ‘climate change’
- Learn English: Making someone feel frightened
- Word of the day: goof off - I told you in strict privacy
- Word of the Day: What is a wiretap?
- Play: Test your spelling vol 2
- Play: Test your spelling
- Play: Quiz – British and American English vol 1
- Play: Quiz – trending words of 2016
- Video: Shakespeare for life by Akala
- Video: The history of the dictionary
- Word of the day: springtime
- Word of the day: shamrock
- Language and words in the news – 17th March, 2017
- Word of the day – horse racing
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel dissatisfied
- Language and words in the news – 10th March, 2017
- Language tip of the week: dissatisfied
- Real World English – Agreeing and disagreeing
- A world of English at Macmillan Dictionary
- Language and words in the news – 3rd March, 2017
- Language tip of the week: to make someone feel satisfied
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2017/02
Archive - February 2017
- Learning to talk Trumpish
- Language and words in the news - 24th February, 2017
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel satisfied
- Language and words in the news - 17th February, 2017
- Language tip of the week: feeling satisfied
- Language and words in the news - 10th February, 2017
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel sad
- Real World English - Greetings
- What does it mean when a word is not in the dictionary?
- Language and words in the news - 3rd February, 2017
- Language tip of the week: looking or sounding sad
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2017/01
Archive - January 2017
- Language and words in the news - 28th January, 2017
- Language tip of the week: feeling sad because something has not happened
- Macmillan Dictionary lays down the law
- global English • language change and slang • linguistics and lexicography • Love English • Open Dictionary • regional English
- New year, new words: Macmillan Dictionary’s latest update
- Language and words in the news - 20th January, 2017
- Language tip of the week: feeling sad about life
- Real World English - School
- Language and words in the news - 13th January, 2017
- Language tip of the week: feeling sad
- Pearl clutchers, snowflakes, elites and SJWs
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/12
Archive - December 2016
- Happy New Year from Macmillan Dictionary
- Merry Christmas from the Macmillan Dictionary team
- Language and words in the news - 23rd December, 2016
- Open Dictionary Word of the Year: hopemonger
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel happy
- Language and words in the news - 16th December, 2016
- Language tip of the week: to become happy again
- Language fun from Macmillan Dictionary
- Real World English - Date and time
- Language and words in the news - 10th December, 2016
- Language tip of the week: make someone feel happy
- The year “elite” changed its meaning: a linguistic review of 2016
- Don’t dis this prefix
- Language and words in the news - 2nd December, 2016
- Language tip of the week: happy times and situations
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/11
Archive for November, 2016
- Barbershop Shakes
- Posted by Ryan Henry on November 30, 2016
- Welcome to our fourth and final guest post from The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company. This one is by Peer Leader Ryan Henry. THSC is a music theatre production company that explores the social, cultural and linguistic parallels between the works of William Shakespeare and that of modern day hip-hop artists. _____________ “400 years later, it’s 2016 […]
- Seachangers, salad days and skim milk
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on November 28, 2016
- In her third and final post about the links between the language of Shakespeare and the language of today, BuzzWord author Kerry Maxwell shows how the Bard’s metaphors live on in modern English. _____________ In Australian English, the word seachanger has in recent years become the catchy new way to describe a person who shuns […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th November, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 26, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Holiday and vacation
- Posted by Ed Pegg on November 25, 2016
- Welcome to the third in this series of posts on Real World English by Ed Pegg. In this series of videos and blog posts we are looking at how words are used in context around the world and how differences in usage in different countries and cultural contexts can cause misunderstanding. We look at differences […]
- Language tip of the week: having a positive attitude
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 24, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: jackrabbit
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 23, 2016
- The blog schedule has been rather crowded lately, so this post looks at Open Dictionary submissions for two months, September and October. Submissions were slightly up in September and again in October, but the number of rejected entries was up too, with approval levels for both months falling below 30% for the first time since […]
- ‘Net migration’: when does a term move from policy into the press?
- Posted by Will Allen on November 21, 2016
- Our latest guest post looks at the fascinating topic of the language used to talk about migration. Will Allen is a Research Officer with The Migration Observatory and the Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society (COMPAS), both based at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the ways that media, public opinion, and policymaking […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th November, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 18, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: extremely happy because something good has happened
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 17, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- BuzzWord or Bard’s Word?
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on November 16, 2016
- Much Ado about Apps? The Comedy of Memes? English is a creative language that changes and evolves to reflect the world around it. Because of this, it can be tricky to decipher what’s new and what’s old. Can you figure out which of these words come from the Bard himself and which derive from our […]
- What language should we be teaching?
- Posted by Andrew Walkley on November 14, 2016
- Andrew Walkley and Hugh Dellar run London Language Lab, an English-language school in central London. They are also the authors of Teaching Lexically and the coursebook series Outcomes. _____________ It is estimated that the average educated speaker knows at least 35,000 words, a figure which is obviously quite daunting for those learning English. Even the […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th November, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 11, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: happy because something good has happened
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 10, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Quoting Shakespeare - of icebreakers and idioms
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on November 09, 2016
- In the second of her posts about the links between the language of Shakespeare and the language of today, BuzzWord author Kerry Maxwell considers the Bard’s role in coining idioms we use without a second thought. _____________ English is a language rich in idioms and fixed phrases, language forms that trip unconsciously from the tongues […]
- US election word of the week: electoral college
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 08, 2016
- Welcome to the final post in our series looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process. As the election finally takes place we look at a vital part of the process, the Electoral College. The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution as a compromise […]
- Dictionary labels part III: literary, humorous, and the rest
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 07, 2016
- This is the third and final post in a mini-series on the style labels used in Macmillan Dictionary. Previous posts looked at the ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ and ‘offensive’ labels; this one addresses the others. Aside from labels marking (in)formality, the most common are ‘literary’, ‘spoken’, ‘humorous’, ‘old-fashioned’, and ‘journalism’. These are not absolute categories, of […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th November, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 04, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: talking about feeling happy
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 03, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: POTUS
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 02, 2016
- Our series looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process is coming to an end. As election day approaches we look at one of the familiar names given to the President, POTUS. My first encounter with the term POTUS as a nickname for the President of the United States […]
- Real World English - “Quite”
- Posted by Ed Pegg on November 01, 2016
- Welcome to the second in our series of posts on Real World English by Ed Pegg. In this series of videos and blog posts we will be looking at how words are used in context around the world and how differences in usage in different countries and cultural contexts can cause misunderstanding. We look at […]
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Archive for October, 2016
- Language and words in the news - 28th October, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 28, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to become frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 26, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: bigly
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 25, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in November. This week’s word is bigly. For linguists, the language of Republican presidential candidate is the gift that just keeps on giving. Along with locker room banter and […]
- Shakespeare and spoken word: Poetry that speaks
- Posted by Rhael Cape on October 24, 2016
- Welcome to our third guest post from The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company. This one is by poet and spoken word artist Rhael ‘Lionheart’ Cape. THSC is a music theatre production company that explores the social, cultural and linguistic parallels between the works of William Shakespeare and that of modern day hip-hop artists. _____________ Depending on when […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st October, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 21, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to make someone feel very frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 20, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Language for … new series
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 19, 2016
- Since 2010, Macmillan Dictionary and onestopenglish have been working together on resources that give teachers and students a chance to explore BuzzWords in the classroom. The OSE-BuzzWord lesson plan series came to an end in summer 2016, but autumn 2016 saw the launch of a brand-new collaboration between the two Macmillan Education sites: Language for […]
- US election word of the week: war chest
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 18, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in November. This week’s word is war chest. A candidate fighting an election in the US needs a great deal of money: it is estimated that the last presidential […]
- Spelling quiz - hard
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 17, 2016
- Now that you’ve mastered the basics with our first spelling quiz, why not test your knowledge with some other finicky letter combinations? In our newest quiz we discover that some words love to double up and duplicate certain letters. Can you figure out which ones they are by putting your skills to the test in […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th October, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 14, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to make someone feel frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 13, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: spin room
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 11, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is spin room. It has become customary following political debates for staff and supporters of the different candidates to gather in a so-called […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th October, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 07, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 06, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: red state, blue state
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 05, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s words are red state and blue state. In last week’s post on swing states, we mentioned the alternative term purple state, so named because […]
- Welcome to Real World English
- Posted by Ed Pegg on October 04, 2016
- Our new series of posts on Real World English is written by Ed Pegg. Ed teaches the International Business Communication programme at the London School of English, where he provides language and communication training to multi-cultural groups of professionals. Ed is co-author of the new Starter level of In Company 3.0, a new edition of […]
- Dictionary labels part II: the offensive ‘lunatic’
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 03, 2016
- Last month I began a series of posts looking at style labels in Macmillan Dictionary. These are supplementary tags, like ‘humorous’, ‘impolite’ and ‘old-fashioned’, that help readers understand the nature and use of a word. The first post focused on ‘formal’ and ‘informal’, and this one explores the extreme end of that axis: offensive language. […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/09
Archive for September, 2016
- Language and words in the news - 30th September, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 30, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: fauxmance
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 29, 2016
- Submissions to the Open Dictionary in August were slightly up on July, and approval levels were slightly down at 36%. I mentioned last month entries that I reject with regret because, although they have a certain appeal, there is no independent evidence of their use. The other side of this coin is words that look […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling extremely frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 28, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: swing state
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 27, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is swing state. A swing state, also known as a battleground state or a purple state, is a state in which no candidate […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd September, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 23, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling frightened
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 21, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: birther
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 20, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is birther. Although it is not strictly speaking anything to do with the language of the electoral process, the term birther has dominated […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th September, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 16, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to feel something
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 15, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: pivot
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 14, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is pivot. For months now commentators have been asking: Will he or won’t he? Once Donald Trump has secured the Republican nomination, will […]
- Translating Shakespeare
- Posted by Mish Jani on September 12, 2016
- Our second guest post from The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company is by Mish Jani. THSC is a music theatre production company that explores the social, cultural and linguistic parallels between the works of William Shakespeare and that of modern day hip-hop artists. _____________ There are virtually no other writers in history that we can say have […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th September, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 09, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: showing strong feelings
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 07, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Dictionary labels part I: the very informal ‘bawbag’
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 05, 2016
- In the first of a short series of posts on the labels used in Macmillan Dictionary, Stan Carey looks at how different levels of formality are indicated. A common perception of dictionaries is that they are collections of spellings and definitions. These are certainly major features. You encounter a word you don’t know, or about […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd September, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 02, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: more words for ‘feeling’
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 01, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/08
Archive for August, 2016
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: bawbag
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 31, 2016
- Numbers of submissions to the Open Dictionary in July were back to normal levels, and approval levels were back up too, with just over 40% of submitted entries being approved for publication. Sometimes entries are rejected with regret, because although there is no independent evidence for their use, they have a certain charm or energy […]
- US election word of the week: stump
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 30, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is stump. Browsing the news this weekend my eye was caught by the following sentences in an article in The Guardian about the […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th August, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 26, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: causing emotions
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 25, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election words of the week: hard and soft money
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 23, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s words are hard money and soft money. In a previous post in this series we looked at the terms PAC and super PAC. The […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th August, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 19, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feelings
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 18, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: third-party candidate
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 17, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s term is third-party candidate. American politics is dominated by the two behemoths, the Democrats and the Republicans, with other parties garnering very little support […]
- Still medalling and podiuming, and finalling too
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 16, 2016
- Another Olympics, another controversy about nouns having the effrontery to turn themselves into verbs. As well as medalling and podiuming, the world’s elite athletes have been final(l)ing, golding, silvering and bronzing away like mad, not to mention the spectators who have been spectating without a thought for the linguistic outrages being committed by commentators and […]
- The poetic virtue of slang: from Shakespeare to council estates
- Posted by Anthony Anaxagorou on August 15, 2016
- Our latest guest post is by Anthony Anaxagorou of The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, a music theatre production company that explores the social, cultural and linguistic parallels between the works of William Shakespeare and that of modern day hip-hop artists. _____________ A number of times I’ve heard secondary school teachers criticize students for using a vernacular […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th August, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 12, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to make someone excited
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 11, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: write-in
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 10, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is write-in. Write-in can refer both to a candidate whose name is not printed on the ballot paper and to a vote for […]
- Sharing the love on Facebook
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on August 09, 2016
- In case you missed the news - and we’ll excuse you if you did given everything else that’s been going on in the world lately - our Facebook page, MacDictionary, has just reached 100,000 likes. Just to put that in context, that’s more than enough of you dictionary fiends to fill Wembley stadium. Now think […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th August, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 05, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel excited
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 04, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: contested convention
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 03, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is contested convention. Now that the balloons have deflated and the banners have been put away, the presidential campaign is moving into its […]
- Word lovers, meet your match
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 01, 2016
- Macmillan Dictionary’s word of the day and phrase of the week features are a match made in heaven for word lovers and English-language learners. One recent phrase of the week - in the middle of Wimbledon’s tennis matches - was meet your match. Matches, matches, everywhere. Where did they come from, and how are they […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/07
Archive for July, 2016
- Language and words in the news - 29th July, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 29, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling excited
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 28, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: Bregret
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 27, 2016
- June saw a considerable drop in submissions to the Open Dictionary following May’s peak, and a drop in quality too, with just 28% of submitted entries being approved for publication. Types of submissions that will always be rejected include: entries that consist of the submitter’s own name, or that of someone they fancy, or dislike, […]
- US election word of the week: running mate
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 26, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is running mate. As the Democratic convention gets underway in Philadelphia, both parties’ nominees have now announced their running mates. The running mate […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd July, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 22, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: excited
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 20, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: convention
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 19, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is convention. As the Macmillan Dictionary definition shows, a convention is simply a meeting attended by people who belong to a profession or […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th July, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 16, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: not feeling enthusiastic
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 15, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Spelling quiz
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on July 14, 2016
- “i before e except after c” (apart from the many exceptions); “q is always followed by u” (unless the word is of Arabic origin); “words ending in y change the y to i when adding an ending” (unless y is preceded by a vowel, or the ending itself starts with an i) … it’s enough […]
- Words into worlds
- Posted by Nick Bilbrough on July 13, 2016
- Our latest guest post is by Nick Bilbrough, founder and coordinator of the Hands Up Project, a charity which teaches English to children in challenging circumstances in Palestine and Jordan through online storytelling and other remote learning activities. Nick is the author of 3 resource books for teachers, Dialogue Activities, Memory Activities for Language Learning, […]
- US election words of the week: PAC and super PAC
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 12, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s words are PAC and super PAC. In 2012 it cost Barack Obama and Mitt Romney an estimated one billion dollars each to run for […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th July, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 08, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: enthusiastic
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 07, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: domestic engineer
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 05, 2016
- Submissions to the Open Dictionary in May were similar in number to April’s, with around one third of submitted entries again being approved for publication. The new entries were the usual mix of recent coinages and new meanings, specialized or technical terms, rare words, abbreviations, and a few standard words and phrases that had just […]
- As You Dislike It
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 04, 2016
- Virginia Woolf’s novel The Waves is rightly celebrated for its lyrical, experimental style. After each session of writing it, when her mind was ‘agape and red-hot’, she read Shakespeare. Her diary entry of 13 April 1930 reveals the awe Woolf felt at the playwright’s ‘word coining power’ and creative speed, producing words that ‘drop so […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st July, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 01, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
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Archive for June, 2016
- Real Vocabulary: a few concluding thoughts
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 30, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we have brought you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ As in our earlier […]
- Language tip of the week: embarrass someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 29, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: Trumpmentum
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 28, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is Trumpmentum. As Donald Trump sweeps towards almost certain Republican nomination next month, it seems like a good time to look at this […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th June, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 24, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: embarrassing
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 22, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: presumptive nominee
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 20, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is presumptive nominee. Having passed the threshold of 1237 delegates he needs to win the Republican nomination, Donald Trump is now the party’s […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 10: Which is right: “less cars” or “fewer cars”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 20, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th June, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 18, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling embarrassed and guilty
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 15, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- From Bard Words to BuzzWords - parallels in word formation
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on June 13, 2016
- For many years now, Macmillan Dictionary’s popular BuzzWord posts have been examining some of the latest additions to the English lexicon, and with a back catalogue of over 500 words and expressions, they’ve looked at the full range of weird and wonderful linguistic innovations, from amazeballs to ambush marketing, zonkey to zorbing. Though outwardly these […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th June, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 10, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- New images and a quiz!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 09, 2016
- The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that some of Macmillan Dictionary’s entries now include photographs. This latest addition applies to a range of colours, fruits and vegetables, animals, and natural phenomena. So when you are looking for descriptions of words like rhubarb, jade or aardvark, there is a visual aid in addition to the […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling embarrassed
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 08, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Blethering about blatherskite
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 06, 2016
- Among the recent additions to Macmillan’s Open Dictionary - crowdsourced through reader submissions - is the colourful word blatherskite. This can refer either to ‘a person who talks nonsense’ or to the nonsense itself: blatherskites talk blatherskite. Blatherskite is a compound in two parts. It was formed by joining blather - a noun and verb […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd June, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 03, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: embarrassed
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 01, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
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Archive for May, 2016
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: dude food
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 31, 2016
- Submissions to the Open Dictionary in April were back to normal levels, with slightly over one third of all entries being approved for publication. The new entries were the usual mix: some rare words; a number of specialized or technical terms; several recent coinages and new meanings; and some words and phrases that had not […]
- US election word of the week: closed primary
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 30, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is closed primary. At the time of writing, Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders has just won the support of voters in Oregon by a […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th May, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 27, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to disappoint someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 25, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- From aardvark to Zulu: recent developments in South African English
- Posted by Jill Wolvaardt on May 23, 2016
- Our latest guest post is by Jill Wolvaardt, the Executive Director of the Dictionary Unit for South African English. The unit, based at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, has been collecting and recording English as it is used in South Africa since 1969. Jill and her colleagues have been working with us recently to improve the […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th May, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 20, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 9: can “momentarily” mean “soon” or “in a moment”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 19, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- Language tip of the week: disappointing
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 18, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: the GOP
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 17, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is the GOP. The GOP, pronounced by saying the individual letters, is a familiar name for the US Republican Party. Here’s what Wikipedia […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th May, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 13, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling disappointed
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 11, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: front-runner
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 10, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is front-runner. Until last week, the front-runners in the contest for the US Presidential nominations were Donald Trump for the Republicans and Hillary […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th May, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 06, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: people and things that are boring
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 04, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: town hall meeting
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 03, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is town hall meeting. President Obama, in London for a brief visit a couple of weeks ago, found time in a packed schedule […]
- Is adverbial ‘deep’ used wrong?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 02, 2016
- The word deep runs deep in English history. In Old English it served a range of grammatical functions, much like today. It was used as a noun meaning deepness or the deep part of the sea (or other body of water). It was a verb meaning to make deep (= deepen), a usage now obsolete. […]
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Archive for April, 2016
- Language and words in the news - 29th April, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 29, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: making someone bored or becoming bored
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 28, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: Acela primary
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 27, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word, hot off the press, is Acela primary. If you are anything like me, this week’s election word will mean nothing to you. Despite […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: marmalade dropper
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 26, 2016
- 207 new entries entered the Open Dictionary in March. This higher-than-usual total is due to the addition of over 100 BuzzWords culled from Kerry Maxwell‘s column of the same name. As its name suggests, the BuzzWord column focuses on the very latest linguistic novelties, and since the items added came from columns published in the […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd April, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 22, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: boring
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 21, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 8: should I say “the data is…” or “the data are…”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 20, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- US election word of the week: winner takes all
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 19, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is actually a phrase: winner take(s) all. In a proportional primary or caucus, the delegates are allocated in proportion to the percentage of […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th April, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 15, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling bored
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 13, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: unbound delegate
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 12, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is unbound delegate. In the previous post we looked at the term superdelegate, which is used to refer to the Democratic Party delegates […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th April, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 08, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: bored
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 07, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: superdelegate
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 06, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is superdelegate. Both the Democratic and Republican parties send a mixture of pledged and unpledged delegates to their conventions, but only the Democrats […]
- Much ado about ‘do’
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 04, 2016
- In Act 2, Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio enters the stage and asks: ‘Where the devil should this Romeo be? Came he not home tonight?’ Then in the next act, Benvolio urges his cousin Romeo: ‘Begone! Stand not amazed.’ Both quotations are distinctly Shakespearean - we notice there’s something syntactically different about them […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st April, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 01, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
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Archive for March, 2016
- Language tip of the week: to become angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 30, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: delegate
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 28, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is delegate. According to Macmillan Dictionary, a delegate is simply “someone who is chosen to represent a group of other people at a […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th March, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 25, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: to make someone angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 24, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: Brexiter
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 23, 2016
- February saw 136 new entries accepted into the Open Dictionary. Remarkably this is almost exactly the same number as in January. Just over double that number were rejected, meaning that the proportion of entries accepted also remained remarkably constant. One of the great things about the Open Dictionary is that it allows us to track […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 7: is it acceptable to use “transpire” to mean “happen”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 21, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th March, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 19, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: making someone feel angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 18, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- New words, grammar words, and World Englishes: another update for the Macmillan Dictionary
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 16, 2016
- Another of our regular updates has just gone live, and it’s our biggest yet. As always, there have been additions and improvements right across the dictionary, with well over 600 changes this time. These include almost 400 completely new words and meanings, so let’s start by looking at those. Among the several hundred neologisms which have […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th March, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 11, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling extremely angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 10, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
- US election word of the week: bellwether
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 09, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is bellwether. Generally speaking a bellwether is “something that is considered to be a sign of what is likely to happen“, as Macmillan […]
- There are plurals, and then there’s plurals
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 07, 2016
- Last month I gave an overview of grammatical agreement, also called concord, and explained the difference between two main types of it: formal agreement and notional agreement. In this post I focus on a common phrase that exemplifies the difference: there is, where there is known as a dummy, existential, introductory, or anticipatory subject. There […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th March, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 04, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: Zika virus
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 03, 2016
- 137 new entries entered the Open Dictionary in January, almost the same as in December. Overall submissions were slightly higher, meaning that the percentage of entries accepted - around 30% - was a little lower than in the previous months. A fair number of scientific and medical terms were added this month. The former range […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling a little angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 02, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This set of language […]
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Archive for February, 2016
- US election word of the week: Super Tuesday
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 29, 2016
- In this series we are looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the run-up to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is Super Tuesday. Following the slow build-up of the early caucuses and primaries, the US Presidential campaign moves up a gear on Super […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th February, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 26, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: words that mean ‘angry’
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 25, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. Over the past few […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th February, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 19, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: tell someone something that is secret
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 18, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 6: is it acceptable to use “decimate” to mean “kill or destroy in large numbers”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 17, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- US election word of the week: primary
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 16, 2016
- In this new series we will be looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the runup to the Presidential election in late 2016. This week’s word is primary. After the Iowa caucuses kicked off the long-drawn-out process for the election of the next President of the United […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th February, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 12, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: tell someone about something officially or publicly
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 10, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: xe
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 08, 2016
- 145 new entries were accepted into the Open Dictionary in December, slightly down on November. Overall submissions were slightly down, but the percentage of entries accepted was very similar to the previous month. The trend over the half year since we started counting has been for the overall number of submissions to fall (which is […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th February, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 05, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: tell someone about something that has happened
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 04, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- US election word of the week: caucus
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 03, 2016
- In this new series we will be looking at some of the language and terminology associated with the US electoral process in the runup to the Presidential election in late 2016. First off, caucus. On Monday 1st February, registered Republican and Democrat voters gathered in schools, libraries and even private homes across the state of […]
- Agreeing with grammatical concord
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 01, 2016
- In a post last month about neither was vs. neither were, Liz Potter looked at hundreds of real-life examples from the British National Corpus and found that neither in singular and plural uses occurred about equally often. Reviewing more recent corpus data led her to conclude that the plural use could be gaining the upper […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2016/01
Archive for January, 2016
- Language and words in the news - 30th January, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 30, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Just a bunch of politicians
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 29, 2016
- Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, may be regretting his choice of words in a political debate earlier this week. Mr Cameron’s opposite number, Jeremy Corbyn, had spent the previous day at a refugee camp in northern France, and in a House of Commons debate the PM attacked Corbyn for “meeting with a bunch of migrants […]
- Language tip of the week: tell someone something
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 27, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Henry’s monthly musings - the latest lingo
- Posted by Henry Firth on January 25, 2016
- Recently we’ve talked a lot on the blog about words like bae and fleek that have come into being amongst younger generations before becoming accepted terms of popular usage. Secretly we language enthusiasts all dream of creating the next viral buzzword, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who dreams of his idiolect being […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd January, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 22, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: talking in order to decide something
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 21, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 5: is it OK to use the expression “be comprised of”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 20, 2016
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- Neither was or neither were?
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 18, 2016
- Macmillan Dictionaries recently received a query about an example at the entry for the phrase ‘neither … nor …‘. The example was this one: Neither his son nor his daughter were at the funeral. The writer queried the presence of a plural verb in this example, believing this to be incorrect because neither, being singular, […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th January, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 15, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: having a conversation
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 13, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Your new favourite slang
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 11, 2016
- When people peeve about words they hate, the same kinds of words crop up repeatedly, such as business jargon, colloquialisms, and slang. Young people are often the main creators and distributors of these new words and phrases. They may use them to signal group identity, as John E. McIntyre writes, or to express themselves or […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th January, 2016
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 08, 2016
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: talk
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 06, 2016
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: foodfie
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 04, 2016
- 156 new entries were accepted into the Open Dictionary in November, a considerable increase on October, which itself saw an increase on the previous month’s figure. Overall submissions were down, which is good news since it means that a higher proportion of the entries submitted met the criteria for publication. Many of November’s words shed […]
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Archive for December, 2015
- Macmillan Dictionary highlights of 2015
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 30, 2015
- With one more day to go in 2015, it’s time for us to look back at some of the language trends of the year … and which dictionary features were the most popular ones according to our users! The Top 5 most popular BuzzWords of 2015 were: 1. slow: “in an era characterized by frenetic information transfer and a […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th December, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 24, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Since it’s Christmas Eve, all the posts are related to the […]
- Christmas comes but once a year
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 23, 2015
- Since it is Christmas week I thought I’d depart from the usual theme of these posts and look at some Christmas phrases. To start with the title of the post, the phrase is from a poem by the 16th century English poet and farmer Thomas Tusser, who came from Essex, the county of my birth. […]
- Appraising Pinker’s prescriptions
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 21, 2015
- In September I took the UK Independent to task for publishing a misleading set of ‘words you’re using wrong’. These listicles usually mix legitimate facts with myths, misinformation and pet peeves without much basis in the evidence of how people use English. Instead they rely on fallacy, fancy, bogus rules and dogma to tell people […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th December, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 18, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. (Like an internet version of the Thieving Magpie I plunder links […]
- Language tip of the week: speaking with difficulty
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 16, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th December, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 11, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: speak a lot
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 10, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 4: Is it acceptable to talk about “growing a company”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 09, 2015
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In this series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ […]
- Alice in Blenderland
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 07, 2015
- Lewis Carroll’s fiction abounds in puns, paradoxes, and plays on logic, but among the most enduring of its linguistic pleasures are the portmanteau words he invented. Portmanteau words, also called blends, are words that ‘combine the sound and meaning of two words’, for example brunch, which blends breakfast and lunch, and Wikipedia, formed from wiki […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th December, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 04, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: speak loudly
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 02, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
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Archive for November, 2015
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: clowder
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 30, 2015
- 122 new entries were accepted into the Open Dictionary in October, a considerable increase on the previous month’s figure. Overall submissions were about the same, meaning that more of the entries submitted met the criteria for acceptance. Several of the submissions are technical or semi-technical words from various specialist areas; these include alexithymia and carafology, […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th November, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 27, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: speak quietly
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 25, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Due to general usage, this phrase is fine
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 23, 2015
- In his short story collection Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris begins a paragraph with this line: ‘Due to his ear and his almost maniacal sense of discipline, I always thought my father would have made an excellent musician.’ To many readers - probably an overwhelming majority - there’s nothing wrong with it. But […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th November, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 20, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: speak
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 18, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. Over the coming weeks […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th November, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 13, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: saying something again
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 12, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 3: Is it OK to use “disinterested” to mean “not interested”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 11, 2015
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In our new series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. ______________ In the […]
- Why do we ‘grin like a Cheshire cat’?
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 09, 2015
- The phrase grin like a Cheshire cat has become synonymous with Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But while Carroll was no slouch when it came to inventive language, the expression predates his book and was in general use at the time. The enduring success of his comic fantasy helped to popularise the simile. A […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th November, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 06, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: saying something in a particular way
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 04, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
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Archive for October, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 30th October, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 30, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: making comments
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 28, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Does a jive jibe with a gibe?
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 26, 2015
- Some words seem almost designed for confusion. Ronald Pineda told me on Twitter that he sees jive, jibe and gibe used interchangeably, and suggested I disentangle them. So I will, but first I should say that certain variations and overlaps in their usage are legitimate, while others are generally considered non-standard or incorrect. The usual […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th October, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 24, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Walking in a webinar wonderland
- Posted by Henry Firth on October 23, 2015
- Webinar. Now’s the time of year when I’m confronted by this word on an almost daily basis as we ramp up the final preparations for the annual Macmillan Education Online Conference. The event is now in its fifth year - and if you haven’t come across it before, it is a place where teachers across […]
- Language tip of the week: say something
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 22, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 2: Is it OK to ask “Can I get a coffee?”
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 21, 2015
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use often undermines or contradicts the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In our new series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’re bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about vocabulary. […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: pop
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 19, 2015
- Only 89 new entries made it into the Open Dictionary in September, a sharp drop from the two previous months. The overall number of submissions was slightly down too, and many submissions failed to meet the admissions criteria. These are that the word or phrase should be used by more than just one person or […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th October, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 16, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: asking for something
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 14, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th October, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 09, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: ask questions
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 08, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip looks […]
- Real Vocabulary Quiz, Question 1: When do you say “awesome”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 06, 2015
- Our Real Grammar series showed how the evidence of language in use undermines or contradicts many of the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people insist on. In our new series on Real Vocabulary, with Scott Thornbury, we’ll be bringing you blog posts, videos and a quiz that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd October, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 02, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
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Archive for September, 2015
- Language tip of the week: answer
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 30, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip […]
- Words change, and that’s OK
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 28, 2015
- Many of the bugbears of language purists hinge on what they believe is the incorrect use of particular words. But the meanings and usage of words change all the time: new senses emerge, old ones fade or shift, and senses can vary greatly from one context to another. This month Macmillan Dictionary introduced its Real […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th September, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 25, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: argue
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 24, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips to accompany the Real Vocabulary theme we look at how you can expand your vocabulary in English by using different words and expressions instead of core vocabulary items. This week’s tip […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: shabbify
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 22, 2015
- Just under 180 of your submissions were accepted into the Open Dictionary in August, up from 159 the previous month. Many new entries came from Kerry Maxwell’s regular BuzzWord feature, which has focused on a newsworthy neologism almost every week for the past twelve years. Inevitably not all of these words have stood the test […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th September, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 18, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: method
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 16, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about methods of doing something: The methods that you […]
- Language, logic, and Lewis Carroll
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 14, 2015
- One of the joys of reading Lewis Carroll lies in his treatment of logic - the wonderful mixture of care and irreverence with which he manipulates the everyday rules and conventions through which we make sense. As a mathematician who wrote books on logic, Carroll seems to have delighted in playing around with it in […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th September, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 12, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: strange
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 11, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about strange behaviour: A person who behaves in a […]
- Following Real Grammar, welcome to Real Vocabulary
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 09, 2015
- Welcome to our new series on Real Vocabulary, which kicks off with a quiz and two videos with Scott Thornbury. We decided to move the debate on from grammar to vocabulary because so many of the points of usage which traditionalists criticize relate to vocabulary and word choice rather than to grammar. For “prescriptive” grammarians […]
- What’s your favourite ‘Alice’ portmanteau?
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on September 08, 2015
- Earlier this year we asked our regular blog contributors about their favourite portmanteau words. We received numerous entries, from chillax and flexitarian to vitamin and spam. The term chortle also made an appearance and it was not the first time that a word invented by Lewis Carroll made it into someone’s list of most favourite […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th September, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 04, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: argument
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 02, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about arguments: An argument is like a fight or […]
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Archive for August, 2015
- Etymology bites back
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 31, 2015
- We’ve all been offered a ‘morsel’ of something - pie, cake, or some other food perhaps - or we may have received a morsel of praise for being the person who offered it. But unless you’re etymologically inclined, you might not have stopped to wonder where the word comes from, and it’s a lot less […]
- Language and words in the news - 29th August, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 29, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- From belfie to twitterhoea: new words from social media
- Posted by Henry Firth on August 27, 2015
- All this month, we’re celebrating the fact that the Open Dictionary has now been integrated with the main Dictionary in search results. A major source of new words these days is of course social media. And with that in mind, I’ve scoured the Open Dictionary archives to find the best contributions the worlds of Facebook […]
- Language tip of the week: deceive
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 26, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about deceiving people: Deceiving someone is like sending or […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st August, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 21, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: relationship
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 19, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about relationships: Relationships between people or groups are like […]
- Bandying the word ‘bandy’ about
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 17, 2015
- Gill Francis’s post on updating the linguistics entries in Macmillan Dictionary described a technical term as ‘not usually bandied about in public’. This got me wondering about the curious word bandy and the different ways we use it. We might say someone is bandy-legged, for example, meaning curved outwards at the knees (bow-legged is a […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th August, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 14, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: honest
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 12, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being honest: Being honest and moral is like […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: smoko
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 10, 2015
- Submissions to the Open Dictionary in July continued the theme of food words from around the globe. So we have added, among others, aloo tikki (‘a famous Indian snack made of potato and spices’), kreplach (small dumplings filled with meat or cheese, eaten on Jewish holidays) and lahmacun (a type of middle Eastern pizza). A […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th August, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 07, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: theatre
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 06, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of theatre in American and British English. In […]
- The dictionary that keeps on growing: grammar and linguistics
- Posted by Gill Francis on August 05, 2015
- In his recent post, Michael announced that the latest update of the Macmillan Dictionary features a substantial revision of the grammatical and linguistics entries. These constitute the metalanguage of English - all the words and phrases used to talk about how our language works. They include word classes like verb and noun, larger units like […]
- It’s a libfix-aganza!
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 03, 2015
- In his report on the new updates to Macmillan Dictionary, Michael Rundell discussed the increasingly popular and productive term -mageddon, as in carmageddon and snowmageddon. Each such coinage invokes, by analogy with the others and with the original word Armageddon, ‘the idea of something bad occurring on a large scale and causing chaos or destruction’. […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2015/07
Archive for July, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 31st July, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 31, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: achieve
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 30, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about achieving something: Something you achieve is like a […]
- The dictionary that keeps on growing
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 28, 2015
- The latest update of the Macmillan Dictionary went live last week, and it includes 146 new words. On top of that, 25 existing words have gained new meanings, and we’ve made over 130 other changes - updating or improving definitions, adding “new” alternative pronunciations, and so on. The dictionary keeps on growing. We’ve talked before […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th July, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 24, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: state
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 23, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of state in American and British English. In […]
- Tracking the emergence of new words across time and space
- Posted by Henry Firth on July 21, 2015
- A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to receive a visit from Jack Grieve, a researcher and lecturer from Aston University, England, who delivered a fascinating presentation: Tracking the emergence of new words across time and space, examining the emergence of new words on Twitter. Intrigued by what he had to say, Henry decided […]
- Finding fault in the right places
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 20, 2015
- A common way to discuss what is correct or appropriate or not in English is by pointing out shortcomings in other people’s usage. This practice has a long tradition in language commentary and pedagogy, and while it can be helpful and enlightening, it’s not always constructive. Not only in the sense that people frequently misidentify […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th July, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 17, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: life
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 15, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about life: Life is like a journey, and your […]
- Open Dictionary Word of the Month: icy pole
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 13, 2015
- Following the integration of the Open Dictionary into Macmillan Dictionary earlier this year, we thought it was time to celebrate again the success of our crowdsourced dictionary. This series of posts will highlight the contribution made by our worldwide band of contributors by picking out some of the most interesting submissions made to the Open […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th July, 2015
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on July 10, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: quite
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 09, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of quite in American and British English. In […]
- Reflections on Real Grammar
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 06, 2015
- Macmillan Dictionary’s recent series on Real Grammar included a quiz that explored people’s attitudes and preferences in English language usage. Editor-in-Chief Michael Rundell wrote that the quiz results suggest ‘a sophisticated understanding of how grammatical norms can change over time or can vary according to the social context’, and that most respondents ‘opted for sensible […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd July, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 03, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: proud
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 01, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being proud: Being too proud, and thinking that […]
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Archive for June, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 26th June, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 26, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: bathroom
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 25, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of bathroom in American and British English. In […]
- Real Grammar Twitter chat
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 24, 2015
- To bring down the curtain on our Real Grammar series, we held our first-ever live Twitter chat with regular blog contributor Stan Carey this week. In case you missed it, you’ll find some of the highlights below courtesy of Stan’s specially-created Storify which he put together after the event. Just click through the slides to […]
- Real Grammar: a few concluding thoughts
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 23, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In our series of Real Grammar blog posts and videos, we have discussed frequently asked questions about grammar, and provided evidence-based answers. […]
- The double passive is suggested to be avoided (sometimes)
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 22, 2015
- In the annals of writing advice the passive voice is subject to much unfair criticism. In non-specialist contexts, such as news journalism and public discussion, the situation is still worse, with misidentification often added to the mix - many people who peremptorily condemn the passive are ignorant of what it is, let alone when it […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th June, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 19, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: discover
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 18, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about discovering something: Discovering things such as facts and […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 10: can I use “however” at the beginning of a sentence?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 16, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In this series, we have brought you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and usage. There’s also […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th June, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 12, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: pub or bar?
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 10, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip is slightly different, as it was written in response to a reader’s comments on […]
- Ludic language and the game of grammar
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 08, 2015
- If asked to name the purpose of language, we might be inclined to say communication, or the imparting of information. But language has many purposes, some of which have nothing to do with sharing ideas or facts. If language were meant to serve solely as a means of exchanging information, why would we talk to […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th June, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 05, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: nervous
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 04, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about feeling nervous: When you feel nervous it is […]
- Dialects and dictionaries
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 02, 2015
- There is an old story about a sign on a level crossing (the place where a road crosses a railway line, known as a “grade crossing” in the U.S.). The sign was designed for the safety of car drivers, and it said: “Wait here while the red light flashes”. But it had to be replaced because […]
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Archive for May, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 29th May, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 29, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: gas
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 28, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of gas in American and British English. In […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 9: should I say “Can I…” or “May I …”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 27, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In this series, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and usage. […]
- The double superlative
- Posted by John Williams on May 26, 2015
- Round about this time of year, I eagerly await the nominations for the Idler magazine’s Bad Grammar Awards. Not because I necessarily agree that their nominations are actually examples of bad grammar (indeed sometimes they’re examples of bad spelling or punctuation), but because they tend to show up the gulf between the preoccupations of professional […]
- ‘Mx’ - a new gender-neutral title
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 25, 2015
- Most people find that they fit readily into one of the common titles Mr, Ms, Mrs or Miss, even if they consider them unnecessary. Ms as a female equivalent of Mr - a title that does not mark marital status - is little more than a century old but is now thoroughly established in standard […]
- Henry’s social media musings - political language
- Posted by Henry Firth on May 24, 2015
- “Despite the best efforts of the ‘milifandom’, Labour couldn’t triumph in the UK election - largely thanks to the ‘ajockalypse’ - and now a ‘Brexit’ looks likely.” Did that all make sense to you? I’d guess probably not. But you won’t be the only one saying that, trust me. It’s been a heavy few weeks […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd May, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 22, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Being an archaeodialectologist
- Posted by David Crystal on May 21, 2015
- We are pleased to welcome back to the blog David Crystal, the renowned linguist, writer, editor, lecturer and broadcaster. Professor Crystal’s new book The Disappearing Dictionary is published on 21st May by Pan Macmillan. ___________ In the days when I edited The Cambridge Encylopedia, this is how my archaeology contributor defined his subject: ‘the study of […]
- Language tip of the week: secret
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 20, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about keeping and revealing secrets: To keep something secret […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th May, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 15, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: pavement
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 13, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of pavement in American and British English. In […]
- This ever-changing language in which we live in
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 11, 2015
- In a recent post on double negatives I said we make allowances for non-standard grammar in song lyrics - or most of us do, most of the time. But some lines still give us pause. One source of frequent dispute is the Paul and Linda McCartney song ‘Live and Let Die’, famously used in a […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th May, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 08, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: win
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 06, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about winning: Winning a competition or game is like […]
- Don’t shoot the messenger
- Posted by Gill Francis on May 04, 2015
- In a previous post, I tried to show that it is perfectly natural and acceptable to say he shot dead his girlfriend as well as he shot his girlfriend dead, in spite of the fictional Professor Pedanticus’s claim that the use of the first pattern by the BBC is not only very annoying, but has […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st May, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 01, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
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Archive for April, 2015
- Language tip of the week: interested
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 29, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being interested: Being interested in something is like […]
- Litotes is no small matter
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 27, 2015
- In a recent defence of double negatives I mentioned litotes in passing; this post will look at it in greater detail. Since the word is more often read than heard, and its appearance may mislead, we should start with pronunciation. Litotes has three syllables and is normally pronounced either /la?'t??ti?z/ ‘lie-TOE-teez’ or /'la?t??ti?z/ ‘LIE-toe-teez’, with […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th April, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 24, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: subway
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 23, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in meaning of subway in American and British English. In […]
- Earthy Idioms
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 22, 2015
- New in our series of Language in Pictures is an infographic to celebrate Earth Day. Every year on 22nd April, people from all over the world help raise awareness about the natural world and the importance of conservation. If you’re thinking of using this topic in class, have a look at our latest infographic which […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 8: can “like” be used as a conjunction?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 21, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In this series, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and usage. […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th April, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 17, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: tolerance
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 15, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about tolerance and intolerance: Having an attitude of tolerance […]
- Ain’t nothin’ (grammatically) wrong with no double negatives
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 13, 2015
- When Mick Jagger sings that he ‘can’t get no satisfaction’, there’s no confusion over what he means - we know he’s not saying he can get some satisfaction. In a different context, ‘can’t get any satisfaction’ might be better, but we give singers poetic licence when it comes to grammar. We should, anyway. But we […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th April, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 10, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: holiday
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 08, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people talk about holidays in American and British […]
- Henry’s social media musings
- Posted by Henry Firth on April 07, 2015
- Hi! I’m Henry and I look after Macmillan Dictionary’s social media channels. (Yes, that’s me ‘liking’ and replying to those comments…) Seeing as I spend so much time online, I thought it would be a good idea to start a monthly blog on the latest buzzwords - and other linguistic trends - that I spot […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd April, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 03, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: busy
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 01, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being busy: Being very busy at work is […]
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Archive for March, 2015
- Grammar at cross purposes
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 30, 2015
- A recurring theme in Macmillan Dictionary’s Real Grammar series is the difference between actual rules in English grammar and misconceptions or ill-founded assumptions about what constitutes such a rule. Some of the issues addressed, like split infinitives and singular they, are familiar from decades or even centuries of usage debate; others, like bored of, are […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th March, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 27, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: mean
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 26, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people use the adjective mean in American and […]
- Spring is in the air!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 25, 2015
- Spring is in the air, Easter is around the corner and over on social media we’re talking about… the best Easter webquest under the sun! Created by Luke Vyner for onestopenglish, students are able to consolidate their Easter vocabulary and learn more about the festival’s symbols and celebrations. In addition to the quest, the infographic […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 7: should I say “different from” or different to”?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 24, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th March, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 20, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: money
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 18, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about money: Money is like food, which gets eaten […]
- Is ‘invite’ acceptable as a noun?
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 16, 2015
- Last week a friend told me to expect ‘an invite’ to something. This was unremarkable in the context, but I know people who would insist on saying invitation even when it might sound inappropriately formal. Invite is a word whose use as a noun seems destined to always raise hackles. For some people it depends […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th March, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 13, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: programme
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 11, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people use the words programme and program in […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th March, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 07, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: friendly
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 06, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being friendly: A friendly relationship between people is […]
- Gwyneth Fox remembered
- Posted by Michael Rundell and Liz Potter on March 04, 2015
- Sad news for all of us who have worked on the Macmillan Dictionary: our former colleague Gwyneth Fox has died after a short illness. Gwyneth’s sudden death came as a tremendous shock to everyone who knew her. She had been retired for only five years and seemed to be full of energy and in excellent […]
- On behalf of this fossilised phrase
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 02, 2015
- We often refer to something being done on behalf of someone, but the word behalf appears only in this set phrase and variations on it. In other words it’s not linguistically productive, so it can be described as a fossil. But what is a behalf, and where does it come from? On someone’s behalf, etymologically […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2015/02
Archive for February, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 27th February, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 27, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: football
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 26, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people use the word football in American and […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st February, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 21, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: power
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 20, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about power: Having power and controlling someone is like […]
- And the winners are…
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 19, 2015
- Over on Macmillan Dictionary we have announced the winners of the Love English Awards 2014! Back in first place, after winning the award for Best Website two years ago, is Hungarian website 5 Perc Angol (5-Minute English)! They narrowly missed out on winning Best Facebook page, by coming second after Mastering Grammar, who won the […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 6: Is it OK to use “they” when referring to a singular person?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 18, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and […]
- Numb-headed numbnuts, ninnies and Numskulls
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 16, 2015
- Macmillan’s crowd-sourced Open Dictionary is a great place to keep an eye on new words and niche vocabulary. It has a marvellous variety of novel phrases, slang, specialist terms, vogue words, regionalisms and other items not used often enough or widely enough to be considered core vocabulary - though any that shift towards mainstream use […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th February, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 14, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Unlucky for some?
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 13, 2015
- Do you walk round ladders rather than under them? touch wood to ward off bad luck? throw salt over your shoulder if you spill some? feel that you will have a good or bad day because a black cat crosses your path? If the answer to any of these questions is yes then you’re probably […]
- Language tip of the week: class
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 12, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people use the word class in American and […]
- Describing relationships with the love-thermometer
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 09, 2015
- In our daily #guesstheword challenge on Facebook and Twitter, we post a definition and ask people to guess the word or phrase we’re looking for. Last week, we asked our audience to match the word to this definition: “to love someone very much, often so much that you do not notice their faults” It’s a […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th February, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 06, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: angry
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 05, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about being angry: Being angry is like being hot […]
- Refuting allegations of incorrectness
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 02, 2015
- A common bugbear of language critics is the use of refute to mean ‘reject’. A politician might claim to refute allegations of wrongdoing, meaning reject or deny (but not disprove) them. Or a news organisation might phrase the politician’s denial that way; both are common sources of the usage. But because refute traditionally means ‘disprove’, […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2015/01
Archive for January, 2015
- Language and words in the news - 30th January, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 30, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: time
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 29, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in how people talk about time in American and British […]
- Your favourite portmanteau words
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on January 27, 2015
- Today is the 183rd birthday of the English mathematician, logician, photographer and clergyman Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. If you’re wondering why such an obscure figure deserves to be celebrated, I should quickly add that Dodgson, better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was the author of the children’s classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through […]
- 10 most popular blog posts in 2014: Part 2
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 26, 2015
- 2014 was another busy year on Macmillan Dictionary Blog. With so many great posts to choose from we decided to break from tradition and give you not one but two top tens to enjoy. In the previous post we shared the most popular Learn English posts from 2014. This time we’re giving you another chance […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd January, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 23, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: idea
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 22, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this series of language tips we look at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about ideas: An idea or theory is like a […]
- 10 most popular blog posts in 2014: Part 1
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 21, 2015
- It’s an annual tradition here on this blog to take a look back at the archive of the previous year and share with you the 10 most popular blog posts. 2014 was another busy year on Macmillan Dictionary Blog, with new series on Life Skills and Real Grammar, as well as popular favourites language tips and […]
- Get organized with the BuzzWord calendar
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on January 20, 2015
- Have you made any New Year’s resolutions this year? Most resolutions go out of the window as quickly as they’ve been made, so this year Macmillan Dictionary will help those whose goal is being more organized! To help you get set up and plan for the year ahead, we have created a BuzzWord calendar for […]
- #Blacklivesmatter and words of the year
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 19, 2015
- The final, and foremost, Word of the Year selection in language lovers’ winter calendar is the American Dialect Society’s, which took place in Portland earlier this month. With no clear front-runner for its overall WOTY, it was open to surprises - like last year’s winner because. And a surprise duly occurred: the word of 2014 […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th January, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 16, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: student
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on January 15, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 5: Is it OK to use impact as a verb?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 14, 2015
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and […]
- Make your voice heard!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on January 13, 2015
- Before Christmas we shared with you the list of nominees for the Love English Awards 2014. Today the voting has started! With 35 blogs, 43 websites and 30 Facebook pages nominated, there are plenty of candidates to choose from. Who will be the winners this year? Make sure you vote before 9 February to make […]
- Passives: the long and the short of it
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on January 12, 2015
- In a previous post, I mentioned that the passive without an agent (also called the ‘short passive’) is one of a dozen ways of reporting and commenting on events and situations without specifying an actor - e.g. “The fire had been fully extinguished by yesterday morning.” But why do we use the passive with an […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th January, 2015
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 09, 2015
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: feeling happy
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 08, 2015
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about feeling happy: Feeling happy and […]
- Accent prejudice in the mainstream
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 05, 2015
- The rules of TV-watching change at Christmas, with the result that even a habitual tube-avoider like me can end up seeing shows like Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz of the Year. I didn’t expect it to contain material of any great sociolinguistic interest, but it did, and it wasn’t good. On at least three occasions […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/12
Archive for December, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 25th December, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 25, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Are you feeling Christmassy?
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 24, 2014
- In countries where Christmas is celebrated, the population probably divides fairly neatly into those who love Christmas and revel in every aspect of the festive season, and those who actively dislike it. I suspect there aren’t many who can take it or leave it. The patron saint of those who shun Christmas and everything to […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of asking and giving permission
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 23, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at some of the ways of expressing approval and disapproval. This week’s tip, which is the last in the series, looks at ways of asking and giving permission. Can I…? […]
- Anti-multiple-hyphen tendencies
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 22, 2014
- A leading story in Irish current affairs this year has been the government’s controversial creation of Irish Water, which will charge people for their use of water, and the ensuing nationwide protests. The outcry is about much more than the water charges - there is deep, widespread anger about how the country is being run […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th December, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 20, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Love English Awards 2014 - the nominees!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 19, 2014
- The nominations stage of the Love English Awards 2014 has come to an end. Hundreds of people around the world have nominated their favourite website, blog and Facebook page about the English language. It’s now time to reveal the final list of nominees! Remember, voting starts on 13 January 2015 on Macmillan Dictionary. Make sure […]
- Language tip of the week: love
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 18, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about love: When you love someone […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: ways of praising someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 18, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? It’s the final one in the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of praising someone. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - including this […]
- They don’t shoot dead people, do they?
- Posted by Gill Francis on December 16, 2014
- Each Saturday a small section entitled ‘Chris Maslanka’s Puzzles’ appears on the Guardian newspaper’s puzzle page. One puzzle features a ‘Professor Pedanticus’, who - you guessed it - is a pedant, the sort of old-school fuddy-duddy who wants the English language to stay exactly as it was at some idealised point in his past - […]
- Word roots and routes: close
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on December 15, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. A popular stereotype concerning English vocabulary is that the high-frequency, monosyllabic words are of Germanic origin. This is often the case, but by no means always, and one of the exceptions is close, which has a Latin origin. Close is a particularly busy […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th December, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 12, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: lawyer
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 11, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 4: Is it OK to split an infinitive?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 09, 2014
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about grammar and […]
- Flat adverbs are exceeding fine
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 08, 2014
- We can do something quick or do it quickly, go slow or go slowly. But though we can do something fast, we don’t do it fastly - this is not a word you’re likely to hear from a native English speaker. How come? Fast, slow, and quick all belong to the set of adverbs in […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th December, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 05, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: understand
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 04, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about understanding something: Understanding something is […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of praising someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 03, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- The ups and downs of conversation
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on December 01, 2014
- In the previous post in this series, I presented some examples of how people often establish a topic before going on to say what they want to say about it - eg: That painting at the top of the stairs, I got that from my grandmother - or reiterate or clarify the topic at the […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/11
Archive for November, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 28th November, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 28, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: doctor
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on November 27, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- Love English Awards 2014 - update 1
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on November 26, 2014
- The Love English Awards 2014 are in full swing! The annual public contest, hosted by Macmillan Dictionary, was launched three weeks ago and to date we’ve received almost 250 nominations for ‘best blog’, ‘best website’ and ‘best Facebook page’ about the English language. We’ll be giving away some exciting prizes to three lucky people who […]
- Life skills tip of the week: approval and disapproval
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 25, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at some of the ways of adding emphasis to what you say and write. This week’s tip looks at a few of the very many ways of expressing approval and […]
- The vogue for banning words
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 24, 2014
- I’m not a fan of banning words. Even moist. For one thing it’s impossible, so I should say I’m not in favour of attempts to ban words either, even when those attempts aren’t serious. It strikes me as futile and rash, a casual shot at censorship motivated by capricious dislike of a word that perhaps […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st November, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 21, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: intelligence
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 20, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about intelligence: Intelligence is like a […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 3: Bored with it, or Bored of it?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 19, 2014
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: ways of expressing criticism
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 18, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of expressing criticism. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - including […]
- Word roots and routes: band, bend, bind
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on November 17, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. What do all the following have in common? a jazz band a band of values, prices, ages etc (eg a higher or lower tax band) a rubber band a broadband connection a bend in the road bending the rules […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th November, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 14, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: professor
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 13, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- Agitate for a higher milk yield
- Posted by František Cermák and Vera Schmiedtová on November 11, 2014
- Today’s guest authors are František Cermák and Vera Schmiedtová. Professor Cermák is a former director of the Institute of the Czech National Corpus, Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University in Prague. He is a corpus linguist, general linguist and Czech linguist, with a particular interest in the lexicon and phraseology. Dr Schmiedtová is a corpus […]
- Overall, there’s nothing really wrong with it
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 10, 2014
- Some words may seem harmless but attract prolonged disapproval from critics. One such word is overall, in its use both as an adjective meaning ‘considering something as a whole, rather than its details or the different aspects of it’ (the overall result), and as an adverb - usually a sentence adverb - meaning ‘when everything […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th November, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 07, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: language metaphors
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 06, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about language: Language and words are […]
- Support your favourite English language hub!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on November 05, 2014
- What do the English language, November and Macmillan Dictionary have in common? It’s the annual Love English Awards, now in their fourth year! Macmillan Dictionary has launched the 2014 Love English Awards, encouraging people from all over the world to enter. The awards, held between November and February, are a public contest where readers can […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of expressing criticism
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 04, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Not the same thing as writing, speaking, is it?
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on November 03, 2014
- One of the differences between writing and speaking is that when you’re writing, and especially when you’re writing on a computer, which of course makes it particularly simple to edit what you write as you go along, it’s quite easy to produce lengthy sentences which consist, as this one does, of a number of clauses […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/10
Archive for October, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 31st October, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 31, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: school
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 30, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: ways of warning people
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 28, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of warning people. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - including […]
- Mildew all around me, and other mondegreens
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 27, 2014
- Misheard song lyrics have been in my head again. Kerry Maxwell’s BuzzWord article on creep as a combining form reminded me of the memorably rude example ‘I drove all night, crapped in your room’ - instead of crept. Then a Twitter friend mentioned ‘Poppadum Creek’, a surreal misanalysis of Madonna’s lyric ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, and […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th October, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 24, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: conversation
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 23, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at metaphors used to talk about conversation: A conversation or discussion […]
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 2: Would or Should?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 22, 2014
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give […]
- Life skills tip of the week: emphasis
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 21, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of persuading someone to do something. This week’s tip looks at just a few of the very many ways of adding emphasis to what you say and […]
- Word roots and routes: pair
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on October 20, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Pair (noun and verb) has made its way to us from Latin par, meaning ‘equal’. As well as describing a set of two identical or near-identical items - e.g. a pair of shoes, a pair of eyes - it […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th October, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 17, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: public school
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 16, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the term […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of warning someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 14, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Enthusing about freedom of usage
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 13, 2014
- Writing about back-formation earlier this year, I said that enthuse - a verb back-formed from enthusiasm - occupied a grey area of acceptability. This area is worth mapping in more detail, since much of what people say about enthuse applies to other words and usages, and offers insights into what Macmillan Dictionary calls real grammar. […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th October, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 10, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: communicate
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 09, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. In this new series of language tips we will be looking at how metaphor is used to express some common concepts in English. This week’s tip looks at the area of communication: When people communicate, it is as […]
- Life skills tip of the week: persuasion
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 07, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of using understatement. This week’s tip gives some ways of persuading someone to do something. It might be a good idea if/It might be better if: a […]
- On the subject of whodunnit
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on October 06, 2014
- A typical English sentence consists, as a minimum, of a subject followed by a verb: They left. If there’s an object, it comes after the verb: They left town. Other elements can be added in various positions: They left town. They all left town. They all left town yesterday. Apparently they all left town yesterday. […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd October, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 03, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: college
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 02, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, usage, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the differences in usage in American and British English of the word […]
- Spoken English in today’s Britain
- Posted by Tony McEnery and Robbie Love on October 01, 2014
- Today’s guest post comes from Tony McEnery, Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, and Robbie Love, Research Student at the ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science at Lancaster University. ______________ Twenty years ago, a consortium of researchers from dictionary publishers, universities, and the British Library released the British National Corpus […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/09
Archive for September, 2014
- Real Grammar Quiz, Question 1: Who or Whom?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 30, 2014
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give […]
- The wacky world of ‘wack’ and ‘whack’
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 29, 2014
- Imagine you’re involved in a project outdoors, busy doing your whack of the work, and suddenly you get a whack of a branch, or you whack your leg off a gate. That would be totally wack, right? Or is it whack? If the semantic tangle of these words leaves you feeling a little out of […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th September, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 27, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Keeping it real with Real Grammar
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 25, 2014
- Real Grammar isn’t about the made-up or outdated “rules” which some people try to make us follow. As we said in the introduction to this new series from Macmillan Dictionary, Real Grammar is based on the evidence of language in use. In the coming months, we’ll be bringing you blog posts and videos that give […]
- Language tip of the week: another
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 25, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the spelling of the pronoun and determiner another: Another is written as one […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: ways of giving advice
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 23, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of giving advice. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - including […]
- Word roots and routes: sit and stand
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on September 22, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. The verb sit has the transitive, causal equivalent set, originally to ’cause to sit‘, or ‘put into a seated position’, but of course the meanings of set have diversified greatly, and the usual way of expressing ‘put into a […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th September, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 19, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: forget
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 18, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with alternatives for the verb forget: have no recollection of something to be completely […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of giving advice
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 16, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Can you twig it?
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 15, 2014
- Given how close Ireland and Britain are geographically, standard English has surprisingly few words that originated in Irish (less surprising when politics and social history are taken into account). Examples include banshee, galore, shamrock, and perhaps smithereens. Informal English has a few more, one of which may be twig, meaning ‘realise’ or ‘understand’. But its […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th September, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 13, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Life skills tip of the week: understatement
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 12, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of saying you are unsure about something. This week’s tip gives some ways of using understatement. Understatement is the practice, very common in spoken English, of saying […]
- Language tip of the week: trip
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 11, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with alternatives for the noun trip: journey a trip from one place to another, […]
- Macmillan Dictionary keeps on growing
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 10, 2014
- Following our recent redesign, a new “edition” of the Macmillan Dictionary went live this week, this time including 130 new headwords, 40 new phrases or meanings, and over 100 tweaks to improve what’s already there. As usual, new technology provides its share of additions (with words like bioprinting, phablet, wireframe, and the software-testing use of […]
- What’s your English? is home to roost
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on September 09, 2014
- We’ve been around the world and in and out of contexts in our search to understand and share what English is in the world, right now. The What’s Your English? 2010 campaign explored English usage in countries from Australia to Japan to Brazil. The 2011 campaign looked at English usage in different contexts: business English, metaphorical English, gender […]
- Exactly, but not exactly
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on September 08, 2014
- The basic meanings of ‘exactly’ are: 1 not more and not less - e.g. ‘Is it really important to measure the quantities exactly?’ 2 completely / in every way - e.g. ‘You haven’t changed at all - you look exactly the same’. Apart from these, ‘exactly’ has a number of other common, pragmatic uses, especially […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th September, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 06, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: risk
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 04, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with using the patterns that follow the noun risk. The noun risk is not […]
- “Real Grammar” - accept no substitutes!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 02, 2014
- Welcome to our new series on “Real Grammar”, which kicks off with a quiz. But this is a grammar quiz with a difference. As regular readers will know, all of us who write for the Macmillan Dictionary Blog have consistently argued that most grammar quizzes (and for that matter, most websites dispensing advice on “correct […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/08
Archive for August, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 29th August, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 29, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: attend
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 28, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with using the patterns that follow the verb attend. When attend means ‘to be […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of saying goodbye
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 26, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Word roots and routes: village, town, city
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on August 25, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. The word village is related to villa, which was originally a country dwelling with a farm and/or other surrounding houses, although it later became applied to an individual large, elegant residence with extensive grounds. Another word related to village […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd August, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 22, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: decrease
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 21, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with using the patterns that follow the noun decrease. Don’t use decrease of when […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: saying hello and goodbye
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on August 19, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of saying hello and goodbye. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans […]
- Broadcast(ed) and forecast(ed)
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 18, 2014
- Children learning language for the first time tend to regularise irregular verbs, saying things like ‘I goed’ instead of ‘I went’ and ‘we runned’ instead of ‘we ran’. If English inflection were more consistent, these utterances would be normal practice, not errors - though it’s worth noting that children may be more aware of words’ […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th August, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 15, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: till
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 14, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with using the preposition and conjunction till. Till and until mean the same, but […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of saying hello
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 12, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Word roots and routes: bear
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on August 11, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. The verb bear has very deep, tenacious roots. It was beran in Old English, and this in turn was a development from an Indo-European root which already had the dual meanings of ‘carry’ and ‘give birth‘. One word related […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th August, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 08, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: hot
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 07, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with some other ways of saying hot: tepid almost cold: used especially of liquids: […]
- What kinda people say ‘could of’?
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on August 06, 2014
- In a survey of attitudes to disputed usages in English, respondents were presented with three sentences and asked the following questions about them: “Is it acceptable in English today, would you use it yourself? If so, where and when? If not, why not? If you think the sentence is unacceptable, why would that be the […]
- Hail-phrase-well-met
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 04, 2014
- I was ploughing through a legal thriller recently (Limitations by Scott Turow) when I came across a line that brought me up short: ‘“Nathan!” George cries, hail fellow well met, as he strides out.’ Hail fellow well met. I’ve been encountering this expression on and off over the years, but never properly examined it. What […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st August, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 01, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/07
Archive for July, 2014
- Language tip of the week: interest
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 31, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the patterns that can follow the noun interest: When the noun interest means […]
- Word roots and routes: heart
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on July 30, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Heart (Germanic) has relatives in words beginning with card- (from Greek) and cord- / cour- (from Latin/French).* The Greek root is used in medical terminology; cardiac arrest, for example, is a term used by medical professionals for what the […]
- Life skills tip of the week: saying you are unsure about something
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 29, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of expressing personal opinions in writing. This week’s tip gives some ways of saying you are unsure about something: In our recent post on ways of saying […]
- Get your gas mask on - toot sweet! World War I, and its impact on English
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 28, 2014
- There’s a popular song from World War I about a soldier going off to the front. It starts with the lines: Brother Bertie went away To do his bit the other day (You can hear an original recording here.) “Doing your bit” - taking your fair share of a job that has to be done […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th July, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 25, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: independence
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 24, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the spelling of the noun independence: Note that the correct spelling is independence […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: saying you are sure or unsure
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on July 23, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of saying you are sure or not sure. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All […]
- Life skills tip of the week: saying you are sure about something
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 22, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Why heed the language cranks?
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 21, 2014
- Disputes over English usage are full of familiar items. Split infinitives, sentence-final prepositions, words like [you might prefer such as] hopefully and decimate - the same issues keep showing up, despite convincing arguments that there’s seldom a problem with any of them, leaving aside the question of register. It feels as though these are battles […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th July, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 18, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: risk
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 17, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the patterns following the verb risk: The verb risk is never followed by […]
- What goes in the dictionary when the dictionary is online?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 15, 2014
- The familiar question of “how words get into the dictionary” is harder to answer when the dictionary is online. Printed dictionaries have limited space, so we have to be selective. This contributes to the popular view of lexicographers as “gatekeepers” - the people who decide, on behalf of the rest of the population, which words are […]
- Word roots and routes: dict
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on July 14, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Although say, tell and word are of Germanic origin, like most of the commonest English words, quite a bit of other vocabulary connected with words and with saying is derived from Latin dicere (= ‘say’). To dictate was originally […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th July, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 11, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: accommodation
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 10, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with spelling the noun accommodation: The word accommodation is often spelled wrongly. It has […]
- Tour de Yorks
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 09, 2014
- A couple of weeks ago I finally fulfilled a longstanding wish to visit Haworth parsonage, family home of the Bronte sisters. There is a striking, even surreal contrast between the plain, dark house by the churchyard where those brilliantly gifted women spent much of their short lives and the chocolate-box prettiness of the steep main […]
- Laying down the lie of the land
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 07, 2014
- A recent comment by Isobel on my post ‘Who’s the boss of English?’ raised the vexed question of lay vs. lie. I felt this would be worth a post in its own right - not so much to lay down the law as to give the lie to the idea that it’s a simple matter […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th July, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 04, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: prevent
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 03, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with using the verb prevent: The verb prevent is never followed by an infinitive. […]
- Who’s afraid of a sweeper keeper?
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 02, 2014
- In sport, as in other areas of life, fashions come and go, and football is no exception. Of course the core terminology, like the basics of the game, remains the same, and you can find an excellent summary of footballing language here. But styles of play change, along with the colour of the players’ shoes. […]
(E1)(L1) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/06
Archive for June, 2014
- Word roots and routes: sun
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on June 30, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Sun and son are homophones - they happen to have the same pronunciation, but their spellings are different, and their meanings and origins are unrelated. Germanic, Latin and Greek have all contributed to our vocabulary connected with the sun. Germanic […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th June, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 27, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: funny
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 26, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip looks at some other ways of saying something is funny: amusing fairly funny, in a […]
- Field - a trilingual football expressions dictionary
- Posted by Rove Chishman on June 25, 2014
- You wait ages for a trilingual dictionary of football, and then two come along at once (you can read about another trilingual football dictionary here). The team behind this new dictionary is led by Rove Chishman, a Professor of Linguistics and coordinator of the Graduate Program in Applied Linguistics at the University of Vale do […]
- Anyone for Dennis?
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 24, 2014
- News that Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray has guest-edited a special edition of the venerable children’s comic the Beano (produced in Scotland, like Murray himself) makes me think it’s time to turn our attention away from a certain sporting competition happening on the other side of the world and focus on one that has […]
- You’re the one for me, phatic
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 23, 2014
- What is language for? A common answer is that it allows us to communicate ideas, but this is only part of the story. In her book A Woman Speaks, French author Anaïs Nin says we forget that language uses ‘a million transmissions far more subtle than explicit direct statements’. This poetic description includes what in […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th June, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 20, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: cook
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 19, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip looks at some other ways of saying cook: boil to cook food in boiling water: […]
- Do you know the lingo?
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 18, 2014
- Say you’re watching a football match with your friends or you’re thinking of joining a sports club - and the chosen language to communicate in is English. But what if you don’t know all the sports lingo that will be used when watching or playing a game? Macmillan Dictionary has made a selection of commonly […]
- Life skills tip of the week: expressing personal opinions in writing
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 17, 2014
- As part of this year’s pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of being polite. This week’s tip gives some ways of expressing personal opinions in writing: In our recent post on ways of giving your opinion we looked […]
- Word roots and routes: moon
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on June 16, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Throughout the ages, people have gazed at the moon in its changing manifestations, worshipped it, invested it with magical powers or human characteristics, and woven it into myths and stories. In some languages it even gives its name to […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th June, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 13, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: discuss
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 12, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verb discuss: The verb discuss should not be followed by the preposition […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: giving your opinion
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 11, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the ‘expressing yourself’ series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of giving your opinion. What’s included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - including […]
- FrameNet Brasil World Cup Dictionary
- Posted by Tiago Torrent on June 10, 2014
- We are delighted to introduce a new author to our blog. Tiago Torrent is a Professor of Linguistics at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. He is also the leader of the FrameNet Brasil research group, which gathers together linguists and computer scientists for the development of frame-based resources for Natural Language Processing. […]
- Kind’ve a strange phrase
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 09, 2014
- I’ve been on a binge of detective fiction lately, catching up on Michael Connelly’s back catalogue. His L.A.-based crime novels are a good source of police jargon, slang, and abbreviations, but it was a different type of linguistic item that caught my eye this time. In The Concrete Blonde, a news reporter tells the protagonist, […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th June, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 06, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: despite
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 05, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the preposition despite: Never use of after despite. ? Recycling is a good […]
- Life skills tip of the week: giving your opinion
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 04, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Don’t let them bully you!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 03, 2014
- Readers of our blog will be aware that - despite several decades of serious linguistic research based on the evidence found in corpora - the world is still plagued by self-appointed “experts”, who seem to enjoy lecturing the rest of us on what is wrong with the way we write and speak. Worse still, these […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/05
Archive for May, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 30th May, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 30, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: approve
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 29, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verb approve: When approve means ‘to have a positive feeling towards something […]
- New pragmatics lesson plan: agreeing/disagreeing
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on May 27, 2014
- Have you seen our latest lesson plan by author Jonathan Marks? This new resource is part of the 'expressing yourself' series and helps learners review and consolidate ways of expressing agreement or disagreement. What's included? Worksheets for students, tips for teachers, as well as an answer key and suggested follow-up activities. All pragmatics lesson plans - […]
- How many 'alternatives' can there be?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 26, 2014
- In my post 'Who's the boss of English?', I refuted several prescriptivist rules about English usage asserted by the journalist Simon Heffer. One was his insistence that when it comes to alternatives 'there can only ever be two' - that any more than two means they are 'options'. This curious belief is worth a closer […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd May, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 23, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of being polite
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 20, 2014
- As part of this year's pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of saying thank you. This week's tip gives some ways of saying something politely: In our recent post on ways of agreeing and disagreeing we looked at […]
- Word roots and routes: scribe
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on May 19, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. A scribe was someone whose job was to copy documents and books before the invention of printing; the word is now sometimes used humorously to refer to a writer, and especially a journalist. However, English has an extensive set […]
- Language tip of the week: can
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on May 15, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the modal verb can: The negative form of the verb can is cannot. […]
- Join our Life Skills Day this Wednesday!
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on May 13, 2014
- Are you interested in learning more about teaching life skills? This Wednesday, Macmillan will host its first ever Life Skills Day with webinars covering a variety of teaching situations, from working with young learners to teaching adults. The day will consist of six talks and workshops, discussing the benefits of teaching life skills and how […]
- Who's the boss of English?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 12, 2014
- Some people worry that English is endangered by misuse - or what they believe to be misuse. They may be unhappy that hopefully has gained an additional meaning, or that literally often isn't meant literally, or that like has expanded its repertoire: 'It's a verb, for crying out loud!' protested a commenter on my language […]
- Language tip of the week: book
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on May 08, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying book: novel a book that tells a story textbook a […]
- Schwa, syllables and words in different guises - Part 2
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on May 07, 2014
- When you look up the pronunciation of a word in a dictionary, what you'll find is the word's 'citation form'. This is how the word is likely to be pronounced when uttered in isolation, for example in answer to the question, 'What's this word? I can't read it', which someone might ask while reading a […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of expressing agreement or disagreement
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on May 06, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Word roots and routes: river, stream, canal
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on May 05, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. In the course of my visits to Britain in the 1990s I noticed that train conductors were starting to use ‘arrive to’ in place of the traditional ‘arrive at’ in their announcements - e.g. ‘We will shortly be arriving to Leeds.’ This usage […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd May, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on May 02, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: enter
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on May 01, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verb enter: Enter is usually a transitive verb, and it takes a […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/04
Archive for April, 2014
- Trending, then peaking, then past its sell-by date
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 30, 2014
- Australian scientists have discovered that the more beards there are, the less attractive they become. Their experiment, reported in the journal Biology Letters, found that "women and men judged heavy stubble and full beards more attractive when presented in treatments where beards were rare than when they were common … Likewise, clean-shaven faces were least […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of saying thank you
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 29, 2014
- As part of this year's pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of apologizing. This week's tip gives some ways of thanking someone: Thanks and Thank you are the most usual ways of telling someone you are grateful for […]
- Parallelism, precision, and pedantry
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 28, 2014
- Authorities on writing style often stress the importance of parallelism. By this they mean the use of parallel grammar to arrange parallel ideas and elements - which could be words, phrases, or clauses. It's about matching structures and patterns to enhance the logic and style of one's prose, and it can make a sentence feel […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th April, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 25, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: steal
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 24, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying steal: rob to steal something from a person or […]
- Schwa, syllables and words in different guises - Part 1
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on April 23, 2014
- I still remember learning, in my early days at school, that there are five vowels in English: a, e, i, o and u. But I discovered later that this simple account doesn't tell the whole story. For one thing, the letter y can also function as a vowel, as in the word sky. And, more […]
- Word roots and routes: Easter
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on April 22, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. The words Easter and east are related not only to each other, but also to orient, origin and aurora. This might surprise you, but the alternation between s and r in related words is quite common - think of was vs. were, for […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th April, 2014
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 18, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Are you having hot cross buns today?
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 18, 2014
- Today's Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, a Christian feast that many people from different cultures around the world celebrate every year. Easter marks the end of Lent, and for many it means spending time with family, going away on holiday, decorating eggs and eating traditional Easter dishes. Eggs are a symbol of re-birth and […]
- Language tip of the week: until
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 17, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the conjunction and preposition until: Unlike till, the word until has only one […]
- Is English going to the dog(e)s?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 16, 2014
- A few weeks back, our Friday column on Language and Words in the News included a link to an article by Gretchen McCulloch on the grammar of “doge”. Historically, a doge was an elected ruler of Venice, but that’s not the one we’re talking about here. And although the two words are homonyms (both pronounced […]
- Surveilling a new back formation
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 14, 2014
- New words are constantly entering English, though only some are destined to stick around or become standard. We might imagine them being made from scratch, and some, such as blurb and quark, were coined this way - by Gelett Burgess and James Joyce, respectively. Far more often, though, new words emerge through modification of existing […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th April, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 11, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: eat
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 10, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with other ways of saying eat: have breakfast/lunch/dinner to eat a particular meal: Have […]
- Are you -ish, -ic, -ese or -ian? (Or none of these?)
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on April 09, 2014
- Most people in Spain are Spanish and speak Spanish. Most people in Italy are Italian and speak Italian. There are many countries that give their name, plus a suffix, to both a language, and an adjective for things from the country. Of course there are lots of languages without countries, and plenty of countries that […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of apologizing
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 08, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- Word roots and routes: water
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on April 07, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Not surprisingly, in view of the vital importance of the colourless, odourless liquid it refers to, water is not only a frequent word in its own right (as a noun and a verb) but also appears in a large number of compounds. The […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th April, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 04, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: ability
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on April 04, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the noun ability: When ability means ‘the fact of being able to do something’, […]
- The words you need: follow the red words and stars
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 03, 2014
- I learned a great new Spanish word last week: tiquismiquis. Its equivalent in English would be something like nitpicker or fusspot. It’s not quite a case of onomatopoeia, but there’s something about the word that matches the referent, and this makes it easier to remember. Next time I come across it, I’ll know what it […]
- 248 changes in Macmillan Dictionary’s new update
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 02, 2014
- After a hard day at work — so busy you had to have your lunch al desko — you’re home at last. Time to change into something comfortable (so, maybe not the spray-on jeans today) and settle down to chainwatch your latest box set — perhaps one of those scary Nordic noir thrillers. Well, you […]
- It’s our birthday!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 01, 2014
- Three hoorays for Macmillan Dictionary! Or five, to be precise, since this month marks the day five years ago when we launched the online version of Macmillan Dictionary. A lot has happened since then. The Open Dictionary and BuzzWords sections have become much loved features of the site and with the launch of the Love […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/03
Archive for March, 2014
- False and flying colours in metaphor
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 31, 2014
- Colour has many figurative and metaphorical uses, independent of physics, that can reflect our identity or nature more or less directly. People might show their true colours by making an off-colour remark, or we might say the local colour of a town has brought colour to some event. I want to highlight here a particular […]
- Language and words in the news - 28th March, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 28, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: way
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 27, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying way: method a way of doing something that involves […]
- As versus so in negative comparisons
- Posted by John Williams on March 26, 2014
- Corpus lexicographers are used to basing their linguistic judgements on authentic data, on what people have actually said or written. This approach has led to major advances in the study of language, but what it tends to underplay is what people think of their own (or other people's) language habits, in terms of correctness or […]
- Word roots and routes: whole
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on March 24, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. The word whole has very deep roots, which can be traced back beyond the beginnings of English, and it has close cognates in other modern Germanic languages. The underlying meaning of whole is 'undamaged', and therefore complete or entire. […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st March, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 21, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: information
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 20, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the noun information: Information is an uncountable noun, so: ? it is never used […]
- Join our webinar this afternoon!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 19, 2014
- This afternoon our Editor-in-Chief, Michael Rundell, will run a free webinar about the importance of 'Search' and the role online dictionaries play in language learning. He'll talk about how corpus linguistics has transformed our understanding of how language works: the focus of our dictionaries is not just the individual word but the way words come together […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of offering something to someone
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 18, 2014
- As part of our pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of suggesting something. This week's tip gives some ways of offering something to someone, and some ways of accepting or refusing an offer: Would you like…? is the most […]
- Patterns of consonant doubling
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 17, 2014
- A tricky aspect of English spelling is the question of doubling consonants when words are suffixed. It's often cited as an example of UK vs US spelling differences - travel, for example, generates traveller and travelling in the UK, traveler and traveling in the US. But many such words are styled the same in both […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th March, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 14, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: clean
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 13, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with other ways of saying clean: wash to clean something using water and sometimes soap […]
- Corpus linguistics in a MOOC - the future of education?
- Posted by Tony McEnery on March 12, 2014
- Today’s guest post comes from Tony McEnery, Professor of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, and a leading figure in the world of corpus linguistics. ______________ If somebody had told me that, when I agreed to do a massive open online course (MOOC) for corpus linguistics, I would be crowd-sourcing word meanings from thousands […]
- New pragmatics lesson
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 11, 2014
- Did you enjoy the first lesson plan in our pragmatics series? The lesson plans by author Jonathan Marks deal with different ways of expressing a meaning or attitude. In the second lesson, learners practise different ways of making suggestions and reporting suggestions. You can download the lesson plan here. For more information about the series have […]
- Word roots and routes: spire
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on March 10, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. The saying ‘Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration‘ is attributed to Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph, the movie camera and the electric light bulb. I can’t verify those percentages, but I do know that twenty […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th March, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 07, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: ask
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on March 06, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verb ask: The verb ask is never used with the preposition to. It […]
- Grammar and Grammar
- Posted by Jonathon Owen on March 05, 2014
- Today’s guest post comes from Jonathon Owen, an editor and book designer with a background in linguistics. Jonathon blogs about language at Arrant Pedantry, and his work on grammar and usage appears in Copyediting newsletter and on Visual Thesaurus and Huffington Post. _____________________ A few months ago, in a post titled “12 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Who Writes about […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of suggesting something
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 04, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell in January when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, we’ll bring more useful content and […]
- The ‘emphatic’ use of quotation marks
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 03, 2014
- Quotation marks, also known as inverted commas, are normally used for quotation, as their American name suggests, or to mark a title (book, film, etc), or to enclose a foreign, technical, or otherwise potentially unfamiliar word. Standard use of these marks encompasses variation: they can be single or double, and may be punctuated differently around […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/02
Archive for February, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 28th February, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 28, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: money
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 27, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying money: cash coins or notes that can be […]
- Crawling the Web for new words
- Posted by Daphné Kerremans on February 26, 2014
- Today's guest post, from Daphné Kerremans of the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, is another in our occasional series on developments in language technology (and how they help us produce better dictionaries). Daphné is a linguist interested in the socio-cognitive mechanisms of language processes, specifically regarding the adoption of linguistic innovations by individuals and the speech community at large. She […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of expressing uncertainty
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 25, 2014
- As part of our pragmatics series, we bring more useful content and tips from the Macmillan Dictionary on expressing yourself. The previous language tip looked at ways of saying 'I don't know'. This week's tip gives some ways of saying you think you know something but are not completely sure: perhaps/maybe: used for saying that […]
- Word roots and routes: tract
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on February 24, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. In my school maths lessons, one of the weapons I had in grappling with intractable geometrical puzzles was a plastic semicircle called a protractor. I was unaware, then, of the similarity to the much more familiar word tractor. Still less did […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd February, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 22, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Teaching pragmatics
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 21, 2014
- Are you interested in teaching pragmatics in class? Macmillan Dictionary has launched the first of a series of lesson plans by author Jonathan Marks, dealing with different ways of expressing a meaning or attitude. In the first lesson, learners develop their awareness and understanding of expressions meaning 'I don't know' and practise using these expressions. […]
- Language tip of the week: few
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 20, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the determiner few: Don't use a singular noun or an uncountable noun after few. […]
- And the winners are… - Love English Awards update 6
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on February 20, 2014
- The public has voted and the 2013 Love English Awards winners have been announced! In this year's competition, 90 blogs and websites competed to win top prize in the categories 'Best Website' and 'Best Blog' about the English language. More than 12,000 votes were received from all over the world and polls closed on Valentine's […]
- Your stories in a flipbook!
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on February 19, 2014
- As many of you will remember, last year we ran the Stories behind Words series on this blog. In the series we asked teachers, authors, linguists and other language enthusiasts to share a personal anecdote about a word (or phrase) that they felt strongly about: a word that had a personal meaning to them. We […]
- Apostrophe do’s, dos and don’ts
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 17, 2014
- Every year there’s controversy over the use of punctuation in public places. Often it’s the humble apostrophe causing trouble, and so it was in Cambridge recently when the city council removed the mark from street signs. Unhappy pedants armed with markers set about replacing the missing apostrophes, which were later officially reinstated. One anxious campaigner […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th February, 2014
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 14, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: false
- Posted by Kerstin Johnson on February 13, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with other ways of saying false: imitation made to look like something else, usually […]
- Life skills tip of the week: ways of saying ‘I don’t know’
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 11, 2014
- Learning about pragmatics and how to express yourself successfully is a useful life skill, said Michael Rundell last month when he introduced the new pragmatics series on Macmillan Dictionary. The series is part of the Macmillan Life Skills campaign, offering free resources for English language students and teachers each month. As part of the series, […]
- Word roots and routes: draw, drag, draft, draught
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on February 10, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Artist Paul Klee famously said that drawing is ‘taking a line for a walk’. The etymology of drawing is different, but equally prosaic: drawing is pulling a pencil across a sheet of paper. The closely-related words draw, drag, draft […]
- 7 days to go! The Love English Awards - update 5
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on February 07, 2014
- Only a week to go before Macmillan Dictionary announces who has won the Love English Awards 2013 but there’s still time to cast your vote for best website and/or best blog in 2013! In the category Best Website about the English language, the following 5 websites are currently battling for first prize (in no particular […]
- Language tip of the week: accept vs agree
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 06, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verbs accept and agree: Don’t confuse agree and accept. When you want […]
- Willy-nilly word development
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 03, 2014
- There’s something about reduplication that makes it pleasing to the ear. Willy-nilly ticks that box and has the added appeal of a complex history. Let’s break the word down first. The verb will originally meant ‘want’ or ‘be willing’, and nill was its negative, from ne (‘not’) + will. Nill’s past tense is nould (just […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2014/01
Archive for January, 2014
- Language and words in the news - 31st January, 2014
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 31, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: hungry
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 30, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying hungry: peckish quite hungry: used especially to talk about […]
- Voting has started! The Love English Awards - update 4
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on January 28, 2014
- Voting for the Love English Awards has started! In the categories 'best website' and 'best blog' about the English language, a total of 90 blogs and website are in the race to win top prize. If your website or blog has been nominated, make sure you add the Love English Awards badge to your page […]
- Word roots and routes: cess, cease, cede, ceed
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on January 27, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. English has many related words containing the roots cede, ceed, cess and cease, derived from the Latin verb cedere (go, go away, withdraw, yield) and its past participle cessus. Cede and cease exist as independent words, but this group […]
- Language tip of the week: responsible
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 23, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the adjective responsible: Don't use the preposition of after the adjective responsible. Use […]
- Learning about pragmatics: a useful life skill
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 21, 2014
- One of our major themes at Macmillan in 2014 is "Life Skills", an umbrella term for the professional, academic, and personal skills we all need in order to do well in life. Effective communication is obviously a big part of this. But choosing the language to get your message across involves more than simply cobbling […]
- Apocope is not to be dissed
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 20, 2014
- Words are mutable things, subject to constant tugs and tweaks in the everyday trade of conversation. Some drift far enough to become visibly different when written down. There are patterns to these drifts, for example aphaeresis, whereby a word loses its initial sound or sounds ('twas, 'cause, knock, ticket). Sounds are also lost from the […]
- Language tip of the week: research
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 16, 2014
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the noun research: Research is an uncountable noun, and so: ? it is […]
- Nominations have closed! The Love English Awards - update 3
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on January 14, 2014
- A big 'thank you' to all who sent in their nominations for the Love English Awards 2013. We received nominations from hundreds of people, telling us which blog and website about the English language they think deserve to win this year's awards. Macmillan Dictionary (and this blog) were also nominated (thank you, we're flattered!), but […]
- Word roots and routes: time and tide
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on January 13, 2014
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. Time and tide are another pair of words, of Latin and Germanic origin respectively, whose meanings have taken different routes in their journey towards modern English. The noun tide originally meant time, and this meaning survives in the names […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th January, 2014
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 11, 2014
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: more
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 09, 2014
- Happy New Year! Our regular weekly post with language tips returns, bringing more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the word more: The expression more and […]
- 10 most popular blog posts in 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 08, 2014
- It’s an annual tradition here on this blog to take a look back at the archive of the previous year and share with you the 10 most popular blog posts. 2013 was another busy year for Macmillan Dictionary Blog with several series running, from Stories behind Words, through language tips, to word roots and routes. […]
- Is ‘amazeballs’ still amaze?
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 07, 2014
- Macmillan Dictionary’s BuzzWord column recently had its tenth anniversary, prompting word-watchers to look back on a decade of innovation in English vocabulary and usage. One of the featured words has a way of drawing both positive and negative attention to itself, and lots of it: amazeballs. Full disclosure: I never adopted amazeballs (which, for the […]
- Stories behind Words: Hogmanay
- Posted by Liz Potter on January 01, 2014
- 31st December, the last night of the year in the Western calendar, is celebrated in many places, but nowhere more enthusiastically than in Scotland. The Scots even have their own word for this festival, shunning the pedestrian New Year’s Eve for the Scots word Hogmanay. The etymology of Hogmanay is complicated, but it is believed […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/12
Archive for December, 2013
- Stories behind Words: Boxing Day
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 25, 2013
- The day after Christmas Day, traditionally known as Boxing Day, is a public holiday in Britain and several other countries (if the 26th December falls on a weekend the holiday is moved to the first or second available weekday). But what does it have to do with boxing? Actually nothing, if by boxing you mean […]
- Check your privilege and know thy selfie
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 24, 2013
- As the year draws to a close it's timely to consider what words and phrases stood out over the last twelve months. Some recurred in the news (surveillance, privacy, drone), while others rose rapidly in cultural or subcultural currency (selfie, chapulling, listicle, feels). Bitcoin made financial headlines, while twerk made waves in the entertainment pool. […]
- Language tip of the week: Christmas words - part 1
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 19, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week, we look at some Christmas vocabulary. The word Christmas refers both to 25 December, celebrated by Christians […]
- The clock's ticking! Love English Awards - update 2
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on December 19, 2013
- Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? Sent your (e)cards to family and friends? Before you chuck out your 'to do' list for a well-deserved rest, make sure that your favourite blog/website about the English language receives your support by nominating it for the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2013! Here is a quick reminder […]
- Stories behind Words: Christmas, Noel and Yule
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 18, 2013
- More Christmassy words this week; in fact, three words that refer to the festival itself. The oldest of the three is Yule, from Old English geól, which meant Christmas Day or Christmastime, and corresponds to an Old Norse word jól, which was a pagan winter feast lasting twelve days. The earliest citation of this word […]
- Word roots and routes: fall and case
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on December 16, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. Like tell and count, fall and case are a Germanic/Latin pair which have followed similar parallel routes. Outside my window the wind's howling, rainfall's turning to snowfall, nightfall's starting in mid-afternoon, and there's a serious shortfall of sunshine. It's […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th December, 2013
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 13, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: well
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 12, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the interjection well: Well is used mainly in informal English, especially in conversation. […]
- Stories behind Words: carol
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 11, 2013
- There are some things about Christmas that I can take or leave, and others that I really love. One essential element of the festive season as far as I'm concerned is the Christmas carol. If I haven't raised my voice to sing 'Once in Royal David's City' or 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' at […]
- What is metonymy? Enquiring minds want to know
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 09, 2013
- Metonymy is a figure of speech which, though common, easily goes unnoticed. It's when you replace the name of something with the name of another thing closely associated with it, or (defined more broadly) with the name of one of its parts or attributes. The word literally means 'change of name' - it has the […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th December, 2013
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 06, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: baby
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 05, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with talking and writing about having a baby: talking about a baby unborn child […]
- Stories behind Words: chortle and galumph
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 04, 2013
- It’s not that unusual for people to ask me how they can get a word into the dictionary. That’s easy, I tell them. Get lots of different people to use it in lots of different places and in it will go. Actually it’s not easy at all, as can be seen from the complete failure […]
- Loving it! The Love English Awards - update 1
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on December 03, 2013
- This year’s Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards has really kicked off. We’ve received nearly 200 nominations for ‘best blog’ and ‘best website’ about the English language, and it’s nice to see so many returning blog/website nominations as well as several new kids on the block. Some of the nominations we received were for Macmillan Dictionary […]
- Word roots and routes: tell and count
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on December 02, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Tell and count, of Germanic and Latinate origin respectively, have followed similar routes in English. The original idea behind tell is ‘to put in order’ and this has led in two main directions: 1. The predominant meaning is to […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/11
Archive for November, 2013
- Language and words in the news - 29th November, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 29, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the month: shelfie
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 29, 2013
- The word of the month for November will of course have to be shelfie. If you are here reading this blog then you are probably a fan of words, and whether you're learning English or are an old pro you'll probably be aware that Oxford Dictionaries recently announced that selfie was their choice for word […]
- Language tip of the week: picture
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 28, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with words used to talk and write about pictures: painting: a picture that is […]
- Stories behind Words: Ruby, Britney … and Andy too
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 27, 2013
- It's Friday night. Fancy a ruby washed down with a couple of britneys? Baffled? What if I reminded you that Britney's surname is Spears (which rhymes with beers), and told you that Ruby is Ruby Murray, another popular female singer, but one whose heyday was in the 50s? And Murray rhymes with curry … there, […]
- Learn English through our monthly topic: November
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 26, 2013
- If you're an English language student or teacher then you'll get a lot out of following our Learn English feed on Facebook and Twitter. When you're learning a new language it's hard to know where to start. We're sharing a useful tip every day that is focussed around a monthly topic. So far there's been […]
- The grumbling heart of 'curmudgeon'
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 25, 2013
- Everyone knows a curmudgeon or two, and some of us would consider ourselves one, at least part-time. Defined in Macmillan Dictionary as 'someone who gets annoyed easily, especially an old person', the word crops up regularly in relation to language usage. We see a word or phrase used sloppily, or inept punctuation from someone who […]
- Language tip of the week: contribute
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 22, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the verb contribute: Don't use a verb in the infinitive after contribute. Use […]
- Flashbulb memories, grassy knolls and conspiracy theories
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 21, 2013
- In an article in Prospect magazine titled "What were the causes of 9/11?", the author, Peter Bergen, notes that the terrorist attacks of September 2001 gave rise to numerous conspiracy theories. Which is not really surprising, when people were struggling "to explain what otherwise appears inexplicable". Discussing these theories, Bergen continues: The usual suspects have […]
- Stories behind Words: humble pie
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 20, 2013
- Being forced to eat anything is unpleasant, but humble pie must rank among the most disagreeable dishes of all. By eating it you acknowledge that you were completely wrong and that someone else - the person making you eat it - was right. But what is humble pie? And was it ever a physical rather […]
- Share the love with the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2013
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on November 19, 2013
- There are lots of things to look forward to in November: Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving, the turning on of the Christmas lights, and the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards of course! These awards, hosted by Macmillan Dictionary, give you a chance to tell us which is your favourite blog and website about the English language. We […]
- Word roots and routes: grade and gress
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on November 18, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Some previous posts in this series have dealt with routes, roads and running; this one follows the same general theme, but at a walking pace. The vocabulary of English contains many extended word families with Latin ancestry. One such […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th November, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 15, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: sounds
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 14, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with key words which are used for talking or writing about sounds. To listen […]
- Stories behind Words: rack and ruin
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 13, 2013
- Today’s post was requested by one of our readers, Caroline Batchelder, who asked us to tell the story behind the expression go to rack and ruin. There is a line in Milton’s Paradise Lost (1677) which goes: And now all Heav’n Had gone to wrack, with ruins overspred. Wrack, meaning damage, devastation or destruction, is […]
- Is banning slang counterproductive?
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 11, 2013
- In a recent round-up of language in the news, we linked to a story about slang being banned from certain parts of a London school - though as usual in such cases, some of the banned terms aren’t so much slang as simply disliked phrases. Regular readers won’t be surprised that I’m sceptical about the […]
- Language tip of the week: television
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 07, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with key words which are used for talking or writing about television programmes. sitcom: […]
- Stories behind Words: madeleine
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 06, 2013
- In his recent ‘Word roots and routes’ post, Jonathan explored the connections between the word voice and its numerous cognates. He noted that: “Sometimes you hear, see, smell, taste or read something that evokes a certain feeling, emotion or image from your memory or experience.” A famous case of evocation relates to the word madeleine. […]
- Word roots and routes: voice
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on November 04, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. When I was growing up in the early to mid-sixties I took every possible opportunity to watch the Beatles when they appeared on the telly. They came up with an inexhaustible supply of new songs, and they wore different gear on different occasions, […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st November, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 01, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Top 5 phrases in crowd-sourced dictionary
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 01, 2013
- The Macmillan Open Dictionary is crowd-sourced, with entries coming in every day from all over the English-speaking world. This week we’ve made a selection for you of the top 5 phrases users have submitted over the last few months. Top 5 phrases in the Open Dictionary Number 1 … because we’ve all done this: kick the […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/10
Archive for October, 2013
- Language tip of the week: lose vs loose
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 31, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the spelling of the words lose and loose: Don't confuse lose (a verb) […]
- Stories behind words: loophole
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 30, 2013
- There was a news story in the UK last week about the government's failure to "close a tax loophole which costs the UK economy at least £500m a year". A loophole is, according to the Macmillan Dictionary, "something that has been left out of a law or legal document that people can use to avoid obeying […]
- Learn English through our monthly topic
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 29, 2013
- If you follow our social Learn English feed you'll know that since July we've been helping you learn English by exploring Macmillan Dictionary through focusing on particular topics. July was sports English month, August holiday English and September travel English. Over the last month we've been exploring content that is relevant to the topic of family. […]
- 'Scuse me, squire - 'tis just aphaeresis
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 28, 2013
- Anyone familiar with the French title (L'Étranger) of Albert Camus's famous novel The Stranger, also known as The Outsider, would be right to assume an etymological connection between étranger and stranger. While Old French estrange became étrange in modern French, it lost the first 'e' entirely in English, to become strange. This is an example […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th October, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 25, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: machine
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 24, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with other ways of saying machine: device: a small machine that has been designed […]
- Stories behind Words: iconoclast
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 23, 2013
- London's Tate Britain gallery has a new exhibition called "Art under Attack: Histories of British Iconoclasm", which will explore "the history of physical attacks on art in Britain from the 16th century to the present day". This invokes the original - now rare - meaning of iconoclast, as someone who broke or destroyed "icons" (or […]
- Word roots and routes: way, road, street
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on October 21, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. Way is a very frequent word whose original meaning - path or road - survives mainly in compounds, e.g. highway, motorway, railway, runway, and in names of footpaths, e.g. the Pennine Way, and streets, e.g. Castle Way. It owes its frequency […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th October, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 18, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: avoid
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 17, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the verb avoid: Avoid is never used with an infinitive. It is followed […]
- Stories behind Words: kith and kin
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 16, 2013
- If you have read Stan’s recent post Fossil words of yore, you will already know that kith in the expression kith and kin is one of these fossil words; that is, it has little or no life of its own but exists today only in that expression. It was not always so, though it is […]
- Get with the spelling program(me)
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 14, 2013
- Since British English and American English went their slightly separate ways, spelling has been one of the main ways we tell the two families of dialects apart, at least in writing. Sometimes the spelling differences are obvious and easy to remember (US aluminum, color, tire vs. UK aluminium, colour, tyre), but not always. Program(me) might […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th October, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 11, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: reason
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 10, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the noun reason: After reason, use the preposition for, not of: ? The […]
- Stories behind Words: Bob’s your uncle
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 09, 2013
- There has been a lot of speculation over the years about the origins of the phrase Bob’s your uncle, but the fact is that no one knows whose uncle Bob was, or why he should have lent his name to an expression that means something will be very easy or quick to do. Various 19th […]
- Word roots and routes: curr-
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on October 07, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the ‘roots’ and ‘routes’ of English vocabulary. Has it occurred to you, in the course of your English studies, perhaps as you walked along a corridor in your school or university to meet someone in the concourse, what rivers, dollars, electricity, road vehicles and running have […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th October, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 04, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: half
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 03, 2013
- Following our short series of Back to school trick and tips, the weekly language tips return. In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language […]
- Stories behind Words: unfriend
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 02, 2013
- Do sentences like the following make you shudder? Surprisingly many of my friends don’t know how to unfriend Facebook friends. For the record, I unfriended him like 2 years ago because I couldn’t stand his rudeness. If I asked you when you thought the verb unfriend had started to be used, you would probably guess […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/09
Archive for September, 2013
- An idiom that has its cake and eats it
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 30, 2013
- In a recent post defending the expression I could care less, I wrote that idioms do not hinge on logic, and expecting them to make literal sense is futile. But it can be hard to ward off the instinctive wish that language align better with common sense. Another example of this is have your cake […]
- Back to school tips and tricks: improving and keeping up
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 26, 2013
- Next in our Back to school tricks and tips series. These posts are for our English language learners and are meant to be entertaining as well as helpful. Let me know what you think, or share your stories on Macmillan Dictionary's Learn English Facebook page or in comments at the end of these posts. Happy […]
- Stories behind Words: keirin
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 25, 2013
- It is a little more than a year since the London Olympics and Paralympics thrilled even those whose usual reaction to competitive sport is to ignore it completely. Inspired by stellar performances from British athletes, people who could hardly tell one end of a hockey stick from the other swiftly became experts in the intricacies […]
- Going mainstream
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 24, 2013
- In 1964, scientists predicted the existence of an elementary particle which could explain why some particles have mass. It later became known as the Higgs boson, and in March 2013 researchers working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (better known as CERN) announced that they had found evidence which (probably) confirmed its existence. But […]
- Word roots and routes: route
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on September 23, 2013
- Next in a series of posts exploring some of the 'roots' and 'routes' of English vocabulary. A route, etymologically, starts as an indentation, or rut, made by a wheel as it breaks into the surface of the ground it travels across. The word rut goes back to the Latin past participle rupta, meaning broken, and […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th September, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 20, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Back to school tricks and tips: plain English
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 19, 2013
- Next in our Back to school tricks and tips series. These posts are for our English language learners and are meant to be entertaining as well as helpful. Let me know what you think, or share your stories on Macmillan Dictionary's Learn English Facebook page or in comments at the end of these posts. Happy […]
- Stories behind Words: red line
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 18, 2013
- If you saw a line would you cross it? To do so might have serious consequences, as Chandler discovered when he kissed Joey's girlfriend in series 4 of Friends: Chandler: I have no excuses. I was totally over the line. Joey: Over the line? You … you … you're so far past the line that […]
- An FYI on acronyms
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 16, 2013
- Last month I described how technological change has led to many entries being revised in Macmillan Dictionary's recent update. A particular example of how this change manifests is through acronyms and initialisms. It's worth clarifying the difference between these. Acronyms are new words formed from the initial letters (or parts) of a series of words, […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th September, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 13, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Back to school tricks and tips: slang and txt speak
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 12, 2013
- Next in our Back to school tricks and tips series. These posts are for our English language learners and are meant to be entertaining as well as helpful. Let me know what you think, or share your stories on Macmillan Dictionary’s Learn English Facebook page or in comments at the end of these posts. Happy […]
- Stories behind Words: dench
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 11, 2013
- After a short break, our popular Stories behind Words series returns albeit with a bit of a twist. These new stories will feature interesting terms and phrases - where they come from and how they have changed over time. Our first story in this new series, written by regular contributor Liz Potter, discusses the word […]
- Back to black: what goes up can go down again
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 10, 2013
- In his book Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku predicts that computers will be built into so many of the things we use that they will “disappear into the fabric of our lives”. One consequence of this, he believes, is that the word computer itself will eventually die out. Though this seems unlikely, computer is […]
- Word roots and routes: root
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on September 09, 2013
- This is the first of a series of posts in which I will explore some of the ‘roots‘ and ‘routes‘ of English vocabulary. By ‘roots’, I mean the basic elements that embody the meanings of words. This use of root is, of course, metaphorical; to use a different metaphor, you could say that roots are […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th September, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 07, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Back to school tips and tricks: holiday stories
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 06, 2013
- The beginning of September means back to school (or class or work) for a lot of us and throughout the month I’ll be providing you with some tips and tricks for getting back into the swing of things. These posts are for our English language learners and are meant to be entertaining as well as […]
- Bored of life? Carry on irregardless!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 03, 2013
- A couple of weeks ago, most of the UK newspapers featured a full-page ad from Volvo promoting a new car, with the tag line ‘Bored of German techno? Try some Swedish metal’. Bored of? Traditionally, the preposition that follows bored is with. (By is often found, too, but typically when bored is functioning less as […]
- The mutable route of ‘commute’
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 02, 2013
- I used to dread this time of year. Childhood summers in the countryside were so long and absorbing that I virtually forgot all about school; its return every autumn was a rude interruption of my holiday idyll, especially on the first day back. I would struggle to shrug off sleep in the car on the […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/08
Archive for August, 2013
- Language and words in the news - 30th August, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 30, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: afford
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 29, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the verb afford: Afford is never followed by a verb in the -ing […]
- Tapping the brain for words
- Posted by Doug Higby on August 27, 2013
- Our next guest post comes from Doug Higby. Doug is with SIL International where he coordinates training and promotion of technology for advancing language-based development in the thousands of languages where SIL works. __________ If you were to build a dictionary from scratch, how would you go about it? Would you start with 'a' for […]
- Seeding, weeding, map-reading, heeding
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on August 26, 2013
- In my previous post I described the metaphor of 'building a house' as one way of understanding the process of language acquisition, and suggested that it contains more than a grain of truth, but has its limitations. Now I'd like to consider two other metaphors. Firstly, perhaps learning a language is like tending a garden. […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd August, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 23, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: increase
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 22, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip brings you some useful advice on other ways of saying increase: be/go up: to increase; […]
- Updating … A new version of your dictionary is now available
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 21, 2013
- I was going to write about literally this week, after the recent fuss over the word's meaning. But Michael Rundell has already shown clearly how literally has more than one meaning - like it or not - and I've documented elsewhere how literally's intensifying sense is literally centuries old. Besides, many words have been changing […]
- Macmillan Dictionary's new update
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 19, 2013
- In an earlier post, I mentioned an interview I had with a journalist, many years ago, about all the changes we had made in a new edition of a dictionary I then edited. Predictably, none of the really interesting things we discussed ever got a look-in. What excited the paper was the fact that we […]
- Language tip of the week: holiday
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 15, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip brings you some useful holiday words. Click on the words to check what they mean: […]
- Getting a new language
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on August 12, 2013
- The meanings of acquire listed in the Macmillan Dictionary include: 1 to get something, for example by buying it or being given it 2 to get new knowledge or a new skill by learning it 5 to gradually develop or learn something Which of these definitions best applies to the process of acquiring a second […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th August, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 09, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: unsure
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 08, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with ways in which you can express that you are not sure about something: […]
- Could you care less?
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 06, 2013
- Over the years, I’ve heard many people say “I could care less” (meaning “I couldn’t care less”) in different contexts, usually informal and American. Not once have I found it confusing. But the phrase is frequently objected to, and therefore worth looking at more closely. The problem is easily discerned: the expression is, on a […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd August, 2013
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 02, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: sure
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 01, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with ways in which you can express that you feel sure about something: I’m […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/07
Archive for July, 2013
- It's amateur detection 101!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 30, 2013
- It is a well-known fact that when Dr Watson asked Sherlock Holmes how he had discovered the crucial clue which solved a crime, the great detective would answer "Elementary, my dear Watson". (There's even a YouTube clip to prove it.) There is just one problem. It's easy enough to download the complete Sherlock Holmes stories […]
- Texts, and what to do with them
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on July 29, 2013
- Imagine this: you're a keen learner of English in a small town somewhere in Europe, and you're attending an English course two evenings a week. The course follows a coursebook published 15 years ago and containing outdated and unappealing texts about Britain and the USA. If you're lucky, you can find a few books in […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th July, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 26, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: consequence
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 25, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with common collocations of the noun consequence: Adjectives frequently used with the noun consequence […]
- Stories behind Words: thrice
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on July 24, 2013
- Ten years ago (has it been that long?) I started my studies of English philology, linguistics and literature. I loved reading for hours upon hours and one of my favourite authors was Charles Dickens. There was one class I wasn't too keen on though: language lab. Spending hours in a tiny booth recording and listening […]
- Three hoorays for the royal baby
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on July 23, 2013
- The royal baby has been born! The Prince of Cambridge (as the baby will officially be called) is third in line for the British throne after his grandfather and father. The word royal is used in many ways, but doesn't always signify something that relates to a king or queen or the members of their […]
- Do we need to abbreviate 'the'?
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 22, 2013
- The English language changes all the time and on its own terms through shifts, mostly gradual, in collective usage. But that doesn't stop people trying to engineer sudden changes in how we write. Earlier this year we discussed a new phonetic alphabet, SaypU, and now Australian restaurateur Paul Mathis has designed a new symbol, ?, […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th July, 2013
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 19, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: harmful
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 18, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the adjective harmful: The usual preposition to use with harmful is to (not […]
- What's not to like about 'like'?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 16, 2013
- Among the more recent additions to the Macmillan Dictionary are the social networking uses of like. Social networking has spawned a lot of new vocabulary: not only new words (like hashtag, defriend, and twittersphere) but new meanings of existing words (such as follow, tweet - and like). We currently include around 20 new usages related […]
- Bending over backwards to hit the nail on the head
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on July 15, 2013
- Have you got a bee in your bonnet about idioms? Do you bend over backwards to find opportunities to use them? If so, be careful not to go overboard; otherwise you might be at risk of putting your foot in it. Many idioms are colourful and attractive, and can be a striking and economical way […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th July, 2013
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 12, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: provide
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 11, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the verb provide: When provide means ‘to give someone something they need’, use […]
- Stories behind Words: South African
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on July 10, 2013
- In the 1980s when I was at one of the very few ‘non-racial’ schools in the country, the word South African hung like a stone around my neck. We were all living in some kind of sin by association and although we were always surrounded by good people fighting a good cause, there was still […]
- The minutiae of Latin plurals
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 08, 2013
- Among the recent entries in Macmillan’s crowdsourced Open Dictionary is the word persona as used in marketing contexts to mean “a fictitious character based on known features of the target audience for a product”. That is, during product development a company might “[create] several personas” with which to check that an item is suitable and […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th July, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 05, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: each other
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 04, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the spelling of the pronoun each other: Each other is written as two […]
- These three things
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on July 01, 2013
- For the past six months we’ve had the absolute pleasure of having Gill Francis as one of our regular contributors on the blog. Gill’s written some fantastic posts and asked some very poignant questions about language change in general and grammar in particular. Following in Gill’s footsteps is Jonathan Marks. We welcome Jonathan as our […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/06
Archive for June, 2013
- Language and words in the news - 28th June, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 28, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: responsibility
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 27, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the noun responsibility: Notice the spelling of responsibility, which is spelled with an […]
- Stories behind Words: home
- Posted by Will Allen on June 26, 2013
- A large map of the world hangs on the wall next to my dining table. It features numerous coloured pins marking significant places in the lives of friends who visit: blue for upcoming trips, yellow for where they have lived, white for a dream holiday. But it is what red pins signify that is the […]
- Love and bagels in southwest London
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 25, 2013
- Here in the UK, it's Wimbledon time again. Tennis has its own vocabulary, and - as in many sublanguages - much of it consists of specialized meanings of common, everyday words (like game, set, serve, break, and advantage). But a few terms are more or less exclusive to tennis. A recent addition (so new that […]
- Fossil words of yore in the offing
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 24, 2013
- At some point we've all given someone short shrift, or they've given us short shrift, meaning "a firm and immediate refusal to do something in a sympathetic way". Apart from this transaction, though, we've probably never done anything else with shrift - Macmillan Dictionary's definition shows that it normally appears only in that sole phrase. […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st June, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 21, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: arrive
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 21, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with the verb arrive: The verb arrive is never used with the preposition to: […]
- An old dictionary, and a simple solution to an annoying problem
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on June 20, 2013
- Michael Rundell has convincingly put the case for digital dictionaries, and I use them regularly and appreciate the benefits they bring. But I've also got shelves full of printed dictionaries - this still strikes me as an odd collocation, though it's obviously needed! - and I don't intend to stop using them, any more than […]
- Stories behind Words: avoska
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on June 19, 2013
- Whenever I go out, I take an avoska with me, just in case I spot something I might want to buy. But first, a little background. Back in the days of the USSR, when Russia was one of fifteen Soviet Republics, there were frequent shortages of consumer goods. So when a particular item arrived in […]
- Stop asking silly questions!
- Posted by Gill Francis on June 18, 2013
- In my last post I mentioned a Telegraph poll which asked innocently: Does grammar matter? Other, equally unanswerable questions are floating around the media, like Is good grammar still important? (why 'still'?) and Just how bad is bad grammar? I couldn't say, lacking any appropriate measure of 'badness' - it sounds like something from a […]
- The long shadow of Latin
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on June 17, 2013
- Latin - that supposedly ‘dead’ language that refuses to lie down - continues to cast its long, murky shadow over popular conceptions of English, as is evident from recent posts and comments in this blog, and elsewhere. Some commentators seem to believe that English is a sort of debased, degenerate form of Latin, or at least […]
- Language tip of the week: damage
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 13, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the noun damage: When damage means ‘harm or injury’ it is an uncountable […]
- Stories behind Words: box
- Posted by Ana Maria Menezes on June 12, 2013
- 2009 was a singular year in my life. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to stay home during the treatment. As I couldn’t be in a real classroom, I moderated an online course for teachers. During my treatment, one of the participants of the course lost her mom to the same disease. Some […]
- Our social media pages and you
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 11, 2013
- Are you getting the most out of our social media pages? Your Macmillan Dictionary Online’s Facebook and Twitter pages are there to support you if you’re learning English as a second (or third or fourth…) language; to entertain and communicate with you if you’re a Global English speaker using English as part of your business […]
- Colliding with common sense and usage
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 10, 2013
- Some prescriptive usage rules seem so arbitrary and unnecessary as to be made out of whole cloth. One such rule has to do with the word collide, meaning clash or crash into each other, and with related forms like colliding and collision. According to the rule, you can use these words only when both items […]
- Language tip of the week: solution
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 06, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with the noun solution: The usual preposition to use with solution is to, not […]
- Stories behind Words: what’s your story?
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on June 05, 2013
- It’s been 3 months since we launched our new series Stories behind Words. In this series we’ve been asking authors, trainers and linguists to share a personal anecdote about a word (or phrase) that means something to them - a word that has changed or shaped their life in some way. We’ve seen many original, […]
- Do grammar quizzes matter?
- Posted by Gill Francis on June 03, 2013
- The argument about teaching and testing grammar in schools seems to have mutated into an increasingly political media squabble about ‘correct grammar’. Michael’s critique of self-styled ‘crusading grammarian’ Mr Gwynne took me reluctantly to the ‘good grammar test’ featured in The Telegraph. (I scored less than full marks, I’m happy to say.) In the newspaper’s […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/05
Archive for May, 2013
- Language and words in the news - 31st May, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 31, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: bare synonyms
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 30, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with key adjectives and adverbs used to describe 'not wearing any or a particular […]
- Stories behind Words: as rare as hen's teeth
- Posted by Simon Williams on May 29, 2013
- After several months of shopping for increasingly larger neck sizes in shirts, and feeling pleased that my weight-training regime was finally paying off, a routine X-ray revealed my thyroid was growing so much it had turned my trachea into a U-bend. Liking the idea of surgery by the sea, I decided to see a consultant […]
- Because I say so!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 28, 2013
- A few weeks ago, Britain's Daily Telegraph ran a "Good grammar test", and the first question was: Which of these sentences is grammatically correct? 1. Do you see who I see? 2. Do you see whom I see? We were supposed to say that whom is correct here - so I fell at the first […]
- I now pronounce you … Wait, how do I pronounce you?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 27, 2013
- As a young boy in primary school I was once asked to read aloud a passage that contained the word fatigue. I had heard the word once or twice but had never seen it in print before, and didn't make the connection between the faintly familiar sound and the unfamiliar French letter-pattern. So I ploughed […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th May, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 24, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: films
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 23, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip helps with key words which are used for talking or writing about films. Types of […]
- Stories behind Words: oblong
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on May 22, 2013
- I'm sure I'm not alone in having really enjoyed reading this series so far, and one thing that's struck me is how often 'Dads' seem to feature in people's anecdotes on lexical encounters. Well, here's yet another one … My Dad, God rest his soul, was (unlike myself!) never much of a talker. Dad bought […]
- Guess who they got to write this blog post? Muggins!
- Posted by Elizabeth Manning on May 21, 2013
- We all know the list of English personal pronouns - I/me, you, he/him, she/her, it, we/us, they/them - but there's one word that interests me because it seems to have the function of a personal pronoun but has very specific connotations. That word is muggins, which is defined in the Macmillan Dictionary as "used for […]
- "Pupils go back in time …": more on accidental ambiguity
- Posted by Gill Francis on May 20, 2013
- Most verbal humour depends on some kind of mismatch between two words or phrases and the funny or unexpected resolution of this incongruity. My last post focused on a type of grammatical ambiguity that allows two conflicting analyses of a sentence, one of them ridiculous. More often, though, humour and ambiguity play on the multiple […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th May, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 17, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: exciting synonyms
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 16, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip gives useful advice on the adjective excited: Adjectives for describing things that make someone feel excited: […]
- Stories behind Words: blagrant
- Posted by Andrew Delahunty on May 15, 2013
- My father, who was an exuberant talker and storyteller, used to conflate words, creating inadvertent coinages on the fly in the middle of a conversation or anecdote. He tended not to notice that he’d done it, but my brothers and I, and Mum, would pounce on them with glee. One time he mentioned someone’s razier-like […]
- The dominance of English: a view from Japan
- Posted by Jim Ronald on May 14, 2013
- Our series on English as a lingua franca continues with a post from Japan. We asked Jim Ronald, Professor of English Linguistics at Hiroshima Shudo University, to provide a perspective on Japan’s engagement with English. Jim has discussed the subject with four of his students, and they give their views here. __________ What impact is […]
- “A dangling modifier walks into a bar …”
- Posted by Gill Francis on May 13, 2013
- You may be familiar with the not-very-funny jokes based on the old formula “someone/something walks into a bar…”. They usually involve a play on words, as in ‘A drunk walks into a bar. “Ouch!” he says.’ Exactly - they aren’t very funny. But some of them make useful points about grammar: A dangling modifier walks […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th May, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 11, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- “Say the Word” competition: we’ve got a winner!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on May 10, 2013
- A big thank you to everyone who took part in our “Say the Word” competition. The brief was to find any words in Beatles songs which are not ‘red words’ in the Macmillan Dictionary. And this isn’t easy. We mentioned in an earlier post that the Beatles’ lyrics are mostly made up of basic, high-frequency […]
- Language tip of the week: thousand
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 09, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip gives advice on the number thousand: After a number, or after several or a few, use […]
- Stories behind Words: eye of the tiger
- Posted by Luke Vyner on May 08, 2013
- As non-academic and uncool as it may sound and after a few hour glasses of thought, my chosen phrase is going to have to be eye of the tiger. It has become a phrase that is so frequently used in the confines of my immediate family that it’s simply become part of the furniture, part […]
- LOL slash grammar, knowmsayin?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 07, 2013
- New vocabulary appears constantly: we invent words, or more usually modify existing ones, to meet the needs of expression - or just for fun. Sometimes, too, existing words get repurposed, switching grammatical classes or incorporating new ones: verbs and adjectives are converted into nouns, and vice versa. This attracts predictable criticism, but it’s a thoroughly […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd May, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 03, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: news
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 03, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip gives advice on the noun news: Although the word news has an -s on the end, […]
- Bye bye, palm reading! Welcome, gene reading! DNA and other clinical metaphors
- Posted by Janet Byron Anderson on May 02, 2013
- Today’s guest post comes from Janet Byron Anderson. Dr. Anderson is a medical editor and runs Medical Linguistics Consulting. _______________ If you’re of a certain cast of mind and want to know your prospects for life, death, and happiness you can open […]
- Stories behind Words: my feet are killing me
- Posted by Adrian Tennant on May 01, 2013
- Back in early 1997 I was working as an English teacher in Quito, Ecuador. My family were over there with me and my daughter - Aliz - would have been 5½ at the time. I don’t think I’m any different from other English language teachers in being fascinated by the way our children pick up […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/04
Archive for April, 2013
- 'Stakeholder' stakes a claim
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 29, 2013
- If you had asked me as a teenager what a stakeholder was, I might have guessed "assistant vampire killer". Why else would you hold a stake, after all? But of course the word is less literal than that - the stake in stakeholder is the degree to which someone is involved in something, financially or […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th April, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 26, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: stop
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 25, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip gives advice on the verb stop: When you want to say that someone is no longer […]
- It's all in the genes: DNA and metaphor
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 23, 2013
- Sixty years ago this week, the journal Nature published Francis Crick and James Watson's groundbreaking paper on deoxyribonucleic acid, which described for the first time the double helix shape of the DNA molecule. As often happens with scientific and technical vocabulary, the term DNA soon broke out of the specialized field in which it originated, […]
- Verbs in learner's dictionaries 3: 'Your order has shipped'
- Posted by Gill Francis on April 22, 2013
- My recent posts (here and here) discussed verbs like teach and disappoint, which are both transitive and intransitive: she teaches (English); the festival didn't disappoint (anyone). The grammatical subject, and the meaning of the verb, are much the same whether there's an object or not. Today I will focus on another, quite different, way in […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th April, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 19, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: change
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 18, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week's language tip includes common synonyms for the verb change: alter: a more formal word for 'change' His election […]
- Stories behind Words: stroke
- Posted by Miles Craven on April 17, 2013
- There is one word in the English language that I will never forget. It's a word that I had heard of, but I didn't really know what it meant until it affected me personally. Back in 2008, someone who is very dear to me had a stroke. A stroke is a brain attack. It happens […]
- Competition: "Say the Word" and win £30 in eBook vouchers
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on April 16, 2013
- Last week, Michael Rundell talked in his blog post about how the music of The Beatles had an impact on the English language. The famous band from Liverpool mainly used common English words in their songs (words like you, I, me, sun, and love). Michael also writes that over 91% of the words on the […]
- Inspiring etymology
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 15, 2013
- Breathing is such an intimate and vital activity that it’s no wonder it shows up in such a range of everyday expressions, including many metaphorical phrases. Witness a breath of fresh air, don’t hold/waste your breath, take your breath away, breathe down someone’s neck, and breathe new life into something. I especially like Don’t breathe […]
- Language tip of the week: like and dislike
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 12, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week’s language tip helps with key vocabulary used for talking about likes and dislikes. Other ways of saying […]
- Scouse and how she is spoke
- Posted by Mark Roulston on April 11, 2013
- Today’s guest post comes from Mark Roulston, author of Liverpool in the Macmillan Cultural Readers series. Liverpool-born Mark is a commissioning editor for Macmillan Education. Previous to his career in educational publishing, he was a freelance journalist covering on-field and off-field events at both Everton FC and Liverpool FC for the national and international media. […]
- Stories behind Words: perspective
- Posted by David Crystal on April 10, 2013
- Since The Story of English in 100 Words came out in 2011, I’ve been giving talks based upon it to literary festivals. The idea was to choose 100 words, each of which represented a strand in the history of the English language. The hope was that, jigsaw-like, at the end of the book the reader […]
- The Beatles and their impact on English
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 09, 2013
- The annual IATEFL Conference is being held this week in Liverpool, a city forever associated with the Beatles. The conference opened with a lecture by David Crystal, entitled ‘The world in which we live in: Beatles, blends and blogs’ (the second ‘in’ is deliberate). So it seemed like a good idea to republish a post […]
- Verbs in learner’s dictionaries 2: ‘He only does it to annoy …’
- Posted by Gill Francis on April 08, 2013
- Last week’s post focused on the thousands of verbs that are classified in dictionaries as ‘transitive/intransitive’. I also mentioned particular circumstances in which ‘transitive-only’ verbs typically occur without objects. Today’s post will develop this theme, this time in relation to a group of verbs that seem to be consistently ‘losing’ their objects in certain text-types. […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th April, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 05, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Dominance of English: a view from Poland
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on April 04, 2013
- Our series on English as a lingua franca continues with a post by Jonathan Marks about Poland. Jonathan looks at the ways in which English influences the local language. ______________ Previous posts in this thread were from Denmark, Iceland and Germany, where the national languages are - like English - Germanic, and where, except in […]
- Stories behind Words: Persian
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 03, 2013
- When I was a student at Edinburgh University, more years ago than I like to admit, I was sitting in my room in halls one evening with the door open, talking to a friend, when a dark skinny man with an impressive Afro and an equally impressive moustache walked past. “Michael,” he said to my […]
- Verbs in learner’s dictionaries 1: ‘Enjoy your meal’ or just ‘Enjoy’?
- Posted by Gill Francis on April 02, 2013
- In dictionaries generally - whether intended for native speakers or for learners - the majority of verbs (or verb senses) have one of three main labels: ‘transitive’, ‘intransitive’, or ‘transitive/intransitive’, according to whether they have a direct object or not. A major advantage of learner’s dictionaries, of course, is that they include clear up-to-date examples […]
- To whom it deeply concerns
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 01, 2013
- Michael recently wrote a clear and commonsense post on the difference between who and whom, basing his observations on corpus data and avoiding simplistic rules that have little to do with actual usage. He found, unsurprisingly, that whom is “in steady long-term decline”. I’m the sort of person for whom a whom-discussion is irresistible, so […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/03
Archive for March, 2013
- Language tip of the week: Easter words
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 28, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are usually based on areas of English which learners find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week, we look at some Easter vocabulary. Easter is a movable feast. The term itself describes a Sunday […]
- The dominance of English? A view from Italy
- Posted by Paola Vettorel on March 27, 2013
- Our series on the dominance of English continues with today's guest post from Paola Vettorel. Paola was an EFL teacher and teacher-trainer in Italy before becoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Language and Literature at the University of Verona. Her main research interests include English as a lingua franca and its implications for […]
- 'April is the cruellest month': talking about spring weather
- Posted by Gill Francis on March 25, 2013
- Spring has sprung, and if the UK weather has any respect for seasonal averages, it will soon improve: temperatures will climb, the sun will shine. There will be fewer extreme events (as the weather people say), like blizzards and heavy snowfalls. March is typically a windy month, but wind speeds will drop in April and […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd March, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 23, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- "All hat and no cattle" (R.I.P. Larry Hagman)
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 21, 2013
- The venue for this year's TESOL Convention evokes memories of the long-running TV series about the Texas oil business. When Dallas was first aired on British TV in 1978, it brought a touch of glamour to a rather gloomy U.K., then (as now) in the grip of economic recession. The fast cars, cowboy hats, gushers, […]
- Stories behind Words: wayzgoose
- Posted by Dorothy Zemach on March 20, 2013
- I certainly understand why the Macmillan Dictionary is moving to online-only. It's not only the sensible economic choice, but the correct environmental choice. And yet I felt a pang at the news, too (and not just because I'm the proud possessor of a Macmillan English Dictionary that I had Editor-in-chief Michael Rundell autograph, to his […]
- Language tip of the week: American and British English differences
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 19, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week we focus on American English, and today's post highlights some key differences between American and British English […]
- Touchous, honeyfuggle, and whoopensocker
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 18, 2013
- We've looked before at dialectal vocabulary - those regional words and phrases peculiar to, or characteristic of, particular geographic areas. My earlier post focused on UK and Irish terms, but American speakers are no slouches in the regional expressions department. A good source of these is the US public radio show A Way with Words, […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th March, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 15, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- "Come in and find out": a view from Germany on the dominance of English
- Posted by Martina Bredenbröcker on March 14, 2013
- Today's guest post comes from Martina Bredenbröcker, Assistant Lecturer at the University of Paderborn, Germany. Originally a teacher at primary school level and co-author of Sally, a textbook for EFL at German primary schools, she is currently working on her PhD thesis in English Linguistics. __________ German has quite a tradition as the language of […]
- Language tip of the week: related
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 13, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the adjective related: After the adjective related, use the preposition to (not ‘with’): ? […]
- Just who is this post for? The difference between “who” and “whom”
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 12, 2013
- A story in last week’s Observer newspaper included the sentence: “She now has a four-year-old daughter who she is bringing up in Turkey”. This would not go down well with Grammar Girl, whose numerous posts on questions of usage includes one explaining the difference between who and whom. She repeats the standard “rule” that: You […]
- Coping with the dominance of English: a view from Iceland
- Posted by Guðni Jóhannesson on March 07, 2013
- Following Michael Rundell’s post on International Mother Language Day, last week Lars Trap-Jensen discussed the role of English as a lingua franca in Denmark. This week we continue with the same topic - this time from an Icelandic point of view. Our guest blogger is Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Assistant Professor at the Department of History […]
- Language tip of the week: bit
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 07, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about bit: The expressions a bit and a little bit, when used before an adjective […]
- Stories behind Words: dapper
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 06, 2013
- I was never cut out to be a language teacher. In the summer of 1980, I was teaching English in London. The school wasn’t very good, and I was even worse. I answered an ad for ‘trainee lexicographers’ to work on a new learner’s dictionary, and soon found myself in a publisher’s office, doing a […]
- Stories behind Words
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on March 05, 2013
- Tomorrow sees the launch of an exciting new series - called Stories behind Words - here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog. In this series we’re asking teachers, authors, linguists, and anybody else who would like to contribute, to share a personal anecdote about a word (or phrase) they feel strongly about: a word that has a […]
- Can shared alphabets foster peace?
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 04, 2013
- Our recent roundup of language in the news linked to a BBC report on a new phonetic alphabet, asking if it could “promote world peace”. The project is called SaypU, short for Spell As You Pronounce Universal project, and its website explicitly expresses the hope that this novel alphabet “might help making the world a […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st March, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 01, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/02
Archive for February, 2013
- Language tip of the week: tendency
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 28, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun tendency: When a verb comes after tendency, use the pattern tendency to […]
- Coping with the dominance of English: a view from Denmark
- Posted by Lars Trap-Jensen on February 27, 2013
- Today's guest post comes from Danish lexicographer Lars Trap-Jensen. Since 2004, Lars has been Managing Editor of Den Danske Ordbog (The Danish Dictionary) - a corpus-based dictionary of modern Danish - and of the website ordnet.dk, which gives access not only to the The Danish Dictionary and the big historical Dictionary of the Danish Language, […]
- You can't go wrong with a hyphen or two: word-formation (Part 1)
- Posted by Gill Francis on February 25, 2013
- If you are a teacher or learner of English, you are probably familiar with advice beginning You do not …, You cannot …, Be careful …, and WARNING! Older coursebooks, especially, used 'strikethrough' to herald the errors that you must simultaneously notice and unlearn, e.g.: I need to concentrate myself. Strikethrough is a curious convention: […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd February, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 22, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language, culture, and the dominance of English
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 21, 2013
- February 21st is UNESCO's International Mother Language Day, which is intended to "encourage people to maintain their knowledge of their mother language while learning and using more than one language". This annual event was established to commemorate a protest march at the University of Dhaka (in what is now Bangladesh, but was then in the […]
- Language tip of the week: occur
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 20, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the spelling of the word occur and other examples of words ending in -ur […]
- Happy 10th birthday, BuzzWord!
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on February 19, 2013
- In 2003, my son was 8 years old, tablets were still the things the doctor prescribed to make you better, and no-one had much of a clue about tweets, smartphones and apps. Yes, a lot can happen in 10 years - my son is now on the cusp of 'adulthood', I own a tablet, tweeting […]
- Centring around a usage disagreement
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 18, 2013
- Consider this line, which appears in William Gibson's novel Virtual Light: "One of the Sharman Group's research initiatives centred around the possibility of isolating mutant strains of HIV." Gibson is a skilled and careful writer, and it's clear what he means by the words centre around, yet some readers automatically reject the phrase as an […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th February, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 15, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- "I'm in love. I'm all shook up." Metaphors of love and relationships
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 14, 2013
- Many of you would have watched James Geary's popular TED talk about metaphor from a few years back. In his presentation he calls on the 'King of Metaphorians' Elvis Presley to discuss literary metaphor, but his talk also touches on conceptual metaphor - a unique feature of Macmillan Dictionary. To celebrate Valentine's Day, this post […]
- Language tip of the week: reason
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 13, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about other words meaning reason: cause: the reason that something happens or that you feel […]
- New language games!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 12, 2013
- Games are a great way to learn English. Our language games are not only for English language learners but also for native speakers who are addicted to word games. You can practise irregular verb forms by spinning the irregular verb wheel. We’ve […]
- Are adjectives the new nouns?
- Posted by Gill Francis on February 11, 2013
- I’d like first to draw together some threads from recent and not-so-recent posts on the flexibility of word class in English - i.e on verbing, nouning, and the general tendency of words to hop from one word class to another. I wrote about nouning in November, and last month Stan Carey focused on the bad […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th February, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 08, 2013
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Why pick on adverbs?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 07, 2013
- The former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was fond of the expression “totally and utterly”. We were regularly told that something was “totally and utterly unacceptable”, or that she “totally and utterly condemned” some recent outrage. (She wasn’t alone in favouring this combination: our corpus includes 130 examples.) Not one adverb but two! So Mrs […]
- Language tip of the week: desire
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 06, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun desire: When the noun desire is followed by a verb, use the […]
- Your BuzzWords of 2012
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 05, 2013
- The Macmillan Dictionary BuzzWord feature turns 10 years old later this month! To celebrate this 10th anniversary, we will be posting interesting BuzzWord-related content here on the blog throughout the year. The first in this series is a quick look back at the BuzzWords of 2012. We asked our regular blog contributors the following couple […]
- In praise of serendipity
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 04, 2013
- The news last week that booksellers Barnes & Noble expect to close a couple of hundred stores over the next ten years was met with understandable disappointment and dismay. For me and many other readers, browsing online can’t beat wandering through a building full of books, any one of which you can pick up on […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st February, 2013
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 01, 2013
- Following another short break, the weekly round-up of language- and words-related news returns again. These links cover items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link for […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2013/01
Archive for January, 2013
- Going digital: Questions and Answers
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 31, 2013
- We had a question-and-answer session on Facebook on Wednesday (January 30th), on the subject of online dictionaries. It was a great opportunity to have a conversation with the people who use the Macmillan Dictionary, and to learn more about their concerns and about what they'd like to see in their dictionary. Well over 1400 people […]
- Language tip of the week: person
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 31, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun person: The usual plural form of person is people (not persons), and […]
- Live Facebook Q&A with editor-in-chief Michael Rundell
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on January 29, 2013
- Our announcement at the end of last year, that we'll no longer be printing dictionaries in favour of our online dictionary, generated a lot of conversation and speculation in the national and international press. Many of you celebrated our move from print to online, though some shared concerns about leaving the era of print behind. […]
- Made in America? That's so not an easy question
- Posted by Gill Francis on January 28, 2013
- Today I'd like to focus on another informal frame, or sequence, which was brought to my attention by a message printed on a brightly-coloured shopping bag in a shop window: "I SO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUFF". Let's assume that this is a meaningful message, and that the 'I' of the confession is a bag-toting shopper, […]
- Were the Luddites really luddites?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 25, 2013
- Old-fashioned is a tricky word for lexicographers. It has only one meaning, but several possible interpretations (or 'readings', as linguists often call them). This is reflected in the Macmillan Dictionary's entry, which starts with a neutral definition ('no longer modern or fashionable') but goes on to indicate that old-fashioned can have both positive and negative […]
- Mansplaining the new-word-pocalypse
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 24, 2013
- Last month I examined the newly popular phrase fiscal cliff, a contender for the various Words of the Year traditionally announced every winter. The main such event is the American Dialect Society's, which took place earlier this month. Its full list of nominated words and other "vocabulary items" in different categories is always worth reading, […]
- Love English Awards - winners
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on January 22, 2013
- This is the moment you've all been waiting for. All votes for the Love English Awards 2012 have been counted and since the competition started in November we've received a whopping 18,236 votes from language enthusiasts all over the world. So, which blog and website are the most popular English language blog/website of 2012? The […]
- New Year's resolution: no adverbs
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on January 17, 2013
- Nouns are what the world is made of. Verbs are how you put them together. Adjectives are straightforward. And adverbs are … monsters. Try this exercise: go through a piece of writing, ideally an essay of your own. Delete all adverbs and adverbial phrases, all those "surprisingly", "interestingly", "very", "extremely", fortunately", "on the other hand", […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 6
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 16, 2013
- Here it is, the final update before the competition closes at midnight GMT on the 21st. That's 6 days left to vote! An additional 5,511 votes have been received in the last 7 days, bringing the total number of votes cast since the competition began to 9,111. Thank you for participating and continuing to show […]
- "How adjective is that? Very adjective, I'd say"
- Posted by Gill Francis on January 14, 2013
- We welcome back Gill Francis whose insightful blog posts last year attracted lively conversation. Gill will be contributing to the Macmillan Dictionary Blog even more regularly this year: she will share the 'Monday spot' with Stan Carey. Gill is a freelance language consultant and writer of resources for teachers and learners of English. ____________ People […]
- Nominalisation and communicative goals
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on January 10, 2013
- The word nominalisation is used at least in three different ways. It can mean: 1 a process of word formation in which a noun is formed from another word class by derivation or conversion; 2 a noun which is the product of such a process; 3 a pragmatic choice made by writers and speakers, in […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 5
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 09, 2013
- With just under two weeks to go before voting closes, the votes are coming in thick and fast. We’ll be announcing the winners and runners-up for the second Love English Awards on January 22nd. All the blogs and websites have been nominated by members of the public for being informative, insightful, and engaging sites or […]
- Nominalisation and zombification
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 07, 2013
- Nominalisation is a bulky term for when a word or phrase - typically a verb or adjective - is converted into a noun. It’s also known by the less formal word nouning. Nominalisation is itself a nominalisation, formed by adding the derivational suffix -ation to the verb nominalise. Other suffixes achieve similar ends: good ? […]
- Language tip of the week: mean
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 04, 2013
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the verb mean: When you want to say what something involves or what its […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 4
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on January 03, 2013
- Nominations for the Love English Awards 2012 have now closed … but you can still vote! With just under three weeks to go, the Love English Awards have received a total of 68 nominations for Best Blog and Best Website. All blogs and websites have been nominated by members of the public for being informative, […]
- Weak, needs revision
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on January 02, 2013
- People have long been fascinated with the idea of time travel and often speculate on the marvelous things that it would enable them to do. Here’s a reason we can be thankful that we cannot readily receive visitors from the past: some of English’s greatest writers, if they should drop in for a visit to […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/12
Archive for December, 2012
- A year in the Macmillan Dictionary Blog: highlights of 2012
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 31, 2012
- Back at the beginning of 2012, a throwaway remark by Madonna sent readers hurrying to the Macmillan Dictionary. Commenting on a song by Lady Gaga, Madonna said 'It feels reductive', and when asked to clarify, she just smiled and said 'Look it up'. Thousands of people did, making reductive our most looked-up word in January. […]
- Try to get over "try and"
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 27, 2012
- If you try and think of a phrase that's common in speech but often criticised in writing, you might come up with one I've just used: try and. It may seem innocuous because many of us use it as a normal, everyday idiom, but in formal writing try to is usually preferred. So there's a […]
- 10 most popular posts in 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 24, 2012
- It's been another vintage year here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog, and as tradition dictates, at the end of December, we take a look back through the year's extensive archive and bring you the 10 most popular blogs posts published in 2012. A quick look through the list shows how varied the content of these posts […]
- Lost or found in translation
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 22, 2012
- Recently, we saw a lot of searches for the word bumbler. There was a massive spike which lasted about a week towards the end of November. The reason, it turned out, was an article in the Economist magazine about the President of Taiwan, Ma Ying-jeou. 'The country appears to agree on one thing' wrote the […]
- Language tip of the week: tell
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 20, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the verb tell: Unlike the verb say, the verb tell is usually used with […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 3
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on December 19, 2012
- Love English Awards nominations close in 2 days! What would be a better Christmas present than receiving a Best Blog or Best Website nomination badge for your English Language site? That's right, people, make sure that your favourite blog and website don't miss out this year, and nominate them now to let them know that […]
- Feeling used
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on December 17, 2012
- A new friend of mine is an equine-assisted therapist. After I revealed to him my almost-as-obscure profession (lexicographer) we found common ground in talking about a usage that particularly bothered him and that he was always at pains to correct. He said that newcomers to his profession, whether as clients or trainees, were inclined to […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th December, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 14, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: influence
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 13, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun influence: The usual preposition that follows the noun influence is on. Don't […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 2
- Posted by Saskia Iseard on December 12, 2012
- Have you nominated your favourite English language blog and website? Our Love English competition is now in its second week and we have received a whopping 46 nominations so far: 26 entries for best blog and 20 entries for best website, to be precise! So, which English language blog and website have caught people's eyes? […]
- The steep rise of ‘fiscal cliff’
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 10, 2012
- A familiar feature at this time of year is the series of Word of the Year announcements, with language professionals and pundits choosing the terms they think best characterise the last 12 months. Political and economic words are often chosen, as they recur in news stories of interest or relevance to the general public. For […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th December, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 07, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: much
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 06, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the grammar word much: Much is only used with uncountable nouns: The President failed […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 1
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 05, 2012
- We’re only a week into the Love English competition and things are already moving along swiftly! Here is your first competition update. So far 17 blogs and 11 websites have been nominated with a total of 111 votes being cast for blogs and 20 votes for websites. The most popular websites as of today are […]
- So you want to be an English Language Teacher? - infographic
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 04, 2012
- A recent poll has suggested that the English Language Teaching profession is becoming more popular amongst newly graduated students in the UK. The following infographic, created for teacher’s resource site onestopenglish, includes some introductory information about how to get into English Language Teaching (ELT), such as things to consider before deciding on becoming a teacher, […]
- Mr. and Ms. Right
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on December 03, 2012
- Young people today who find their lives incomplete have probably not had the experience of editing their heart’s desire down to 100 characters or so (including spaces) because online forums for those seeking fulfillment through romance are now free and have no space limitations. Formerly, lonely hearts had to give serious attention to saying it […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/11
Archive for November, 2012
- Language and words in the news - 30th November, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 30, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: work
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 29, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun work: In most of its meanings, work is an uncountable noun, and […]
- An everyday usage anymore
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 28, 2012
- In recent weeks Liz has been sharing language tips on distinguishing between every one and everyone, and every day and everyday. These are handy refreshers if you're unsure of the distinctions. Such pairs abound in English and are a common source of confusion even for native speakers. Every day and everyday may cause trouble, but […]
- Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2012 - feel the love again!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on November 27, 2012
- Following the success of last year's competition, we're launching the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2012 for best blog and best website about the English language. For full details of this year's competition - how you can nominate and vote, and what the prizes are - check out this page on the blog. Key dates: […]
- Learning about transitive verbs: is there a funny side?
- Posted by Gill Francis on November 26, 2012
- When you step into a taxi in Singapore, you may see a little printed sign bearing the terse instruction 'KEEP CLEAN'. Relax - there is no need to wonder whether you've taken a shower recently. Just don't discard your chocolate wrapping or wipe your sticky fingers on the armrest. (As if!) The imperative Keep clean […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd November, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 23, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: progress
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 22, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the noun progress: Progress is an uncountable noun, and so: ? it never comes […]
- A preposition problem
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on November 19, 2012
- To begin, and so that you won't feel you have yet another language problem on your plate, the preposition problem here is not a problem for you; it's a problem for computers. You remember computers-those machines we rely on increasingly to do a huge amount of work for us. A big job for computers today […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th November 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 16, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: worth
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 15, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English which learners often find difficult, e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc. This week some advice about the patterns that can follow the adjective worth: The adjective worth is never followed […]
- Getting ‘treacle’ from wild animals
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 14, 2012
- Sometimes the history of a word can take you by surprise. In Jonathan Culler’s 1976 book Saussure I came across a note on the etymology of treacle that showed how a couple of twists and turns can carry a word very far from its origins - so far as to seem fantastically improbable when the […]
- No more print dictionaries: a ‘sad day’ or a ‘day of liberation’?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 13, 2012
- Last week’s announcement that Macmillan won’t in future be publishing dictionaries in book form sparked a lively debate - some of it on this blog, some in the news media, and some in other online forums. The response, it’s fair to say, was mixed. ‘What a sad day’, said one subscriber to a lexicography discussion […]
- Online dictionaries: a big ask?
- Posted by Gill Francis on November 12, 2012
- In a stop-press post last week announcing Macmillan’s decision to stop printing dictionaries, Michael Rundell pointed out that an online dictionary can respond more promptly to the constantly shifting nature of a living language. This is a huge challenge for lexicographers. They have to decide which words and phrases are genuine newcomers, whilst guarding against […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th November 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 09, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: say
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 08, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the patterns that can follow the verb say: Unlike the verb tell, the verb […]
- Who signed off on my burrito?
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on November 07, 2012
- There comes a time in the life of many words when it appears that they have been given more work than they can reasonably accomplish. I popped out to the supermarket to buy lunch the other day—in the form of a modest, microwavable burrito—and decided that such a moment had come for signature. (See the […]
- Stop the presses - the end of the printed dictionary
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 05, 2012
- Umberto Eco recently argued that “The book is like the spoon, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved”. But dictionaries are different from other books. Like maps and encyclopedias - but unlike novels or newspapers - dictionaries are things you consult (while you’re doing something else) rather than things you read. For […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd November 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 02, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: every one or everyone?
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 01, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about every one and everyone, as well as other pronouns starting with every: Don’t confuse […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/10
Archive for October, 2012
- Google's Ngram Viewer 2.0 - a new bag of tricks
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 30, 2012
- Early last year I wrote about Google's Ngram Viewer, a tool based on its books corpus that allows you to graph the use of words and phrases over time. For example, you can see at a glance how references to Plato and Aristotle compare over the last few centuries. (I get the impression they're often […]
- Google the ecosystem: what is a word worth?
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on October 29, 2012
- In his TV documentary The Deep, David Attenborough relates how his team found a recently-dead whale at the bottom of the sea. The vast beast is food for millions. The hagfish find the corpse, and start scraping away at the skin with two rows of horny teeth. Seven-meter-long sweeper sharks dig deep holes into the […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th October 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 26, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: every
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 25, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about using the pronoun every: The pronoun every is usually used with a singular noun: […]
- Miscreant word behavior
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on October 23, 2012
- If you type "dictionary australia" into the Google News search box it will deliver up a cartload of stories-nearly 1500 of them when I tried it. There is shocking news that the most respected Australian dictionary, Macquarie, has updated its definition of misogyny in response to a parliamentary speech that prime minister Julia Gillard gave […]
- Is there a case for 'publically' (or 'economicly')? Part 2
- Posted by John Williams on October 22, 2012
- According to Wikipedia, publically is an example of morphemic pleonasm. A pleonasm is normally understood as an utterance that contains one or more redundant elements that do not contribute to the meaning. (There, I just did one!) Common examples are true fact, Great Britain, or choose deliberately. A morpheme is part of a word that […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th October 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 19, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Language tip of the week: economic and economical
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 18, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the adjectives economic and economical: People often confuse economic and economical. Use economical to […]
- Lesser spotted portmanteau words
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 16, 2012
- A portmanteau word, also known as a blend, is "a word that combines the sound and meaning of two words" - such as brunch (breakfast + lunch), guesstimate (guess + estimate), banoffee (banana + toffee) and Wikipedia (wiki + encyclopedia). The combining words have to blend: if they remain intact, as in keyboard or skydive, […]
- Is there a case for 'publically'? Part 1
- Posted by John Williams on October 15, 2012
- Recently, while proofreading an internal document, I was taken to task by a colleague for correcting the spelling of 'publically' to 'publicly': Speaking radicly for the moment, but probably both logicly and statisticly soundly (though tragicly for traditionalists, I know), I think publically is a better spelling. In a sense, we each had a point. […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th October 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 12, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: pre-drinking
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 11, 2012
- pre-drinking (noun) (also pre-lash) the practice of drinking alcohol at home before going out to a club or pub, in order to save money Trust me when I say that ‘pre-drinking’ will save you LOADS if you do it correctly. (Submitted from United Kingdom) Well. A number of things: It’s sad, isn’t it? We are […]
- Language tip of the week: need
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 11, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the patterns that follow the noun need: When the noun need is followed by […]
- Spin to win
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on October 09, 2012
- Early this year I wrote about the special meanings that US politicians may wish to convey when they bandy particular words. Now Americans are in the deep end of the campaign for the general election and the words are still flying. About 70 million people watched the first of three scheduled debates between President Obama […]
- “What’s that in elephants?” A useful question for teachers and learners
- Posted by Gill Francis on October 08, 2012
- “What’s that in elephants?” is not a question you’d naturally ask, but the fixed grammatical frame “What’s that in ____ ?” is a useful ready-made formula for more standard questions like “What’s that in square metres?” or “What’s that in litres?” Such queries are especially relevant in the UK, where there’s a long-standing attachment to […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th October 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 05, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- It was 50 years ago today
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 04, 2012
- In our corpus, the expression ‘the sixties’ occurs over twice as often as ‘the fifties’ or ‘the nineties’ (the seventies and eighties are somewhere in between, but still nowhere near as frequent as the sixties). Why do people talk about the 1960s more than any other decade? One reason is the phenomenon of the Beatles, […]
- Language tip of the week: criterion
- Posted by Liz Potter on October 04, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the noun criterion: The plural form of criterion is criteria: ? Decisions on whether […]
- Dictionary signals vs. noise
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 02, 2012
- There has been much discussion lately about crowd-sourced dictionary-making. For example, slang lexicographer Jonathon Green, in an article in the Guardian, observes ironically that everyone “seems to have a novel in them. Maybe there’s a dictionary too.” Some of the commentary on this topic gives the impression that dictionaries’ future could lie in the hands […]
- Using comic strips with young learners of English
- Posted by Roberta Facchinetti on October 01, 2012
- Comic strips are often structured in a single sentence, or even a phrase; their textual simplicity, the visuals accompanying and often clarifying the text and finally the frequent presence of colour make them very appealing to young EFL learners. Indeed, the language of comic strips leads to a positive response in children, regardless of their […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/09
Archive for September, 2012
- Language and words in the news - 28th September 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 28, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Proud to be a pleb?
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 27, 2012
- Since the Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell's unwise - and much disputed - outburst to a Downing Street police officer last week, the word 'pleb' has been all over the news. So it's not surprising that lookups of the word on MEDO have soared, with a peak of over 2,000% of the usual number on […]
- Language tip of the week: maybe and perhaps
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 27, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about using the adverbs maybe and perhaps: Don't confuse the adverb maybe (one word), which […]
- Pasta is Life
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on September 25, 2012
- Food terms borrowed from other languages tend to arrive intact, or undergo as little change as possible to still be comprehensible in the second language. As well as providing novelty and diversion for menu readers, this practice can be a real boon to English learners. A stroll down the pasta aisle of the supermarket can […]
- The wisdom of crowds: can it work for dictionaries?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 24, 2012
- Crowd-sourcing refers to a 'distributed' method for solving problems or completing complex tasks, where large numbers of people contribute their time, knowledge and expertise in a collaborative way. The term was coined in 2006 - as I learned when re-reading Kerry Maxwell's interesting 'Buzzword' article on it, written when the word was still quite new. An […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st September 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 21, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: rubberneck
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 20, 2012
- rubberneck (verb) to stand on one's toes in a crowd of ardent admirers to see a celebrity passing by Surely he meant to say that "celebrity drivel and rubbernecking are what drive our site". (Submitted by: Matti Salonen from Finland) Actually we have this word in the main dictionary but with this definition: to look […]
- Language tip of the week: capable
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 20, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the patterns that follow the adjective capable: The adjective capable is never followed by […]
- On the metaphor of sock puppets
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 18, 2012
- Last week's Open Dictionary word of the week was sock puppetry, defined by a reader as the act of "writing very flattering reviews of one's own book on sites such as Amazon, but using a different name…". It's in the news at the moment because some popular authors were found to have used the tactic […]
- Hunting for lexical blends - the computational way
- Posted by Paul Cook on September 17, 2012
- Our guest blogger today is Paul Cook, who works in the Department of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne. His cross-disciplinary research in computational linguistics considers new ways in which computational methods can be used to study language and identify new words and meanings. How do lexicographers find new words to consider […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th September 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 14, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: sock puppetry
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 13, 2012
- sock puppetry (noun) writing very flattering reviews of one’s own book on sites such as Amazon, but using a different name so that people do not know that it’s the author writing about his or her own book Authors including Lee Child, Mark Billingham, Joanne Harris, Charlie Higson and Tony Parsons have signed up to […]
- Language tip of the week: behaviour
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 13, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about using the noun behaviour: Behaviour is usually an uncountable noun, so it is rarely […]
- Tech talk
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on September 11, 2012
- I sat down with a programmer the other day who was showing me how to use a new text annotation tool. His first instruction to me was, “Open a shell.” Not being a mollusk, nor carrying one with me, I was briefly flummoxed. But not wanting to appear completely clueless, I said: “Do I have […]
- Are free-range eggs all they’re cracked up to be?
- Posted by Gill Francis on September 10, 2012
- Today I’d like to begin by looking at the often diverse and convoluted relationships within noun groups. These snippets, from ukWaC, show some of the nouns occurring after free-range (which is itself a compound): free-range chickens organic, free-range eggs dolphin-friendly tuna fish mixed with free-range mayonnaise domestic free-range units large free-range producers the free-range market […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th September 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 07, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Language tip of the week: everyday
- Posted by Liz Potter on September 06, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about using two very similar expressions, every day and everyday: Don’t confuse every day (two […]
- Dialects in dialogue
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 04, 2012
- My earlier post on irregular verbs mentioned brung and holp - forms excluded from the current standard language but that survive in local speech. Regional dialects are also a great store of unusual words, such as guddle (rummage), dimpsy (twilight), and bishybarnabee (ladybird). Variation in language goes beyond inflection and vocabulary, of course. In everyday […]
- Using newspaper articles in the classroom - the practical side
- Posted by Karen Richardson on September 03, 2012
- This week’s guest blogger Karen Richardson is a freelance teacher, teacher-trainer, and ELT materials writer based in Germany, who (amongst other things) writes the Guardian Weekly and Business Spotlight news lessons on www.onestopenglish.com. After having read Roberta Facchinetti’s recent informative post on teaching English through newspapers, you are hopefully now convinced of the usefulness of […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/08
Archive for August, 2012
- Language and words in the news - 31st August 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 31, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: laugh
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 30, 2012
- laugh (noun) Are you having a laugh?: an informal British phrase used to challenge something someone says or does that seems ridiculous or insulting to the speaker. "That'll be twenty pounds please." "Twenty quid for a bottle of shampoo? Are you having a laugh?" (Submitted from the United Kingdom) The Brits are pretty subtle with […]
- Language tip of the week: independent
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 30, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the prepositions that can follow the adjective independent: The usual preposition to use with […]
- Remembrance of past participle things
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on August 29, 2012
- Stan Carey's recent post about irregular verbs reminded me of a topic that occurs to me from time to time; to be more precise, a topic that occurs to me every time I notice someone fail to vocalize a past participle when grammar requires it, and opt for the simple past instead. Of course this […]
- Teaching English through newspapers
- Posted by Roberta Facchinetti on August 27, 2012
- Our guest blogger this week is Roberta Facchinetti, who is a Full Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at the University of Verona. Roberta teaches courses in English for Journalism, and has published numerous books and articles on language, culture, and the media. While teachers of English are increasingly taking advantage of […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th August 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 24, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Language tip of the week: agree
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 23, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the verb agree: When you want to say that you approve of something or […]
- Irregular ours
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 21, 2012
- Irregular verbs can be awkward items for students, requiring to be learned (or learnt) by heart rather than by a simple rule. But they are also historical artefacts that have stubbornly withstood (not withstanded) the pressure to conform, and they shed light on the shapes and structure of English morphology - word formation - as […]
- "Save up to 35% on your fuel bills!" Some mysterious uses of the preposition 'up to'
- Posted by Gill Francis on August 20, 2012
- In the run-up to the Olympics, several athletes were signed up to appear in advertisements for the products of one of the sponsors. One athlete was lucky, or unlucky, enough to be assigned a well-known anti-dandruff shampoo, and is now, declares the advert, "100% cool, 100% confident and up to 100% flake-free*". (Forget that asterisk […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th August 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 17, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: peloton
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 16, 2012
- peloton (noun) in cycling and other sports, the main group of competitors In the fluid motion of the peloton there’s one golden rule: if you’re not moving forwards, you’re moving backwards. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) There’s a whole world of language in every sport, isn’t there? And some of it so poetic. Peloton comes […]
- Language tip of the week: access
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 16, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the noun and verb access: Don’t use the preposition to after the verb access. […]
- Out of countenance
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on August 15, 2012
- As a gesture to one of English’s great masters, about 200 years after her heyday, it’s appropriate to salute a word that she was very fond of and that has now all but slipped out of English. The master is Jane Austen; the word is the noun countenance. It’s a stretch to say that countenance […]
- The ‘orderliness’ of language
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 13, 2012
- Here’s a made-up sentence. See if you can spot the three most infrequent words in it: If you eschew expensive restaurants, you will save more than an exiguous amount, and this will ameliorate your financial situation. That wasn’t too difficult, was it? We’ve discussed before the idea that very few words are exact synonyms of […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th August 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 10, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Language tip of the week: contact
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 09, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about using the noun contact: When contact means ‘communication between people, countries, or organizations’, it […]
- They came, they medalled, they podiumed…
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 08, 2012
- Since, contrary to all expectation, I have found myself swept up in the national epidemic of Olympic fever (it was the bizarrely wonderful opening ceremony that did it), I thought that in place of the usual Word of the Month post I’d take a brief look at some of the sporting terms that have come […]
- The different grooves of ‘groovy’
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 07, 2012
- On the blog last week, Orin wrote a very interesting post about the different meanings of funky. It got me thinking about a related word, groovy, and how its use has drifted over a century and a half. When groovy first appeared in the mid-nineteenth century, its meaning was physical: resembling or relating to a […]
- More issues around ‘issues’
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 06, 2012
- Inspired by Gill Francis’s recent post on the new(ish) use of the preposition around, I thought I would take a look at the other half of this construction - the word ‘issues’, and the changes it has undergone in recent years. It soon becomes clear that ‘issues’ is not just the plural of ‘issue’, but […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd August 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 03, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: door
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 03, 2012
- door (verb) if a cyclist gets doored, they crash into the door of a stationary vehicle that someone has carelessly opened Getting hit by a car or doored is a fairly common experience for city cyclists and pedestrians. (Submitted from United Kingdom) I love a verbing of a good, solid noun. And a door is […]
- Language tip of the week: pay
- Posted by Liz Potter on August 02, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the patterns that follow the verb pay: The verb pay is never followed by […]
- A funky thing happened (on my way to understanding)
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on August 01, 2012
- Every language has words that its own speakers, or speakers of other languages, deem untranslatable. No language should have words that are incomprehensible; for that, we have dictionaries. Some words, however, pose problems even for lexicographers because they seem to mean too many things, or change their meaning, chameleon-like, according to subtle shifts in the […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/07
Archive for July, 2012
- What can language research tell us about the 'real world'? Part 3
- Posted by John Williams on July 30, 2012
- We have seen in previous posts (in part 1 and part 2) that the real world tends to be defined and conceived in opposition to other concepts - such as academic life, childhood, or the online world. Here are a couple of more general examples from the ukWaC corpus, in which the real world is […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th July 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 27, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: acclivity
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 26, 2012
- acclivity (noun) an old word meaning a rising slope Thence, the land rises by a gentle acclivity, on which the ancient barony of Ogilvie is situated. (Submitted from India) Most submissions to the Open Dictionary are of words and phrases that have recently entered the language, or recently become widely used enough for people to […]
- Language tip of the week: suggest
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 26, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about the patterns that follow the verb suggest: When suggest means 'to offer an idea […]
- Semi-attached to semicolons
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 24, 2012
- The usefulness of semicolons is apparent in all types of prose, yet the mark is not universally liked or adopted. Many writers gladly include it in their set of grammatical and rhetorical tools, and some positively adore it, but others avoid it altogether or even go out of their way to insult it. Much as […]
- Saying 'sorry' - and showing that you mean it
- Posted by Simon Williams and Jules Winchester on July 23, 2012
- As part of our continuing interest in pragmatics, we return to the subject of apologizing, which has been discussed before by Stan and by Michael. Our guest bloggers this week are Simon Williams and Jules Winchester of the University of Sussex. There's quite a vogue nowadays for those in power to make apologies for wrongdoing. […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th July 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 20, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: desire path
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on July 19, 2012
- desire path (noun) (also desire line) a planning term referring to a path made by walkers or cyclists, as opposed to one that is officially planned A paper by Carl Myhill examines how companies can be successful by focusing on the desire lines of their products and customers… (Submitted from United Kingdom) There's something rather […]
- Language tip of the week: fulfil
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 19, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Here is some advice about spelling the verb fulfil: The verb fulfil has only one 'l' in the middle […]
- Sins against syntax
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on July 17, 2012
- Lately I hear two constructions in conversation that bug me: they may both be a case of a common expression morphing toward a simpler form, and not taking all of the grammatical requirements of the earlier form along in the move. Should a person care about such things? Will resistance stop the march of simplification? […]
- Do you have an issue around ‘issues around’?
- Posted by Gill Francis on July 16, 2012
- Prepositions may seem small and insignificant, but developments in their meanings can be interesting, especially when a new use is typical of a particular kind of discourse. In recent posts I talked about an evolving sense of ahead of, found mostly in news and sports reporting, and a new(ish) sense of across, occurring mainly in […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th July 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 13, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: shoogle
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on July 12, 2012
- shoogle (verb) a Scots word meaning to shake Just shoogle it about a bit and it’ll come loose. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) There were a lot of new words added to the Open Dictionary over the last week. Here’s a list: completist, nominative determinism, Libor, net neutrality, GLT, telephone number salary, run out of […]
- Language tip of the week: advice
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 12, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Following some useful comments about last week’s tip on how to remember whether to use c or s in […]
- Many right ways
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 10, 2012
- Gill Francis wrote a great post last week about the phrase ahead of as used “to sequence connected events”; for example, excitement ahead of tomorrow’s game. Some people reject this construction for no good reason: one blogger apparently wonders why you’d use ahead of “when you really mean before”, which prompts Gill to wonder “what […]
- What can language research tell us about the ‘real world’? Part 2
- Posted by John Williams on July 09, 2012
- Last week we saw how, according to the ukWaC corpus, UK universities appear to be preoccupied with the ‘real world’ and the challenge of preparing their students to enter it. This contrast with the world of academia is one of the oppositions through which the ‘real world’ acquires definition. There is apparently a gap between […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th July 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 06, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Language tip of the week: practice or practise?
- Posted by Liz Potter on July 05, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s tip is about practice and practise. In British English, practice (a noun) should not be confused with […]
- Bloggers’ Questions #3: a roundup
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 05, 2012
- This week our regular Word of the Week post is replaced by Editor-in-Chief Michael Rundell’s roundup of the many interesting responses to the most recent bloggers’ question. Look out for Question #4, which will be coming up shortly. Last month’s question was: What word exists in English that you have found to be missing in […]
- Attributive genius
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on July 04, 2012
- I’m posting this week from a land in flames—the American West, where many wildfires are burning out of control. In good-citizen fashion, I read the poster put together by local authorities, found online and posted in local businesses, that tells you what you need to know about the situation. The text of the poster strikes […]
- More blood donors needed ahead of Olympics
- Posted by Gill Francis on July 02, 2012
- If you’re thinking of donating blood before July 27th, this headline is for you! Here are some more extracts from news items in the Guardian and The Telegraph this month, in the run-up to the London Olympics: FEARS ABOUT UK BORDER QUEUES AHEAD OF OLYMPICS (headline) Author says police crackdown ahead of the Olympics is […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/06
Archive for June, 2012
- Language and words in the news - 29th June 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 29, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: petaflop
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 28, 2012
- Anybody can add a word and its definition to the Open Dictionary. Every week I choose a word from recent entries to rattle on about. Petaflop is this week's word. petaflop (noun) a measure of a computer's processing speed. It can be expressed as a thousand trillion floating point operations per second Its speed? A […]
- Language tip of the week: their and there
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 28, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's tip is about confusion between their and there. Don't confuse their (the possessive form of 'they') and […]
- Linguistic botany
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 26, 2012
- In his book The Growth and Structure of the English Language, Otto Jespersen said the language was "like an English park, which is laid out seemingly without any definite plan, and in which you are allowed to walk everywhere according to your own fancy without having to fear a stern keeper enforcing rigorous regulations." For […]
- What can language research tell us about the 'real world'? Part 1
- Posted by John Williams on June 25, 2012
- John Williams, our new guest blogger, worked as a lexicographer for COBUILD and later for Macmillan. He is currently a lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Portsmouth and is particularly interested in lexicography and language study as cultural and social practices. _____________ Last month I participated in a conference at the […]
- On Alan Turing - without whom your computer might not exist
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 23, 2012
- If it wasn't for the British mathematician Alan Turing, who was born 100 years ago today, you probably wouldn't be reading the Macmillan blog - or any other blog for that matter. Without Turing's visionary thinking, computers may not have developed as far as they have. A website dedicated to his work describes Turing as […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd June 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 22, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: baby box
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 21, 2012
- baby box (noun) a box where where people can leave unwanted babies, who are then cared for by the authorities The United Nations is increasingly concerned at the spread in Europe of "baby boxes" where infants can be secretly abandoned by parents, warning that the practice "contravenes the right of the child to be known […]
- Language tip of the week: think
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 21, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's tip is about the patterns that can follow the verb think. The verb think is rarely used […]
- Blowing hot and cold
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on June 20, 2012
- Among the first words that learners of a new language acquire are the words for hot and cold. The concepts are so basic to human experience that we don't get through a day without many references to them. Hot, cold, and the basic words that are semantically connected with them (such as heat, cool, thaw, […]
- It’s funny the way people see things differently…
- Posted by Gill Francis on June 18, 2012
- The noun way (plural ways) is one of the most common nouns in English, as evidenced by corpus-based frequency lists. There are about 990 instances per million words in the British National Corpus (as compared with the most frequent noun time, with 1,635 instances). One very frequent sense of way is sense 1a) in Macmillan: […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th June 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 15, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: granular
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 14, 2012
- granular (adjective) (used about data and information) broken down into small separate items The association of group practice administrators asked CMS to provide more granular identification of all entities that fund, receive and administer insurance claims. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) Last week Orin Hargraves wrote a post here entitled “Going granular” about this very […]
- Language tip of the week: at/in the end
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 14, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s tip is about confusion between the very similar phrases at the end and in the end. People […]
- A clutter of commas
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 12, 2012
- Anyone who reads, writes or edits will notice the great variation in people’s punctuation styles. Where some use dashes, others deploy colons. Some avoid semicolons; others use them at every opportunity. Hyphens are as much forgotten or ignored as they are adored with the passion of a proofreader. Many of us can relate to Gertrude […]
- Ready, steady, go!
- Posted by Robert Lane Greene on June 11, 2012
- The “I wish X language had word W, which is so useful in Y” discussion is usually an invitation to submit fun and weird words that are highly specific and useful in language Y. For example, I did one post on great words that English lacks, and Danish provides two: flueknipper (literally, someone who, er, […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th June 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 08, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: aptonym
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 07, 2012
- aptonym (noun) (also aptronym) a person’s name that is appropriate to their job An example of an aptonym is the current UK Lord Chief Justice, whose name and title is Lord Judge. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) Doing a quick run-through of our bloggers and guest-bloggers I thought I might come up with at least […]
- Going granular
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on June 06, 2012
- There was a time when the only things that were granular either were, or reminded you of, grains. Grains have been on the menu ever since humans discovered wild cereal plants and began to cultivate them, laying the foundations for that unstoppable behemoth that we call civilization. The current state of civilization, whatever its ills, […]
- The Queen and disco dancing: what do they have in common?
- Posted by Katherine Barber on June 04, 2012
- Our new guest blogger Katherine Barber was the editor of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary for 17 years. She blogs about language at katherinebarber.blogspot.com and about ballet at toursenlair.blogspot.com _____________ With Queen Elizabeth II celebrating the 60th anniversary of her coronation this weekend, it’s an opportune time to look at an unusual word that we don’t […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st June 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on June 01, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/05
Archive for May, 2012
- Open Dictionary word of the week: gender-neutral
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 31, 2012
- gender-neutral (adjective) 1. gender-neutral language does not refer specifically to males or females and so can be used when talking about either sex The 'singular' use of they, them, and themselves partly solves the problems raised by the lack of a gender-neutral pronoun in English. 2. relating to policies or ideas that seek to avoid […]
- Language tip of the week: funny
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 31, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's tip is about different ways of saying that someone or something is funny. amusing fairly funny, in […]
- Bloggers' Questions #3
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 30, 2012
- This month's question isn't an uncommon one, but it always provides interesting responses and a lot of debate: What word exists in English that you have found to be missing in whatever other language you speak (or in your native language) or/and what word exists in that other language that is missing in English? Here […]
- How's your txtng style?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 29, 2012
- How does the language you use in text messages differ from your email style, and from your prose in more formal contexts? This is something to which I've been paying more attention since reading David Crystal's book Txtng: The gr8 db8, which examines text language and refutes complaints that it's an indication of illiteracy, laziness, […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th May 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 25, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: capability
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 25, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. Following the previous language tip about the patterns that follow the noun possibility, here are some more patterns for […]
- Is there a case for the pronoun "themself"?
- Posted by Gill Francis on May 23, 2012
- In April this year, Bristol City Council distributed a leaflet in the run-up to the referendum on whether voters would like a directly elected Mayor (as in London). They inform us that: The elected Mayor would be in addition to the 70 elected councillors, and would not be a councillor themselves. The reflexive pronoun themselves […]
- The "the" that threw the thing off
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on May 22, 2012
- Followers of news stories may have been amused to learn recently that a lawyer defending a corrupt U.S. politician (John Edwards, a former senator and one-time aspiring presidential candidate) introduced an argument that calls into question the meaning of 'the' in the phrase 'for the purpose of'. Learners of English, who may struggle with the […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th May 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 18, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: zugzwang
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 17, 2012
- zugzwang (noun) in a game such as chess, a player is in zugzwang when it is their turn to move and whatever move they make will leave them in a weaker position The Spanish debt-drama shows that Europe is in Zugzwang - a situation in chess when there is no useful move - every possible […]
- Language tip of the week: commit
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 17, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about how to spell the inflections of verbs like commit. Don’t write the -ed […]
- Apologies are being expressed - or are they?
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 15, 2012
- English has a variety of options for when we want to express contrition or remorse. We can say we’re sorry, we apologise, we regret something. We can emphasise it by saying ‘I’m so/very/really/truly/awfully sorry’, and so on. Or we can just say ‘Apologies’. Convention dictates in part how this and other ritualised speech acts take […]
- Left, right, left, right.
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on May 14, 2012
- The Eurozone crisis claimed another victim on 6 May when Nicolas Sarkozy became the eleventh European political leader to lose his job since 2008. His opponent, François Hollande, has become only the second socialist president of the French Fifth Republic. This change of presidency has been seen by some as a “lurch to the left”. […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th May 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 11, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: gender reveal
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 10, 2012
- We are constantly monitoring the language to ensure that we keep an up-to-date record. You can be a part of this enterprise by suggesting a word for our Open Dictionary. Every Thursday Laine Redpath-Cole picks a new entry and goes on about it for a bit. This week’s word is: gender reveal (noun) the practice […]
- Language tip of the week: possibility
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 10, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about the patterns that follow the noun possibility. The noun possibility is never followed […]
- Some changing uses of ‘grammar’ words: are you across ‘across’?
- Posted by Gill Francis on May 09, 2012
- Gill Francis is a freelance language consultant and writer of resources for teachers and learners of English. Her latest project is Skylight, an easy-to-use online corpus access tool (for login details, email gillian.francis@blueyonder.co.uk). _____________ When someone says ‘preposition’ and ‘language change’ in the same breath, you would be forgiven if your eyes glaze over. Prepositions […]
- Ins and outs
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on May 08, 2012
- English has a jumbled inheritance of words from many sources; the pie chart shows a statistical analysis based on dictionary etymologies. Even simple contrasting word pairs, such as in and out, may come from different sources: in is a Latinate word, and out is Germanic. Despite their disparate origins, you can usually count on words […]
- An alliterative ABC
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 07, 2012
- The Pennsylvania-based artist and illustrator, Victor Stabin has sent us a copy of his delightful book Daedal Doodle. It’s an ‘ABC’ for kids learning the alphabet - but with a difference. Books of this type usually employ familiar objects and animals (‘A is for Apple, B is for Bear’ and so on), but this one […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th May 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 04, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: develop
- Posted by Liz Potter on May 03, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about how to spell the inflections of develop. Don’t write the -ed and -ing […]
- Bloggers’ Questions 2012: #2
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 02, 2012
- This post is published in the ‘Live English’ channel which provides content for our Global English crowd: international users of English. Every month we ask our contributing bloggers a question about English and its quirks. The last question was about politeness and April’s question was about synonyms. What’s your favourite synonym and why? Personally, I […]
- The unreality of real estate language
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 01, 2012
- Despite its popularity and contagiousness, linguistic inflation is strongly resisted in some contexts. You’re unlikely to read ‘totally epic’ in a philosophy book, ‘unbelievably amazing’ in an academic essay, or ‘Best. Results. Ever.’ in a scientific paper. But in other, less formal contexts, inflation thrives; one such place is real estate language. In this world, […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/04
Archive for April, 2012
- Looking up "albeit"
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on April 30, 2012
- One of the interesting things about English, and other languages too, for that matter, is that a relatively small number of words account for a large percentage of everything we read or hear (or say or write). The most frequent 100 words account for about 45%, and the most frequent 7,500 account for about 90%. […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th April 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 27, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: hat-tip
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on April 26, 2012
- We are constantly monitoring the language to ensure that we keep an up-to-date record. You can be a part of this enterprise by suggesting a word for our Open Dictionary. Every Thursday Laine Redpath-Cole picks a new entry and goes on about it for a bit. This week's word is: hat-tip (noun) an acknowledgement by […]
- Language tip of the week: Corp. or corps?
- Posted by Beth Penfold on April 26, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring English language learners useful tips on tricky areas of the language. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip is about the differences in pronunciation between Corp. and corps. Here in the UK, there […]
- An omnipresent omnishambles
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 25, 2012
- Every Wednesday here in the UK, we are treated to a piece of political theatre known as 'Prime Minister's questions' or PMQs. For half an hour, the Prime Minster is obliged to answer questions from other MPs, and the traditional highlight of this event is a verbal skirmish between the PM and the Leader of […]
- Compound fractures
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on April 24, 2012
- Though it has never been discovered, there must be, resting somewhere on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, a box of words that lost their way in the perilous journey from British to American English, or in some cases, in the reverse direction. This would handily explain the disparities among a number of compound terms […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th April 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 20, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- How do you like your stake?
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 20, 2012
- 2012 is turning out to be quite a year for anniversaries, with those of the birth of Charles Dickens and the sinking of the Titanic already past, and Robert Browning and Alan Turing still to come. Today is the centenary of the death of the Irish writer Bram Stoker, author of one of the most […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: milquetoast … and Count Dracula
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on April 19, 2012
- milquetoast (noun) a man who is timid and unassertive The lack of masculine courage and willpower is quickly turning America's men into milquetoasts. Where are the Patrick Henrys, the George Pattons, the Teddy Roosevelts, the Andy Jacksons, or the Harry Trumans today? (Submitted from the United Kingdom) My son is currently obsessed with eating food […]
- Language tip of the week: whether or if?
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 19, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip is about the differences in use between whether and if. Both whether and if can […]
- Is linguistic inflation insanely awesome?
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 17, 2012
- To continue the semantic theme of my last post, today I want to look at inflation. Linguistic inflation is analogous to economic inflation, but it concerns a devaluation in meaning rather than price. Inflation lies behind the popular use of such words as genius, epic, awesome, totally, and incredible. What they mean is often more […]
- “This parrot is no more”. When is a synonym not a synonym?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 16, 2012
- Stan’s recent post on poppycock, bunkum, and similar words includes a huge collection of synonyms. They’re not identical in every respect: there are differences in regional distribution (some are used very widely, others only locally), in register (some being more formal, others verging on the offensive), and in currency (with some fading from use, and […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th April 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 13, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: Facebooking
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on April 12, 2012
- Facebooking (noun) doing any activity on FB social network: e.g. Videos, Photoshop, Chat, posts In my free time I like reading, jogging and Facebooking. (Submitted by Mara Rufino from Italy) I got into a muddle recently when trying to explain to someone how I would be communicating some or other bit of information with them. […]
- Language tip of the week: whether
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 12, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about two words that are easily confused, whether and weather. Notice the spelling of […]
- Rather interesting
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on April 10, 2012
- Michael Rundell noted in his post a couple of weeks ago that there was a clear British/American divide in the use of the expression “Thanks a bunch”: it’s often used sincerely in American English, but ironically in British. That distinction, in one respect, is the tip of an iceberg: the iceberg of adverbial modification. In […]
- Language and words in the news - 6th April 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 06, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: spanner
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on April 05, 2012
- spanner (noun) an offensive word for a stupid person I never had any great love for Enid Blyton because the children in her books were always such insufferable spanners. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) It’s always good to learn a new word for “stupid”. Not that this one is particularly new - whenever there has […]
- Language tip of the week: happy
- Posted by Liz Potter on April 05, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the spelling of nouns whose related adjective ends in ‘y’. Although the adjective […]
- What do people ‘like to say’ - and what do they ‘like saying’?
- Posted by Heng-ming Carlos Kang on April 04, 2012
- This post comes from guest blogger Heng-ming Carlos Kang of the Graduate Institute of Linguistics at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. It is based on a talk that Carlos gave at the recent Asia-Pacific Corpus Linguistics Conference in New Zealand. Have you noticed any difference between what people like to say and what they like […]
- Starved with the cold
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 03, 2012
- There has been a lot of talk lately about The Hunger Games. Though I haven’t seen or read it yet, it reminded me of a conversation I had on Twitter about a lesser-known meaning of the word starve. In Ireland, especially the northern province of Ulster, you will sometimes hear people say starved or starving […]
- Jerry
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on April 02, 2012
- Here in Britain, we’ve been advised by a government minister to keep a jerrycan of petrol in our garages as a precaution against a proposed strike by the drivers of petrol tankers which threatens to leave most of our petrol stations dry. A jerrycan is a kind of container for petrol, water, or other liquids, […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/03
Archive for March, 2012
- Language and words in the news - 30th March 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 30, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: Robin Hood tax
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 29, 2012
- Robin Hood tax (noun) a very small (0.05%) tax on every speculative financial transaction made by banks; also called Tobin tax The Robin Hood Tax is designed to hit only speculative, "casino" trading and not the high street banks used by the public. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) It's been a taxing past few weeks […]
- Language tip of the week: difference
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 29, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip helps with the grammatical patterns of the noun difference. When you are talking about a […]
- Anything you say may be used against you
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on March 28, 2012
- In my last post I talked about things you say that actually accomplish something, such as warning, thanking, advising, and the like - and the idea that utterances like this, often formulaic, are called speech acts. A particular division of speech acts are characterized as illocutionary: illocutionary speech acts are ones in which the speaker, […]
- When is a lad not a lad?
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 27, 2012
- When he's a grown man who works in a stable, would seem to be the answer. The Macmillan English Dictionary defines a lad as: 'a boy or a young man' or 'a man who does things thought to be typical of young men, for example drinking a lot of alcohol…' Put the word stable in […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd March 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 23, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Whose bright idea was this? Irony and dictionaries
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 22, 2012
- In his recent post on speech acts, Orin made the point that "many of these formulas … can be used to convey a meaning very different from the one they're usually used for; sometimes just the opposite". A good example is the expression Yeah, right, which people use to signal that they don't believe what […]
- Open Dictionary reaches 1000th entry
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 22, 2012
- lifelogging (noun) the practice of digitally recording everything you do all the time, for example by wearing a camera that takes photographs every few seconds, keeping all emails etc. For the past seven years, Bell has been conducting an audacious experiment in "lifelogging"-creating a near-total digital record of his experience. (Submitted from the UK) Macmillan's […]
- Five Rules of Thumb for Polite and Diplomatic Language
- Posted by Luke Thompson on March 21, 2012
- Our guest blogger Luke Thompson teaches at The London School of English and produces Luke's English Podcast, which won the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Award for Best Blog 2011. This blog post is about how hedging and indirectness in English can be used to establish a respectful and polite relationship between speakers. This is particularly […]
- Poppycock, bunkum and rawmaish
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 20, 2012
- I mentioned the term mumbo-jumbo in my recent survey of reduplication. Claptrap and bunkum (a near-reduplicative) did not feature, but all three are among a great many words the English language has for conveying the idea of nonsense, rubbish, rot, drivel, tripe - you get the picture. Each of these terms has its own nuances, […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: obvs
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 19, 2012
- obvs (adverb) a slang way of saying obviously I mean, obvs everyone has played their part, even Anya, but London is so back? (Submitted from the UK) Look, obvs this is totes a fad. And that’s fine, it’s amaze and all that. But what troubles me about this entry is that I totes don’t know […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th March 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 16, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: its or it’s?
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 15, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the difference between its and it’s. People often confuse its and it’s. The […]
- Do you mind the gap?
- Posted by Mariela Gil on March 14, 2012
- Our second post on Life Skills is by Mariela Gil Vierma. Mariela has taught English in the US, Mexico and Thailand and has worked for Macmillan since 2002. She is currently commissioning editor and developed the concept for the Mind series which involves the development of life skills alongside English. There’s this gap. I’ve seen […]
- Express yourself!
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on March 13, 2012
- When we say something that brings about a change in the world — whether in a relationship, a process, or in the status of something — the thing we say is often called a speech act. Speech acts are an important area in the study of pragmatics and they cover a wide range of things […]
- Bloggers’ Questions 2012: #1
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 12, 2012
- This post is published in the ‘Live English’ channel which provides content for our Global English crowd: international users of English. Many things are lost in translation between one culture and another, using English as the lingua franca. Over the year we’ll ask questions that in some way pertain to translation and understanding. We did […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th March 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 09, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Language tip of the week: avoiding sexist language
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 08, 2012
- In this weekly post, we bring more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary to English language learners. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. To mark International Women’s Day, this week’s language tips are about how to avoid the offence that may be […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: vocal fry
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 08, 2012
- vocal fry (noun) a speech habit involving lowering the voice at the ends of words or sentences by slowly vibrating the vocal cords Pop singers, such as Britney Spears, slip vocal fry into their music as a way to reach low notes and add style. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) I spotted this phrase somewhere […]
- A dog named ‘Corpus’
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 07, 2012
- Another conference report, this time from the first Asia-Pacific Corpus Linguistics Conference (APCLC), recently held in Auckland, New Zealand. Corpus linguistics involves using corpus data as the raw materials for studying language - so in a sense, dictionary-writers are the ultimate corpus linguists. But while the e-Lexicography conference we covered a few months ago focussed […]
- Shake a leg, Angelina!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 05, 2012
- In the sometimes surreal world of social networking, Angelina Jolie’s right leg now has its own Twitter account (@AngiesRightLeg), with almost 50,000 followers. And the English lexicon has a new word: legbombing. Posing on the red carpet at the 2012 Oscars ceremony, Ms Jolie thrust her right leg through a thigh-high slit in her Versace […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd March, 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on March 02, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- A hotchpotch of reduplication
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 01, 2012
- Argy-bargy and lovey-dovey lie on opposite ends of the interpersonal scale, but they have something obvious in common: both are reduplicatives. Reduplication is when a word or part of a word is repeated, sometimes modified, and added to make a longer term, such as aye-aye, mishmash, and hotchpotch. This process can mark plurality or intensify […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/02
Archive for February, 2012
- And twenty-nine in each leap year
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 29, 2012
- Today is 29th February, a date in the Gregorian calendar which comes around only once every four years. As the old rhyme learned by schoolchildren in order to fix the varying lengths of the months in their heads goes: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November; All the rest have thirty-one, Except for February […]
- Speaking in others' tongues
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on February 28, 2012
- Stop and think: when was the last time you chose to pronounce a word or sentence, or carry on a conversation, in an accent that was not your normal one? What accent or manner of speech were you imitating, and what was your reason for doing this? The choice to add a linguistic twist to […]
- Austerity is here to stay
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 27, 2012
- The 1948 Summer Olympics, held in a London that still bore the scars of World War II, came to be known as the Austerity Games. No special accommodation was built for the athletes, who were housed in RAF barracks and university halls of residence. They were, however, allowed much bigger food rations than the general […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th February, 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 24, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Quote unquote
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on February 23, 2012
- Readers of this blog who have absorbed Stan Carey's peek into the future of apostrophe use should prepare themselves for another possible future shock: quotation marks (which Brits, but never Americans, like to call inverted commas) have a career that is also not entirely secure, owing to their erratic and unpredictable behavior. Quotation marks are […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: cerulean
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on February 22, 2012
- cerulean (adjective) deep blue; sky blue The clouds were scattered across a great cerulean sky. (Submitted by: Ev from United States) There must be a number of fascinating books on the subject of colour names, but for those in need of instant gratification, there's always Wikipedia. Where you'll find this: The first recorded use of […]
- Life skills and language learning
- Posted by Steve Taylore-Knowles on February 21, 2012
- This month and next, our Live English blog is going to be looking at Life Skills. Here to introduce the topic is Steve Taylore-Knowles, a Lancashire-based ELT expert who has written many successful courses for Macmillan, most recently openMind and masterMind for the online Mind series. In the future every educational endeavour will […]
- Helmer at the helm
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 20, 2012
- "I stood at her helm, and for long hours silently guided the way of this fire-ship on the sea." The old nautical word helm is likely to evoke a salty sea image such as one from Herman Melville's mighty Moby-Dick - that is, of a wheel or similar gear used to steer a boat or […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th February, 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 17, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Why use English when French says it better? An introduction to Pragmatics
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 16, 2012
- There are certain situations in which English speakers switch to using French. We will say, admiringly, that something has 'a certain je ne sais quoi', or we might wish someone bon voyage when they set off on a journey. There is a variety of reasons for preferring a French way of saying things, and one […]
- What’s your English? Pick your channel.
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on February 15, 2012
- How are all you dictionary users doing? For one thing, you’re here and not thumbing through the pages of your nearest word-book tome. Times have changed and the excellent thing is that publishing a dictionary online means that we can change too. We can now work at the same pace as English as it grows, […]
- How do words get into the dictionary? Part 3: the future
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 13, 2012
- The lexicographer’s rule of thumb is that things always take longer than you expect. Samuel Johnson underestimated the time it would take him to complete his dictionary, and James Murray - the original Editor of the OED - fared even worse in the prediction business: what started as a 10-year project took over 40 years […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th February, 2012
- Posted by Liz Potter on February 10, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: nanodrone
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on February 09, 2012
- nanodrone (noun) an extremely small drone (unmanned plane) that resembles an insect Well, the robo-obsessed tweakers over at DARPA have such a program that hopes to reify an entirely brand new species of mechanical insects and nano-drones that could be used for any number of military operational purposes. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) Another very […]
- How do words get into the dictionary? Part 2: changing times
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 08, 2012
- In the previous post on this topic, we looked at the criteria traditionally applied by dictionary-makers when considering new words for inclusion. The question is as old as lexicography itself. When he wrote his Plan of an English Dictionary in 1747, Dr Johnson noted that it is ‘not easy to determine by what rule of […]
- Language tip of the week: apologize
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 07, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with ways in which you can apologize or accept an apology. Ways of apologizing […]
- The fun of new words
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 06, 2012
- The attention paid to grammar and style can overshadow something equally significant about language: that it is so often and so naturally playful. In our love of puns and Scrabble, riddles and nonsense, rhyming slang and literary experimentation, we see the instinctive inclination to play with words and letters as though they were an abstract […]
- The plain English truth about speechwriting and rhetoric
- Posted by Martin Shovel on February 03, 2012
- The conclusion of our Plain English theme brings a guest post by Martin Shovel, a writer, animator and speechwriter with a special interest in new media and social networking. He writes regularly about language and communication on his own CreativityWorks blog and is a contributor to the Guardian’s Mind Your Language blog. He tweets @MartinShovel. […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: partner betweenness
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on February 02, 2012
- partner betweenness (noun) a situation when a female partner comes between her male partner and his friends, which then causes problems in the male-female relationship. The study found partner betweenness undermines men’s feelings of autonomy and privacy, which are central to traditional concepts of masculinity. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) We’ve been talking quite a […]
- How do words get into the dictionary? Part 1: the past
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 02, 2012
- In Kate Atkinson’s recent novel, Started Early, Took My Dog (2010), there’s an exchange between two of the characters. When one of them mentions a large sum of money, we read that Kelly, the other character, ‘suddenly meerkatted to attention’. Does this mean we have a new verb on our hands, to meerkat? Should it be […]
- Love English Awards: the results
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 01, 2012
- It’s over - voting has closed, the count has finished, and the UN observers have signed off the results. We’ve seen some fantastic blogs and sites in the course of the last couple of months, and now is the moment of truth for our two winners and the four runners-up. Best Blog There were […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2012/01
Archive for January, 2012
- Think before you write
- Posted by Robert Lane Greene on January 31, 2012
- "Short words are best, and old words, when short, are best of all." Thus, quoting Winston Churchill, began an editorial in The Economist that consisted entirely of one-syllable words. It went on: "AND, not for the first time, he was right: short words are best. Plain they may be, but that is their strength. They […]
- Language tip of the week: names
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 31, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip helps with key words which are used for talking or writing about names. first name / given name: a […]
- Still looking up
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on January 30, 2012
- Madonna's recent moonlighting stint as a dictionaries marketing executive is still paying dividends: another thousand people have looked up reductive since we discussed it last Monday, and it's been the single most looked up word for the last two weeks. If you remember, Madge had said of a Lady Gaga song: "When I heard it […]
- Trending now!
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on January 30, 2012
- Humans never outgrow a fascination with new playthings, but after a certain age it is unseemly and unrealistic to expect a steady stream of surprise gifts from doting parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. One consolation for this loss is new words: clever coinages come along all the time to supply our craving for novelty. A […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th January, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 27, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: takeaway
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 26, 2012
- takeaway (noun) an important piece of information to remember from e.g. a meeting or presentation The most arresting takeaway last October at the Frankfurt presentation was that adding "enhanced metadata" elements to a basket of backlist books not only stopped their normal sales decay, it reversed it and actually made sales of those books rise […]
- Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards: update 5 and final
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 25, 2012
- We're almost there, with just five more days of voting left. Over 23,000 votes have been cast in the last two months, showing love in abundance for the useful, entertaining (and sometimes a bit weird) English language-loving websites and blogs that are in the running. If you have been nominated, results will be officially announced […]
- Language tip of the week: knowledge
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 24, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip helps with the noun knowledge. Knowledge is an uncountable noun, so it is never used […]
- Apostrophe apostasy
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 23, 2012
- Learning a rule or convention in language gives people a secure footing in an area of usage. When the convention is ignored or challenged, this can undermine the pocket of security and offend people's sense of what is proper and necessary. This might help explain the levels of anxiety and outrage we see when, for […]
- Madonna speaks
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on January 23, 2012
- In 2011, there were 252 searches for the word reductive in the Macmillan Dictionary. So in the 7 days from 13th to 19th January inclusive, we would have expected to see 5. In fact, we had well over 2,000 individual searches for the word reductive. The reason, it would appear, was a comment made by […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th January, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 20, 2012
- This post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: digitalist
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 19, 2012
- digitalist (noun) a person who understands digital media and is competent in using it … we do need to find people who love the art of writing but understand how it becomes meta data, and we need to re-train existing staff to be dedicated digitalists as they have been passionate publishers. (Submitted from the United […]
- Seen any simpering men lately?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 18, 2012
- The Macmillan Dictionary got a mention in The Guardian yesterday, when Jane Martinson pondered the use of the word simper. A fellow journalist (male) had tweeted about a lawyer (female) ‘simpering’ at a witness (male) in the ongoing Leveson Inquiry. (The inquiry was set up in the wake of revelations that News International journalists had […]
- Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards update 5: vote!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 18, 2012
- Nominations for the blogs and websites you love closed on January 15th. Now it’s time for voting. There are excellent sites to choose from. This is how the competition looks so far: World Wide Words winning with 2476 votes so far. English club 1st runner up with 998 votes ESL pod 2nd runner up with […]
- Language tip of the week: marry
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 18, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the verb marry. Don’t use the preposition with after get married or be […]
- American political discourse: a primer
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on January 17, 2012
- The run-up to a general election in the United States provides an opportunity for observers of English to see it stretched beyond ordinary limits. The winnowing process that will reduce the various Republican contenders in the race to one has begun and as we plod steadily toward the November election, the rhetoric heats up and […]
- Another apostrophe bites the dust
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on January 16, 2012
- The weekly roundup on Friday carries a link to a story about the renaming of a well-known chain of British bookstores. It’s Farewell to Waterstones’s and Hello to Waterstones. Losing an apostrophe won’t make any difference to the pronunciation, but nonetheless the name change has been greeted with some outrage by some of the more […]
- Word of the day: paraskevidekatriaphobia
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 13, 2012
- What do the months of January, April and July 2012 have in common? Here’s a clue: they might cause problems for anyone who suffers from paraskevidekatriaphobia. Still none the wiser? Okay, well, how about if I told you that any month in which the first day falls on a Sunday has a clash of day […]
- Language and words in the news - 13th January, 2012
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 13, 2012
- After another short break, the weekly round-up posts return in 2012 with the usual selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: content curation
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 12, 2012
- content curation (noun) the process of analysing and sorting Web content and presenting it in a meaningful and organized way around a specific theme (definition source) Content curation has now come to mean the act of sorting through the vast amounts of content on the web and presenting it in a coherent way, organized around […]
- Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards update 4 - don’t let the clock strike midnight too soon!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 12, 2012
- With over 7,800 votes already cast and 69 nominees overall, the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards are off to a cracking start. But hear ye, hear ye: nominations close on January 15th at midnight GMT. So that leaves about 4 more days - depending where you are in the world - to ensure that the blogs […]
- Language tip of the week: jobs
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 11, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with key words which are used for talking or writing about jobs. general job: […]
- Plainness and purity: wordcraft for the loreless
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on January 11, 2012
- We continue the discussion of Plain English in January with a guest post by Jonathan Marks. Jonathan lives in Poland and works as an author, teacher trainer and translator. ________ William Barnes (1801-1886), best known for his Dorset dialect poetry, was also a priest and schoolteacher, who realised that obscure vocabulary derived from Latin, French […]
- The fashion for inkhorn terms
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 09, 2012
- Macmillan Dictionary’s discussion of plain English continues in the New Year, and though we cannot expect a year in which clear and meaningful language entirely replaces vague and convoluted language, it remains something to aim at for those of us concerned with good communication. In its Golden Bull awards last month, the Plain English Campaign […]
- LOL? But it wasn’t funny
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on January 09, 2012
- We get a few people looking up acronyms and initialisms used in emails and text messages, but there was a massive surge in look-ups for LOL on 3rd January. In the space of 24 hours, the number of searches went from virtually zero to 1,000, and then just as quickly subsided to former levels. The […]
- Which is worse - regime or dictatorship?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 06, 2012
- In a recent post, we saw that the word jargon - while more or less synonymous with terminology - has a much more negative feel. As always, you can tell a lot about a word by the company it keeps, and a comparison of the adjectives that frequently collocate with these two nouns is revealing. […]
- Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 3
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 05, 2012
- It’s good to see the number of nominated blogs and websites growing every day because there are so many fantastic ones out there and we like to see them acknowledged - as do you, I’m sure. Remember that nominations are open until January 15th, which leaves ten days to ensure that the blogs and sites […]
- Language tip of the week: used to
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 05, 2012
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with used to. Don’t confuse ? I am used to doing something ? I […]
- Grinch and Scrooge bid farewell to 2011
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on January 03, 2012
- One of the top words looked up over the Christmas period was the word grinch. Most people know the word from the Dr Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas which was made into a cartoon for TV and later a live-action movie. As well as being the name of the fictional character, the word […]
- The year in words
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on January 03, 2012
- We’re delighted to welcome Orin Hargraves to the Macmillan Dictionary Blog team as a regular contributor in 2012. Orin is not new to the Macmillan English Dictionary, having worked on the American English edition. Orin is an independent lexicographer, based in Maryland, USA, and author of books about English, including Slang Rules!, a lesson book […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/12
Archive for December, 2011
- Happy New Year!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 31, 2011
- Here we go again, saying good-bye to another year, and what a fantastic year it's been over here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog! We look forward to 2012 bringing plenty more lively linguistic discussion, but for now Macmillan Dictionary Blog would like to wish all contributors and readers a very Happy New Year!
- A few of my favourite things
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 30, 2011
- One of the best things I learned this year (from my friend Sylviane Granger) was that a lot of teachers use our blog as a source of inspiration for lessons and assignments for their students. But this isn't really surprising, when you look at the huge range of material contributed by so many great writers. […]
- Love grows: The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards - update 2
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 29, 2011
- Just over two weeks left to nominate your favourites for a Love English Award. Who should you nominate? Looking back on the year, which website or blog has been the most useful, entertaining, informative for you in terms of learning English, or improving your English, or just feeding your love of the English language? A […]
- Your words of 2011
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 27, 2011
- We asked our regular blog contributors this final question in 2011: What word sums up 2011 for you and why? A brand-new word perhaps, or a well-used one throughout the year. Or perhaps a word that is particularly relevant to your experience of the year. Here are some of the answers to the question: It's […]
- Language tip of the week: make
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 27, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip helps with the verb make. When make means 'to cause or force someone to do […]
- Preoccupied by words of the year
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 26, 2011
- As the year ends, lexicographers and other word geeks traditionally put their heads together to choose or vote for a word of the year (WOTY). It's not that simple, of course: different groups pick different words in different ways for different reasons. And it's not always a word - other "vocabulary items" like phrases and […]
- 10 most popular posts in 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 23, 2011
- Continuing the tradition established over the last couple of years, we are bringing you a list of blog posts published over here on the Macmillan Dictionary Blog which have been read and commented on most widely. Many of the selected 10 plus 2 additional posts still have ongoing conversations - have a read and join […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: IRL
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 22, 2011
- IRL (phrase) abbreviation for 'in real life' … I have several friends that are only on Google+. Interestingly, most of them are Internet friends (people I have never met IRL) … (Submitted from the United Kingdom) When I was young … There I said it: when I was young, 'in real life' meant 'not in your […]
- Terminology or jargon? You're empowered to decide…
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 22, 2011
- We've been here before, but I couldn't let Plain English month pass without another look at corporate jargon. Back in May, Briony Drimie referred to 'a vein of Business English … we commonly know as management-speak, which I have loathed since I first heard it'. She singled out a few well-known offenders: going forward, transitioning, singing […]
- Showing your love: The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 21, 2011
- We're one week into the Love English Awards, to coincide with the generally festive vibe in the air at the moment. Looking back on the year, which website or blog has been the most useful, entertaining, informative for you in terms of learning English, or improving your English, or just feeding your love of the […]
- Rap battle video resources
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 20, 2011
- You may recall that we completed last year’s world tour of English with a rap battle video between Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman and UK emcee Professor Elemental. You might also remember that we ran a competition in the summer inviting people to contribute with resources specifically written for the video. Well, the two competition winners […]
- Language tip of the week: who, who’s and whose
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 20, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the word who. Don’t confuse who’s (the short form of ‘who is’ or […]
- Party time
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 19, 2011
- Newspaper headlines have the task of trying to convey the essence of a story in a very short space. To achieve this, they often compress the syntax, leaving out articles or other grammatical glue. With the absence of such glue, ambiguities can arise, as it’s not always easy to spot the part of speech of […]
- Fuzzy writing, fussy reading
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 19, 2011
- Last week, Stephen Bullon reviewed the 2011 Plain English Campaign awards, to which I’ll now add a few thoughts of my own. The awards aim to recognise the clearest, plainest public language, as well as the “worst examples of written tripe”. Browsing the winners of the Golden Bull category makes for instructive reading, and not […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: riparian
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 15, 2011
- riparian (adjective) 1 relating to people or things that are associated with, inhabiting, or situated on the bank of a river 2 a legal term denoting or relating to the legal rights of the owner of land on a river bank, such as fishing or irrigation (Submitted by Raghu Char from Australia) This one took […]
- The Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2011
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on December 15, 2011
- We’re delighted to launch the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards 2011 for best blog and best website about the English language. For details of the competition - how you can nominate and vote, and what the prizes are - check out this page over on Macmillan Dictionary. You can nominate your chosen website and/or blog […]
- Prepositions are funny - but not random
- Posted by Michael Rundell on December 14, 2011
- ‘Prepositions are funny’, concluded the author of The Economist’s language blog in a recent post. You can see what he means, and any teacher (or learner) of English will sympathise. Choosing the ‘right’ preposition (or more broadly, the right particle) can be a challenge, and for some, the whole business seems so arbitrary that the only […]
- Plain English Awards 2011
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 13, 2011
- It’s the Plain English Awards season again, as Stan Carey noted in his recent post, and across the country winners are basking in the glory of an award or ruing their luck in being singled out as exemplars of gobbledygook. One of the recipients of a “Golden Bull Award” (for the year’s ‘best’ examples of […]
- Language tip of the week: trouble
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 13, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the noun trouble. Trouble is mostly used as an uncountable noun, so: ? […]
- Plain and simple
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 12, 2011
- “What prospects are there for us post the proposals to tackle banana fraud?” If you read this sentence at normal speed - and without my having drawn attention to it - you might have come briefly unstuck by thinking it has something to do with posting proposals. More careful examination shows that this is a […]
- English and class in UK urban centres
- Posted by Rachael Singh on December 08, 2011
- Discussion of ‘class English‘ here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog comes to an end with a guest post by Rachael Singh. Rachael is a linguist, translator and sociolinguist researching language contact and the choices and behaviour of multilingual speakers in formal contexts. She spends her moments of freedom cooking, baking, reading, feeding cats and writing blogs […]
- MLearning glossary and quiz
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 07, 2011
- Do you know the difference between 3G and 4G? Are you familiar with the abbreviations SIM, SMS and VLE? Well, here is your chance to make sure you do and you are! Over on the Global website, MLearning fans have been able to follow a mini-course on using mobile technology in the classroom. Session 7 […]
- Terms of endearment
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 07, 2011
- If I’ve had a tough day, there’s nothing that gives me greater pleasure than to curl up on the sofa watching telly, with a nice cuppa, a bar of choccy, maybe a few biccies too, and in case I feel the need for virtual company, my beloved lappy at my side … If you’re wondering […]
- Language tip of the week: dependent
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 06, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the word dependent. The usual preposition to use with dependent is on, not […]
- Class, accent, variety: north vs south
- Posted by Robert Lane Greene on December 06, 2011
- Discussion of class and English continues for one final week. In this guest post, journalist, author and blogger Robert Lane Greene looks at class and language, specifically pronunciation, in American English. ___________ In my last post I wrote about the messy variety that characterizes American English, saying it was far too often treated as a […]
- Christmas customs
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 05, 2011
- In the UK, our bringer of Christmas presents spends the night of December 24th coming down chimneys and leaving presents for children to find on the morning of Christmas Day. We call him Father Christmas, though he’s also known as Santa Claus. On what we like to call the Continent many people give presents and celebrate […]
- An eponymous kind of fame
- Posted by Stan Carey on December 05, 2011
- In a comment to my post about confusing word pairs, I said that as a child I called a pen a “biro” and a vacuum cleaner a “hoover”. I knew the terms pen and vacuum cleaner, but only later did I learn that biro was named after the Hungarian inventor László Bíró, while hoover comes […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: bingo wings
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 01, 2011
- bingo wings (noun) loose skin and fat which hang down from the upper arms I think as mums we have to be aware that our body image can really affect the relationship your children have with their own body. Even the most innocuous ramblings about your wobbly bum or the bingo wings you hate can […]
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Archive for November, 2011
- Pass the serviettes: dictionaries and class
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 30, 2011
- My colleague Finn Kirkland has mentioned his problems with the word serviette. I have a battered copy of the Concise Oxford Dictionary dating back to the 1920s, which includes this entry: serviette n. (vulg.) table-napkin Note the 'vulg.' label (short for 'vulgar'). The dictionary's Introduction explains: "This qualification implies that the use of the word […]
- Language tip of the week: spend
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 29, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip helps with the verb spend. When you use spend with another verb, to talk about […]
- Avoid flaunting your confusion
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 29, 2011
- Sometimes nature reports come from unexpected sources. The Twitter account of Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national railway system, recently posted a picture of a visitor to their tracks, accompanied by the description: "Another prosecution as Frog flaunts trespassing laws!" The company is to be applauded for sharing wildlife photos with light-hearted humour, but its word choice […]
- Getting lippy for Thanksgiving
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on November 28, 2011
- It was Thanksgiving last Thursday, and traffic from the US to the dictionary site was down by 50% on Thursday of the week before. So I wasn't expecting the US to be entering the greatest number of searches that day. As it happened, the two most searched for items on Thanksgiving were lip plumper and […]
- Your class English words
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 28, 2011
- Here is the third (following the first and second) in our monthly instalment of a question answered by our wonderful and ever-growing group of guest bloggers. The question we've asked this month was: What word in English is loaded with the most 'class' content for you? This was a bit of a difficult one to […]
- The Bard and medicine
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 25, 2011
- This week's 'language in new media' post is a short radio interview (2:31 min) and news article about Shakespeare and how doctors can learn from his plays. A retired doctor, Dr Kenneth Heaton, argues that reading the Bard's works could help physicians with finding the links between emotion and illness: Shakespeare 'could help doctors become […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th November, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 25, 2011
- After a short break, the weekly round-up post returns with a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to […]
- Open Dictionary word of the day: gisting
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 24, 2011
- gisting (noun) looking for the main idea or most important point in a written or spoken text Although the translations were served quickly and in all the language pairs that Google Translate offers, some of the formatting and page layout got lost. But if your purpose is gisting, this feature appears to be ideal. (Submitted […]
- High-speed tech jargon
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 24, 2011
- In its most familiar sense, jargon means specialised, often technical vocabulary associated with a particular type of work or area of activity. For example, there's scientific jargon, medical jargon, airlinese, and business speak (the last of which I've written about before). Jargon is part of a sublanguage, and is subject to forces of change just […]
- The rise of the r-ful
- Posted by John Wells on November 22, 2011
- The discussion of class and language continues with a guest post by John Wells, Emeritus Professor of Phonetics at University College London, and author of Accents of English, English Intonation, and the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. He writes a daily blog on phonetics at phonetic-blog.blogspot.com. ___________ It was interesting to read Ben Trawick-Smith's discussion of the […]
- Language tip of the week: actual
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 22, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the word actual. Don’t confuse actual with current or present. Actual is not […]
- Talking like common people
- Posted by Dan Clayton on November 21, 2011
- Class English month continues with a guest post by one of our regular contributors, Dan Clayton. Dan is a middle-class grammar school boy who has tried to talk like a Cockney for the last 15 years after failing to talk like a working-class northerner before that. ___________ When Jarvis Cocker wrote the lyrics to Pulp’s […]
- The future of dictionaries? Too soon to tell
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 17, 2011
- At the recent eLEX 2011 conference in Slovenia (for earlier posts, see here and here), the discussion focussed on the future of dictionaries - or, more broadly, on the various ways in which reference needs might be catered for in years to come. What often happens in this field is that people working in universities […]
- Open Dictionary word of the day: demonym
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 17, 2011
- demonym (noun) the term used to describe which country or place a person comes from; for example the demonym of Spain is Spanish The demonym Afghanistani is sometimes used but the term I mostly hear in news stories to refer to the nationality is Afghan. (Submitted from United States) Some demonyms fall more easily from […]
- Language tip of the week: learn, study, teach
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 15, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with the verbs learn, study and teach. Use learn with a direct object when […]
- Through the class ceiling
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 15, 2011
- Last week I wrote about the traditional prestige of the RP accent, and how its privileged status reflects class consciousness. My focus was on pronunciation, but the distinction extends beyond the RP accent to vocabulary, grammar, and so on - to the standard English dialect. Standard English is an important and useful variety of English, […]
- You turning?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on November 14, 2011
- Last week’s favourite entry on the Open Dictionary, reverse ferret, is a colourful way of talking about a complete change of policy, a change that is all the more startling because the person or organisation who changes their mind was so strongly in favour of the original policy. There are other ways of describing such […]
- The fall of the r-less class
- Posted by Ben Trawick-Smith on November 14, 2011
- Class English month continues with the pronunciation theme: guest blogger Ben Trawick-Smith, from Dialect Blog, takes a look at (non-)rhoticity in American English. Ben has worked as an actor, playwright, director, critic and dialect coach. His other passions include linguistics, urban development, philosophy and film. Ben lives with his wife in Seattle, Washington, in the […]
- The future of lexicography: does lexicography even have a future?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 11, 2011
- More news from eLEX2011, the conference on e-lexicography currently taking place in Slovenia. The conference got off to a rip-roaring start as Simon Krek (one of the organizers) outlined a radical vision for a future in which a range of intelligent language tools would be freely available to make communication easier. The functions Simon mentioned […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: reverse ferret
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 10, 2011
- reverse ferret (noun) a technical term used in journalism: a situation where a newspaper editor makes a dramatic change in the paper’s editorial line on something. Wikipedia provides a good explanation. Last night, the Bishop of London “performed the most dramatic reverse ferret in modern church history”. (The Guardian, 1st November 2011) (Submitted by Michael […]
- Dispatches from the front line
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 09, 2011
- Today’s post comes from the beautiful Slovenian city of Bled, where I’m attending a conference called ‘eLEX2011’- or ‘Electronic lexicography in the 21st century’. Regular readers will be aware of how completely the job of producing dictionaries was transformed in the 1980s by the arrival of large language corpora. Those were pioneering times, and the […]
- RP and Dortspeak
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 08, 2011
- In his recent guest post about the language of the theatre, Ben Trawick-Smith mentions the privileged position of Received Pronunciation. RP, he writes, was virtually de rigueur in English theatre “until it became apparent to (some) Britons that dialect prejudice is as bad as any other”. An RP accent, even a modified one that combines […]
- Language tip of the week: colour
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 08, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, synonyms, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip helps with talking about colour. general shade one of the different types of a particular […]
- A class of our own
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on November 07, 2011
- What do you call the meal you eat in the evening? Is it tea, supper, or dinner? And in the middle of the day, do you eat lunch, luncheon, or dinner? Do you use a serviette or a napkin to wipe the crumbs from your mouth? And do you (excuse the indelicacy) go to the […]
- Language video of the week: Shakespeare
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 03, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post is a short video (1 min) from The Open University video series ‘The history of English in ten minutes’. Since the recent launch of the film Anonymous, Shakespeare has been in the news even more than usual. In this episode of the ten-minute history of English, the Bard’s […]
- 2 steps to knowing your house from your garage
- Posted by Raf Rundell on November 03, 2011
- Subcultural English month finishes with a guest post by Raf Rundell on the topic of the language of musical subcultures. Raf has been in the music business for over ten years and has worked for several record companies in a variety of roles. He also makes music, as one half of The 2 Bears, whose […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: mini moon
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 02, 2011
- mini moon (noun) (also minimoon) a short and inexpensive honeymoon A minimoon is the perfect way to start married life, without busting the budget. (Submitted from United Kingdom) Mini moon joins the growing number of words in the Open Dictionary that are neologisms made of blended words that indicate a general tightening of belts. Like […]
- How does ‘impact’ impact you?
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 02, 2011
- Impact is part of the core vocabulary of English, ranking as a three-star red word in Macmillan Dictionary. Yet it is subject to constant dispute and ire, appearing frequently in lists of pet peeves and inspiring lengthy discussions in usage dictionaries. Why is this? The noun first denoted a physical strike or collision, such as […]
- Language tip of the week: whether
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 01, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about the conjunction whether. Notice the spelling of the word whether, and don’t confuse it […]
- I dig your rap
- Posted by Orin Hargraves on November 01, 2011
- Moving on from theatre and acting to music, subcultural English month brings you a guest post by Orin Hargraves, an independent American lexicographer and author of books about English, including Slang Rules!, a lesson book for English learners about American slang. _____________ The music that we call rap today can be heard in nearly every […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/10
Archive for October, 2011
- Trick or treat?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on October 31, 2011
- Today is Halloween. All over North America, in the UK, and in other countries, children will be knocking on the doors of nearby houses saying "Trick or Treat!" in the hope that they will be given sweets (if in the UK) or candy (in North America). And people will put candles inside grinning, hollowed out […]
- Weirdest subcultural English word
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 31, 2011
- This month we've been looking into the murky world of subcultural English. As we did last month, we've asked our wonderful guest bloggers to answer a question on the topic and have put their answers in a single post for your enjoyment. The question was: 'What's the weirdest subcultural English word you've heard and what […]
- Language and words in the news - 28th October, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 28, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- How Australian plants got their names
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 28, 2011
- This week's 'language in new media' post brings you a new radio fragment from ABC's Radio Australia. In earlier broadcasts, the origins of koala and well-known local flora, such as acacia and wattle, were explained. In this excerpt, Susan Butler, Editor of The Macquarie Dictionary, explains how Australian plants like boronia, pittosporum and melaleuca got […]
- Acting up - and down
- Posted by Andrew Delahunty on October 27, 2011
- Following on from Ben Trawick-Smith's post earlier in the week, freelance author and lexicographer Andrew Delahunty continues the discussion of the sublanguage of theatre. ____________ I'm a member of an amateur theatre group. Drama is, of course, all about language, the words of the play. But there is also a particular variety of language used […]
- Language tip of the week: right
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 25, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip is about the noun right. When the noun right means 'something that you are morally or […]
- Theatre-speak
- Posted by Ben Trawick-Smith on October 25, 2011
- Subcultural English month continues with a guest post by Ben Trawick-Smith from Dialect Blog. Ben began his dialect fascination while working in theatre. He has worked as an actor, playwright, director, critic and dialect coach. Other passions include linguistics, urban development, philosophy and film. He lives with his wife in Seattle, Washington, in the USA. […]
- Caught in a webinar
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 24, 2011
- Many neologisms come to us from science and technology, where perpetual cycles of discoveries and developments create a constant need for new terminology. I examined one of them, the familiar blog, a few weeks ago, after several Macmillan Dictionary Blog contributors selected it as their favourite "online English" word. Another one worth a closer look […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st October, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 21, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: sodcasting
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 20, 2011
- sodcasting (noun) playing music on a mobile phone in public so that everyone around can hear it With mobile phones in many a teenager’s pocket, the rise of sodcasting - best described as playing music through a phone in public - has created a noisy problem for a lot of commuters. (Submitted from United Kingdom) […]
- Peace and love, man: confessions of an ex-hippie
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 20, 2011
- Before writing this post I dug out my dog-eared copy of the BIT Guide: Overland to India and Beyond, dated April 1972. Long before the days of Lonely Planet, this was the only travel guide available for anyone embarking on the ‘hippie trail‘. Travelling from Europe to India overland could be somewhat hazardous nowadays, but […]
- Language tip of the week: useful
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 19, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about the spelling of useful and similar adjectives. Although the adjective full ends with a […]
- Pinch a phrase from thieves’ cant
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 19, 2011
- Slang, I wrote recently, is a perennially active frontier of language, where words and usages emerge, spread, mutate, and typically fade - though some are eventually assimilated into the common vocabulary. Overlapping with slang is thieves’ cant, the old jargon of the underworld. The more general sense of cant is insincere talk: affected language often […]
- The changing meaning of machines
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on October 18, 2011
- There has been a huge increase in the number of look-ups of the compound noun change machine over the last few weeks. Actually, there isn’t an entry in the Macmillan Dictionary, but maybe there should be. It’s a machine that gives change (you put in a note, say a dollar bill, and it returns the […]
- Street slang - the dodgy-looking geezer
- Posted by Dan Clayton on October 18, 2011
- Subcultural English month brings you a guest post by Dan Clayton on the topic of street slang. Dan has taught English Language A level for the past 10 years in south London and is currently working as a Research Fellow at UCL’s Survey of English Usage on the Teaching English Grammar in Schools project. He […]
- It’s Dictionary Day - go split an infinitive!
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 16, 2011
- It’s ‘Dictionary Day’ in America: October 16th marks the birthday of Noah Webster, father of American lexicography. Webster was born in 1758 - just three years after the publication of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary - and published his own great work, the American Dictionary of the English Language, in 1828. Today’s Merriam-Webster dictionaries are in a […]
- Language and words in the news - 14th October, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 14, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: bezel
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 12, 2011
- bezel (noun) the sloping, slightly raised rim that holds the screen in place on an e-reader or mobile phone Nook’s big touch advantage are the physical page-turn ridges arrayed on either side of the screen bezel - the frame around the touch screen. (Submitted from United Kingdom) Originally (though there’s rather a to-do about it […]
- A pragmatic note
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 12, 2011
- Michael wrote an interesting post last week about how a word (in this case, complete) can be used to convey things that are not obvious from the word itself - or even the sentence it’s in. This falls under the topic of pragmatics. According to David Crystal’s Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, pragmatics is one […]
- Language tip of the week: help
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 11, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about the verb help. The verb help is not used with the -ing form of […]
- Recycling language
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on October 10, 2011
- In the month leading up to 9th, October there was a 500% increase in the number of people looking up the word recycle. We sometimes get spikes in look-ups, and the causes can be varied. Sometimes, people are responding to items in the news and are looking up key words from a news story. On […]
- What’s your English: subcultures
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 10, 2011
- Have a look at this extract from a regular column in a British newspaper: This is a nice little hand for seeing a flop cheap and early, so I limped behind…. Juliano checked and I checked, knowing the button would definitely bet. I was discounting his hand, but I knew he would make a continuation […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th October, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 08, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Webster and LOLcats
- Posted by Natalie Hunter on October 07, 2011
- Discussion of online English here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog comes to a close with a guest post by Natalie Hunter. Natalie grew up wanting to be a teacher, and is addicted to learning and research. As a result she is grateful for the invention of the Internet because it allows her to spend some time […]
- How the wattle got its name
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 07, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post includes another radio fragment from ABC’s Radio Australia. In an earlier broadcast, the origin of koala was explained. In this one, Susan Butler, Editor of The Macquarie Dictionary, explains how well-known local flora, such as acacia and wattle, were named by new English-speaking settlers: How the wattle got […]
- I hope this isn’t a complete waste of time
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 06, 2011
- A British newspaper recently featured one of those polls to find out what its readers thought about a new policy idea. The question was: “Are compulsory learning tests for two-year-olds a complete waste of public money?” A fair question - or was it? If the question had been ‘Are compulsory learning tests … a waste […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: gazanging
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 05, 2011
- gazanging (noun) when a seller pulls out of a house sale at the very last minute Gazanging is something that’s on the up. The seller accepts an offer, but then decides to pull out and stay put, leaving a very unhappy buyer and a broken property chain. (Submitted from United Kingdom) A new word emerges […]
- A decade in online English language learning
- Posted by Fiona MacKenzie on October 05, 2011
- September (and this first week of October) has been all about online English. We round off the lively discussion with a guest post by Fiona MacKenzie. Fiona is Publishing Director of Macmillan English Campus and Onestopenglish.com. Here she gives us a mini history of the last 10 years of developing English language learning materials for […]
- Language tip of the week: proof
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 04, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about countable and uncountable proof. When proof means ‘information that proves something’, it is almost […]
- A blob from a bog
- Posted by Stan Carey on October 03, 2011
- Last week, as part of online English month, Laine asked Macmillan Dictionary Blog contributors and readers to name their favourite online English word. The results were pleasingly diverse, with very little overlap. But one word received multiple mentions, so I decided to blog about it. It’s the word blog. Kerry Maxwell, author of the […]
- In search of muppets
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on October 03, 2011
- One of the most looked up words in the last week is muppet. Our dictionary entry says it’s an insulting word for someone who behaves in a stupid way, but it’s only very mildly insulting, and is usually said in a friendly way. I couldn’t think of any reason why the term should suddenly become […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/09
Archive for September, 2011
- Language and words in the news - 30th September, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 30, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Language video of the week: language and thought
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 29, 2011
- This week's 'language in new media' post is a video (13 mins) from The Economist's Human Potential summit held last week in New York City. In his presentation, journalist, author, and blogger Lane Greene discusses new research which shows how language can influence thought. For more on the influence of metaphor on the way we […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: heart
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 28, 2011
- heart (verb) to like someone We heart you almost as much as we heart Britney's Dolce & Gabbana makeover. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) I heart this so much I think I'm going to (micro)blog about it. First of all, I think we need to add 'or something' to the definition: 'to like someone or […]
- A foolish consistency
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 28, 2011
- No doubt you're familiar with the following line from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on self-reliance: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds". In a comment to my recent post about hopefully, Marc Leavitt quoted it in relation to the strange persistence of outdated and unfounded rules of grammar and usage. Most people know […]
- Language tip of the week: control
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 27, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we bring to English language learners more useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week's language tip is about collocation and control … The noun control is sometimes followed by of and sometimes […]
- What's your favourite online English word?
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 27, 2011
- This month we've been looking at how the Internet has influenced the English language in 'What's your online English?' and there's been some interesting discussion generated. We thought that it might be quite nice to ask our guest bloggers and regular contributors what their favourite online English word was and why. Here is what they […]
- Moonlight
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on September 26, 2011
- Last week, we had twice as many visits from South Korea as we had the week before. The reason is probably that everyone was too busy celebrating Chuseok, a festival that is sometimes associated with the Harvest Moon. This year, Chuseok fell on 12 September. A harvest moon is the full moon that comes nearest […]
- Online writing is great!!!
- Posted by Lindsay Clandfield on September 26, 2011
- We continue the discussion of online English with a guest post from author, teacher and teacher trainer Lindsay Clandfield. Lindsay writes about the resurgence of the exclamation mark. _________________ Great! It's time for another post for this blog! Looking back at those two sentences I see a liberal use of exclamation marks. What am I […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd September, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 23, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- 5 million books
- Posted by Caroline Short on September 23, 2011
- This week's 'language in new media' post is one of the fantastic TED Talks. What we learned from 5 million books uses Google Labs' Ngram Viewer tool to tell us why exactly a picture is worth so much more than a thousand words! If you're new to the Ngram Viewer, you might also like to […]
- Language in the news: playwright defends lesser taught languages
- Posted by Caroline Short on September 22, 2011
- This week’s ‘English language in the news’ microblog post looks at Sir Tom Stoppard’s recent call to MPs to defend less common languages, or risk their loss. The BBC shares the news that lesser taught languages, including Czech, Russian and Polish, are endangered within Scottish universities, soon to be wiped out altogether if changes aren’t […]
- The blogger’s rebellion!
- Posted by Caroline Short on September 22, 2011
- Online English month continues with regular contributor Caroline Short looking at the language of blogs. ___________ The language of the blogosphere is an interesting beast. Unlike more restrictive social media platforms, blogs allow us room to write correctly. And yet, more often than not bloggers choose to distort their native tongue, playing with words, making […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: tweetathon
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 21, 2011
- tweetathon (noun) an extended event or campaign organised on the microblogging site Twitter. A blend of the words ‘Tweet’ and ‘marathon’. … the Society of Authors is launching a weekly short story “tweetathon“, which it believes to be a never-before-attempted collaboration between top authors and tweeters. (Submitted from United Kingdom) Twitter really lends itself to […]
- iTrends
- Posted by David Crystal on September 21, 2011
- Online English month continues with a guest post from writer, editor, lecturer, broadcaster and blogger David Crystal. Professor Crystal’s most recent book The Story of English in 100 Words is published on 6th October by Profile Books. ___________ It’s the penalty of linguistic success. You invent a name for your product, and it takes off. […]
- Language tip of the week: beginning
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 20, 2011
- In this weekly microblog, we’ll bring to English language learners useful content from the Macmillan Dictionary. These tips are based on areas of English (e.g. spelling, grammar, collocation, etc) which learners often find difficult. This week’s language tip is about beginnings … Don’t confuse these two phrases: ? at the beginning ? in the beginning […]
- Slang keeps on swinging
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 20, 2011
- When people lament the state of the English language, they often criticise new vocabulary, such as the slang, buzzwords and jargon that arise from young people, advertising, and technology. But new vocabulary marks linguistic change only in a relatively superficial way. Significant changes in language happen more slowly. In a short video for Global about […]
- Clash of the Superpowers
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on September 19, 2011
- Thursday was a big day for the USA and Russia. The event probably went unnoticed by most of the population in both countries, but in New Zealand, the USA took on Russia in a group match of the Rugby World Cup. Meanwhile, on macmillandictionary.com, ten times more people looked up the word bear than the […]
- Online English: some interesting links
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 19, 2011
- We’re into our second week of online English and I thought it might be useful to put a few of the more interesting comments, articles, thoughts on online English in a post for your perusal. 2006: Of course, online English is closely tied into the subject of Global English, and David Crystal is the man […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th September, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 16, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- How the koala got his name
- Posted by Caroline Short on September 16, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post comes courtesy of ABC’s Radio Australia. In an excerpt from their regular Tuesday Australian English spot, Macquarie Dictionary Editor Sue Butler talks us through the origins of words such as koala and kookaburra: Naming Australian native animals
- Open Dictionary word of the week: kninkles
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 15, 2011
- kninkles (noun) wrinkles which surround a knee. A blend of the words ‘knee’ and ‘wrinkles’. Radio-frequency treatments are often used on the face to tighten slack skin and can work wonders on kninkles. (Submitted from United Kingdom) This word-blending business is way out of control. Fun though. Let’s just make smore (some more), stupuff (stupid […]
- Why say pundigrion when you could say pun?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 15, 2011
- About 20 years ago, I was interviewed by the Education Editor of the London Observer about a new dictionary I’d been involved in. We had a wide-ranging conversation about the distinctive features of the new edition, and much of this focussed on the use of language corpora - at that time still a novelty. The […]
- Internet and language change
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 14, 2011
- This video is a good introduction to the topic of online english, our main focus this month here on the blog. Professor David Crystal answers the question: How is the internet changing language today? The video (4:07) was originally made for Global, Macmillan’s six-level course for adults, written by Lindsay Clandfield. Y
- Language tip of the week: breath vs breathe
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 13, 2011
- Language learners may have already discovered our new Learn English Facebook Page and @MacLearnEnglish Twitter feed, which feature those very essential red words taken from the Macmillan Dictionary. In this weekly microblog, we’ll bring to English language learners even more useful content from the dictionary. These tips will be based on areas of English (e.g. […]
- Business in cyber
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 13, 2011
- The month of September is dedicated to online English here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog. We start the discussion with Stan Carey‘s exploration of the word cyber. ____________ Cybercafé, cybercrime and cyberspace are familiar words in our modern vocabulary, household terms now that so many households are online. The cyber- prefix has become synonymous with computers, […]
- English suffers collateral damage
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 11, 2011
- Kerry Maxwell’s next BuzzWord article will be discussing the term 9/11 and related words, but in this post we’ll look more broadly at the linguistic fallout of the tragic events of 10 years ago. Wars always leave their mark on a language. They give rise to new words and expressions, and often give fresh life […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th September, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 09, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- His and hers, wyf and wer
- Posted by Janet Gough on September 08, 2011
- Our final guest post in a somewhat longer gender English month comes from freelance lexicographer and editor Janet Gough. _________ A 1981 postcard published by The Women’s Press presents us with the following predicament: Dear Sirs • man to man • manpower • craftsman working men • the thinking man • the man in the street […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: wilfing
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 07, 2011
- wilfing (noun) browsing the internet with no particular purpose The time-consuming practice appears to have destructive effects too: a third of males admitted that wilfing has a damaging effect on their relationship with a partner. (Submitted from the United Kingdom) What impresses me about the sample sentence above is that a third of males admitted […]
- Hopefully you won’t object to this
- Posted by Stan Carey on September 07, 2011
- If you’ve never come across the complaints about hopefully, you might be surprised by the fuss it attracts. It’s one of those familiar but divisive words with a regular slot in style guides and usage dictionaries. The AP Stylebook (2007 edition) says: “It means in a hopeful manner. Do not use it to mean it […]
- What’s the goal of using an online dictionary?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on September 05, 2011
- Another month has gone by, and what have been the most searched for words on Macmillan English Dictionary in August? Near the top of the list is the word entrepreneur. Over half the searches for this word came from Brazil, a BRIC country. One of the key features of the BRICs is rapid economic growth, […]
- Picking a fight
- Posted by Dan Clayton on September 05, 2011
- Gender & English has proven to be a popular topic so we’ve decided to continue the discussion for another week before switching to a new area (more on that next week). English teacher, Research Fellow and blogger Dan Clayton returns with a guest post on the differences between male and female communication. ______________ “It has […]
- The future of gender in English
- Posted by Aneta Naumoska on September 01, 2011
- Gender English month continues with a guest post by Aneta Naumoska, a Lector of Contemporary English Language at the “Blaze Koneski” Faculty of Philology in Skopje, Macedonia. Aneta’s first book, Gender Marking in the English Language, was published in December 2010. Her particular interests lie in the field of Sociolinguistics. She is also an avid […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/08
Archive for August, 2011
- Open Dictionary word of the week: pegacorn
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 31, 2011
- pegacorn (noun) a creature that is half pegasus (a horse with wings) and half unicorn Submitted by: Lana from United States I'm only choosing this word because I am hoping (for my sake, certainly not for yours) that your mind might work in the same way as mine, might follow the same pathways and fire […]
- Use 'bloody'? Not Pygmalion likely!
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 30, 2011
- The Virtual Linguist wrote an interesting post recently about Pygmalion, focusing on the controversial language in George Bernard Shaw's much-loved play. The expressions that provoked such consternation almost a century ago seem unremarkable to most modern readers and theatre-goers, yet one of them remains oddly controversial, as we will see. First there is the relatively […]
- Where do a small number of you come from?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on August 29, 2011
- Last week, we looked at which towns or cities sent the most visitors to macmillandictionary.com. We've had a few guesses at which city is 10th in the list, some on the Facebook page and just one (!) in the comments section here. And no one guessed right. The answer is … Thanh Pho Ho Chi […]
- She'll be right, mate
- Posted by Tony Voss on August 29, 2011
- Stan Carey's post - Problems with pronouns - reminded us language is sometimes a blunt instrument, as in the use of they as an ungendered personal pronoun. We find it hard to think of a person without thinking of the group to which they/she/he belongs. The possessive of the neuter pronoun, its, seems to have […]
- From bluegrass to skronk
- Posted by Caroline Short on August 26, 2011
- This week's language in the news post looks at the origins of music genre categories. Whether invented by a musician or named for their band, derived from an album title or evolved from a record label, musical categories are always a point of contention. This feature from The Guardian looks at the roots of some […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th August, 2011
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 26, 2011
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Iraqi aircraft […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: lazy Susan
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 24, 2011
- lazy Susan (noun) a rotating tray placed on a table; as it goes round, the food passes by each seat at the table, so that convenient self-service is possible They served their food on a lazy Susan. (Submitted by: Bubble from Germany on 08/05/2011) OK, so this is not a new word. But it's weird, […]
- It's political correctness gone mad (Part 2 of 2)
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 24, 2011
- Though coined in the 1930s, the expression political correctness came of age during the Eighties, initially - as we saw in Part 1 - as a neutral or even positive term. Nowadays, it is an all-purpose term of disparagement, and its application goes far beyond the realm of language, which was its original focus. For some […]
- Fighting fire with 'firefighter'
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 22, 2011
- In a recent post about the role of dictionaries in matters of language and gender, Michael Rundell wrote that they "shouldn't take sides in any area of language use" but that "in some cases this is unavoidable". Dictionaries record how language is used, so they can't simply ignore sexist and discriminatory usages - or new […]
- Where do you all come from?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on August 22, 2011
- Just for a change, I thought that instead of reporting on what words people have been looking up, I'd see where visitors to the site are coming from. August is usually a quiet time of year, with educational holidays in many countries across the globe, but traffic is still buoyant, and the visitor data show […]
- Language and words in the news - 19th August, 2011
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 19, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Phrase origins: reading the riot act
- Posted by Caroline Short on August 18, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post looks at the origins of the English phrase reading the riot act. Now understood as a scolding or telling off, usually administered by parents or teachers to unruly children, being read the riot act used to have far more serious connotations. Listen to excerpts and view contemporary artists’ […]
- It’s political correctness gone mad (Part 1 of 2)
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 17, 2011
- In his popular post on pronouns, Stan Carey mentions an experiment in gender-free language in a Swedish school, and asks whether this is a positive idea or ‘an exercise in political correctness’. Political correctness and the related adjective politically correct are good examples of words that have undergone ‘pejoration’: originally neutral or even positive terms, […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: bibliotherapy
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 17, 2011
- bibliotherapy (noun) providing therapy by recommending particular books for people to read John Cunningham visit[ed] Batley Public Library, where ‘bibliotherapy‘ is helping to tackle health problems. (Submitted from United Kingdom) I can strongly recommend bibliotherapy as an effective form of therapy. In particular I recommend Bill Bryson if you like to travel and/or are feeling […]
- Local look-ups: Russia
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on August 15, 2011
- Our brief dip into local searches now focuses on Russia - and moves into the realms of idiom, phrasal verbs, and set expressions. Idioms are always a popular choice with language learners, with students often wanting to draw direct comparisons between the English expressions and phrases in their own language. The top search term over […]
- Finding the riot words
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 15, 2011
- The recent riots in England led to some debate over language, most notably over what to call the people rioting. The BBC was criticised for continuing to use the word protesters for a few days after the term had become inappropriate. The broadcaster later admitted it had made a mistake; Fran Unsworth, BBC News head […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th August, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 12, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Turning words into music
- Posted by Caroline Short on August 11, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post explores the ‘melody of microblogging’ in ‘The real sound of Twitter’. 21-year-old student Sam Harman, or “evil doctor tweet” as he is sometimes known, has created a programme which turns the global language of Twitter into music. Twinthesis, or ‘Twitter powered synthesis’, harnesses the daily tirade of tweets […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: wasta
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 10, 2011
- wasta (noun) influential or powerful social connections that an individual has He has a lot of wasta. (Submitted from the United Arab Emirates) A recent addition to the Open Dictionary: wasta (seriously not to be confused with waster though this could be its opposite). Wasta seems similar to klout, which is now a way of […]
- What’s a nice girl like you doing in a dictionary like this?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 10, 2011
- In a recent comment, Stan mentioned a newpaper headline about a ‘missing girl’ who was in fact a 30-year-old woman. As he pointed out, ‘there’s no way “missing boy” would have been used to describe a man of 30’ - and this is more or less the message given in the Macmillan Dictionary’s entry for […]
- Local look-ups: India
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on August 08, 2011
- So, moving on from Germany to India this week. I took a look at the top 5 most sought-after words from India in the last week, and was mildly surprised to see that a couple of them were, in fact, Indian English. The word prepone is not commonly used in English outside India, but I […]
- Getting cute about gender
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 08, 2011
- A recent study used a Twitter-based corpus to examine the relationship between language and gender. One of the things it looked at was “gender-skewed words” - words used by one gender more than the other. Among the words used predominantly by girls and women were: feel, love, hair, sleep, wait, cute, yummy, totally, aww, ugh, […]
- Video of the week: 5 ways to listen better
- Posted by Caroline Short on August 05, 2011
- This week’s ‘language in new media’ post is one of the fantastic TED Talks. Julian Treasure, chair of the Sound Agency and author of Sound Business, shares ‘5 ways to listen better’ to re-tune our ears and to encourage the teaching of listening at schools because: Every human being needs to listen consciouslyin order to […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th August, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 05, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Bilingual or bust
- Posted by Caroline Short on August 04, 2011
- This week’s language in the news post looks at the difficulties of working life in a bilingual country. Canada’s official Languages Minister, Graham Fraser, unveiled plans to run ‘secret shopper’ visits throughout much of downtown Ottowa last weekend, to test for sufficient levels of French services in privately owned businesses. The plans have met with […]
- Problems with pronouns
- Posted by Stan Carey on August 03, 2011
- August is dedicated to gender English here on the blog, and we kick off another month of lively discussion with a post by regular guest blogger Stan Carey on the topic of gender and pronouns. ___________ English has long had trouble with gender and pronouns. The lack of a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun has inspired […]
- Local look-ups
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on August 01, 2011
- I thought it might be interesting to give this post a more local flavour over the next few weeks, and explore which words are causing grief at a local level. So let’s kick off with Germany. Thanks to our partnership with the giant bilingual dictionary Leo, a lot of users come through to us for […]
- Sorry is the hardest word
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 01, 2011
- I mentioned in a recent post that when people say ‘I’m sorry’, they’re not necessarily apologising. It is just as often a signal that the speaker isn’t sorry at all, but is about to tell you something you don’t really want to hear (this is especially likely when ‘I’m sorry’ is preceded by well or […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/07
Archive for July, 2011
- Listen and learn: the Global author podcasts
- Posted by Caroline Short on July 29, 2011
- This week's 'language in new media' post comes courtesy of the Global author podcast series. Jamie Keddie talks about words and pictures and using flashcards and flash images with students. There are great practical ideas plus information about where you can find and how you can generate flashcards.
- Language and words in the news - 29th July, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 29, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Are you open to open kimonos?
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 28, 2011
- The phrase open kimono was recently added to Macmillan's Open Dictionary: "when something such as a meeting is described as being 'open kimono', it means the participants share openly and keep no secrets" A kimono is a traditional form of clothing in Japan that is wrapped around the body. It's worn by women, men, and […]
- Taeglish: learning English the physical way
- Posted by Caroline Short on July 28, 2011
- This week's English language in the news post comes from South Korea, where the latest education craze for kids is Taeglish - the combination of English lessons and the martial art of Taekwondo. Kim Sung-hoon, creator of Taeglish, explains: Taeglish is a combination of the words Taekwondo and English.? Normal English education is boring with […]
- Open Dictionary word of the week: pie
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on July 27, 2011
- pie (verb) to throw a pie at someone's face as a protest or sign of disrespect How Dare You Pie My Husband? The Story of Rupert and Wendi. (Submitted from United Kingdom) This word was submitted into the Open Dictionary after Johnnie Marbles pied Rupert Murdoch. It reminds me of that time Muntadar al-Zaidi shoed […]
- Accidental drifting - small talk in the UK
- Posted by Lynne Murphy on July 27, 2011
- We look back on a great month exploring small talk in English. Our final guest post, from fellow blogger and University of Sussex linguist Lynne Murphy, explores the key to making successful small talk in the UK (or more precisely, England). ____________ Earlier in the month Vicki Hollett advised Britons on engaging in small talk […]
- Small talk. Big opportunity
- Posted by Rik McShane on July 26, 2011
- Small talk month continues with a guest post by Rik McShane. Rik is a bookseller and a Scrabble fan. He is also well known for talking, a lot. ____________ For many people, a double gin and tonic or a glass of chardonnay is seen as a social lubricant, for me however it is those first […]
- Popular look-ups
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on July 25, 2011
- It's been a while since the last microblog posting, but then summer is here, and, yes, there has been a bit of a wind-down feeling of late. Anyway - a quick summary of some popular words looked up in Macmillan Dictionary last week. Mis-spellings of 'Macmillan' are still very common (I know, it's a toughie), […]
- Dialectal drift
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 25, 2011
- Of the countless varieties of English, American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) are the most significant. This is why you can set Macmillan Dictionary's default setting to either, and switch back and forth throughout. American English regularly comes under fire from some BrE speakers who perhaps feel a bit possessive or protective about their […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd July, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 22, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- It’s lost its apostrophe! ‘It’s’ or ‘Its’?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 21, 2011
- A new report on the potential of solar energy, by leading business consultants Ernst & Young, tells us (p.11) that ‘increased efficiency of manufacturing and improvements in non poly silicon costs has lead to cost reductions overall’ Aaargh: the old lead vs. led problem: they sound the same (in some meanings, at least) but the […]
- Is small talk different in the US and UK? Yes!
- Posted by Vicki Hollett on July 20, 2011
- Small talk month continues with a guest post by English teacher, coursebook author and fellow blogger Vicki Hollett from Learning to speak ’merican on tips for small talk in the US. ___________ Here are some quick tips for Brits who are crossing the pond. First, starting conversations: Follow normal practice and comment on the weather. […]
- Walking the talk - part two
- Posted by John Allison on July 19, 2011
- Teacher, teacher trainer and author John Allison returns to the topic of small talk & the Business English language learner, listing the most challenging aspects of maintaining or in fact leaving a social conversation. __________ For the non-native speaker, the most obvious obstacle to socializing is lack of vocabulary. Business meetings, conference calls, interviews and […]
- Top of the morning to yourself
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 18, 2011
- “Top of the morning to you”, or more casually “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya”, is a well-known traditional Irish greeting that Irish people don’t really use any more - at least not without irony, in my experience. Essentially it means “The best part of the morning to you”; a typical response would be “And […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th July, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 15, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Sounds: the premium pronunciation app
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 14, 2011
- We introduced Macmillan’s Sounds: The Pronunciation App a while back. The excellent news is that it’s now also available for purchase from the Apple app store in a Premium Edition (at just £3.99 / $6.99). Exciting features of the Premium Edition include the following: - Fully interactive phonemic charts for both British and American English […]
- Walking the talk - part one
- Posted by John Allison on July 13, 2011
- July is all about small talk and we continue to explore the topic with a guest post by John Allison about small talk & the Business English language learner. John Allison is a teacher, teacher trainer, and lead author of The Business. John also enjoys writing music and speculative fiction, evidence of which you can […]
- A guddle through the dialectal wordbank
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 12, 2011
- Macmillan Dictionary’s Twitter account recently shared a link to a Telegraph story on regional English words. It has to do with a wordbank that the British Library created as part of its Evolving English exhibition. The aim is to preserve and publicise - and perhaps propagate - thousands of dialectal words and phrases. At the […]
- That’s not exactly what I meant, actually
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 11, 2011
- During our Romantic English month, Dan Clayton reported on some research which suggested that couples whose speech styles matched one another closely were likely to get on well. Dan agreed, but then went on to say ‘This isn’t exactly news to linguists’. He could have said: ‘Linguists know this already’ but it’s a well-known characteristic […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th July, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 08, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- The art of small talk
- Posted by Charlotte Ellis on July 07, 2011
- As part of small talk month, Charlotte Ellis shares her thoughts on the art of making small talk. Charlotte lives in Oxford, UK and works as Marketing Executive at Macmillan Education. _________ Small talk hasn’t got brilliant connotations, has it? You don’t have to make small talk with people you like or know - that’s […]
- Small talk is no small matter
- Posted by Stan Carey on July 05, 2011
- Today we say good-bye to green English and hello to small talk. During the month of July, we’ll be exploring small talk in English, starting with an introduction by regular contributor Stan Carey, freelance writer, editor and blogger. _______________ For many of us, small talk is a daily occurrence. We engage in it with family, […]
- You say ‘global warming’, I say ‘climate change’
- Posted by Michael Rundell on July 04, 2011
- Here in the UK we had a spell of unusually cold weather at the end of last year - the coldest December in over 100 years. People who don’t accept the idea of climate change could hardly conceal their delight, as they asked: ‘Where’s your global warming now, then?’. The mistake here is to confuse […]
- Green English lesson plan
- Posted by Claire Hart on July 01, 2011
- We are in the final week of Green English month. To provide a practical way of discussing the environment in your English language class, the blog today brings you a lesson plan by Claire Hart, a Business English teacher based in Southern Germany. Claire also gives teacher training workshops and publishes free lesson plans. For […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/06
Archive for June, 2011
- Top Wimbledon BuzzWords
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 30, 2011
- The second (i.e. final) week of the Wimbledon Championships is well underway and the world and SW19 are buzzing with tennis. Here is a quick selection of words popular with spectators of the sport: Move over Henmania, Timbledon and Henman Hill, and make room for: Murraymania, Andymonium and Murray Mound. And it's not just about […]
- Teaching tips for green English: exercises
- Posted by onestopclil on June 28, 2011
- The vocabulary of geography Next in a series of tips for teaching (about) green English. The worksheet includes key vocabulary used in geography, including geographic features, natural disasters and natural resources. In addition to that, exercises help consolidate students' knowledge of the terms. Geography vocabulary and exercises For further tips for teaching green English, see: […]
- Cut me some slacktivism
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 28, 2011
- We all want to make a meaningful difference, and to have our voices heard, but our days are busy and there are times when all we can do is click a button. Sometimes, therefore, modern activism gets no further than clicktivism. We forward an email, 'like' a Facebook page, retweet a worthy cause, add a […]
- 'Which' or 'that' - or neither?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 26, 2011
- A recent post by professional editor Laura Hale Brockway deals with the differences between which and that. This is a tricky problem (especially if English isn't your first language), and she sets out to explain the 'rules' without resorting to linguistic jargon. But some of the advice she gives is contradicted by the evidence of […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th June, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 24, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Teaching tips for green English: dictation
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 23, 2011
- Dictation activity: greenwashing The dictation activity called 'Nature' focuses on the practice of greenwashing. As well as asking students to listen to and transcribe a short text, the dictation encourages them to expand their vocabulary, asking them to explore some of the many new words that have entered the English language in recent years. The […]
- Out of the red with the green stuff
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 22, 2011
- The language of money and the environment overlap in the word green. In a previous post, I wrote about how some businesses have turned to greentailing because it can be both economically and environmentally sound. Now the "green economy" is spreading to unexpected quarters: a recent article in Time magazine reports that Sicily's mafia want […]
- Teaching tips for green English: vocabulary
- Posted by onestopclil on June 21, 2011
- The language of science In this useful article, author Keith Kelly provides a list of typical language used in the area of science. His list includes adjectives, verbs, grammar patterns, phrases and discourse markers. For further tips for teaching green English, see: Tip 1: renewable energy (worksheet) Tip 2: the greenhouse effect (animation) Tip 4: […]
- Crafting green, linguistically speaking
- Posted by Caroline Short on June 20, 2011
- This year, my sewing club, sew make believe's theme is "green". It's about using up what we have already, making rather than buying, mending rather than replacing. And in running the club I've discovered a whole new vocabulary set - or eco-lingo - particular to this topic. Everybody recycles these days, but did you know […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th June, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 17, 2011
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education, and language learning and teaching. Contact us if you would like to submit a link, or just add a […]
- Teaching tips for green English: animation
- Posted by onestopclil on June 16, 2011
- The greenhouse effect Today’s teaching resource for green English combines an animation and a worksheet which demonstrate to students how excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to the greenhouse effect. What is the Greenhouse Effect? - PowerPoint This presentation of six slides developed in partnership with the Science Museum includes a colourful Flash animation […]
- It’s handbags not manbags
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 16, 2011
- Alastair Campbell, Britain’s best-known spin doctor, was recently playing in a celebrity football match, and got involved in a minor tussle with one of his opponents, following an aggressive tackle. Tweeting about the game later, he played down the incident, describing it as “all a bit handbags”. This expression, which seems to be almost always […]
- Have I seen you be -vore?
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 14, 2011
- Although the Latin word vorare (devour, swallow quickly) is no longer very familiar to many of us, we see its root hidden in plain sight in several common words. Some, such as devour and voracious, retain the sense of greediness or great hunger; others, such as herbivore, carnivore and omnivore, refer more neutrally to the […]
- Teaching tips for green English: worksheet
- Posted by onestopclil on June 13, 2011
- Renewable technologies The first in a series of teaching tips for green English brings you a lesson plan, suitable for intermediate and upper intermediate levels, which provides vocabulary practice and discussion for the topic of renewable energy. In the worksheet, students read about four sources of renewable energy and discuss which they would invest in: […]
- Top 20 green buzzwords in English
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 13, 2011
- Green English month brings you some frequent buzzwords relating to the environment. Feel free to add other words in a comment below. top buzzwords green: to make something more environmentally-friendly the Anthropocene: the period from the 18th century until the present day, characterized by the effect of humans on geology, climate and the environment greenwash: […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th June, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 10, 2011
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like […]
- It will all come out in the greenwash
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 08, 2011
- For most of human history, we weren’t sufficiently numerous or powerful to do enough damage to warrant an environmental movement. Then a series of developments - among them industrialisation, overpopulation, widespread pollution, nuclear power, and climate change - began to demonstrate dramatically how fragile is our stewardship of ‘Spaceship Earth’. These developments have lent increasing […]
- Teaching tips for green English
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 07, 2011
- Teaching tips for green English: introduction Green English month started earlier this week. Throughout the month of June, in addition to our regular blog posts, we will also bring you a new series of tips giving you ideas about how green English can be used in your language classroom. The series will include worksheets & […]
- BE, you were red hot … but it’s time for green
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 07, 2011
- And so we say goodbye to Business English month … which was the bees knees, what with all the hilarity generated by Stan Carey’s gobbledegook (gobbledegook is one of my least favourite words in the world by the way. I won’t use it again). Our two favourite translators won themselves a dictionary each, and well-deserved […]
- This will literally have you in stitches
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 06, 2011
- A recent round-up of language news featured an article by Robert Lane Greene, explaining his dislike of the word literally: ‘When used as a mere intensifier … it has almost no kick at all. And when misused, it can be spectacular.’ On the face of it, he has a point. We know that words don’t […]
- World Environment Day
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 05, 2011
- Today (5th June) the United Nations Environment Program celebrates World Enviroment Day. What a fantastic way to kick off Green English month on Macmillan Dictionary Blog! During the month of June, we’ll be exploring the language of the environment - feel free to get in touch if you would like to contribute with a guest […]
- Language and words in the news - 3rd June, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 03, 2011
- This (mostly) weekly post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would […]
- Business English and likeability
- Posted by Vicki Hollett on June 02, 2011
- Our final guest post in Business English month comes from English teacher, coursebook writer and blogger Vicki Hollett. It’s not the first time Vicki is contributing to Macmillan Dictionary Blog. This time she discusses the difference between business talk and ordinary conversation, and defines the language of business in a couple of adjectives. ______________ How […]
- Weaselly recognised
- Posted by Stan Carey on June 01, 2011
- Last week I wrote a parody of corporate communication as part of a competition for Macmillan Dictionary’s Business English month. Enjoyable as it was to write, I had even more fun reading the responses - readers’ translations of my imperfect storm of management buzzwords. The comments showed how naturally people see through (and play with) […]
- Last week’s competition: results
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on June 01, 2011
- We were delighted to receive so many ‘translations’ of Stan’s post, and we enjoyed every one of them. Although we asked for entries to be written in Business English, most of you took poetic licence and wrote parodies of your own. The ones we liked best were Joe McVeigh’s, for making us laugh and pulling […]
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Archive for May, 2011
- Business tips & techniques: infographic
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 31, 2011
- The international language of business Last week Paul Emmerson suggested you use a cartoon to get discussion going in your Business English classroom. This week, the trigger for lively conversation is a relatively new form of visualisation: an infographic. Tip This infographic, based on a survey carried out in 5 countries in 2010, shows how, […]
- Business English in the digital age
- Posted by Pete Sharma on May 31, 2011
- The final week of Business English month here on the blog starts with a guest post by Pete Sharma. Pete is author of the essay on 'New Technology' in the Macmillan English Dictionary. His name appears as co-author on many books about technology in language teaching, including the Macmillan titles Blended Learning and 400 Ideas […]
- Sounds: the pronunciation app
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 30, 2011
- A new kid (or shall I say app) on the block, this super tool is based on the popular Sound Foundations book and chart, written by Adrian Underhill. It comes in two versions: a free app which includes the phonemic chart only, with the pronunciation of the phonemes and example words, and a premium edition […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th May, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 27, 2011
- Another Friday, another post containing a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would […]
- Business tips & techniques: personality types
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 26, 2011
- Myers-Briggs personality types Background 'Personality' is a relevant topic in the Business English classroom: it affects choice of jobs, individual skills and competencies, and general attitude to teamwork/decision-making/planning/etc. 'Personality types' is also very much a discussion topic for HR people. Perhaps the most widely used and most trusted instrument for analyzing personality is the Myers-Briggs […]
- Some thoughts on ELF
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 26, 2011
- Our next post in Business English month comes from Paul Emmerson. Paul is a writer, teacher, teacher-trainer and presenter working in the field of Business English. He runs his own website PaulEmmerson.com, which offers free resources to busy teachers. Here he looks at the interesting (and slightly controversial) topic of English as a Lingua Franca, […]
- Critical learnings, going forward
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 25, 2011
- Macmillan Dictionary Blog very much hopes this will hit your imagination button . Regular guest blogger Stan Carey presents you with a challenge this week. Below you will find a letter written to staff in 'business-speak'. Your task is to 'translate' it into plain (but still Business) English and add your version as a comment […]
- Business tips & techniques: vocabulary
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 24, 2011
- Memory game: progressive deletion on board Background 'Key phrases' are everywhere in Business English - they are a large part of the language input for communication skills. They need practising, and this is one of many posts to help do that. Activity 1 Write up on the board a series of numbered key phrases from […]
- The language of finance
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 24, 2011
- Since we are in Business English month and I do love a good wordle, I thought I might do a favour for armchair academics the world over and try establish the wordle as a viable analytical tool of all things lexical and financial. Behold, two fine wordles from QFinance.com content, a site that bills itself […]
- Business tips & techniques: emails
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 23, 2011
- Chain email Background Emails need practising - just writing them once is not enough. So having done all the hard work of preparing content and language for a writing exercise in one class, why not use the same content again in the next class? The emails might turn out very different - that's fine - […]
- When is Business English General English?
- Posted by John Allison on May 23, 2011
- Business English month brings you a guest post by John Allison, a teacher, teacher trainer, and lead author of The Business. John also enjoys writing music and speculative fiction, evidence of which you can see on his blog ‘John’s words and music’. ___________ There was a time, not so long ago, when Business English (B.E.) […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th May, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 20, 2011
- After a short break, Macmillan Dictionary Blog brings you again the latest round of news on language and words from around the globe. These can be items from the news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education, and language learning and teaching. Contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Business tips & techniques: texts
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 20, 2011
- Responding to a text Background Coursebook texts have comprehension questions and ready-made discussion points following a text. Authentic texts that you find on the internet or from a print medium don’t. Of course, you can produce your own, but it’s also nice to have an alternative zero-preparation way to respond to a text that can […]
- Nails on a blackboard: legalese and management-speak
- Posted by Briony Drimie on May 19, 2011
- Business English month continues with a guest post on legal English and management-speak. _________ My relationship with Business English began at university, where I studied Law. From legal summaries involving sentences that spanned over a hundred lines to words that I remain convinced were made up on the spot, the use of language depended entirely […]
- Competition time!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 19, 2011
- Last year we brought you The 21st Century Flux and, for teachers, we provided accompanying worksheets for use in class. The worksheets helped students get to grips with advanced-level content and to make the most of the many ideas and issues Dizraeli addressed in his flowetry. So that was last year … This year we […]
- Business English tips & techniques: presentations
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 19, 2011
- Presentation karaoke Background and activity The idea of Presentation Karaoke is that students use somebody else’s existing Powerpoint presentation, with the sound turned off (if using the internet), and give an improvised on-the-spot presentation using the slides. The presentation slides need to be text-light and graphics-rich. And in the classroom you’ll need a computer monitor […]
- Business English tips & techniques: discussion
- Posted by Paul Emmerson on May 18, 2011
- Cartoon: Android vs Apple vs Blackberry Tip Here’s a great cartoon that will generate a lot of discussion about a topic of interest to everyone: smartphone platforms. Background The cartoon is very funny (and very true) and acts as a visual stimulus to discuss the three smartphone platforms: Android (developed and owned by Google), Apple […]
- Your flexible ‘friend’
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 18, 2011
- In his recent article ‘Malfunctions, misdemeanours, metaphors’, Michael Rundell describes how we’ve created a lot of computer terms by recycling familiar words (such as window, virus, memory, desktop, and folder) and applying them metaphorically to the digital realm. He mentions icon as a noteworthy example, in that its computer-related sense is now the most common. […]
- Business English tips & techniques: introduction
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on May 17, 2011
- Similarly to metaphor month in April, Business English month in May will also bring you practical tips and advice on teaching Business English either in a classroom setup or one-to-one. The tips & techniques will come from Paul Emmerson, a writer, teacher, teacher-trainer and presenter. Paul runs this website, which provides material for busy teachers. […]
- Is there life on Mars?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 16, 2011
- ‘Welcome to Planet Osborne’ was the headline of a news report a few weeks ago, when the UK’s finance minister, George Osborne, presented his budget plans. This formula (planet + noun) is common in the names of stores, websites, or other entities devoted to a particular activity - you see things like Planet Dance (a […]
- The business of gobbledegook
- Posted by Stan Carey on May 11, 2011
- When we communicate in a business environment, obscure jargon is an occupational hazard. Given how specialised are many industries and work environments, it’s natural that people will use a certain amount of terminology that won’t always make much sense to outsiders. The trouble is when this language is used in inappropriate contexts, or when it […]
- The bottom line on trickle-down
- Posted by Janet Gough on May 09, 2011
- We kick off Business English month on Macmillan Dictionary blog with a guest post by Janet Gough, a freelance lexicographer and editor, based in Kirkintilloch in Scotland. Janet’s post is in fact a bridge between metaphorical and business English months as it looks at metaphor in business. _______________ Picture the archetypal hard-nosed businessperson, to whom […]
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Archive for April, 2011
- Malfunctions, misdemeanours, metaphors
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 29, 2011
- Here's an intriguing sentence from last Sunday's Observer newspaper: "Madonna is constantly on the naughty step for alleged 'mutton misdemeanours' while posing with Lourdes." It's common to need a little cultural information in order to decipher things we read in the papers - but this sentence takes some beating. The article is poking fun at […]
- Metaphor can make your eyes water
- Posted by Martin Shovel on April 27, 2011
- The final week of metaphorical English month brings you a guest post by Martin Shovel, a writer, animator and communications expert with a special interest in new media and social networking. He writes regularly about language and communication on his own CreativityWorks blog and is a contributor to the Guardian's Mind Your Language blog. He […]
- Hopefully disinterested
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 26, 2011
- Words are slippery. Their meanings can mutate and multiply, differing according to where and how they are used. The word defence, for instance, will suggest different things to a sportsperson, a psychologist, a lawyer, a doctor, and a military strategist. Our relationship with a given word depends on our history with it and what it […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd April, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 22, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Teaching metaphor tip of the day: language awareness
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 22, 2011
- We use metaphors almost every time we write or speak, often without realizing it. Becoming aware of how language works - a process known as 'language awareness' - is an essential part of successful language learning. Here are two ways in which awareness of metaphor can help you to increase your understanding of how English […]
- Teaching metaphor tip of the day: field
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 21, 2011
- The Metaphor Boxes in Macmillan English Dictionary deal with groups of words and phrases that all share the same key idea. However, there are many other metaphors and metaphorical uses in English that do not belong to groups like this. Many of these are shown in the Macmillan English Dictionary, at individual headwords. Others are […]
- It's easy to get the wrong end of the stick
- Posted by Frank Boers on April 21, 2011
- Our next guest post in metaphorical English months comes from Frank Boers, an expert in the field of metaphor, phraseology and second language acquisition. He is Associate Professor at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. ____________ I remember that as a teenager learning English as […]
- Teaching metaphor tip of the day: quantity
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 20, 2011
- Look at the Metaphor Box for quantity in Macmillan Dictionary. 1 Can you think of other words and phrases that express the same metaphorical ideas as the ones we have shown? 2 Now think of how you could refer to increases and decreases in quantities or amounts without using any metaphorical meanings. Note: the answers […]
- Dirty tricks and honest metaphors
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 20, 2011
- "I want to be straight with you. To come clean. It's time I washed my hands of this whole stinking business. How could I have sunk to such depths? From now on, it'll be total transparency with me - everything on the level. No more creeping in the gutter, doing some low-down dirt-heel's dirty work." […]
- Metaphor teaching tip of the day: computer words
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 19, 2011
- Computer metaphors When new words are needed in order to describe things that did not exist before, they are often created by means of metaphor. With the growth of computer technology, we need words to describe many new objects and activities - and most of these new words have been produced metaphorically. Although a website […]
- A John with a lot of bottle
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on April 19, 2011
- A recent addition to the Open Dictionary is the word demirep. It’s not a new word - in fact it’s been around since at least 1749 when Henry Fielding used the term in his novel Tom Jones: ‘… he had no knowledge of that character which is vulgarly called a demirep.’ But it must have […]
- Metaphor teaching tip of the day: weather words
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 18, 2011
- Last week we had a look at some examples of common metaphorical language in English. This week, from Monday through to Friday, the microblog feature will bring you ideas on how to teach (about) metaphor in the classroom. Here is our first metaphor teaching tip of the week in the form of a couple of […]
- Game of competing truths
- Posted by Dan Clayton on April 18, 2011
- In our next guest post in metaphor month Dan Clayton talks about metaphor in politics. Dan is an English teacher and a Research Fellow at UCL’s Survey of English Usage on the Teaching English Grammar in Schools project. He blogs over on English Language @ SFX. ______________ Politics is a game of ‘competing truths’, claimed […]
- Metaphor of the day: idea
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 17, 2011
- Metaphors for ideas An idea or theory is like a building or structure. Developing an idea is like building something, and destroying an idea is like destroying a building. For example: It was a carefully constructed theory. She completely demolished his argument. The theory collapsed/fell apart after he produced new data. An idea is also […]
- Metaphor of the day: knowledge
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 16, 2011
- Metaphors for knowledge Getting knowledge about something is like making a map of a place or like travelling there. Teaching someone is like showing them how to reach a place. For example: In today’s class, I will map out the most important concepts. It is an excellent guide to English vocabulary. The program allows you […]
- Metaphor of the day: conversation
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 15, 2011
- Metaphors for conversation A conversation or discussion is like a journey, with the speakers going from one place to another, e.g.: Let’s go back to what you were saying earlier. I can’t quite see where you’re heading. The conversation took an unexpected turn/direction. You’re on the right/wrong track. For more metaphor examples, see the word […]
- For I met a metaphor
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 15, 2011
- Metaphorical English month continues with a post by our regular guest blogger Stan Carey. Stan writes on language on his own blog Sentence first and tweets @StanCarey. ___________ I was introduced to metaphor as a technique in writing or speech whereby something is described in terms of another thing. It might be an evocative idea […]
- Metaphor of the day: secret
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 14, 2011
- Metaphors for secret To keep something secret is like covering it, or putting it in a container, so that other people cannot see it, e.g.: She accused him of covering up the truth. He tried to mask/disguise/camouflage his true feelings. She wanted to bury the memory of that day. The project is still under wraps. […]
- Metaphor of the day: enthusiasm
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 13, 2011
- Metaphors for enthusiasm Enthusiasm and excitement are like heat and a lack of enthusiasm and excitement is like cold or wet: It’s the hottest show in town. Things heated up/hotted up as soon as the music started. Her response to the suggestion was tepid. She poured cold water on all my suggestions. For more metaphor […]
- Metaphor and message
- Posted by Dan Clayton on April 13, 2011
- Our next guest post on the topic of metaphor comes from Dan Clayton, an English teacher and a Research Fellow at UCL’s Survey of English Usage on the Teaching English Grammar in Schools project. Dan’s A level Language blog English Language @ SFX can be found here. ________ James Geary told us on Monday that […]
- Metaphor of the day: search
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 12, 2011
- Metaphors for searching Searching for something is like hunting an animal, or like one animal hunting another. I’ve been hunting for that book all day. The detectives were on their trail at once. They managed to track down his childhood friends. She was being hounded by photographers. Searching and discovering information is like finding it […]
- Metaphor of the day: problem
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on April 11, 2011
- Metaphors for problems Problems and troubles are like illnesses. When things get better, people think of the problems as being cured, e.g.: She thinks we live in a sick society. Transport was another headache for the government. London was paralysed by a series of strikes. We discussed the company and its ailing finances. For more […]
- Metaphors in mind
- Posted by James Geary on April 11, 2011
- Metaphorical English month continues with a guest post by James Geary, author of I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World as well as two books about aphorisms: The World in a Phrase and Geary’s Guide to the World’s Great Aphorist. James Geary discusses […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th April, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 08, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Depending on metaphor
- Posted by Stan Carey on April 05, 2011
- April is metaphorical English month here on Macmillan Dictionary Blog and over on the dictionary. We have some great contributors and contributions lined up for you. To kick off, our regular guest blogger Stan Carey discusses the importance of metaphor. Stan blogs over on Sentence first and tweets @StanCarey. __________ A character in Sarah Kane’s […]
- Who’d a thunk it?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 04, 2011
- Has anyone noticed the recent fashion for this expression? The full version is ‘Who would have thunk it?’, where thunk is used as a pseudo-archaic past participle of think (by analogy with drink/drunk). This rhetorical question (similar to ‘Would you believe it?’) can be used to express genuine surprise: Two games and nul points for […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st April, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 01, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
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Archive for March, 2011
- Saved by the bell!
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on March 31, 2011
- It would be unfortunate to drop the ball and not have a post on sporting idioms during our sporting English month. I am down to the wire however, with only a few days until metaphor month begins! I can already hear you sighing. You think I am going to try bowl you over with a […]
- They think it's all over…
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 30, 2011
- 'What's your English? 2011' will be moving on this week, from sport to metaphor and figurative language. But - as many of our sports-related posts demonstrate - there's a strong link between the two themes. Stan Carey's piece this week celebrates the wonderfully original similes dreamed up by sports commentator Ray Hudson. Meanwhile, Andrew Delahunty […]
- Blunt as a bag of wet mice
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 29, 2011
- At the start of this month, in a post about sporting clichés and commentating, I wrote that the most effective commentators are fans as well as experts, people who love the sport passionately and have "idiosyncratic ways of communicating their insights and enthusiasm". This describes to a T someone I heard about after writing the […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th March, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 25, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Optical illusions
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 25, 2011
- As a recent article in Britain's Guardian newspaper noted, wars always give rise to new words, and the current conflict in Libya is no exception. The fashionable term of the moment is optics. Military experts and armchair generals come on the air to talk about the optics of the situation - by which they mean […]
- RIP
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 24, 2011
- On Wednesday news hit the headlines that Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor had passed away at the age of 79. On Twitter, the hashtag 'RIP Elizabeth Taylor' (#ripelizabethtaylor) has been trending ever since. But what does RIP mean and where does it come from? RIP (also spelled R.I.P) is an abbreviation for 'rest in peace', or […]
- In a league of our own
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on March 23, 2011
- It's still sporting English month here on the blog, but it's not long till metaphor month kicks off in April, so now seems an appropriate time to think about the figurative uses of the word league. Last year, Red Bull won the Hungarian Grand Prix just a week after Ferrari had dominated the German Grand […]
- In a word
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 23, 2011
- "Can I have a word with you?" "What's the word on the street?" "I've had no word from them all week." "You have my word." "What does this word mean?" It's no surprise that a word as old and familiar as word should have so many distinct but related meanings. In the paragraph above, you […]
- Sleeps
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 23, 2011
- Only … 25 more sleeps … until we celebrate onestopenglish's 10th anniversary at the annual IATEFL conference in Brighton, UK. That made me think: do other languages have the same use of sleep as English? And if not, how is that sort of excitement expressed in those languages? This unusual countable use of sleep in […]
- A tsunami of metaphors
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 22, 2011
- With the awful news coming out of Japan, it's not surprising that there has been a spike in lookups of earthquake-related vocabulary in Macmillan Dictionary. Like many words for natural phenomena, earthquake and tsunami are often used metaphorically. Tsunami functions very much like wave, both literally and figuratively - it's just much bigger and more […]
- Magpies and Quarterboys
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on March 21, 2011
- Most football teams have nicknames, some of which are fairly transparent, and some of which are more opaque, for example the Toon or the Quarterboys. Probably the least interesting way of referring to a club is to shorten the whole name, hence Manchester United are known as Man. U. while their close friends rivals are […]
- Close, but no cigar
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 18, 2011
- Luminaries of the digital publishing world gathered in central London last night for the announcement of the inaugural winners of the FutureBook Digital Innovation awards. Several categories were being contested, including best app, best use of social media, best content innovation, and best integrated digital marketing campaign. Macmillan Dictionary was one of six shortlisted in […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th March, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 18, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Happy St Patrick’s Day!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 17, 2011
- Today is Saint Patrick’s Day and Macmillan Dictionary’s Word of the Day is craic, an informal term to describe a pleasant conversation or enjoyable time. The Irish holiday is named after St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and is celebrated worldwide. A quick glance at the Twitter hashtag #stpatricksday reveals that the most popular […]
- From HuffPo to SuBo
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 17, 2011
- Articles in the press about the Huffington Post, the American news and politics website recently acquired by AOL, often refer to it as ‘HuffPo’. I’m not sure how we describe short forms like this: they don’t quite fit any of the familiar categories such as abbreviations (DNA, Dr., e.g., omg), acronyms (AIDS, NATO, TED), contractions […]
- Hey Professor
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 15, 2011
- Stephen wrote an entertaining post recently about linguistic registers. In communication, a register generally has to do with what Macmillan Dictionary defines as “the type of language that you use in a particular situation or when communicating with a particular group of people”. (It can also refer to voice quality in phonetics, which is similar […]
- A bad day on the pitch
- Posted by Beth Penfold on March 14, 2011
- Following on from Andrew Delahunty’s great blog post last week, I notice that there is also a crossover of sporting terms into the more ordinary world of work. To take just one example, the national sport of football - there are many phrases commonly used there that we tend to use in the office. Here are some example […]
- Award nomination
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on March 09, 2011
- Now that the Oscars sideshow is out of the way, we can turn our undivided attention to the main event of this late-winter awards season: the FutureBook digital innovation awards. Organized in association with The Bookseller, these awards are in their inaugural year. Macmillandictionary.com has battled its way onto the shortlist for Best Website in […]
- Sport shorts
- Posted by Beth Penfold on March 08, 2011
- Just been reading this great article about how journalists, especially sporting journalists tend to use the phrase ahead of, where the word before would suit better. This month, What’s your English? concentrates on sporting English, and sporting people have many fascinating and entertaining ways to describe and discuss their great passion. There is a definite culture […]
- Goal
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 08, 2011
- Sporting English month has - so far - explored clichés and the ‘sport as a workplace‘ lexicon. Today Stan Carey continues with the discussion of the language of sport with a closer look at the word goal. ____________ In many ball sports, the goal is to score a goal in the goal. Immediately we see […]
- A woman’s touch
- Posted by Sharon Creese on March 07, 2011
- Did you know, today is International Women’s Day? This is a day designed to draw attention to the issues facing women around the world, and the focus this year is on education and training. In celebration, I think I shall apply the feminine gender to all things educational, so welcome to La Macmillan Blog, we […]
- A bad day at the office
- Posted by Andrew Delahunty on March 07, 2011
- Following Stan Carey’s introduction, sporting English month continues with a guest post by Andrew Delahunty, a freelance author and lexicographer. Among Andrew’s many books is Talking Balls: Getting to grips with the language of sport, published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. _________ It is difficult to explain what happened. It was a bad day at the […]
- English grammar in the news - 4th March, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 04, 2011
- 4th March celebrates National Grammar Day and to join in on the fun, this regular weekly post this week contains a selection of links related to grammar. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in […]
- Calling the register
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on March 03, 2011
- I’ve just bought a newly-published book about life in an English Grammar School in the 1940s. Long, long before my time (obviously), and not the usual sort of memoir that attracts me. But this one is slightly different, not only because the school in question is the one that I went to many years later, […]
- Words on your mind - acquaintance
- Posted by Beth Penfold on March 01, 2011
- This week, many of you have been searching the Macmillan Dictionary for the word acquaintance. I’m not sure how successful you will have been initially, because this word was often typed in without the first ‘c’. I can see how easy it is to make this mistake. In English, the letters ‘qu’ make the phonetic sound […]
- Be a sport about clichés
- Posted by Stan Carey on March 01, 2011
- In his book Strictly Speaking, the newscaster and author Edwin Newman wrote: “There is no way to measure the destructive effect of sports broadcasting on ordinary American English, but it must be considerable.” This is harsh, but you can see where he’s coming from. Sports commentary has a reputation for stating the obvious, resorting to […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/02
Archive for February, 2011
- Some words just belong together
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 28, 2011
- During the month of February, we have celebrated and discussed romantic English here on the blog. This page contains a list of all our blog posts as well as some other useful places to go to to find out more about the language of love. To see February and romantic English out in style, here […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th February, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 25, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- The weird and the wonderful
- battle it out…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 24, 2011
- It's that time of year again, when we're all invited to decide which book over the past 12 months has been published with the strangest name. That's right, voting is now open for the 2010 Bookseller / Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year. Since 1978, the most weird and wonderful book titles have […]
- Electronic whistle blowers?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 23, 2011
- I was watching a documentary about WikiLeaks the other day, and it made me wonder about the language we use to describe the act of revealing secrets. When we were young, it was telling tales, and in the corporate environment the person doing the telling has long been known as a whistle blower. But with […]
- 'Vacation' variations
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 22, 2011
- You might have encountered some of the new words being used to describe different types of holiday - humorous variations on vacation, such as daycation and staycation. Daycation was a BuzzWord here on Macmillan Dictionary; Kerry's article also explained greycation and naycation. We've come across mancation before, in the context of man-words, and a blog […]
- Has anyone seen my etchings?
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on February 21, 2011
- Dan Clayton talked about the language of lovers last week, and how people let their speech style converge towards the speech style of someone they want to establish a relationship with. But this can be a lengthy and tortuous procedure, involving protracted conversation. Among younger people throughout the ages there has often been a need […]
- Play the game
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 21, 2011
- I've been wondering about brand names, or rather, one specific brand name - Nintendo's Wii. The Wii is, of course, a now well-established gaming system. Apparently, the name is supposed to indicate the inclusiveness of playing together and the fact that the system is designed for everyone. The two lower case 'i's though, make it […]
- Romantic language and words in the news - 18th February, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 18, 2011
- For a change, this week's post brings you news around the topic of romantic English. Items come from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to submit a link […]
- Me wanna watch…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 18, 2011
- I was interested in this article about language in children's television, featured in last week's round-up post. I love that it reflects the diversity of modern society, but apparently there have been mixed reactions to the Rastamouse programme. I do understand parents' fears that their children may accidentally sound racist simply by copying the phrases […]
- Man vs machine: dictionaries and LT
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 17, 2011
- Macmillan runs a series of webinars, which are a bit like interactive lectures that anyone can join in. Coming up in 2011 are speakers such as Lindsay Clanfield and Simon Greenall, and from the same page you can watch sessions from the archive featuring well-known language-teaching experts like Scott Thornbury, Ken Wilson and Sam McCarter. […]
- Language of lovers
- Posted by Dan Clayton on February 16, 2011
- Romantic English month brings you a guest post by teacher and blogger Dan Clayton. Dan has taught English Language A level for the past 10 years in south London and is currently working as a Research Fellow at UCL’s Survey of English Usage on the Teaching English Grammar in Schools project. His A level Language […]
- Word association
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 16, 2011
- I think my favourite new entry in the Open Dictionary this week has to be content farm, though it’s my favourite for all the wrong reasons. The phrase just seems to have an ‘icky‘ feel to it, like it’s referring to something rather unpleasant or unsavoury. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of the term […]
- Winning wordplay
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 15, 2011
- Many people around the world have enjoyed watching the triumphant scenes in Tahrir Square these last few days, as the Egyptian people celebrated the removal of their unpopular leader, Hosni Mubarak. Check out this great article from Ben Zimmer, all about how the Egyptians used wordplay on their protest signs to help get the message […]
- Culturomics and n-grams
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 15, 2011
- In December, Sharon mentioned Google’s Ngram viewer, a nifty new tool that lets you see how often words or phrases appear in more than five million texts in Google Books. Results appear in the form of a graph, which you can adjust by timeframe (1800-2000), degree of detail (rough-smooth), and corpus type (several languages and […]
- Words on your mind - outsourcing
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 14, 2011
- Oh dear. I’m slightly concerned to see that the word outsourcing has been getting a lot of attention in the Macmillan Dictionary lately. Outsourcing is the kind of word that tends to come up in the same context as downsizing, rationalizing and redundancy. Companies seeking to cut costs often downsize their workforce and then outsource […]
- The softer side of dictionaries
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on February 14, 2011
- It’s romantic English month here on the blog and today is Valentine’s Day so we’ve decided to get gooey on you. Here we are: the Macmillan Dictionary team, wearing our hearts on our … signs and sharing our most romantic English words with you :-). Would you like to share yours with us? Then come […]
- It’s all about luuuuuv on Monday …
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 13, 2011
- Chances are you’ve noticed that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. To celebrate the day of love and affection, on Monday 14th February, Macmillan Dictionary is having a one-day (and one-day-only) price drop on the Macmillan English Dictionary apps for iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone. The price of any version of the dictionary will drop and will […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th February, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 11, 2011
- This post contains a selection of links related to recent language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- A colourful question
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 11, 2011
- It’s interesting how the importance of colour varies from culture to culture, and the way that impacts on language. In Western countries, white is the colour of weddings, because it’s supposed to represent purity, while black is sombre and suited to sad occassions like funerals. Our language reflects that, with white representing ‘good’ and black […]
- Pick a fight!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 10, 2011
- OK, not literally. I would hate to think that my little blog was responsible for an increase in petty violence around the world! I am referring to the entertaining and useful site Google Fight. The site was originally created as a fun way to find out which names, phrases or things are most popular on […]
- Become Wordster of the Week!
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 10, 2011
- Here is a bit of fun for you! We are inviting you to become our ‘Wordster of the Week’. Over on Facebook, to start the 2011 ‘What’s your English?’ campaign with Romantic English, we asked you to send us a photo of you holding up the word that you think is the most romantic word […]
- A different kind of ghit…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 09, 2011
- There’s a whole new meaning, and spelling, for the word git in the Open Dictionary this week - ghit. Of course, git is an insulting term for someone who’s annoying you, but ghit has an altogether different flavour. Like so many new terms these days, it has its roots in technology, and is actually a […]
- Language wars and proper English
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 09, 2011
- Another battle in the ongoing ‘language wars’ was fought in London earlier in the week. There were no clear victors but the forces of reason looked more convincing than those of prejudice. The excellent Evolving English exhibition at the British Library hosted a debate on Monday on the always contentious theme of ‘What is proper […]
- Words on your mind…hitherto
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 08, 2011
- It would seem that many of you are involved in some sort of legal wrangle at present. The word hitherto has recently been searched for rather a lot in Macmillan Dictionary and this is a classic legal term - hence my suspicion! I like this word and think that rather than it being unusual and nebulous, it is well-suited to […]
- Together
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 08, 2011
- February is by convention the month of romance, and on Macmillan Dictionary Blog it’s the month of romantic English. In this post I’ll take a look at the word together, because it is closely tied to our ideas of romance and love, but it’s an everyday sort of word that doesn’t attract much attention to […]
- What’s your English 2011? A new year with a new approach
- Posted by Michael Rundell on February 07, 2011
- Have you ever come across the word queenlessness? No, I didn’t think so. But if you were a beekeeper, it would be a normal part of your vocabulary. (Check it out on Google.) In the same way, terms like collocation and pragmatics are everyday words for those of us involved in language teaching - but […]
- Restful, resting, restive
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 03, 2011
- Ah…rest, we could all do with a bit more of it and yet it can be such a rare commodity in our busy modern lives. The title of this article lists three words starting with rest…but beware! - one of these words has a quite different meaning. Restful, a lovely word describing something that helps you to chill out. When you reach […]
- Nom
- Posted by Stan Carey on February 02, 2011
- We’re really excited to have Stan Carey on our team. Stan will be blogging every week, paying special attention to global English and to the theme of the month. In his own words, Stan is a scientist and writer turned editor and swivel-chair linguist … which is perfect for us! You may already have met […]
- What day is it?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 02, 2011
- What day do you consider to be the first day of the week? To me, it’s always seemed natural that it’s Monday (because that was the first day of the school week, I suppose), but for some people, it’s Sunday. This seems odd to me, given that Sunday is part of the weekend (note the […]
- Wary and weary
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 01, 2011
- Two words that seem to get commonly mixed up are wary and weary. These two words have very different meanings and so are not interchangeable, but it doesn’t stop people from doing it. Most often, people use weary when they mean wary. Here are some annoying sentences that have insulted my ears recently: I’m quite weary […]
- Goodbye 2010. Hello 2011 … and round 2!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on February 01, 2011
- The 2010 world tour of regional English stops here but not for long … We went around the world in 2010 asking the question ‘What’s your English?’ and we got some great answers. Thank you to everyone who contributed, really. All the content from the 2010 tour is archived here for your global English reading […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2011/01
Archive for January, 2011
- Something to tickle you…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 31, 2011
- This article from a recent Language and words in the news caught my eye. It talks about the most annoying marketing words used today, and let's face it, there are plenty of them. I have a particular vested interest here, though, because I used to work in marketing, and even though it was many years […]
- Hello? Hi? Oh dear…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 28, 2011
- How do you start off your emails, and do you always feel comfortable doing it that way? The question of whether to use 'Dear', 'Hi' or just the person's name has come up many times, most recently here. It's certainly a tricky one. 'Hi' sounds too informal in many cases, but 'Dear' seems overly formal […]
- Thermosemantic
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 27, 2011
- Check out my new word, 'thermosemantic'. I've just created it to explain the sudden rash of meaningless catchphrases and soundbites coming from our British politicians at the moment. I can see what they're trying to achieve - they want to classify the British electorate into nice little sections that can be fed the political messages the politicians think […]
- Priceless!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 26, 2011
- Some words seem like they've been designed specifically to confuse the learner. Take priceless, for instance. Learners could be forgiven for thinking (as I did as a child) that priceless means 'having no value'. If you can't put a price on something, that must surely mean that it isn't worth anything? But, of course, priceless […]
- Words on your mind - fun-filled
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 25, 2011
- In this post (my second on 'words on your mind'), I see that you have all been out having a great time without me again. You gave yourselves away by so many of you searching for the term fun-filled in Macmillan Dictionary recently. Fun-filled is a lovely compound adjective used to describe something that is […]
- From sea to sea
- Posted by Shauna Rae on January 24, 2011
- The discussion of Canadian English here on this blog continues with a guest post by Shauna Rae, a radio and television personality, freelance writer and social media blogger, based in Ontario, Canada. __________ "A mari usque ad mare", on Canada's coat of arms, translates "From sea to sea". This refers to the fact that Canada […]
- Long live the thesaurus!
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 21, 2011
- This week's Friday round-up post features two items about thesauri (or shall I say thesauruses? It appears I'm not alone with this kind of plural problem. Toyota is still undecided and is asking people to vote on the plural of Prius). The first bit of news this week was Thesaurus Day on 18th January, and […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st January, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 21, 2011
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Feel free to contact us if you would like to […]
- Is Alay your ally?
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 20, 2011
- Alay is a way of writing that allows you to use capital letters and numbers wherever you jolly well like in a word and it's currently trending on Twitter. Alay started in Indonesia in about 2004; it seems that it has provided a root for a phenomenon that pervades many areas of popular culture, such as fashion […]
- In search of fluency
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 19, 2011
- English is full of set phrases and idioms, and the more of these a student knows and can confidently use, the more fluent he or she will sound. As the meaning of an idiom often cannot be correctly guessed just from the words themselves, however, idioms need to be learnt as a whole. To help […]
- Anti-tech lexicon
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 18, 2011
- Check out this witty piece from the BBC about the anti-tech words developing as a wry backlash to all the technical/IT ones currently entering the lexicon. A similarly entertaining experience can be had in the Macmillan Open Dictionary. We already have a good number of technological terms and slang, both ironic and factual. I especially love attachmeant, […]
- Interdimensional exhaustion?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 18, 2011
- A new entry in the Open Dictionary this week is 3D fatigue. We’ve already seen words like exergaming coming from our interaction with technology, and overuse can lead to things like Wii elbow (=pain in the elbow from playing Wii games). Now, we can expect the endless action rushing towards us in 3D games and […]
- Three core words for learners
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 17, 2011
- Getting to know and confidently use the most common words in English is key to success as a language learner. Three of the most common English verbs are get, go and take. Once students know how to use these words, their vocabulary and general communication skills will quickly develop. To help in the process, here’s […]
- The ultimate fan?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 17, 2011
- This post on the Guardian books blog caught my interest last week. It’s all about people being such fans of particular books that they get designs or extracts of text from it tattooed onto their bodies. I can’t say I fancy the idea myself - just because I like a particular book now doesn’t mean […]
- Giving yourself away
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 14, 2011
- Not only can the way we speak mark us out as a native speaker or a learner, it can, of course, also indicate our social class. Whilst the area we come from is marked by our dialect, social class is indicated by sociolect. When this concept was first mentioned in the 1950s, it gave rise […]
- The fruits of technological innovation
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 13, 2011
- I’ve decided to coin a new word - techfruit - to describe all the technological hardware and software that is named after a fruit. Of course, there is, Apple, Orange and Blackberry but just a few minutes surfing the net has brought up all sorts of software with fruity handles. For instance, there is web developer software called […]
- What are you doing?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 13, 2011
- It seems that over time, our language is becoming more forceful, even more aggressive. We talk about ‘getting‘ a cup of coffee instead of ‘having’ one, and we also now ‘do’ things that we used to just ‘visit’. In the past, it was a bit of a joke to say let’s do lunch, but these […]
- The dark side…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 13, 2011
- This link from our weekly round-up post piqued my interest, particularly the bit about ‘dark matter’. It says that over half the words used in English books don’t appear in standard references (by which I assume they mean dictionaries). I find this kind of hard to believe, when references like the Macmillan English Dictionary (in […]
- Getting the level right
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 12, 2011
- One of my friends asked me to put together a book quiz for a party over the Christmas period. It was great fun to create and everyone seemed to enjoy taking part, but it raised one of the issues that teachers, especially EFL teachers, face all the time - trying to get the level right […]
- Your favourite English words
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 12, 2011
- You may remember that we asked you a while back to share your favourite English word with us here on the blog and also on our Facebook page. Well, here are the words you picked, shown in a wordle - a varied collection of nouns, verbs, adjectives and even adverbs! Thank you for all the […]
- Words old and new - enriching my vocabulary for 2011
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 11, 2011
- My New Year’s resolution for 2011 is to improve my English. I find I am using the same tired old words and phrases to communicate; boring, general words, like cool to describe anything positive and weird to describe anything unusual. There is a myriad of wonderful and often amusing words I could be using instead, so I’ve created two […]
- Plugging in
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 11, 2011
- An interesting addition to the Open Dictionary this week is range anxiety. As the Government tries to encourage us all to consider using electric cars, instead of the traditional internal-combustion engine, this is something that’s likely to become increasingly common. Finding a petrol station is bad enough when you know you’re running out, but trying […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th January, 2011
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 10, 2011
- The Language and words in the news series returns in 2011! This week, the first post of 2011 brings you a selection of links from the last couple of weeks. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning […]
- Keeping it real
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 07, 2011
- Hey, all you virtual reality geeks! Check out this amazing entertainment world that is more funky and high-res than Linden Research’s Second Life and more interactive than Microsoft Kinect. Cutting-edge features include stunning 3D graphics, enhanced UberSense technology allowing you to ‘feel’ objects and ‘smell’ odours; more detailed avatar design (you can even give yourself […]
- Behind the curtain
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 07, 2011
- Another curtain has appeared in the Open Dictionary over the Christmas period, this time the tortilla curtain. A few weeks ago we had the mojito curtain, and of course there’s long been the Iron Curtain (although it’s faded considerably since the end of the Cold War). It’s interesting to think of all these imaginary dividing […]
- One step forward, two steps back
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 06, 2011
- Everyone I talk to who’s considering making the leap from a dumbphone to one of the all-singing, all-dancing smartphones, says the same thing - yes, but I don’t really need all that extra functionality … I’ll never use it … I only want to phone and text and take the odd picture. I was exactly […]
- Raring to go…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 06, 2011
- Welcome to a new year on the Macmillan Dictionary microblog! We hope you had a fabulous festive season, and are ready to get back in the linguistic swing of things. We also hope you enjoyed Kerry Maxwell’s Twelve words of Christmas (and you’re not having too much trouble getting the tune out of your head!). […]
- For the twelfth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 05, 2011
- Twelve tweets a-tweeting Eleven dumbphones ringing Ten memes a-spreading Nine nonliners surfing Eight followers following Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela No romp through the word formation highlights of 2010 could be complete without at least some reference to […]
- Happy New Year!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on January 04, 2011
- Well, here we go, into another exciting new year! Who knows what’s to come over the next 12 months, but we can be sure of one thing - there’s bound to be plenty to talk about, both linguistically and otherwise. So, as we wait to see what 2011 has to offer, Happy New Year from […]
- For the eleventh word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 04, 2011
- Eleven dumbphones ringing Ten memes a-spreading Nine nonliners surfing Eight followers following Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela There was a time when mobile phones were just phones. However, in a world dominated by mobile communication and the technology […]
- For the tenth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 03, 2011
- Ten memes a-spreading Nine nonliners surfing Eight followers following Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries The idea of an ‘inside joke’ has been taken to a whole new level with the concept of the Internet meme. Whether it’s a catchphrase, a joke or […]
- For the ninth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 02, 2011
- Nine nonliners surfing Eight followers following Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela Access to the World Wide Web is now so fundamental to everyday life that there are a growing number of campaigns aimed at getting everyone connected. The […]
- For the eighth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on January 01, 2011
- Eight followers following Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela In a year in which the concept of social media went mainstream rather than remaining the preserve of the young or computer-literate, a new sense of the word follow (and […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/12
Archive for December, 2010
- Christmas quiz - answer time!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 31, 2010
- Thanks to all of you who had a go at our Christmas quiz - we hope you enjoyed it! Here, as promised are the correct definitions for each new word. How did you do? Let us know your scores, and your thoughts about the quiz in the Comments section. New word: snowclone (SNOWclone) A type […]
- For the seventh word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 31, 2010
- Seven days of glamping Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela A soggy sleeping bag on a lumpy carry mat? Brushing your teeth in a crowded toilet block? Oh, no, this is the 21st century and camping has become glamping. Out with nature and […]
- For the sixth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 30, 2010
- Six pairs of jeggings An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela People over a certain age who once enjoyed the comfort and fit of leggings might this year have been pleased to see their 21st century rebirth in the form of jeggings, close fitting, stretchy trousers with styling […]
- For the fifth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 29, 2010
- An oilpocalypse Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela In April 2010, people the world over were aghast at images of an environmental catastrophe of epic proportions, caused by an explosion at an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Considered to be the largest accidental marine oil spill in […]
- For the fourth word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 28, 2010
- Four spot-fixing scandals Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela It just wasn't cricket when the sport became embroiled in allegations of spot-fixing. In August 2010, it was alleged that during the Pakistani team's tour of England, three players accepted spot-fixing bribes, briefed to deliberately underperform in the fourth test at Lords by […]
- Christmas quiz - new words!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 27, 2010
- Here at Macmillan Dictionary we're constantly on the hunt for new and exciting words to add to the dictionary. Our users have added some brilliant suggestions to the Open Dictionary - please keep them coming in 2011! Early next year we'll be adding a fresh batch of new words to the dictionary, and we thought […]
- For the third word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 27, 2010
- Three election worms Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela In May 2010, a worm wasn't just one of those slippery little creatures eaten by birds, but a popularity indicator in the UK political arena. In a series of live televised debates, viewers could watch the audience's approval of Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg […]
- For the second word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 26, 2010
- Two pineberries And an earsplitting vuvuzela Though vuvuzelas were compulsory kit for football fans in 2010, these noise-making devices did nothing for the crowds at Wimbledon. The invention of pineberries however, could represent a more serious threat to the club's traditional treat of strawberries and cream. If the players are wearing white, why not make […]
- For the first word of Christmas
- my true love gave to me …
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on December 25, 2010
- Whether it's a heart-warming prospect or a source of concern, yet another Christmas is upon us. In true Yuletide spirit, I thought it would be fun to put together a festive take on word formation in 2010. So over the Christmas period, taking inspiration from that well-known Christmas song, I'll be giving you my twelve […]
- Festive greetings to everyone!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 24, 2010
- Save our QWERTY
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 24, 2010
- I wonder if the rise of text-speak and Internet shorthand will be the thing that finally dooms the QWERTY keyboard to the scrapheap? I’ve talked before about how the layout of the traditional keyboard lends itself to typing certain words, but of course that’s typing words in full; typing in abbreviated form for chat rooms […]
- Quick, hide!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 23, 2010
- It’s frightening how many new words and phrases come up to describe criminal activities, because it demonstrates how crime-ridden our society is these days. There have been two new ones in the Open Dictionary lately - account take-over and shoulder surfing. When I first saw the term shoulder surfing, I thought it meant that thing […]
- A double-edged sword
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 22, 2010
- Using set phrases can be a good way for a student to sound more natural and fluent in English, but they can also be something of a double-edged sword. Consider with all due respect - at first glance, it suggests that you are trying to be respectful, whilst expressing a different opinion, but native speakers […]
- Sleeping with an elephant
- Posted by Shauna Rae on December 22, 2010
- Canadian English month brings you a guest post by Shauna Rae, a radio and television personality, freelance writer and social media blogger, based in Ontario, Canada. ________ In a rare rant for a Canadian, in this commercial, a favourite here, our hero dispels many of the stereotypes we sometimes get from those abroad. Mostly, I […]
- Take a look at this…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 21, 2010
- Here’s a fun toy for you to play with over the Christmas holidays - the Culturomics database, which allows you to type in a word, name or phrase and find out how often it’s been used in books in the past 200 years. The database contains 500 billion words from five million books, and is […]
- How long you been home?
- Posted by Ken Wilson on December 20, 2010
- We continue Canadian English month with a guest post by ELT writer and blogger Ken Wilson. Ken has an American wife, a Canadian mother-in-law, an Irish son-in-law and a Spanish sister-in-law. His Yorkshire nephew’s wife is from St Vincent in the Caribbean. He spends a lot of time in North America, particularly in the Canadian […]
- QUACK QUACK
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 20, 2010
- Here’s a very seasonal new acronym I heard for the first time the other day - QUACKing, or Quirky Unusual Acts of Christmas Kindness. Apparently, the idea is to commit random acts of kindness in the run-up to the festive season, for no other reason than because you can. So, you might pay the bus […]
- 10 most popular posts in 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 17, 2010
- Similarly to this time last year, we are bringing you a list of those blog posts on the Macmillan Dictionary Blog which have been the most popular in terms of number of readers. Many of them still have ongoing conversations so have a read and join in by commenting! I would like to take this […]
- Decorating the Christmas tree
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 16, 2010
- Christmas is a big event in the UK. The Americans have Thanksgiving and the Dutch have Sinterklaas - but we love our Christmas! One potent symbol of this festival is the Christmas tree and as I open my box of decorations to put on the tree, I get to use some of my favourite Christmassy words. […]
- Cna yuo raed tihs?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 15, 2010
- This entry in last week’s roundup post fascinated me. I’ve seen it before, but nevertheless it still amazed me how easy it was to read the jumbled up text. What was even more astonishing, though, was that when I followed the link to the response article, I found I could even read the Spanish muddled […]
- Americanism, tmesis, colloquialism
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 14, 2010
- Check out this article in Kati Sule’s latest roundup of Language and Words in the News, about Americanisms. The article gives examples and reckons that the phrase a whole nother is one such ‘Americanism’. I take issue here because I have been using this phrase all my life and I come from Liverpool. This phrase is […]
- What was that noise?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 14, 2010
- I’m back in quizmaster-mode again, since my last couple of forays into the field went reasonably well - see here and here. This time, it’s all about noises, though I’m back with the animal theme. We all know the words used in English to describe the sounds made by the most common animals - woof […]
- Hacked off?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 14, 2010
- Once more, commentary on our lives is being couched in computing terms, with the addition to the Open Dictionary this week of life hack. No longer do we (well, some people, anyway) hack computers, or solve problems. Now we hack the problems of our real lives, coming up with quick and simple solutions that would […]
- I am what I am…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 13, 2010
- You would think that the tautology would be the province of the foreign language student - after all, we native speakers should probably know our own language well enough to be able to avoid them - but that’s not the case.When you start looking for them, you suddenly realise that we’re surrounded by tautologies, and […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th December, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 10, 2010
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Please do contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Moondust and houseboats…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 10, 2010
- I saw this quote on the Guardian books blog the other day, taken from the paper’s style guide: very usually very redundant. Mark Twain wrote: ‘Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very”. Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.’ This struck me as good advice, […]
- Ten out of ten is not enough…
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 09, 2010
- … because now there’s eleven. As we approach 2011, I’ve been thinking about this number and its rise in fortunes since the 1984 rockumentary This is Spinal Tap. The character Nigel Tufnell described how his amp was better than the rest because it didn’t just go up to ten on the dial, it went up to eleven, ‘one […]
- Let us pay, I mean pray
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 09, 2010
- American writer Mark Twain is reported to have said: Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. There are certainly some howlers out there, and one of the best places to look for them, apparently, is in old editions of the Bible. Perhaps the most famous of these appears in the […]
- Are you trying to be funny?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 08, 2010
- I think my favourite new entry to the Open Dictionary this week has to be sarchasm. It’s such a perfect word, combining both of the key ideas behind its meaning - sarcasm and chasm - in a very simple, tidy way. I did have difficulty when I first saw it though, trying to decide how […]
- In praise of parsnips
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 07, 2010
- The festive season will soon be here and I can’t wait to indulge in my favourite winter vegetable - the dear old parsnip. It may look like a carrot suffering from anaemia, but this humble root tastes glorious when roasted or baked and deserves a bit of a plug. It seems though, that it must have been revered […]
- Canadian English: offspring of a queen and a cowboy
- Posted by Sherry Noik on December 07, 2010
- December brings you Canadian English on the Macmillan Dictionary Blog. Our first guest post comes from Sherry Noik, an editor and writer at a Canadian media chain. Sherry tweets here and blogs at SherryGrammarian. _________ Subjects across the Empire are enthralled by the announcement of pending nuptials for William and Kate. There was another, far […]
- Wakey wakey!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 07, 2010
- It’s long been a feature of science fiction, the idea of learning while you sleep. Like some kind of human download, the information you hear whilst you’re sleeping is supposed to stay with you much better than information received when you’re awake (presumably because of all the other distractions). Sadly, the idea has now been […]
- Polite notice …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 06, 2010
- In your school, university or other centre of learning, do you ever find (or indeed put up) notes that begin ‘Polite notice’? You see these quite a lot these days, and David Mitchell has talked about how just saying ‘Polite notice’ doesn’t necessarily make it polite. It might actually be quite annoying, or even rude, […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th December, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 03, 2010
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Please do contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Don’t be shy
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 03, 2010
- There was an interesting piece on pronunciation in last week’s roundup, and it reminded me of something I’d seen on the Guardian Mind your Language blog, about English language learners being too shy to speak. It’s an age-old problem: students don’t want to make themselves look silly by mispronouncing things, so they stay quiet. I […]
- Long live Mrs Malaprop
- Posted by Beth Penfold on December 02, 2010
- I’ve just made up a cool game for myself! Mrs Malaprop was a character in the 1775 play, The Rivals, by Sheridan and her propensity for using incorrect words in her sentences provided much of the play’s humour. Malapropisms, as opposed to the similar but different eggcorns, are where the substituted word almost makes sense but not […]
- Bringing some colour to your day …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 02, 2010
- The other day, an American friend of mine told me he’d got a kitten, but then completely stumped me by saying she was a ‘brindle’. Was that a special breed, I wondered, or did she need medical treatment? It turns out, ‘brindle’ is what we in the UK would call tortoiseshell, and it got me […]
- About that story …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 02, 2010
- Following on from Beth Penfold’s blog on the Ministry of Stories the other day, I was reminded of a post on the Guardian film blog, about a new adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood. The post talked about the role fairytales have traditionally played in teaching lessons of morality (and the fact that this new […]
- Three English singletons
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on December 01, 2010
- This post comes from Adam Kilgarriff, a linguist and a specialist in the area where linguistics, computers and dictionaries meet. Adam was at Brighton University until 2004 when he set up his own company, Lexical Computing Ltd. He lives in Brighton. _________ Spelling rules … if only they didn’t have exceptions. There are three words […]
- They’re alive!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on December 01, 2010
- The Open Dictionary has gone a bit ‘financial’ this week, with entries reflecting the difficult economic times. Firstly, there’s sugar daddy, a new use for an old term. Previously, a sugar daddy was an older man who lavished gifts on a younger woman, now it’s a foreign investor who saves a football club’s bacon by […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/11
Archive for November, 2010
- Tell me a story …
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 30, 2010
- I have just become part of the Ministry of Stories. This is a new initiative to encourage and promote the art of storytelling and provide a hub for old stories to be shared and new ones created. Literacy levels in the UK are falling and the MoS has been launched to reverse this worrying trend. As far […]
- What a colourful language!
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 30, 2010
- Another week, another look around the archive and another reminder of some excellent posts we've had on this blog about colourful, inventive uses of language. Enjoy! Don't tell the parents! I love this blog from aggslanguage, which illustrates the different forms of slang used across Britain, and tries to explain this teenage lexicon to baffled […]
- DON'T SHOUT!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 30, 2010
- Getting students to apply emphasis correctly in their writing can be a tricky one, especially now that we have so many 'new' methods of communication - like texting, email and instant messaging - to confuse the issue. Punctuation-wise there's the exclamation mark, and we can also use inverted commas, as I did with 'new', indicating […]
- Where has grammar been hiding all these years?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 29, 2010
- The UK's conservative newspapers were thrilled last week when Michael Gove, the education minister, announced a crackdown on 'incorrect' English - leading the Daily Mail to rejoice that 'Grammar is back!'. (Where has it been, one wonders?) In future, students will be penalised for 'poor spelling, punctuation and grammar'. But who decides what is 'correct'? […]
- Elementary, my dear Watson
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 29, 2010
- I have to confess, I like a good detective story, as long as there's something unusual about the method of investigation, so Vicki Hollett's recent blog on forensic inguistics caught my eye. I'm actually a fan of both of the TV shows she mentions, as well as ones with, respectively, a deaf FBI agent, a […]
- Language and words in the news - 26th November, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 26, 2010
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Please do contact us if you would like to submit […]
- Bookworm and proud of it
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 26, 2010
- I've talked before about my views on books and reading, both as a language learner and as a native speaker. You know how much I enjoy going back to re-read my old friends, the pleasure of finding new and exciting elements that had previously passed me by. I'll even sometimes do it with books I […]
- A rose by any other name …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 25, 2010
- Beware giving things temporary names unless you really like them - they could wind up being permanent! Last week's roundup post included an article on how world wide web was only ever intended as a 'working title'. Luckily, it was appropriate, everyone liked it and it stuck, but things could have been very different. It's […]
- Political calling? Listening closely
- to politicians …
- Posted by Dawn Nell on November 25, 2010
- This week Dawn Nell, the second in a series of guest bloggers who are contributing to this blog over a two-week period, is looking at the ways that you (users) search Macmillan Dictionary. Dawn, who has written before on this blog, is an historian and blogger, working on the history of publishing. She was born […]
- Correct or incorrect?
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 24, 2010
- Another popular theme on this blog is change in the English language which somehow seems to get under people's skin. Here is a selection of archived posts around this topic: Netting, texting, impacting and sheeting through the centuries - more about verbing and nouning Multiple word-class membership is an essential part of the character of […]
- Get writing!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 24, 2010
- Would you like to get your students writing creatively in English, but aren’t sure where to start? Perhaps you should encourage them to take part in a exciting new project by artist, writer and film director Tim Burton. The idea is that individuals contribute to a Tim Burton story via microblogging service Twitter, and it’s […]
- Little white lies
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 23, 2010
- I enjoyed Kati Sule’s roundup blog last Friday, especially the link to the article by Erin McKean in the Boston Globe about how we use so-called ‘contrary-to-fact’ phrases to allow us to say negative or critical things to other people. The opposite of such ‘lying qualifiers’ may be the little white lie. We tell people white lies to protect them from […]
- A New Year regime?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 23, 2010
- It’s interesting the way the use of the word diet (and its translations) varies around the world and in different contexts. I noticed this first in South America, but I’ve realized since that the same applies elsewhere too. In the UK, when we say diet, very often we mean some form of restriction, usually for […]
- You won’t hear much Spanglish in Mexico
- Posted by Joseph D. Persico on November 22, 2010
- Mexican English month continues with a post by guest blogger Joseph D. Persico, an EFL teacher based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. _________ If something sounds reasonable, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true. People sometimes assume that the Spanish spoken in Mexico, because of its proximity to the US, has more English words in it […]
- Crash blossoms - use sparingly
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 22, 2010
- Are you familiar with the term crash blossom? It refers to those unfortunate headlines that, whilst perhaps being witty and succint, are also terminally ambiguous. Things like Prime Minister defends Bill when what he’s defending is a piece of legislation, not some poor chap christened William; or Red tape holds up new bridge, where the […]
- Language and words in the news - 20th November, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 20, 2010
- This weekly post contains a selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English, language change, education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. This week the post is shorter, sweeter … and also […]
- Metallic metaphors
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 18, 2010
- It’s autumn here in Blighty, not a season that every country is lucky enough to enjoy and there are some truly gorgeous colours to be seen on the trees at the moment. I relish the chance to use unusual, yet appropriate colour names to describe what I see around me, crimson and russet, burnt umber and ochre. It’s also common in […]
- Knight in shining armour
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 18, 2010
- Continuing our occasional look at the origins of words and phrases, we’re returning to a query posed by Ale, about possible Viking roots of English words. The first is knight, and it turns out that, while knight has a long history, it’s not a Viking one. In Old English (around 850-1100AD), knight (‘cniht’ as it […]
- The thorny issue of gender
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 18, 2010
- What’s your view on gender in language, and how it affects learning? English stands out from other European languages by not have gendered nouns, so the city is not feminine as it is in, say French and Spanish (la cité / la ciudad), and nor is the country masculine (le pays / el país). We […]
- Tomato? Tomato? It’s all English, isn’t it?
- Posted by Dawn Nell on November 17, 2010
- Today we (re)introduce Dawn Nell, the second in a series of guest bloggers who are contributing to this blog over a two-week period. The first of their posts is on the subject of ‘Global English’, and the second will look at the ways that you (users) search Macmillan Dictionary. Dawn, who has written for this […]
- Not so dumb?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 17, 2010
- Once upon a time, a phone was just a phone. Then it started developing all sorts of clever new talents like taking photos, keeping your diary and making sure you never missed an email. Gradually, it morphed into the smartphone, the computer masquerading as a phone, something many of us pooh-poohed, right up until we […]
- English - lingua franca forever?
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 16, 2010
- Check out this new book by Nicholas Ostler, who thinks that English may not prevail forever as the lingua franca. Despite the current dominance of the English language, particularly in areas such as the Internet and business, improved global communication systems are allowing other languages to flourish. In addition, although the West has been the most powerful region […]
- Old words, new uses
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 16, 2010
- A popular theme on this blog is language change and, more specifically, the way in which words are taking (or have taken) on new meanings. Here is a selection of archived posts on new uses of old words: I’m a lexicographer get me out of here A call for a new definition for the word […]
- Expelliarmus!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 16, 2010
- We often encourage students to start reading in their new language with children’s books. As the whole Janet and John thing can get pretty tedious for older learners, books like the Harry Potter series can be a godsend (I started my Spanish reading with them, and in fact only changed over to English when I […]
- A thriving corner of the English rainforest
- Posted by Jeremy Harmer on November 15, 2010
- Mexican English month brings you a guest post by Jeremy Harmer, a writer of methodology and coursebooks for English Language Teaching. Jeremy teaches on the MATESOL at the New School, New York. He is a keen amateur musician who plays with more enthusiasm, perhaps, than talent, gives numerous talks and speeches about English Language Teaching, […]
- Language and words in the news - 12th November, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 12, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and education in general, and language learning and teaching in particular. Please do contact us if you would like […]
- A real babel fish?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 12, 2010
- This link from last week’s Language and words in the news caught my eye; it talks about the idea of a ‘universal translator’, and how difficult it is in practice to produce one (though science fiction has never had a problem coming up with them, for example the babel fish in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to […]
- Slang’s the thang …
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 11, 2010
- Following on from my recent blogette, ‘Stupid innit?‘, check out this blog, earmarked in our Friday round-up posting, ‘Language and words in the news‘. Slang and swear words exist in every language - there’s no point in denying it and this should be recognized to some degree in classroom learning. The English that students learn in […]
- You say “lovely”, I say “great”
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 11, 2010
- Stan Carey’s post yesterday was a nice reminder of how a word or phrase can suddenly gain widespread currency simply as a result of fashion. And as with any trend, the kudos gained by the user declines in inverse proportion to the number of users - so that in the end the phrase becomes an […]
- Socio-political networking
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 11, 2010
- Yesterday’s demonstrations against the rise in university tuition fees in Britain has highlighted a change in the language and mechanics of political protest. For the first time, students organised themselves via social networking sites like Facebook, and when things turned violent, police used Twitter to communicate with troublemakers. Many of the protestors themselves were filming […]
- Is ‘fit for purpose’ fit for purpose?
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 10, 2010
- As you know from last Wednesday’s post on ‘man-words’, Stan Carey is the first in a series of guest bloggers who will be contributing to our blog for two weeks at a time until Christmas. The first of their posts will be on the subject of ‘Global English’ and the second will look at the […]
- You’re wearing what?!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 10, 2010
- New words created by melding together bits of existing words (like vlog from video blog) can be quite fun, but also quite descriptive. One that’s entered the Open Dictionary this week is pleather, meaning artificial leather. Of course, it’s formed by combining the words plastic and leather, but it seems to me somehow deliciously suitable, […]
- The sound of fireworks
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 09, 2010
- Every year on the 5th November, people in Britain commemorate the Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt by Guy Fawkes and his gang to blow up the Houses of Parliament. We celebrate this lucky escape by burning an effigy of Fawkes on a large bonfire and setting off fireworks to imitate the explosion, had it happened. As I […]
- Something to say
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 09, 2010
- I’ve been thinking about other types of language lately, not just those from other parts of the world, but completely different systems of communication; things like semaphore, morse code and sign language. I’ve been fascinated by this sort of thing ever since my first introduction to those pictograph puzzles when I was about seven or […]
- Behind the camera
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 09, 2010
- We’ve said before how important technology is in the classroom these days, and this blog post interested me, providing a round-up of online tools for creating your own movies and comic strips. It’s a far cry from the old days of ‘read this handout and discuss with your partner’, and it clearly makes the learning […]
- I can’t live without them!
- Posted by Lulu Campbell on November 08, 2010
- Mexican English month brings you a guest post by Lulu Campbell. Lulu is British but has lived in Mexico for the past 10 years, where she currently works as Macmillan’s Research and Development Publisher for Latin America. ________ I used to think I was quite articulate. Although I am English, I deemed my use of […]
- End of the road for libraries?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 08, 2010
- What’s the future, do you think, of libraries? Do you and your students still use libraries regularly, or is everything these days so technology-based that you rarely feel the need to venture into those hallowed halls of bookishness (yes, I made that last one up, but you know what I mean)? When I was little, […]
- Language and words in the news - 5th November, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 05, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Use with caution
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 05, 2010
- It’s quite common these days to use foreign words or phrases to make your speech or writing sound a bit more interesting, cosmopolitan or even learned. It should be done with caution, though, as this article in the Guardian demonstrates. There are just so many opportunities for error and embarrassment; you might find you’ve completely […]
- Something wicked this way comes …
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 04, 2010
- Many of us recently celebrated Halloween. There were lots of pretend spiders, pumpkin lanterns and trick or treating and a lot of very specific lingo, like beast, sick, and wicked, used to describe the ghouls and monsters we had dressed as for the night. This got me thinking about how teenagers subvert the language as a form […]
- Multiculturalism in Mexico
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 04, 2010
- Our first post in Mexican English month comes from Macmillan Editor Sharon Creese, who conducted academic research on the language and politics of South America before taking up her current role. _____________ So, we’re into Mexican English month. This is going to be a tricky one, given the number of languages that actually exist in […]
- Don’t overdo it!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 04, 2010
- The advent of computerized typesetting and printing meant there were suddenly endless opportunities for new fonts. No longer did a new typeface require the physical creation of each individual letter, symbol and character out of lead, so that they could be put in place by hand, to make up the page. New fonts were being […]
- Watch your manguage
- Posted by Stan Carey on November 03, 2010
- We’d like to (re)introduce Stan Carey, the first in a series of guest bloggers who will be contributing to our blog for two weeks at a time until Christmas. The first of their posts will be on the subject of ‘Global English’ and the second will look at the ways that you (users) search our […]
- You’re fired!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 03, 2010
- Part of the reason we keep inventing new words, I think, is that we keep demoting the ones we’ve got, and then we have nothing left to cover the real extremes. Originally, incredible meant ‘beyond belief’ (credible being ‘believable’, the prefix -in showing the negative), but now, we use incredible for anything from a new […]
- Don’t eclipse the ellipsis…
- Posted by Beth Penfold on November 02, 2010
- Check this witty CNN article on punctuation mistakes. I agree with most of it except the authors’ portrayal of the ellipsis, also known as the ‘dot, dot, dot’, as some sort of written cop-out. It’s true that in some contexts, the ellipsis can make the writer seem equivocal and I agree that we should stamp this out. But the […]
- Mexican English, here we go!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 02, 2010
- It’s Mexican English month! OK, but here’s the thing … all I can think of when I think of Mexico and Mexican English and Spanish in Mexico … all I can think of is FOOD! Tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and that seems to be the case for a lot of people because when you google around […]
- Laughing in the aisles
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 02, 2010
- There’s a fun new word in the Open Dictionary this week that should make you smile, even if you never actually use it. It’s gelotology, and it refers to the scientific study of laughter. Now, obviously there’s nothing inherently funny about scientific enquiry - it’s a serious business - and the very act of studying […]
- The language of American politics
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on November 01, 2010
- Tomorrow, on 2nd November, the US are holding mid-term elections which will determine who - Republicans or Democrats - will control Congress for the next two years (for predictions, see here). As the 2000 Presidential Election spectacularly proved, the American electorate is divided into two camps. On one side are the Democrat-voting blue states, located […]
- Tricks of the trade
- Posted by Sharon Creese on November 01, 2010
- Some English words are notoriously difficult to spell, even for native speakers. Often it’s because there are two very similar words and we get them muddled - affect or effect, practise or practice. Memory devices, or mnemonics like those used to remember things in the correct order - Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/10
Archive for October, 2010
- Almost a billion people doing the same thing at the same time
- Posted by Joseph D. Persico on October 30, 2010
- We continue our Spanish & English theme with a gues post, by EFL teacher Joseph D. Persico, which explores the many similarities between these two languages. ________ If you're a native English speaker, be glad if you have to study Spanish; if you're a Spanish-speaking EFL student, be glad you have to study English. As […]
- Language and words in the news - 29th October, 2010
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 29, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Thinking outside the box
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 29, 2010
- Last week's Language and words in the news highlighted how a bit of creative thinking can make the world of difference to an English lesson. I defy anyone not to be entertained by the Shaun the Sheep video (I love the cocktails and shower caps at the end!), and it's the perfect vehicle to get […]
- Ever-changing pronunciation
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 28, 2010
- Following on from Sharon's piece this morning, 'Pronunciation research', the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 also covered the story of the British Library creating a snapshot of changing English, something I really fancy getting involved in. Today polled the public in its introduction to the item, with rather telling results. In addition, Professor John Wells was […]
- Pronunciation research
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 28, 2010
- It's not surprising that we quite often talk about pronunciation on the Macmillan blog - see this post, for example, or this one - but it's not something that the rest of the world is perhaps quite as interested in as we are. Today, though, it's on the tips of the newsreaders' tongues, as the […]
- Do Americans have an inferiority complex? (Part two)
- Posted by Joseph D. Persico on October 27, 2010
- As part of Spanish English month, guest blogger Joseph D. Persico, an EFL teacher based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, returns to the thorny question of authentic Spanish and English. ________ In Mexico I lived with a man named Alberto who claimed that his Spanish should be called español, not castellano. According to him, people in […]
- Life before Harry Potter
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 27, 2010
- This blog on the Guardian books blog caught my eye, talking about the shared culture that comes from reading. I'd have to agree that the Harry Potter phenomenon has brought this into the world of the younger reader in a way that didn't really exist when I was a child; there were books that girls […]
- Words on your mind - rave review
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 26, 2010
- This month, lots of people looked up the Macmillan Dictionary definition of rave review. In fact, it was the fifth most popular search. Why though? Have you all just seen a fabulous play or an amazing pop concert? What was this incredible event and why wasn't I invited? (Humph!) Let's face it, a rave review […]
- Language identity crisis
- Posted by Nina Lauder on October 26, 2010
- Final week of Spanish English month starts with a guest post from Seville by blogger Nina Lauder, freelance author, teacher trainer and educational consultant. ________ Needless to say, after over twenty years away from a native English speaking environment, I can definitely say that I suffer from a Language Identity Crisis. This 'crisis' is apparent […]
- The truth is out there
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 26, 2010
- Now there's an intriguing idea - teaching English through the medium of a supernatural detective series (as featured in last week's Friday round-up post). It'll be interesting to see what kinds of 'functional' lines the writers manage to weave into it in English, and what kind of language skills viewers develop as a result. I […]
- Mind the gap!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 25, 2010
- Sometimes, I find, after a particularly busy week with lots of words in it, that by the time Friday comes round, I just feel like making up my own words - to hell with all the ones already made! Turns out I am not alone. The What’s your English? Facebook page went literal for a […]
- Writing style - the awful truth
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 25, 2010
- Did you pick up on this in a recent Language and words in the news? Some of the sites have potential teaching uses, others are just plain fun. I put one of my recent blog entries into I write like, and it came up with HP Lovecraft. Having dabbled a bit in the world of […]
- Getting to know you
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 22, 2010
- Conversation starters across linguistic boundaries can be a bit of a challenge, as Vicki Hollett has recently highlighted on her blog, Learning to speak ‘merican. These days, I find that using the normal ‘British’ mechanisms, like talking about the weather, can sound a bit contrived and awkward (probably because of the reactions I got using […]
- Language and words in the news - 22nd October, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 22, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Why speak, when you can text?
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 21, 2010
- Check out this article about how many texts teenagers send in a month. Over 3,000! Even with pitfalls such as thumbos and Blackberry thumb, the trend for SMS texting continues apace. The article quotes a recent study in which the ability to send texts was the number one reason teenagers bought a mobile phone. For more […]
- Ooh, look at that eggcorn!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 21, 2010
- If I were to say the word eggcorn to you, what would you think? Would you imagine I was having a funny five minutes? Or that I’d just seen a nut, wanted to tell you about it, but had got my tongue in a knot? Or would you know that eggcorn is the term for […]
- But what do we mean by Spanish English?
- Posted by Valerie Collins on October 21, 2010
- Spanish English month brings you another guest post by Valerie Collins, a writer and linguist, a former translator, and co author of In The Garlic: Your Informative, Fun Guide to Spain. _________ My earlier posting here on this blog explored the difficulties Spanish speakers are faced with when learning English. Comments on that post have […]
- Take our survey!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 20, 2010
- If you have visited the dictionary’s home page in the last couple of days, you may well have noticed an invitation, under the search box, to take our survey. If you have a few minutes to spare, please click through and answer a few questions about yourself and dictionaries. Thank you!
- People or persons?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 20, 2010
- One area of difficulty for students when they reach more advanced levels can be non-standard plurals, which in normal situations are wrong, but which in some circumstances seem to be acceptable. I’m thinking specifically here about people versus persons. Students will have learnt early on that if there’s more than one person, they need to […]
- Facing reality
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 19, 2010
- One of the latest new terms to hit the Open Dictionary is Facebook narcissism, where you make yourself and your life seem much more interesting and exciting on Facebook than in reality. It’s part of the ongoing process of new technology giving rise to new words and phrases, in order to allow us to talk […]
- Skeleton crew - mind your Ps and Qs!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 19, 2010
- We’ve already had a couple of questions in about the origins of words - thank you for those, and keep them coming! The first one relates to the term skeleton crew, which means just enough workers to keep a service going, as HulaGirl, who posed the question, mentioned. Why do we refer to such a […]
- Words on your mind -
- toing and froing
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 18, 2010
- There have been quite a few Macmillan Dictionary searches lately for the phrase toing and froing. The spelling of this causes problems for native- and non-native speakers alike, because it feels odd to put -ing after ‘o’, unless the sound you’re trying to create is ‘oi’ (as in the onomatopoeia ‘boing‘). Often people spell it […]
- Do Americans have an inferiority complex? (Part one)
- Posted by Joseph D. Persico on October 18, 2010
- Spanish English month continues… In this guest blog we leave Spain for a short while and hop over to the Americas. Author (also of an earlier post) Joseph D. Persico is based in Argentina and teaches spoken English for teachers and translators, as well as EFL courses for adult learners in Buenos Aires. _________ Spanish […]
- Language and words in the news - 15th October, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 15, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Out of the black and into the red …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 15, 2010
- Regular users of the Macmillan Dictionary will be familiar with the red / black words feature (if you’re not familiar with it, take a look at the entry for freeze, and the one for billionaire, and you’ll notice that the colour of the word itself varies, and there’s an explanation of ‘red words’ at the […]
- A verb too far?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 14, 2010
- I notice that ‘inbox’ has entered the Open Dictionary, as a verb meaning ‘to send someone a private message in Facebook’. In an earlier post, I talked about how I quite like the practice of ‘verbing’, as it reflects the dynamic nature of society, but I have to say that this one grates on me. […]
- Blended family - the democracy of new words
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 14, 2010
- Check out this recent entry in the Macmillan Open Dictionary, blended family. A blended family is one formed from previous, unsuccessful relationships and replaces the old term, stepfamily. I don’t actually like this phrase; it suggests they’ve all been mixed up in a food processor, and I think it is a victim of the current fashion for everything to be […]
- Getting to the root of the matter
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 14, 2010
- Do you ever wonder where words and phrases come from? For example, in the UK, we might describe a machine or device as ‘a bit Heath Robinson’ if it seems over-the-top or bizarrely designed, given the intended purpose, but why does that particular characteristic make it ‘Heath Robinson’? Well, Heath Robinson was a British artist […]
- Jacobson gets his just deserts
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 14, 2010
- Howard Jacobson has just won the prestigious Booker Prize for his novel The Finkler Question. The chairman of the panel of judges, Andrew Motion, expressed surprise that Jacobson - who is 68 and has written eleven novels - had never even been on the Booker shortlist before. He added: “There is a particular pleasure in […]
- Wrong meanings
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 13, 2010
- Here are a few words that I have struggled with in the past, because their meanings seem to be the opposite of what I think they mean, based on the way they look and sound. Below are a few of my mistaken interpretations: click each italicised word to link to the actual definition and see how it differs […]
- High-rising terminal
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 13, 2010
- HRT…in the UK, this acronym commonly stands for hormone replacement therapy, a common treatment for women undergoing the menopause. Linguistically however, HRT stands for high-rising terminal. This is the questioning intonation that appears at the end of a sentence, whether it is a question or not. This pronunciation habit seems particularly prevalent amongst younger people in the […]
- What’s new? Microblogs, that’s what!
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 13, 2010
- You may have noticed that a new side panel has appeared on the blog of late - the Learn English microblog. We know you enjoy the main blog entries (and don’t worry, they aren’t going anywhere!), but we also understand that you don’t always have time to read a full blog entry, so we’re providing […]
- We Brits - sarcastic? No way!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 12, 2010
- Apparently, you haven’t really mastered the English language until you can be sarcastic. Sarcasm can be tricky, even for native speakers but I just found this very useful guide from the BBC which should enable you all to display this lowest form of wit at every opportunity! If the concept of saying the opposite of what you mean to […]
- Look to the negative
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 12, 2010
- There have been a couple of particularly interesting entries into the Open Dictionary recently; new words that have an element of negativity (either in that they represent a negative attitude, or they indicate not doing something). The first is un-fanmail - letters or e-mails complaining about a book or cinema/theatre production. This, as you might […]
- But it’s English!
- Posted by Valerie Collins on October 12, 2010
- Spanish English month continues with a guest post by Valerie Collins on pronunciation. Valerie is a writer and linguist, a former translator, and co author of In The Garlic: Your Informative, Fun Guide to Spain. __________ I’ll say it upfront and get it out of the way. After 37 years in Barcelona, Spanish English still […]
- Words on your mind - mooching
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 11, 2010
- Lots of you have been looking up mooch in the Macmillan Dictionary this month. The verb definition suggests that to mooch is a fairly negative thing to do. The phrasal verb for this entry, however, to mooch around, is my candidate for the ultimate international pastime! I like to mooch around shops, round the house and round […]
- What’s that supposed to mean: chunking - part three
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 11, 2010
- The two previous posts in this series (see here and here) looked at the relevance of “chunking” in language production. In the last blog, I discussed collocation, and showed how integral it is to the use of a word like crime - to the extent that it is almost impossible to use the word without […]
- Passing the time
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 11, 2010
- Sounding natural and fluent when talking about time can be a bit of a challenge, not least because conventions vary depending on where you are. If you’re in the US and talking about the previous Saturday, you might well say this past Saturday, but you wouldn’t say that in the UK: here it would be […]
- Red-faced…
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 08, 2010
- This article, highlighted in a recent Language and words in the news, made me both smile and grimace at the same time. I was once lucky enough to swim with dolphins, and they seemed to be endlessly entertained by the sound of the dial on my dive watch going round (the movable dial allows you […]
- Words on your mind
- Posted by Macmillan Dictionary on October 08, 2010
- We’re not just fascinated with words ourselves on the Macmillan Dictionary blog, we’re keen to know which words fascinate you too. We regularly delve into the Macmillan Dictionary to find out what the most popular search entries have been, and from now on, we’re going to be giving you little updates. So if you’re wondering […]
- Language and words in the news - 8th October, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 08, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Don’t tell the parents!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 08, 2010
- Following my recent blog about Emma Thompson urging school kids not to use slang because it makes them sound stupid - I love this blog from aggslanguage, which illustrates the different forms of slang used across Britain, and tries to explain this teenage lexicon to baffled parents. So, can you decipher this sentence written in […]
- Refudiate
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 07, 2010
- Sarah Palin’s recent attempt at coining the word ‘refudiate’ - a blend of the words refute and repudiate - made it one of the most popular dictionary searches this summer, according to the Huffington Post. Some of the new words recently added to Macmillan Dictionary Online are also splicings of two words; check out bloggerati, made from blog […]
- What’s that supposed to mean: chunking - part two
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 07, 2010
- It’s generally accepted that “chunking” - the tendency of words to form combinations which are both recurrent and non-random - is an important feature of language. But in some of the recent discussion of this topic, doubts have been raised as to how far these combinations are worth teaching. Some argue that learning large numbers […]
- What goes around, comes around
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 07, 2010
- The Open Dictionary has featured a couple of interesting entries recently, not least of which is treggings. Treggings are ‘leggings which are made of stretchy but very opaque fabric to resemble wool, corduroy, leather or riding pants’. The word obviously comes from the mix of ‘trousers’ and ‘leggings’. What’s interesting, though, is that leggings originally […]
- Stupid innit?
- Posted by Beth Penfold on October 06, 2010
- Actress Emma Thompson told a group of school kids the other day that using slang words like ‘innit?’ instead of ‘isn’t it?’ makes them sound stupid. It seems that the real issue is context. The way you chat with your friends is obviously more informal than the way you would speak to a teacher, and most children […]
- Had enough anglicisms?
- Posted by Joseph D. Persico on October 06, 2010
- In October, we return to Europe and we’ll be exploring English in Spain! To kick off the Spanish English campaign, we start with a guest blog by Joseph Persico about the impact of English on Spanish and vice versa. Joseph D. Persico is currently compiling what could be the largest bilingual dictionary ever dedicated to […]
- That wasn’t so scary, was it?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 05, 2010
- Last time I was talking about how recognising the core elements of a word can help students decipher new words containing the same elements.To illustrate, I posed a few examples: obesophobia bibliophobia microphobia zoophobia dentophobia Hopefully, you’ll have recognised obes from ‘obesity‘, and worked out that obesophobia is the fear of getting fat. Biblio links […]
- What’s that supposed to mean?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on October 04, 2010
- If you watch any episode of the British soap EastEnders, you can guarantee that someone will come out with the line “What’s that supposed to mean?”. The EastEnders scriptwriting team employ this expression so frequently that I suspect they have a button on their laptops that generates it at a single keystroke. There is no […]
- Language and words in the news - 1st October, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 01, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/09
Archive for September, 2010
- English isn't so scary
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 30, 2010
- When you know the word for something (e.g. obesity), and then see another word that contains the same core elements, it can be a huge help in working out the meaning of the new word, even if, at first glance, it looks really daunting. Take, for example, the many different types of phobia that exist. […]
- Look to the future
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 29, 2010
- What is the future of the English language, I wonder? As arguably the pre-eminent linguistic force on the globe, where does it go from here? David Crystal and Stephen Fry discussed the future of English in a recent BBC Radio 4 programme, whilst language experts have been meeting to discuss the fate of the world's […]
- Blisterin' barnacles! Pirate-talk
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 28, 2010
- Well shiver mi timbers! T'was International Talk Like a Pirate Day t'other day! I have to say I enjoyed communicating pirate-style for a day on the 19th. It's great to see all ways we can manipulate the English language to represent a particular group in society. So for instance, dere is a kind of street […]
- What does our language say about us?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 28, 2010
- I've always found it interesting that in South American Spanish, the word for heaven - 'cielo'- is also used for sky. This seems to me to reflect the deeply religious nature of society there - any mention of what's above us automatically includes the sense of us being watched over by a higher being - […]
- Australian English slang - part three: originality
- Posted by Susan Butler on September 27, 2010
- From origin to originality … In the first two blog posts about Australian English slang, author Susan Butler explored the roots and British English influences of Aussie slang. In this final part, she answers the question: 'What makes Australian slang special and original?'. Susan Butler is Publisher of the Macquarie Book of Slang (Revised Edition […]
- Language and words in the news - 24th September, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 24, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Australian English slang - part two: hand-me-downs
- Posted by Susan Butler on September 23, 2010
- In the first part of our short series on Australian English slang, author Susan Butler talked about the origins of Aussie slang. In this second part, she explores the influences of colonial British English. Susan Butler is Publisher of the Macquarie Book of Slang (Revised Edition 2000). ___________ It is not surprising that colonial society in […]
- Apostrophe catastrophes and how
- to avoid them
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 22, 2010
- I've just followed this link in Kati Sule's Language and words in the news. There are some pretty funny ones in there, but I have to admit to finding apostrophes a bit tricky myself. My own worst fear is whether and where to stick an apostrophe on a word that ends in 's', like students. […]
- Did you really just say that?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 22, 2010
- English can be a minefield for learners, not just in terms of vocab and grammar, but in more subtle ways, like accidentally offending someone by using a word that on the face of it might seem appropriate, but is actually not. The Macmillan English Dictionary (MED) - online, CD and print - features usage notes […]
- Australian English slang - part one: origins
- Posted by Susan Butler on September 21, 2010
- Australian English month continues with a three-part series on the topic of slang. Guest blog author Susan Butler is Publisher of the Macquarie Book of Slang (Revised Edition 2000). Part one takes a look at the origins of Australian slang. ____________ Australians worry about Australian English as a whole being swamped by American English, but when […]
- Language and words in the news - 17th September, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 17, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Prickly pronunciation
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 16, 2010
- Interesting questions of pronunciation arise at times, not least when foreign words become part of the English lexicon, like valet. David Mitchell has waxed lyrical about this here, and it’s a good point. Since the French pronunciation /'væle?/ (‘valay’) is generally considered correct for the person, the learner needs to be specifically told that, in […]
- What a mouthful!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 16, 2010
- Crikey! The Huffington Post’s recent article entitled The 11 Longest Words in the English Language sure stretched MY linguistic talents! I do wonder what the point of such words is though. I mean, if you can’t say the thing, let alone remember how to spell it, what’s the point? I guess the scientific ones need to have all […]
- Child’s ply
- Posted by Fida Slayman on September 15, 2010
- We continue our musings about Australian English with a guest post from Fida Slayman. Fida is a freelance writer, journalist and English language teacher. You can contact her on this address. _______ “Everyone here calls me Mike,” my father declared as we were waiting at Melbourne airport for our connecting flight to Adelaide. My family […]
- Scrumdiddlyumptious! - Roald Dahl Day
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 14, 2010
- Yesterday was Roald Dahl Day, a celebration of the life and works of one of my favourite authors. He wrote loads of really great children’s books; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Danny the Champion of the World are the two I loved best when I was a kid. But a few years back I discovered he […]
- Where am I?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 14, 2010
- This article (featured in last week’s Language and words in the news) and the comments it generated interested me firstly because muddling up these two tenses was considered the height of bad grammar when I was at school, but also thinking about English language students trying to write texts with multiple changes of tense. Keeping […]
- Strine - it’s a class thing
- Posted by Jesse Karjalainen on September 13, 2010
- Australian English month continues with a new guest post from Jesse Karjalainen. Jesse is Australian but lives in the UK and works as a writer and editor. He also edits the online English-usage website www.whichenglish.com. ________ One thing that really sets “Strine” - or (au)STRA(li)AN English - apart from its linguistic cousins is its almost […]
- Language and words in the news - 10th September, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 10, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Google an entry …
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 10, 2010
- A little game I like to play when seeking inspiration, respite, the meaning of life etc, is to go into the Macmillan Dictionary and start slowly typing in random letters. The dictionary throws up search suggestions and I look down these lists until I find an interesting or unusual (or rude!) word, then I Google it. You […]
- Say what you mean
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 10, 2010
- One of the recent entries in the Macmillan Open Dictionary highlights both one of the difficulties of spelling in English, and the fun of wordplay: attachmeant. Ordinarily, the correct spelling would, of course, be attachment, just as all words ending in -ment are spelt, yet the correct spelling for meant (past participle of to mean) […]
- Winds of change
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 09, 2010
- Isn’t it interesting the way our definition of what’s ‘correct’ can change over time? I read this in last week’s Language and words in the news, about changes to the ‘Chicago style’ that’s said to form the basis of what we consider to be ‘right’ in writing. I was also reading Lynne Truss’ fabulous Eats […]
- I haz da techno slang
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 09, 2010
- Following on from my earlier piece, there is a rather nice contrasting article from the BBC (or Aunty as the slang goes) all about one of the most prolific sources of new slang: the Internet. The BBC article, entitled How the Internet is changing language, refers to such terms as app, short for digital application […]
- Skivvies of every colour
- Posted by Charlotte Ellis on September 09, 2010
- Our next guest post on the topic of Australian English comes from Charlotte Ellis. Charlotte lives in Oxford, UK and works as Marketing Executive at Macmillan Education. _________ In my four-year-old perception of the world I lived not far away from Ramsey Street. My mother would wistfully sigh at Neighbours over the ironing and point […]
- Order in the classroom!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on September 08, 2010
- I saw this blog post recently (part one can be found here), talking about classroom management strategies, and it set me to wondering - what’s the strangest, yet most successful classroom management technique you’ve ever come up with (or, indeed, seen used)? I can remember racking my brains for something that would motivate my Colombian […]
- Dandyprats and grumbletonians
- Posted by Beth Penfold on September 08, 2010
- You might be surprised to find out that there was a dictionary of slang published over half a century before Johnson’s mighty effort. And this year, from the bowels of the Bod, comes the republishing of The First English Dictionary of Slang, 1699. At the time it was first published, the aim of the dictionary […]
- Forget crikey! Nothin’ more Aussie than a cuppa and a bikkie
- Posted by Jodie Martin on September 07, 2010
- Australian English month continues with a guest post from Jodie Martin, an Australian PhD student of linguistics, studying jazz music student writing. She has started blogging about her PhD in ‘Linguistics and all that jazz’ and tweets as @jazzlinguist. _________ The best thing about studying languages are those moments when someone points out some simple […]
- Netting, texting, impacting and sheeting through the centuries - more about verbing and nouning
- Posted by Jonathan Marks on September 06, 2010
- In a couple of earlier posts (namely this and this) on this blog, it’s been discussed how English words have the tendency to expand from one word class to another. I’d like to explore the same subject a bit further in this post. Multiple word-class membership is an essential part of the character of the […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th September, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 04, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- The book is dead - or is it?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 03, 2010
- Thomas J. Watson, head of the IBM Corporation from 1924 to 1956, is supposed to have said “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”. As with many famous quotations, there is a good deal of uncertainty as to whether Watson ever really said this. But history is full of predictions which, […]
- Australians wear thongs on their feet!
- Posted by Jesse Karjalainen on September 02, 2010
- Our first guest blog in Australian English month comes from Jesse Karjalainen about the similarities and differences between Australian and British and American English. Australian Jesse Karjalainen lives in the UK and works as a writer and editor. He also edits the online English-usage website www.whichenglish.com. ____________ The Australian accent is famous the world over […]
- Strine month, fair go!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on September 01, 2010
- G’day mates and good on us: we’ve made it to Strine month, fair go! OK, OK, I know Australians are not comic strip characters who walk around in cork hats and thongs, dodging kangaroos and shouting rounds … I have, in fact, been to Australia once and have been mistaken for an Australian (being South […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/08
Archive for August, 2010
- Marathi English - unofficial but officially so
- Posted by Gauri on August 31, 2010
- Today is the final day of Indian English and we have one final guest blog for you, from Gauri, a linguist and polyglot in the USA. Gauri writes as Litterateuse at her blog, 42, and tweets as @gau3. If you liked this guest post, you might like her post on Indian English here. ________ As […]
- Indian English, Indianised English, Hinglish or the Indianisation of English?
- Posted by Haresh Pandya on August 30, 2010
- We close Indian English month with a final guest post from Haresh Pandya. Haresh is a freelance journalist and teaches English in a college in Gujarat in India. ______________________ English has been used in strange ways by certain sets of Indians - not just the less-than-literate - since time immemorial. It is either because of […]
- Language and words in the news - 27th August, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 27, 2010
- After a short break, 'Language and words in the news' returns with the latest in the media about words, language and language learning/teaching. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. We'd love to hear from you! Global English Sarcasm in the UK and US - Part four: […]
- David Crystal on Indian English
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 26, 2010
- A short video in which Professor David Crystal discusses Indian English: The video has been prepared for Global, Macmillan's new course for adult learners of English.
- Mugged at a gunpoint
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 25, 2010
- I recently got an email from an old friend, asking me to send him £1800. Except of course, it wasn't really from my friend but from a fraudster who had taken over his email account. What the writer didn't realise was that the supposed sender of the message was a linguist and lexicographer - and […]
- Silly signage
- Posted by Sharon Creese on August 24, 2010
- Do you ever see notices or signs that irritate you, or just bring a really bizarre image to mind? Even if they're grammatically correct, the wording is so odd or unexpected that it grates on you every time you read it. And then, of course, there are the myriad ones where the grammar isn't so […]
- Strange, amusing use of English in Gujarati
- Posted by Haresh Pandya on August 23, 2010
- Once more, we turn to Haresh Pandya for insight into Indian English. Haresh is a freelance journalist and teaches English in a college in Gujarat in India. ______________________ Gujarat is one of the many Indian states where English survives against the odds in the 21st century. There seems no end to the debate over whether […]
- Food for thought …
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 19, 2010
- Joel Berg's blog on the use (and avoidance) of the word hunger shows how words can gain (and lose) meanings in response to social and environmental changes. Historically, hunger was part of the universal human experience - like war, plague, drought and famine. For far too many people, these remain more than just abstract concepts […]
- From one extreme to the other
- Posted by Amodini Sharma on August 17, 2010
- Indian English month continues with a guest post from freelance writer, blogger and movie critic Amodini Sharma. ________________________ The many dialects of Indian English are as varied as the country itself. In my own family, there's my Punjabi uncle who will ignore verbs, and vowel sounds will disappear down his throat never to be heard […]
- To verb or not to verb?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on August 16, 2010
- How do you feel about ‘verbing’? It’s something we touched on in our news round-up recently, and no, it’s not rude - it’s the increasingly well-recognized practice of creating a verb out of a noun, like ‘google’, ‘tweet’, ‘text’, or ‘friend’. And it causes a lot of controversy. Many of the words spawned this way […]
- How quality translations can enrich Indian literature
- Posted by Haresh Pandya on August 13, 2010
- Haresh Pandya is a freelance journalist and teaches English in a college in Gujarat in India. _________ Of all nations, India can boast of having the richest and most diverse literature. This is not a recent phenomenon. It has been so since time immemorial - long before the written word came into existence. The tribe […]
- “Hunger” is in the mind (or the stomach)
- of the beholder
- Posted by Joel Berg on August 12, 2010
- We make a quick return to American English today, with a guest post by Joel Berg, Executive Director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and author of the book, All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?. __________ American society is willing to use the words “hungry” and “hunger” to denote a wide […]
- It’s khichdi time!
- Posted by Pujitha Krishnan on August 10, 2010
- The first guest post in Indian English month comes from book lover and blogger Pujitha Krishnan. __________ Indian English is a smorgasbord of peculiarities and personalities, and I have lately come to realize that all those years when I was basking in pride at my impeccable grammar and not insignificant vocabulary, I should have spent […]
- ELF and safety
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 09, 2010
- Adam Kilgarriff’s recent blog sparked a lot of comments - not only on our site but elsewhere too. This comes as no surprise: the use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) is an issue that tends to generate controversy. In this sense, it reminds me of what some Brits now call ‘elf and safety’. […]
- Right so, we’re moving on: it’s Indian English month, hooray!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on August 03, 2010
- I confess, I don’t really know where to start with this one; it’s a big country, lots of different languages and a very rich, unique kind of English … so I have spent the last few days reading blogs by Indian bloggers who I have found on Twitter or on this India Blogs list and […]
- Geoffrey was a subtle salmon
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on August 02, 2010
- When I was thirteen, I went to a chess championship in Southend-on-Sea. It was grey and windswept, and I was a little lonely and homesick, and as far as I remember I lost all my games. I remember just one spark of colour in this otherwise cheerless scene: my partner in one game, delighted with […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/07
Archive for July, 2010
- Language and words in the news - 30th July, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 30, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- American English? What's that?
- Posted by Robert Lane Greene on July 29, 2010
- Our American English month is shortly coming to its end. Perhaps this is a good point to stop and ask this question again: What is American English? This time the answer comes from Robert Lane Greene, journalist, blogger and author of a soon to be published (and now thoroughly copy-edited) book, You Are What You […]
- In the news - a new wiki
- Posted by Sharon Creese on July 28, 2010
- It seems there's a new, and somewhat disturbing, wiki on the block - wikileaks. Apparently a whistle-blowing website where sensitive material can be posted online in such a way as it to be untraceable, wikileaks has come to the nation's interest amidst news of leaked details about the US military campaign in Afghanistan. (I say […]
- You say 'soda', I say 'pop': a Midwestern observation of language
- Posted by Denise Du Vernay on July 27, 2010
- We continue American English month with another guest post from Denise Du Vernay. Denise earned her master's degree in English from Florida State University. She is co-author of The Simpsons in the Classroom: Embiggening the Learning Experience with the Wisdom of Springfield. Her favorite pop is Diet Coke. __________ As a child growing up in […]
- The new F word
- Posted by Beth Penfold on July 26, 2010
- So, somebody please tell me when the word fine stopped being fine? When exchanging greetings with friends, I used to reply to any enquiry as to my health as 'Fine, thanks'. When I still lived up North, a wry 'Mustn't grumble' would usually suffice. This does not seem to be adequate any longer. People have […]
- Language and words in the news - 23rd July, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 23, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- "D'oh!" and more: The Simpsons and its effects on American English
- Posted by Denise Du Vernay on July 22, 2010
- American English month continues with a guest post by Denise Du Vernay. Denise has been teaching composition, literature, humanities, speech, and courses on The Simpsons for over ten years. She is co-author of The Simpsons in the Classroom: Embiggening the Learning Experience with the Wisdom of Springfield (www.simpsonology.com). Denise lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. __________ On […]
- What's in a name?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on July 20, 2010
- I feel I must begin this post by clarifying a couple of things. No, I don't have a best mate called Tracey, and no, I've never in my life danced around my handbag in white stilettos in a nightclub. OK, glad we got that cleared up. Non-native English speakers may be wondering what on earth […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/a-brits-take-on-american-english
american English • global English
A Brit’s take on American English
- A Brit's take on American English
- Posted by Vicki Hollett on July 17, 2010
- As part of American English month, we return to Philadephia, where blogger and EFL teacher & author Vicki Hollett discusses the hazards of a Brit speaking 'merican. Thank you to Vicki for another great guest post! _________ The US is a hazardous place for Brits. Since moving to Philadelphia, I've inadvertently commented on my hostess's […]
- Language and words in the news - 16th July, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 16, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Mavens and memes - the answers
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on July 15, 2010
- Did you understand the words and phrases at the end of yesterday’s post? They are a little tricky because they need a little cultural background: Blogosphere refers to all blogs and their interconnections. The idea is that all blogs form a social network. Maven comes from the Yiddish word meaning ‘expert’ or ‘someone knowledgeable in […]
- Are you a maven of the blogosphere?
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on July 14, 2010
- New technical terms are a source of great irritation to the casual reader. They are a way of creating an exclusive club of those ‘in the know’, what George Bernard Shaw called a ‘conspiracy against the public’. Nonetheless, new processes and ideas create the need for a new vocabulary to describe them. Most online linguistic […]
- Collecting our nouns
- Posted by Erin Brenner on July 13, 2010
- We have discussed collective nouns on this blog on a couple of occasions (see here and here). This time the emphasis is on differences between how British and American English speakers use them. This guest posts comes from Erin Brenner, author of The Writing Resource, a blog offering quick lessons in writing. _________ A collective […]
- Language and words in the news - 9th July, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 09, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Border town lingo: a fusion of two neighboring cultures
- Posted by Mariana Ashley on July 08, 2010
- After contributions from Philadelphia, Boston and San Francisco, we’re moving on again in the US. This guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley, who writes on the topics of online colleges. Mariana welcomes your comments to this post either below or at her email address. ___________ Although often dismissed as backwards and isolated, the Rio […]
- An official language for the United States?
- Posted by Stephen Handorf on July 07, 2010
- After a brief visit to Philly and Boston, American English month continues with a guest blog from Stephen Handorf, editor and lexicographer in San Francisco. Stephen has a B.A. in linguistics and French from Cornell University and an M.A. in English as a Second Language from the University of Hawaii. ___________ Last month, the Texas […]
- Say what you mean!
- Posted by Sharon Creese on July 06, 2010
- Have you noticed how so much of the language of bureaucracy today is made up of abbreviations? We’ve got quangos, NGOs, and any number of G-somethings (G7, G8, G20). It’s getting to the point where you need a Dictionary of Bureaucratic Abbreviations just to be able to understand the News! It’s all a little bit […]
- Wicked! The flavors of Boston English
- Posted by Karen Stern on July 03, 2010
- We started our grand tour of American English in Philadelphia. Our next destination is: Boston. Karen Stern, freelance lexicographer and editor, sent us this guest blog about her local American English. _________ It’s 4th of July weekend here in the US, so it seemed only natural to dip into the version of American English spoken […]
- Language and words in the news - 2nd July, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 02, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- The trickiest word in American
- Posted by Vicki Hollett on July 01, 2010
- Our first guest post for American English month comes from Vicki Hollett, English teacher and coursebook writer. Vicki writes a fantastic blog called Learning to speak ’merican. _________________ I’d better confess right away that I’m not a native American English speaker. If you could hear my accent, you’d spot in a jiffy that my native […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/06
Archive for June, 2010
- Dudes and dudettes, it's American-English month!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 30, 2010
- Over here! Right over here in the red, white and blue … eyes off the ball for a minute! It's American-English month, yeeha! We suggest that for the month of July you set your, of course, bookmarked/tabbed/favourited macmillandictionary.com to 'American English' and practise pronouncing words in Am rather than Br … obviously, unless you do […]
- Poacher turned gamewinner
- Posted by Andrew Delahunty on June 29, 2010
- England's World Cup is over, following the team's 4-1 defeat by Germany last Sunday. According to one online report of the match, 'The first goal was a tribute to striker Miroslav Klose's strength and poaching skills.' Only a few days earlier, England fans had been celebrating a 1-0 victory over Slovenia. The scorer, with a […]
- The Rainbow Nation and its strange racial terminology
- Posted by Dawn Nell on June 28, 2010
- Although the World Cup is still on for another two weeks, we are slowly saying goodbye to South African English here on the blog. This is our final guest blog, from Dawn Nell, a Capetonian and historian. You can follow Dawn on Twitter. ___________ The description of South Africa as a Rainbow Nation is both […]
- Language and words in the news - 25th June, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 25, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- Google the verb
- Posted by Adam Kilgarriff on June 24, 2010
- Our next guest post comes from Adam Kilgarriff. Adam is a linguist, and a specialist in the area where linguistics, computers and dictionaries meet. He was at Brighton University until 2004 when he set up his own company, Lexical Computing Ltd. He lives in Brighton, and will be taking a lunchtime swim in the sea […]
- I'm no fundi, but jislaaik - all those loan words!
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on June 23, 2010
- It wasn't until I recently researched the fascinating details about the lexicon of South African English that I realized just what a fantastic example it is of the linguistic concept of borrowing. There can't be many language varieties that have the influence of such a broad range of languages - European, Asian and African, often […]
- South African words in English - then and now (part 3)
- Posted by Jean Branford on June 22, 2010
- The month of South African English is slowly coming to an end. This is the third and final blog from Jean Branford, a world authority on the English of South Africa and author of A Dictionary of South African English. ____________ In South Africa, too many social and political changes to enumerate have taken place […]
- South African words in English - then and now (part 2)
- Posted by Jean Branford on June 16, 2010
- This is the second of three blogs from Jean Branford, a world authority on the English of South Africa and author of A Dictionary of South African English. _________ The usual range of the South African words we use now, as part of our everyday life, pales under the spotlight of the World Cup. The […]
- Too clever by half time
- Posted by Andrew Delahunty on June 15, 2010
- June is not just about South African English. It's a little bit about football too. In his guest post, Andrew Delahunty, a freelance author and lexicographer, discusses football lingo. Among Andrew's many books is Talking Balls: Getting to grips with the language of sport published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ________ At last, the 2010 World […]
- Vuvuzelas and ladumas
- Posted by Dawn Nell on June 14, 2010
- Friday saw the opening of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. A large proportion of the world's population will be watching football over the next four weeks. Historian and Capetonian Dawn Nell discusses South African English football/sport terms featuring in the 2010 World Cup. ________ The World Cup in South Africa will forever be […]
- Language and words in the news - 11th June, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 11, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change, and language education too. Do contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. […]
- James Joyce. How could they turn him down?
- Posted by Tony Voss on June 10, 2010
- Our next guest blog in South African English month is from Professor Tony Voss. Professor Tony Voss was educated in South Africa and the USA and has taught English literature at various universities around the world. He retired his position as head of the English Department of Natal University in 1995. He continues a research […]
- Kellogg’s, braais and a monkey’s wedding
- Posted by Sarah Clive on June 09, 2010
- Our next guest post about South African English comes from Sarah Clive. Sarah lived in Johannesburg until she was six, then moved over to the UK. She now lives in Wells, Somerset with her two dogs. You can find her here or on her blog. __________ Being a bit of a word geek, I subscribe […]
- l’Academie Anglaise
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on June 08, 2010
- The Times recently carried a report on the Academy of English, an organization set up by the Queen’s English Society to “protect the language from impurities, bastardisations and the horrors introduced by the text-speak generation.” Anyone who’s now cowering behind the sofa in fear and trembling of these text-speak horrors can safely come out and […]
- South African words in English - then and now (part 1)
- Posted by Jean Branford on June 07, 2010
- It is a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Jean Branford to our blog. A distinguished lexicographer, Jean is a world authority on the English of South Africa and author of A Dictionary of South African English. This is the first of two blogs from Dr Branford. _____________ South African words have been around in […]
- Language and words in the news - 4th June, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 04, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. We’d love to hear […]
- South African English is the eish
- Posted by Dawn Nell on June 03, 2010
- This month’s first guest post about South African English is from Dawn Nell, a historian and Capetonian. You can follow her on twitter. ____________ There’s a degree of irreverence in South African attitudes to most things, but particularly towards the English. It is something that undoubtedly has its roots in South African history, as pretty […]
- English likes to verb
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 02, 2010
- English morphology is famously simple. Most nouns have just two forms (dog, dogs), most verbs only four (walk, walks, walking, walked). By contrast, a regular Spanish verb can have 42 forms, while in Hungarian that can easily go up to 60 or more (see example verb here). And - since we are in South Africa […]
- Howzit
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on June 01, 2010
- It’s South African English month, lekker! When I got back to South Africa in 2002 having been away for 6 years, I was struck by the change in the English spoken there. It had become more of a mix of the other predominant languages (such as Zulu and Afrikaans) and was a real indication, I […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/05
Archive for May, 2010
- Live and learn
- Posted by Alexander Dron on May 31, 2010
- On the final day of Russian English month, freelance translator and interpreter Alexander Dron shares some of his experiences as interpreter with us. Thank you for all of you who have contributed to Russian English month! ___________ My most recent ordeal on TV was a press conference following a meeting of European finance ministers which […]
- Language and words in the news - 28th May, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 28, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. We'd love to hear […]
- Fashion false friends
- Posted by Uliana Urubzhilova on May 27, 2010
- Our final Russian English guest post this month is from Uliana Urubzhilova. Uliana has been living in the US for three months. She's studying at the International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT) in Florida, majoring in Fashion Merchandising. She graduated from a university in Russia last summer and has an equivalent of a Bachelor's […]
- What's your favourite English word?
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 26, 2010
- While enjoying the truly international feel of April's IATEFL conference in Harrogate we also took the opportunity to ask delegates this simple question: What's your favourite English word and why? Here's a short video of some of the answers: Tell us what your favourite word is and why by posting a comment to this post.
- Do we have to speak Maclish?
- Posted by Biljana Naumoska on May 25, 2010
- To mark Saints Cyril and Methodius Day, which commemorates the creation of the Slavic Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, we have a guest post by Biljana Naumoska, Senior Lector in English at the Department of English Language and Literature, "Blaze Koneski" Faculty of Philology, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia. Biljana holds an M.A. in […]
- Language and words in the news - 21st May, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 21, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Goddess English […]
- Thinking caps on …
- Posted by Sharon Creese on May 20, 2010
- My last post seemed to go down quite well, so I thought I'd have another look at the weird and wonderful words associated with animals in the English language, this time collective nouns. We're all familiar with some of the strange words that can be used to describe groups of animals - a pod of […]
- Sayings: lost in translation?
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 19, 2010
- Over on Facebook we asked fans to translate - word for word - sayings from their language into English where the translation really doesn't make sense in English. This turned out to be quite entertaining for a day at the office, and I'm sure there is a lot more fun to be had in this […]
- Language and words in the news - 18th May, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 18, 2010
- This time a slightly delayed and shorter version … This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a […]
- The influence of English on the Russian language
- Posted by Yuliya Melnyk on May 17, 2010
- Our first Russian English guest post is from Yuliya Melnyk, an ESL teacher and journalist originally from the Ukraine. After more than 10 years of teaching English at the Kirovohrad State Vynnychenko Pedagogical University, Kirovohrad, Ukraine, Yulia enrolled into a grad school in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA. She started her career in […]
- 21st Century Flux - audio
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 12, 2010
- You may be interested to hear that there’s an audio version of the 21st Century Flux, written and performed by rapper Dizraeli: [Audio clip: view full post to listen] And don’t forget: there are downloadable resources to go with it on this page. Hope you’ll find this useful!
- Baby face
- Posted by Sharon Creese on May 11, 2010
- I was watching one of those ‘ahh-inducing’ animal rescue programmes the other day, and noticed a rather fun, and cute, word for the young of a particular species (I can’t tell you what it was, as it’s in the quiz below). Anyway, it set me thinking. We’re all familiar with terms like cub, pup, kit […]
- Babes and babushkas: It’s Russian English month!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on May 10, 2010
- It’s Russian English month, yay! I have almost no experience with Russian or any other Slavic language so I have spent some time collecting some interesting links and reading articles, blog posts etc that in one way or another address the topic of ‘Russian English’ or ‘Slavic languages and English’. The reason we thought May […]
- Language and words in the news - 7th May, 2010
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 07, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Longest word […]
- String ’em up!
- Posted by Beth Penfold on May 06, 2010
- Could it be that the Macmillan Dictionary Blog has become a hotbed of nihilist political views? Are we seeing political apathy in extremis? Nah. Just want to whinge on about one of my old bugbears, namely, the misuse of the words hanged and hung. One of the many embarrassing truths about our past is that […]
- A two-horse race or a hung parliament?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on May 05, 2010
- The UK is in the grip of election fever, and elections - like wars - always give rise to new words and phrases. Like the last US presidential election, this is the first major British one of the Web 2.0 era. This adds to the unpredictability of it all, and ensures that anything interesting spreads […]
- Shakespeare and Hollywood: Answers
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on May 03, 2010
- Here are the answers to the questions in my previous post: a musical 1: Westside Story, based on the play Romeo and Juliet musical 2: Kiss Me Kate, based on the play The Taming of the Shrew b Shakespeare in Love c bloody, e.g. Duncan 1.2.1: What bloody man is that? / Macbeth 2.1: This […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/04
Archive for April, 2010
- Language and words in the news - 30 April, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 30, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English China to […]
- The Film's the thing - Shakespeare and Hollywood
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on April 29, 2010
- Brendan correctly indentified the Shakespeare play in my last post as Hamlet (a ghost and prince meet/And everyone ends in mincemeat). The mincemeat is a reference to the bloody final scene, in which four major characters die before the final curtain. Brendan also nailed the song as 'That's Entertainment' from the film musical The Band […]
- Making music - QWERTY-style
- Posted by Sharon Creese on April 28, 2010
- Have you ever noticed how certain words have a real rhythm to them when you're typing, at least if you touch-type? My favourite has always been interesting; such a simple little word, but there's such a fabulous flow to it, especially at speed - you get that 'terest' on the left hand, followed by the […]
- Chinese Shakespeare?
- Posted by Kieran McGovern on April 26, 2010
- Our next guest post in Chinese English month comes from Kieran McGovern, author of the Macmillan Reader Love by Design. He blogs here, where you can find his 'Shakespeare and the English Language'. He also edits this website. ________ Few will be surprised to discover that William Shakespeare never visited China. Nor was his work […]
- Language and words in the news - 24 April, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 24, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English China has […]
- Rage against the machines
- Posted by Sharon Creese on April 22, 2010
- This week's BuzzWord is robocall, and takes a look at those irritating automated phone calls that have become a feature of so many sales, marketing, and now electoral campaigns in recent years. I should warn you, though, I'm about to get on my soapbox; I absolutely hate automated phone calls. To my mind, there is […]
- It's blogging 101
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 21, 2010
- Sitting on a bus recently, I spotted a headline in someone else's newspaper that read: Humanitarianism 2.0. I never did find out what the article was about, but I soon discovered that Google has dozens of hits for this exact expression. And it looks like the 2.0 suffix can be added to just about anything, […]
- Teaching English as a 'global' language?
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 20, 2010
- A new video, by David Crystal, which answers the question: Should English be taught as a 'global' language? The video has been prepared for Global, Macmillan's new course for adult learners of English.
- Lost for words
- Posted by Sharon Creese on April 19, 2010
- I've recently discovered that many of my colleagues are closet Scrabble™ players; how have I made this fascinating discovery? By the fact they are all, without exception, incensed by news that games company Mattel is to relax the rules and allow the use of proper nouns and other previously verboten words. One (slightly cynical?) colleague […]
- Language and words in the news - 17 April, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 17, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Air-traffic controllers' […]
- Notes from a small Chinese woman
- Posted by Jamie Zhang on April 14, 2010
- Here is our first guest post for English for China month, written by Jamie Zhang … a small Chinese woman. Enjoy! _______ Like Bill Bryson in Notes from a Small Island, when I came to study in the UK for my MBA and DELTA, I was confused by everyday English. It was like nothing I’d […]
- It’s Chinese English month!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on April 13, 2010
- The IATEFL (International Association of Teacher’s of English as a Foreign Language) event has put me slightly behind on this month’s trumpeting. But here we go: It’s Chinese English month, yeeha! This is exciting for a number of reasons: we recently rolled out the Chinese version of the Macmillan Dictionary Online. You’ll see that all […]
- Found in translation
- Posted by Sharon Creese on April 12, 2010
- Have you noticed how, in the past 10 years, a whole bunch of completely unrelated words have become totally interchangeable, all thanks to predictive texting? Predictive texting is now a feature of pretty much every mobile phone on the market, and love it or hate it, we’re all exposed to it in one way or […]
- Language and words in the news - 10 April, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 10, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English PQ study […]
- Inglourious calenders
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 08, 2010
- I took this photo outside my local copy shop last week. Right at the top of the sign is one of the products which the business supplies: calenders. Now these guys are in the printing business so they know about proofreading, spellchecking, and so on - yet they still couldn’t get the spelling right. But […]
- And the winner is …
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 07, 2010
- You may recall that we started a haiku competition last month. Quite a few of you have proven that you can indeed haiku. You only need to take a look at this page. The winning haiku was submitted by ZZ and can be read on the dictionary home page. Congratulations to ZZ and thank you […]
- Tales of the unexpected
- Posted by Sharon Creese on April 05, 2010
- The winner of the 2009 Bookseller / Diagram prize for the Oddest Title of the Year was announced at the end of last month, going to Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes by Dr Daina Taimina. You may remember I mentioned this competition a few weeks ago, though this wasn’t one of the titles that originally […]
- Language and words in the news - 2 April, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 02, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Language change and slang […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/03
Archive for March, 2010
- Piman and suitsu - loanwords in Japanese
- Posted by Yuka Masda on March 31, 2010
- Well, even good things have to come to an end … In our final Japanese English guest post, following on from last week, Yuka Masda discusses false friends in various forms of disguise. ________ 'Piman' family - non-English loanwords The first one of the two groups of false friends I mentioned in my ealier post […]
- Between me and you … and Facebook
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 30, 2010
- I am surrounded by English but what with all the different nationalities, accents, north and south divides, even in this institute of educational publishing of English-language learning, in Oxford, UK, Brittania, the place where English lives … well English is rather a broad term for the language that lives here. My colleagues from Cumbria and […]
- Symbols
- Posted by Vicki Hollett on March 29, 2010
- We start the final week of Japanese English month with a great guest post from English teacher, coursebook author and fellow blogger Vicki Hollett from Learning to speak 'merican. For earlier guest posts, see our Japanese English page. _______ A cute gesture English teachers quickly learn in Japan is 'Who me?' Students make it by […]
- Language and words in the news - 27 March, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on March 27, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English More bad […]
- From sumo to sudoku
- Posted by Yuka Masda on March 26, 2010
- Japanese English month continues with our next guest post from Yuka Masda, from Hiroshima Shudo University. The post follows on from earlier discussions of how Japanese absorbs English words and the state of 'Japanese English' today. _______ Throughout history, English has absorbed an immense amount of vocabulary, mostly from Latin (mile, pound, butter, port) and […]
- Japanese haragei
- Posted by Jag Bhalla on March 23, 2010
- Our Japanese focus continues with a guest post from Jag Bhalla, author of I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears from National Geographic Books, featuring 1,000 intriguing and amusing expressions from around the world, plus related light-hearted essays on linguistics, anthropology, psychology and neuroscience. The book is illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Julia Suits. ______ […]
- Paniku, guroi, asutoramu - English transformed
- Posted by Jim Ronald on March 22, 2010
- Our next guest post, written by Jim Ronald, Professor of English Linguistics and Deputy Director of the International Affairs Center at Hiroshima Shudo University, discusses the transformation English words go through when adopted into Japanese. _______ Words from English always change in some ways when they become part of Japanese: in the way that they […]
- Language and words in the news - 20 March, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on March 20, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Chinese language […]
- Meanings change … but a treadmill will always spell punishment
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 18, 2010
- While Oscar Wilde was in Pentonville prison in London, he was forced to walk on a treadmill for several hours a day. When this form of punishment died out, the word treadmill might have gone the same way. But by this time it had acquired a figurative meaning - and this now came to the […]
- BuzzWord: couch surfing
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 17, 2010
- Couch surfing is this week's BuzzWord from our online English dictionary here at Macmillan. This noun is used to describe staying the night at the home of another person, especially a stranger, for free. The term first appeared on and has been popularised by www.couchsurfing.com, a free and non-profit accommodation network, also called a hospitality […]
- Katakanago and dictionaries
- Posted by Yamada Shigeru on March 15, 2010
- Japanese English month continues with a guest post by Yamada Shigeru. Yamada Shigeru is Professor of English at Waseda University, Tokyo, and a lexicographer. ________ There are abundant loanwords in Japanese. They fill the gaps, sound fashionable, but are sometimes frowned upon. Those words surely make the Japanese language rich and colorful, but Japanese sometimes […]
- Language and words in the news - 12 March, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on March 12, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Fetish of […]
- All units: what am I on about?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on March 10, 2010
- OK, I’ve got a bit of a quiz for you. I freely admit that I watch too much television, and like many people, I watch quite a few ‘cop shows’, though these days, ‘cop shows’ can involve anything from genius mathematicians to lip reading FBI agents to forensic anthropologists! Whatever the spin of the particular […]
- Japanese English: Your stories …
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 09, 2010
- In this post, we collect your thoughts and stories about English in Japan. Have you got similar stories to tell? Share it with us by posting a comment! __________ Tony writes … I don’t know whether or not you are aware of this, but there are hundreds - probably thousands - of frequently used loanwords […]
- Is there such a thing as 'Japanese English'?
- Posted by Jim Breen on March 08, 2010
- Jim Breen, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Clayton School of IT, Monash University, Australia, has sent us this guest post on ‘Japanese English’. _______ The question of whether there is a ‘Japanese English’, that is a form of English spoken in Japan by the locals, is an occasional topic of discussion in the English-language press […]
- Language and words in the news - 6 March, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on March 06, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Quebec warned […]
- Haiku competition
- Posted by Kati Sule on March 05, 2010
- Our trip around the world in 80 Englishes continues and March is Japanese English month. So we’re all about spring and poetry! We have a haiku competition going and the winning haiku will be given pride of place on the macmillandictionary.com home page! Your haiku should answer the question: ‘What’s your English?’ and will be […]
- World Book Day
- Posted by Sharon Creese on March 04, 2010
- Today is World Book Day - the ‘biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK’. When I was a child, there was no such thing as World Book Day, but I would have loved it if there had been! I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, absolutely devouring […]
- Language is wine upon the lips
- Posted by Sarah McKeown on March 03, 2010
- One of my favourite quotes is by Virginia Woolf: ‘Language is wine upon the lips’ she said to her husband Leonard one evening, over a bottle of Blue Nun. What a lovely sentiment. Profound, enigmatic, erotic. Note what she did not say. She did not say: ‘Language is Dr Pepper upon the lips.’ Woolf made […]
- Gairaigo: help or hindrance?
- Posted by Darren Elliott on March 02, 2010
- March is Japanese English month. Our first guest post is just in from: # Darren Elliott # Location Nagoya, Japan # Web www.livesofteachers.com # Bio An Englishman teaching English in Japanese universities. Learner autonomy, technology, teacher development. ___________ It always strikes me as a little unfair to mark out a language as being ‘difficult’ to […]
- March - Japanese English month
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on March 01, 2010
- It’s Japanese English month. I expect it to be poetic … I don’t have any real grounds for this expectation, it just seems to me that when Japanese meets English, poetry should happen. Maybe some haikus. We’ve had some great response from twitter followers and from bloggers, teachers and various peeps in Japan and we’re […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/02
Archive for February, 2010
- Language and words in the news - 27 February, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on February 27, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Australia: Grammar […]
- Brazinglish and misunderstandings galore!
- Posted by Jussara Simoes on February 24, 2010
- Brazil English month is coming to its end shortly. Our final guest post from Jussara Simões, translator, interpreter and blogger, responds to an earlier post and reveals more about Brazinglish. _________ "Therefore, virtue is a kind of mean, since, as we have seen, it aims at what is intermediate." (Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics, translated by […]
- 'The 21st Century Flux' worksheets
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 23, 2010
- You may recall that a little while ago we promised you some downloadable worksheets to use with Dizraeli's video, The 21st Century Flux, about the English language. Well, the worksheets are now ready for you to download and use in your classroom. The lyrics are also available as downloadable pdf. The worksheets have been devised […]
- Get your paddles off my honk!
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell on February 22, 2010
- As a freelance editor and mother of two, I don't get out much. Sad, but true - I'm usually tucked up in a cubby-hole with my laptop and dictionaries, or performing my motherly duties (for the uninitiated that currently includes sandwich making, a taxi service and washing boxer shorts!). Imagine my delight then when I […]
- Language and words in the news - 19 February, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on February 19, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Canada's French-English […]
- BuzzWord: hyperlocal
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on February 18, 2010
- Hyperlocal is this week's BuzzWord from our online English dictionary here at Macmillan. The adjective is used to describe a very specific, local area. Apparently, many large companies are now focussing their attention on manipulating and delivering hyperlocal information. (The use of 'manipulating' here is probably a little dark, no?) Anyway, with the appearance of […]
- Can I borrow that…?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on February 17, 2010
- A while back, I was lucky enough to spend some time living in South America. As anyone who has lived abroad knows, it can be a mind-expanding (and mind-blowing!) experience, immersing yourself in a completely different language and culture. What surprised me though, was how hard it was to go back to speaking just English […]
- Brazilian English: Brazinglish, Portenglish or Englishese?
- Posted by Stephan Hughes on February 16, 2010
- From English to Brazilian Portuguese and back … Another great guest blog from Brazil, this time from Stephan Hughes, teacher, teacher trainer, translator, interpreter and educational technology enthusiast. ___________ Living in the country for more than 13 years has given me some "expertise" on the impact of English on Brazilian Portuguese. Words are adapted and […]
- Brazinglish borrowings
- Posted by Denilso de Lima on February 15, 2010
- Denilso de Lima, ELT author, teacher trainer and conference speaker in Brazil treats us to another guest post on the topic of Brazil English. You can visit Denilso's blog Inglês na Ponta da Língua. ______________ I read Jussara's post on Brazinglish and had to write a bit further about some other interesting and curious ways […]
- Language and words in the news - 12 February, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on February 12, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English The town […]
- Brazinglish: Your stories …
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 10, 2010
- In this post, we collect your thoughts and colourful stories about English in Brazil. Have you got similar stories to tell? Come and share it with us! Marcos writes … I am not a typical Brazilian English speaker because I learned Portuguese and English at the same time since kindergarten. I have also lived for […]
- It's Carnaval! Time for a bit of rebolation
- Posted by Denilso de Lima on February 09, 2010
- Our Brazil English month continues with another guest post, this time by Denilso de Lima, ELT author, teacher trainer, conference speaker and member of the blogosphere. Denilso prepares us for Carnaval by introducing some creative word formation processes in Brazinglish. ________ Here in Brazil, I have heard lots of common mistakes Brazilian learners make when […]
- Language and words in the news - 06 February, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on February 06, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Malaysia: English […]
- Kinetic typography - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on February 04, 2010
- Kinetic typography is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. The term, which in fact is a fancy name for ‘text in motion with audio’, and is also referred to as motion typography, is not new but it has gained noticeable popularity over the last decade or so, particularly in films, namely in title […]
- Bond, Basildon Bond
- Posted by Beth Penfold on February 03, 2010
- I was enjoying the links in Jonathan Cole’s recent blog post this morning, when I came across a fabulous (or ‘badass’ as it was described) word, palaeotypographist. This word means ‘one who studies early writing’. From here, my thoughts wandered to outmoded forms of writing, such as the personal, handwritten letter. Oh the perfect pleasure […]
- That's my English: Brazinglish
- Posted by Jussara Simoes on February 02, 2010
- It’s gearing up for Carnaval in Brazil and as the world wishes it was there for the party, what better time to ask the question: What’s your English, Brazil? We’re dedicating February to Brazil English and here’s our first guest post from Jussara Simões, translator, interpreter and blogger. ____________ Nobody can deny that English has […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2010/01
Archive for January, 2010
- My English: In praise of silly
- Posted by Dizraeli on January 30, 2010
- And so we come to the end of our United Kingdom English focus. Rowan Sawday (Dizraeli), who kicked everything off with his 21st Century Flux rap, wraps the month up with a post in answer to the question: What's your English? Thank you to all guest authors - English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh- for interesting, […]
- Language and words in the news - 29 January, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 29, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Refiguring Obama's […]
- A blog and a half
- Posted by Beth Penfold on January 28, 2010
- It seems that obesity is sweeping the Western world in a terrifying, gelatinous tide. This phenomenon even has its own word these days: globesity. Six months ago, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) called for a reduction in the size of chocolate bars to help tackle obesity. Perhaps in defiance of this move, it seems that […]
- Modern-day date-ing
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 27, 2010
- The issue of dates is interesting me at the moment. Not the romantic sort (well…), no, the passage-of-time sort, and specifically those in this now-not-quite-so-new-Millennium. We've touched on the issue of how we refer to these new years a couple of times already here, thinking about the original uncertainty over what we'd call the year […]
- Bore da a croeso i'r wythnos Cymraeg
- Posted by Paul Harrington on January 26, 2010
- We begin Welsh-English week with a guest post by Paul Harrington, a blogger and podcaster based in Gilwern, South Wales. __________ You know that a language or dialect is alive and well when it suddenly springs into life - such is Wenglish (Welsh-English) having lain dormant for a few years since Goldie Looking Chain slipped […]
- Scottish English
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 25, 2010
- Please find our Scottish English page here: Scottish English.
- A Glasgow wedding
- Posted by Janet Gough on January 25, 2010
- It is Burns Night today! Scottish English week comes to an end with a guest post by Janet Gough. _________________ My sister got married on January 8 at Pollokshields Burgh Hall (1) , on the Sooside (2) of Glasgow. Sláinte, Alison and Colin! The wedding day was brilliant. So much work needed done beforehand to […]
- Language and words in the news - 22 January, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 22, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Objecting to […]
- Bunker and slitter
- Posted by Mairi MacDonald on January 21, 2010
- Scottish English week continues with another fantastic guest post, this time about learning Scots by Mairi MacDonald. ________________ Bunker and slitter*. Two new words I've learnt recently. I'm not learning a new language, just slowly improving my own. Considering I was brought up in Scotland and I have a Scottish accent, my knowledge of Scottish […]
- That's my patter …
- Posted by Nick Gillard on January 20, 2010
- It's all about Scottish-English this week. Here is a guest blog by Nick Gillard about English spoken by "Weegies". ________ I was born in Glasgow (Scotland's largest city) where English is spoken but not quite as we know it, Jimmy*. Like Liverpool, (perhaps Glasgow's closest cousin) over 50% of "Weegies" are Irish Catholic in origin […]
- Speaking Scots
- Posted by Vikki Reilly on January 19, 2010
- Move over Irish-English … It’s time for Scottish- English week! Here is a guest blog post from Vikki Reilly on what it’s like to speak (or should I say weep) Scots. _______ I cannae help the way I speak. Well, I suppose that’s not really true, I’ll admit to having a ‘telephone voice’ like everyone […]
- Irish English
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 18, 2010
- Please find our Irish English page here: Irish English.
- A few more thoughts on Irish-English …
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 18, 2010
- Sinead - one of the commenters on Roisin Muldoon’s recent blog - speculated that the Irish-English verb ‘to give out’ (to talk disapprovingly or tell someone off) may be a direct translation of a similar verb in Irish (the Gaelic language of Ireland). This happens a lot when languages co-exist, and Irish-English borrows not only […]
- Smithereens: a word in bits and pieces
- Posted by Stan Carey on January 17, 2010
- This guest post comes from Stan Carey, a freelance writer and editor living in the west of Ireland. He writes about the English language on his blog Sentence first. _________ When I looked down from the bridge Trout were flipping the sky Into smithereens, the stones Of the wall warmed me. (From ‘May‘, by Seamus […]
- Language and words in the news - 15 January, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 15, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English 10 hot […]
- A face like a fur hatchet and alike. English in Norn Iron
- Posted by Roisin Muldoon on January 13, 2010
- Don’t forget! It’s Irish-English week! Here’s our second guest blog post, this time from Roisin Muldoon, on English in Northern Ireland. _____________ I’m from Northern Ireland. Or, Norn Iron as we like to call it at home. Although English is my native language, I was lucky enough to be able to learn Irish (Gaeilge - […]
- Long finger
- Posted by Dymphna Lonergan on January 11, 2010
- It’s Irish English week! Here is our first guest blog post from Dymphna Lonergan, author of Sounds Irish: The History of the Irish Language in Australia. ________________ Recently at a family lunch here in Australia I mentioned I was going to put something on the long finger. There was silence for a moment and then […]
- Language and words in the news - 8 January, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 08, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Difficult languages. […]
- January - British English month
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on January 07, 2010
- Right. We’re back, we’re on, we’re in for 2010! What a great way to end the year with an Edublog award; thanks so much to those who voted for us. As for 2010, we have some great things planned and can’t wait to share them with you. As well as more witty, entertaining, discussion-inducing fare […]
- Here's to a new decade of language love …
- Posted by Michael Rundell on January 06, 2010
- Language can be divisive. Some people are relaxed about the way it keeps on changing, but others see change as decline. For them, English is ‘going to the dogs’, standards are falling, and the language is being overwhelmed by ‘slang’ and (even worse) ‘horrible Americanisms’. None of this is new. Samuel Johnson harked back to […]
- Which English?
- Posted by Kati Sule on January 05, 2010
- It’s an all too familiar problem: which English should we teach our students? A few pointers from English language expert Professor David Crystal: You may also want to tune into this one if you’ve missed it earlier: Professor David Crystal on English as a Global Language
- In summery [sic]
- Posted by Sharon Creese on January 04, 2010
- Right, I have a question for you - did you ‘Christmasize’ your house for the festive season? And did you correctly ‘ovenize’ the turkey before you put it on to cook? I ask, because in the aftermath of the cold-induced train-stuck-in-the-tunnel debacle, I heard an interview in which a representative of a certain train-company-that-shall-remain-nameless talked […]
- Language and words in the news - 1 January, 2010
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on January 01, 2010
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English In German, […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/12
Archive for December, 2009
- Happy New Year!
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 31, 2009
- On behalf of the Macmillan Dictionary Blog team I'd like to wish you all the very best for the New Year. We look forward to posting some thought-provoking, informative, entertaining blog posts in 2010 too. Happy New Year!
- The meaning of Scrabble
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 29, 2009
- If you're a cryptic crossword devotee, try this one: "Sheds light in elbow attachment". Answer later … Instead of crosswords, some people reach for the Scrabble board at Christmas and gather the family round for hours of festive wordplay. Although most of us see Scrabble as a harmless way to pass an hour or two, […]
- Language and words in the news - 25 December, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on December 25, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English China: New […]
- Winterval - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 24, 2009
- Winterval is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. The term, coined in 1998, refers to the period of festivities which takes place in the middle of winter, including Christmas and other religious or secular festivals like Jewish Hanukkah, Hindu Diwali and pagan festivals such as Yule. To find out more about the word, see these […]
- Thou Shall Not Starve
- Posted by Shane Rae on December 22, 2009
- Big news today in the UK. A Church of England Priest has rocked the Christian community by announcing publicly that it is OK to steal, if you really need to. Tim Jones is quoted in the Guardian newspaper as having said "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift." So I just thought I'd […]
- Most popular posts of 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on December 21, 2009
- Below are links to some of our most popular posts of the year. Many of the posts still have ongoing conversations so don't hesitate to leave a comment! Horrible Americanisms? Who decides what is "good" or "correct" English when the way it is spoken differs from country to country? Casting a spell on English. Stephen […]
- Language and words in the news - 18 December, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on December 18, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English USA: Clarity, […]
- Literally
- Posted by Tim Bowen on December 17, 2009
- Tim Bowen, teacher trainer and Onestopenglish author of the OSE-BuzzWord Lesson Plans, ponders the use & abuse of the word literally… Don't forget! Macmillan Dictionary and Onestopenglish have teamed up for a fantastic Christmas special for teachers in the month of December! On a recent train journey, I heard a fellow passenger say to her […]
- BuzzWords in review - Kerry Maxwell's Diary: The Edge of … English
- Posted by Kerry Maxwell for MEDO on December 16, 2009
- Kerry Maxwell, author of the Macmillan Dictionary BuzzWord articles, casts her eye over the noughties and the words that defined each year. Don't forget: Macmillan Dictionary and Onestopenglish have teamed up for a Christmas special for teachers in the month of December! 1999 (December) Downed a few alcopops when we proposed a toast to the […]
- Nomination for an Edublog Award
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 15, 2009
- Macmillan Dictionary Blog has been nominated for an Edublog Award, in the category Best Group Blog. To vote for the blog, go to this page. And quick: you've only got until Wednesday 16th December (that's tomorrow) to cast your vote! The winners of the Eddies will be announced at the Edublog Awards ceremony on Friday […]
- Q&A: The meaning of fruitloops
- Posted by Liz Potter on December 14, 2009
- A user of the Macmillan Dictionary has sent in a query about the meaning of a word that was new to me: I am looking for the meaning of ‘fruitloops‘ as Debora Shuger uses it in her Political Theologies in Shakespeare’s England. ‘… the play wrestles with a law that seems basically fruitloops‘ says she. […]
- Language and words in the news - 11 December, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on December 11, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Stark lessons […]
- Plain bad language - the winners
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 09, 2009
- Well, it’s over. The Plain English Campaign 2009 awards were announced yesterday, and one of the winners was Lord Mandelson. Having left the cabinet twice in less than ideal circumstances, Mandelson is back in a position of some authority, and is seen as the government’s Great Communicator. But this observation, referring to the MPs’ expenses […]
- Plain bad language
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on December 07, 2009
- “Perhaps I could say, by way of introduction, welcome to our stakeholders. We look forward to our engagement, as we roll out our dialogue on a level playing field, so that, going forward in the public domain, we have a win-win step change that is fit for purpose across the piece.” That was Dr Tony […]
- Language and words in the news - 4 December, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on December 04, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Language change and slang […]
- Merry Christmas, Teachers!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on December 03, 2009
- For the month of December we are going to have a number of posts focussing on teachers, and so who better to hook-up with than onestopenglish.com, the number one resource site for English language teachers? Macmillan Dictionary and onestopenglish.com have got together with expert authors Tim Bowen and Kerry Maxwell to link the weekly BuzzWord […]
- Of Trotskyism and skateboarding
- Posted by Shane Rae on December 02, 2009
- Ever read a book that mentions another book, so you then read that book too? This happened to me recently while reading Slam by Nick Hornby. In the book it mentions the autobiography of Tony Hawk. Not the British guy, the professional skateboarder. Tony is one of my heroes, so I immediately bought it too. […]
- Something seasonal
- Posted by Kati Sule on December 01, 2009
- For us in the Northern Hemisphere the latest season of the flu has well and truly started. The Spanish flu pandemic back in 1918 is perhaps the most well-known outbreak. 2004 brought the fear of an avian or bird flu pandemic, and this year has put the Mexican or swine flu into the spotlight so […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/11
Archive for November, 2009
- Horrible Americanisms?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 30, 2009
- One of our readers - Trauma Queen - made a good point about global Englishes when commenting on Sarah McKeown's recent blog about the expression "I'm lovin' it". Her question: Who decides what is "good" or "correct" English when the way it is spoken differs from country to country? raises some tricky issues about the […]
- Language and words in the news - 27 November, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on November 27, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Millions of […]
- Putpocket - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 26, 2009
- Putpocket is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. If you, like me a few years ago, have been pickpocketed in the past, you will welcome the new phenomenon called putpocketing and its perpetrator, the putpocket, or put-pocketer, who instead of taking money out of your pocket or bag will put money in without you realising it. […]
- A quick post to make you smile halfway through the weak …
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 25, 2009
- Proofreading used to be done by humans, who would mark up pages of manuscript with weird and arcane marks. These days, lots of people rely on the spellcheckers that come with whatever wordprocessing package is on their computer. There's a well-known poem which highlights the pitfalls of over-reliance on spell checkers. And here's Taylor Mali […]
- Casting a spell on English (part four)
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on November 24, 2009
- When you're looking for a word that you've heard, or only half-remember having ever seen, it can be tricky using a paper dictionary. You might look up shedule, not realising that there's a C involved; or if you want to make a clamour you might look for a claxon (though what you really need is […]
- Are you lovin' it?
- Posted by Sarah McKeown on November 23, 2009
- If you're an English grammar aficionado - and even if you're not - brace yourself, I'm afraid I've got some bad news. Actually, I think you should sit down for this; I'm going to break it to you in stages. You're already sitting down? OK, you might want to clench your buttocks or squeeze an […]
- Language and words in the news - 20 November, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on November 20, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Steve Cameron: […]
- Phantonym - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 19, 2009
- Phantonym is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. Last week Michael Rundell, in the context of what 21st century lexicographers do, discussed the way in which words such as disinterested are defined in dictionaries. There is in fact a name for such words and that is no other than phantonym. Here are some […]
- Dude, where's my definition?
- Posted by Shane Rae on November 18, 2009
- Is there a single word that you use in normal conversation that can define what sort of person you are? Apparently, I am defined by my regular usage of the word 'dude'. I was recently introduced to a friend of a friend. I greeted this person with a friendly 'Hi Dude, how's it going?' The […]
- Saying dates
- Posted by Liz Potter on November 17, 2009
- I have recently been asked why we say years the way we do. Why, for example, do we say nineteen hundred (1900) but two thousand (2000)? The recently released film 2012 (pronounced twenty twelve) has highlighted this question. 'What will happen in the 22nd century?', the questioner continued. 'Will we be saying twenty one hundred […]
- From ruff ruff to ow ow
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 16, 2009
- In our weekly roundup a couple of weeks ago there was a link to a pretty fascinating article entitled: Babies May Pick Up Language Cues in the Womb (with a title that thorough, who needs an article?!). Anyway. “The finding suggests that newborns just a few days old may already be trying to imitate the […]
- Language and words in the news - 13 November, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on November 13, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English No foreign […]
- Pedantic, moi?
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 12, 2009
- One of the downsides of being in the dictionary business is that most people have a completely erroneous idea of what we do. A recent article in the Times ticked all the boxes in its caricature of the lexicographer: old, “boffinish” and hopelessly outmoded (still working with card indexes, apparently), we are nevertheless seen as […]
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 11, 2009
- Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. ‘Paraskevi… what?’ you ask. Knowing a bit of Greek and a bit about word formation will help you get to the end of this word. The term paraskevidekatriaphobia is based on the Greek words paraskevi (‘Friday’) and dekatria (‘thirteen’) with -phobia as a suffix to […]
- Casting a spell on English (part three)
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on November 10, 2009
- There are a number of words in English which end with the consonant m followed by the consonant n. Words like hymn, condemn, solemn. We don’t pronounce the n so the words are pronounced /h?m/, /k?n'dem/, and /'s?l?m/. When they form derived words, such as hymnal, condemnation, or solemnity, then the letter n becomes pronounced: […]
- Language and words in the news - 6 November, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on November 06, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Can you […]
- Guy Fawkes' night: time to celebrate villains, slang, and three types of banger
- Posted by Jeremy Bale on November 05, 2009
- English loves short, direct, expressive, onomatopoeic words, of Germanic origin, with multiple meanings - like bang, crash, smash and whoosh. They are a fertile source of slang, and a popular word can - confusingly - acquire different meanings. A topical example is banger and three of its meanings are given below: Banger 1 Bonfire Night […]
- Cardiganed old duffers? A lexicographer responds
- Posted by Michael Rundell on November 04, 2009
- The sad news that Chambers Dictionary is about to lose its lexicographic staff prompted a sympathetic article in the Times. Its author, Allan Brown, contrasted the efforts of Internet dictionaries (“pop-cultural hogwash”) with what he regarded as the work of “proper” lexicographers (“we know that our tongue is safe in their hands”). Very nice of […]
- Keep yer pants on!
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on November 03, 2009
- I wear pants and my daughter wears trousers. Ha! You see now, depending on where your familiarity lies you will have either me in my underwear or my daughter in a tweed three-piece suit with a monocle in her eye … sort of. Pants in BE (British English) = underwear. Pants in AE (American English) […]
- Pseudocide - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on November 02, 2009
- Pseudocide is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. The word, formed from a combination of adjective/prefix pseudo (meaning ‘not genuine’) and suffix -cide (denoting the act of killing), describes the act of faking your own death because you want to start a new life. The concept is not terribly new. You’ll recall the […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/10
Archive for October, 2009
- Language and words in the news - 30 October, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on October 30, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English USA: Top […]
- King's English
- Posted by Laine Redpath Cole on October 26, 2009
- I've had an enlightening week reading Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I've avoided his books - and most of the resulting movies - all my reading/watching life, as … well, I'm hellishly easy to scare (seriously, Ghostbusters scared me senseless). But his approach and his advice is straight-up and liberating rather […]
- Language and words in the news - 23 October, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on October 23, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Celoeobrate: the […]
- Casting a spell on English (continued)
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on October 22, 2009
- There's an old chestnut about the pronunciation of the word GHOTI. It's pronounced, obviously enough, /f??/. The GH is /f/ as in cough; the O is /?/ as in women; and the TI is /?/ as in motion. Not true, of course (it's a made up word and you can read about it on Wikipedia), […]
- Off-grid - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 21, 2009
- Off-grid is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. Off-grid is an adjective which describes the situation of not using public utilities such as electricity, gas, water and mains sewerage. Some of the words which are associated with an off-grid lifestyle are: sustainability, unplugged, recycled, hand-powered, solar, self-sufficient, green. If you'd like to find […]
- Language and words in the news - 16 October, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on October 16, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Are British […]
- Microblogging - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on October 13, 2009
- Microblogging is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary. The term microblogging describes the activity of putting short updates such brief texts, photos etc on a personal blog by using a mobile phone or instant messaging software. The most popular and perhaps best known microblogging service is Twitter. There is debate about the usefulness […]
- Language and words in the news - 09 October, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on October 09, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English The decline […]
- In the news - speaking in code
- Posted by Sharon Creese on October 05, 2009
- Once upon a time, writing in code was the stuff of detective novels and spy movies. Messages would be encoded using transposition ciphers (rearranging the letters of a word), substitution ciphers (where letters are replaced with other letters or numbers), or even steganography (where a piece of text says one thing, but means something completely […]
- Language and words in the news - 2 October, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on October 02, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Why English […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/09
Archive for September, 2009
- Language and words in the news - 25 September, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on September 25, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Let me […]
- In praise of Dr Johnson - a modern lexicographer
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 17, 2009
- When you think of the changes English has undergone in just the last ten years, a figure like Samuel Johnson - whose 300th birthday we celebrate on Friday 18th September - may seem remote from contemporary concerns. Everyone enjoys resurrecting Johnson's more outlandish or amusing definitions, and it's true that he wasn't above having the […]
- I'm a lexicographer - get me out of here
- Posted by Michael Rundell on September 14, 2009
- We need a new definition for celebrity. None of the dictionaries I've looked at (ours included) really does justice to the way the word is used nowadays. Celebrity has become a far more common word in the last 20 years or so: statistics show that its frequency has more than doubled since 1990, its use […]
- Language and words in the news - 11 September, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on September 11, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Poor language […]
- Simples - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on September 10, 2009
- Simples is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. A brand-new interjection is on the rise: Simples! The term, a brainchild of the adorable meerkat called Aleksandr Orlov, is a catch-all expression meaning 'easy, straightforward'. This video is a good example of its use. For more information about the word simples and Aleksandr's […]
- Learn some South African slang - greet a South African today
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on September 09, 2009
- The current UK release of the sci-fi / apartheid movie District 9 by Peter Jackson and Neil Blomkamp has brought South African English into the international spotlight. Stuck down near the bottom of the world, with a whole lot of animals, thousands of miles of coastline and not much between us and Antarctica besides whales […]
- Casting a spell on English
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on September 08, 2009
- One of the leading UK newspapers is always referred to in the satirical magazine Private Eye as the Grauniad. This is a humorous reference to the supposedly high number of typographical errors that used to be found in the Guardian. Typographical errors have more than one category. There are miskeyings, such as form instead of […]
- #followfriday anyone?
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on September 07, 2009
- Or perhaps #teachertuesday? Or even #be_nice_wednesday? Does anyone know what on earth I'm on about? I'll be honest, I'm struggling. But slowly, gradually …, I think I'm getting there. Whilst spending an inordinate amount of time on Twitter the other evening, I have to admit to bamboozling my poor fiancée. For those of us that […]
- Language and words in the news - 4 September, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on September 04, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English USA: Clunkers. […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/08
Archive for August, 2009
- Language and words in the news - 28 August, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 28, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English UK: Cor […]
- Crunch creep - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on August 27, 2009
- Crunch creep is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. About a year ago (on 31st July 2008) the BBC's Magazine Monitor started a series on the 'unlikely byproducts of the credit crunch' and the list has been growing steadily since. It is hardly surprising that in the current economic climate the Crunch […]
- Fry's English Delight - Hallo
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 26, 2009
- BBC Radio 4 has started a new series on the English language, titled Fry's English Delight. In the third and final programme, which you can listen to below, Fry explores the word hallo. With the help of language experts Fry takes a look at the origins of the word and how its meaning has changed […]
- In the news - making your mark
- Posted by Sharon Creese on August 24, 2009
- The British attempt to break the longest-standing land speed record continues in the Mojave Desert, USA this week, after a series of disappointing failures. The team's steam car, Inspiration, is fondly known as 'the fastest kettle in the world', a nickname that raises some interesting mental images! It has already unofficially beaten the 127mph steam […]
- Language and words in the news - 21 August, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 21, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Language and words in […]
- Speedcubing - language and words in the news
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 20, 2009
- Speedcubing is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. Speedcubing is about solving a Rubik's Cube at speed. We had a Rubik's Cube at primary school, which seemed an odd and cruel place for it, although perhaps the teachers were hoping a prodigy might come along, and you have to catch those really […]
- Fry's English Delight - Pronunciation
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 19, 2009
- BBC Radio 4 has started a new series on the English language, titled Fry's English Delight. In the second programme, which you can listen to below, Fry explores the subject of pronunciation. He is joined by experts of communication skills and elocution to dicuss the power of proper pronunciation. The radio broadcast will be available […]
- Mischievous and grievous
- Posted by Gedaly Guberek on August 18, 2009
- Are you a practical joker? Is April Fools Day your favorite day of the year? Are you accused of being devilish, impish, naughty, puckish, rascally, or mischievous? If you feel like you're on top of the world and want to cause some mischief, you might say that you're mischievous. I have been accused of being […]
- Language and words in the news - 14 August, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 14, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Language and words in […]
- Fry's English Delight
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 13, 2009
- BBC Radio 4 has started a new series on the English language, titled Fry's English Delight. In the first programme, which you can listen to below, Fry looks at how 'wrong English' can become 'right English'. Or, in his words (cue Star Trek theme music), 'to boldly go into the outer reaches of the language […]
- Notspot - language and words in the news
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 13, 2009
- Notspot is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. A notspot is what afflicts you when you’re not in the right spot when you want to access the internet from your mobile phone. Don’t think you’ll be spotted on Facebook any time soon, because you will not. Your Hotmail account may as well […]
- Bitching, bodacious, braw or bog standard? Argy-bargy between American and British English
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 12, 2009
- The subject of American English vs. British English is an ornery, troublesome one, and regularly appears in our blog posts. I’m particularly embroiled in this endless debate because I, an Englishman, have an American girlfriend. Now, ladies, please don’t cry. I know what’ll cheer you up: some comparative etymology. Never fails. Usually we just banter […]
- The elephant in the headlines
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 10, 2009
- They come in waves, unstoppable forces sweeping across journalism and the media. Quite often you don’t notice them, perhaps not even until you’re saying one of them glibly to a friend. They’re the fashionable news sayings and idioms, like ‘the elephant in the room’, or ‘the perfect storm’. Both idioms are legitimate sayings of longstanding […]
- Language and words in the news - 7 August, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on August 07, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Language and words in […]
- Britalian - language and words in the news
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 06, 2009
- Britalian is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. It’s one of these classic nomenclatures that save you a syllable when having to describe someone who’s of both British and Italian descent, or an Italian who has emigrated to the UK from Italy. Might I suggest the future use of Americanadian, Thailandorran, Vietnamibian […]
- ‘Genius’ and ‘rubbish’ and other noun-like adjectives
- Posted by Michael Rundell on August 05, 2009
- Some people get very upset about nouns being used as verbs. A recent row in the press centred on the verbal use of medal (How many of their athletes were medalled at the last Olympics?) but it turns out that this usage is at least as old as Thackeray. Which is hardly surprising, since forming […]
- Carrotmob - language and words in the news
- Posted by Drew Stanley on August 04, 2009
- Carrotmob is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Online Dictionary. Contrary to what you might think, it’s nothing to do with angry red-haired people taking to the streets to redress the injustice and persecution they suffer; let’s get that idea right out of the way. Nor is it a mob of genetically-modified carrots on […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/07
Archive for July, 2009
- Language and words in the news - 31 July, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on July 31, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to language and words in the news. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting websites related to global English and language change. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Global English Misunderstood? When […]
- Gongoozler - language and words in the news
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 30, 2009
- 2009 is the year of the staycation. Many of us will choose to spend our vacation in our own country rather than in a far-flung exotic location. And if you favour boats over trains and happen to live near a canal or port you may decide to do a spot of gongoozling and turn into […]
- New BuzzWord: smishing
- Posted by Kati Sule on July 27, 2009
- Vishing … phishing … smishing - smashing! Smishing is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary Online. The term, coined in 2006 by David Rayhawk, working for McAfee Inc, describes the criminal activity of sending text messages to people in order to persuade them to give personal information such as credit card details and […]
- Week in review: 24 July, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on July 24, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Stockholm reported for using too much English. Unraveling how children become bilingual […]
- 'Can I get …'
- Posted by Susan Jellis on July 22, 2009
- 'Can I get some more paper?' 'Yes, it's on the table over there - help yourself.' This would be an unremarkable question and answer pattern but the colleague who was asked this question by several native speakers of British English recently was the invigilator of an exam and certainly did not give that response! The […]
- Week in review: 17 July, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on July 17, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. Blogs and columnists Steep learning curves. Does this phrase refer to the learning […]
- New BuzzWord: pwnd
- Posted by Drew Stanley on July 16, 2009
- Pwnd is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary Online and is an internet phenomenon originally centred on the world of gaming, but broadened out to encompass most humorous situations which involve someone winning and, more importantly, someone conspicuously losing. Parents today have it hard. They grew up being beaten by kindly but quietly […]
- The collective corrective
- Posted by Drew Stanley on July 15, 2009
- Collective nouns are tricky beasts. Or is the concept of collective nouns a tricky beast? The question of whether a collective noun requires a singular or plural verb to agree with it is one many find difficult to grasp, including myself, but then I have the mighty brains of the dictionary team here to help […]
- Week in review: 10 July, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on July 10, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Early language […]
- Adverbs still have something to add (to verbs)
- Posted by Drew Stanley on July 09, 2009
- Adverbs are lovely. Except lovely is an adjective. Now I love snooker, but there's one aspect to watching it on television that drives me potty. Certain commentators on the BBC, who shall remain nameless, have got into the habit of acting as if adverbs don't exist, continually saying such things as: "He's hit that one […]
- ‘Cuddles’ or ‘Cleopatra’ - what do you want to be shouting down the garden path?
- Posted by Sharon Creese on July 07, 2009
- When you get a new pet, how do you choose a name for it? My brother-in-law thinks I’m barking for the way I go about it, but for me, a name has to not only fit the face (and character) of the pet, but it also has to have some significance, be a bit ‘clever’ […]
- New BuzzWord: transliterate
- Posted by Drew Stanley on July 06, 2009
- Transliterate is the new BuzzWord on Macmillan Dictionary Online. To get the most from the myriad sources of information available in the world today, one must be truly transliterate. If you’re reading this blog, well done, it’s a good first step. Now go and read a newspaper, send some mobile phone texts, and you’ll be […]
- In the News: The Father of Modern Computer Science
- Posted by Sharon Creese on July 02, 2009
- Last week saw the anniversary of the birth of Alan Turing, a name that many of us probably recognize, without quite knowing why. Yet we should be grateful to him every time we write an email or produce a report, because Turing is widely recognized as the father of modern computer science. He created the […]
- Why it pays to hedge your bets in English
- Posted by Sarah McKeown on July 01, 2009
- Hedges are essential for communication in English. Hedges are what keep Britain ‘Great’. Without hedges the social fabric of our nation would be torn apart; there would be constant brawling in post office queues across the land; co-workers would smash office chairs across each others backs; the banking system would crumble; our government would implode; […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/06
Archive for June, 2009
- I fail to really see what the fuss is about: there are worse things in life than splitting an infinitive
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 29, 2009
- You would have thought there was no sensible person left who believed that split infinitives were a crime to be avoided at all costs. But apparently not. In the space of ten minutes - while reading the Saturday Review in last week's Guardian - I came across two clumsy sentences. In both cases, the culprit […]
- Week in review: 26 June, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on June 26, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News The new […]
- New BuzzWord: Murraymania
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 25, 2009
- Move over Henmania, here comes Murraymania! Yes, it's that time of year again: the Wimbledon championships have started. Images conjured up are immaculate grass courts, strawberries & cream, rain delay (fortunately Centre Court now has a retractable roof). The competition isn't complete without pressure, from practically the whole nation, on the best British male player […]
- Never mind 'Alice through the Looking Glass', this is 'History through the Rear-view Mirror'
- Posted by Sharon Creese on June 23, 2009
- Back when Henry Ford started mass producing cars, there was no need for clever names to differentiate them from the competition - there was no competition. 'Model T' worked, even if it wasn't exactly exciting. Now, though, there are scores of manufacturers and hundreds of models, each with a name designed to make us want […]
- Ich bin ein Smoggy: reclaiming regional pride
- Posted by Sarah McKeown on June 22, 2009
- A couple of weeks ago I was reminded both of my north-east roots and sociolinguistic theory in quite an unexpected way. While pottering around the house one Saturday afternoon, I heard a knock at the door. Standing there, tracksuited and trainered, was a young lad of about 18 with a large sports bag. He launched […]
- Week in review: 19 June, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on June 19, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News One nation […]
- In the News: a GCSE by Any Other Name
- Posted by Sharon Creese on June 18, 2009
- I was amazed to discover today that there is actually such a thing as a PE (physical education) GCSE in the UK. When I was at school (and admittedly, it was a long time ago) 'studying for a PE GCSE' would have been some bright sparks' explanation for what they were doing out on the […]
- Buon appetito! Why are there no words in English to express my culinary triumph?
- Posted by Sarah McKeown on June 16, 2009
- It would be no exaggeration to say that I have a history of both triumph and tragedy in the kitchen. Delia Smith I am not. I don't believe in recipes; I'm not going to be told what to do by all those egotistical, narcissistic celebrity chefs; I cook by my own rules. The result is […]
- Translators and Dictionaries
- Posted by Brett Jocelyn Epstein on June 15, 2009
- As a translator, I use dictionaries nearly every day. But contrary to what many people might believe, I don't simply look up words in a bilingual dictionary and then write down the first definition offered. Translation is about much more than approximately equivalent words. That's why actual people are needed to carry out translation, rather […]
- Week in review: 12 June, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on June 12, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News The Millionth […]
- In the News: One Million Words of English. (More or less.)
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on June 10, 2009
- An outfit in Austin, Texas called the Global Language Monitor has announced that the English language has one million words. Well, it has had, they say, since 10:22 a.m. Stratford-on-Avon time on June 10th. (Actually, the town is called Stratford-upon-Avon, but let’s not quibble. And also, the countdown clock on their website counted down to […]
- What’s so real about reality TV?
- Posted by Shane Rae on June 09, 2009
- The commencement of Big Brother UK’s 10th series this week has made me consider more closely the term ‘Reality Television’. The Macmillan Dictionary tells me that reality is ‘a fact, event, or situation as it really exists’ but the MED’s entry for reality tv is says ‘television programmes that do not use professional actors but […]
- Revolving speakers: “So she turned round and said…”
- Posted by Michael Rundell on June 08, 2009
- Why do we say that someone “turned round” (or turned around) and said something? It’s one of those expressions people seem to find deeply irritating, and the standard response to what is perceived as “sloppy” English is to imagine it is nothing more than a meaningless filler. I tend to take the opposite view: language […]
- Week in review: 5 June, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on June 05, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Armstrong’s ‘poetic’ […]
- New BuzzWord: crowdsourcing
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 04, 2009
- Crowdsourcing, coined by journalist Jeff Howe, is the new BuzzWord on Macmillan Online Dictionary. For further reading on crowdsourcing, see the links below. We welcome any comments on the latest BuzzWord article. Summary of the crowdsourcing process in eight steps. A new term inspired by crowdsourcing: crowdfunding. The world’s first crowd-funded book (to be produced […]
- In the news - street dance
- Posted by Kati Sule on June 02, 2009
- While overnight singing sensation Susan Boyle is taking some time to recover in the Priory, dance group Diversity are celebrating their win in the final of the third series of Britain’s Got Talent. Diversity’s success has introduced street dance to TV audiences who may otherwise have been watching more old-fashioned genres on Strictly Come Dancing. […]
- Brazil Bonfire Festival - Not Just ‘Good Fire’!
- Posted by Shane Rae on June 01, 2009
- The upcoming June Bonfire Festival (13th to 29th June) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has me thinking about the word bonfire itself. All over the world people use bonfires to celebrate local events. In the United States it is tradition to mark a community’s Homecoming Day by a gathering around a bonfire. In the UK […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/05
Archive for May, 2009
- Week in review: 29 May, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 29, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News A human […]
- New BuzzWord: defriend
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 27, 2009
- 234,000 of us chose a Burger King Whopper over our friends! In January, Burger King offered a free burger to anyone who defriended ten of their Facebook contacts. The campaign did not last long. Facebook objected to users being notified they had been defriended for a tenth of a burger. To acquire a burger, though […]
- 'Mostly harmless' and alike. Towel Day remembers Douglas Adams
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 25, 2009
- You may not be aware that today is Towel Day. All around the world people remember and celebrate the creative genius of British author Douglas Adams by carrying a towel around with them. Douglas Adams did not only contribute to the literary genre of science fiction but to the English language too. Here is a […]
- Week in review
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 22, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Language rated […]
- New BuzzWord: Jade effect
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 21, 2009
- 'The term Jade effect is a media creation based on an emerging productive pattern in English. The X effect, where X is a proper noun corresponding to someone in the public eye, describes a tendency for people to do a particular thing because they have taken inspiration from said person X.'
- In the news - bachelorette
- Posted by Kati Sule on May 20, 2009
- If you are a fan of reality TV shows (I'm not exactly!), then you'll be happy to hear that a new series of Bachelorette has started. This mainly American English term is not new of course, but it's seen many synonyms and probably more antonyms emerge of late. You only need to scan our Open […]
- Purses & wallets: corpus sex differences
- Posted by Jamie Keddie on May 18, 2009
- In the English class, teachers can make use of internet search engines to answer students' linguistic queries such as: "Which is more common - look after yourself or take care of yourself?" In the following pie chart, figures refer to the number of Google hits obtained by running a web search of these two items: […]
- Week in review
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 15, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Immigrant women […]
- BuzzWord: swine flu
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 15, 2009
- Swine flu is the new BuzzWord on Macmillan Online Dictionary. For further reading on swine flu, see the links below. We welcome any comments on the latest BuzzWord article. Tourists who catch swine flu offered free Mexico holidays. Swine flu 'fun' facts. Laurie Garrett on lessons from the 1918 flu. Pulitzer winner Laurie Garrett gave […]
- Pwn leet: a dynamic sublanguage and internet phenomenon. Part 2.
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 14, 2009
- Language changes faster than most of us can keep up with. The average person has a vocabulary of about 50,000 words, so with the much hyped arrival of the millionth word in the English language, we all have a lot of work to do. Let's start with pwn. This is the second of two posts […]
- Six things in six minutes
- Posted by Lindsay Clandfield on May 11, 2009
- I am always on the lookout for new and interesting sites for my students or student-teachers. When I heard that the Macmillan Dictionary had just gone online, I thought it would be worth taking a look. Being an English teacher, teacher trainer, materials writer and occasional blogger though, my time is somewhat at a premium. […]
- Week in review
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 08, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News ‘It was […]
- Pwn leet speak: a dynamic sublanguage and internet phenomenon
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 06, 2009
- Have you come across the acronyms lol (laugh out loud) or brb (be right back) from texting or instant messaging? Perhaps you have lazily texted or typed C u 2mrw (see you tomorrow)? Are you a fan of the hugely popular Lol Cats (to the left) with their sometimes strange but often hilarious captioning language? […]
- I’m beginning to hate apostrophes!
- Posted by Gwyneth Fox on May 04, 2009
- I’m turning into a grumpy old woman. Or perhaps I’ve been one for ages without noticing and I’m only just becoming aware of how grumpy I can get. I used not to bother when people got apostrophes wrong; I refused to join a society for the preservation of the apostrophe; and I gently corrected my […]
- Week in review: 1 May, 2009
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on May 01, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Vast language, […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/04
Archive for April, 2009
- Two short legs and a silly point: learn (about) English through cricket. Part 3: terminology
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 29, 2009
- Which is the more difficult word: take or encephalomyelitis? Most people would pick the second one - but a lexicographer wouldn't. For dictionary-writers, words like encephalomyelitis are easy because they only have one meaning, and it can be defined with complete accuracy. The really difficult words are go, take, get, and similar high-frequency items which […]
- Beyond the usual
- Posted by Susan Jellis on April 27, 2009
- That somebody might find raising funds difficult in these problematic financial times is certainly not beyond belief. That they might say, describing their plight, that 'Getting the financing was beyond difficult' may be more surprising. We're used to things being beyond recognition, beyond a doubt/beyond reasonable doubt, beyond a joke, beyond expectations or beyond our […]
- Week in review
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 24, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News Email language […]
- Sorry I bought it up!
- Posted by Shane Rae on April 22, 2009
- I was recently visiting a primary school and had the great pleasure of sitting in on an assembly that was to be a celebration of some of the children's fantastic work. It was also a chance for the pupils to bring in things to show to their peers as well. In a nice clear voice, […]
- Webby for Wordle?
- Posted by Kati Sule on April 20, 2009
- The countdown for the annual Webby Awards, aka the Oscars for the Web, has started: there are ten more days left to cast your vote. (Voting stops at the end of April.) This year, one of the more interesting nominees, in the category of 'Best typography', is Wordle. Wordle has been created by Jonathan Feinberg, […]
- Week in review
- Posted by Jonathan Cole on April 17, 2009
- This post contains a weekly selection of links related to English language today. These can be items from the latest news, blog posts or interesting related websites. A new weekly review post will be posted every Friday. Please contact us if you would like to submit a link for us to include. News An Amazon […]
- Miss! Here! Correction: Mishear
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on April 15, 2009
- If you're like me, you'll have spent many years labouring under the misapprehension that Jimi Hendrix sang 'Scuse me while I kiss this guy in his 1967 hit, Purple Haze. But in fact he didn't - what he actually sang was 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky. There's a word for this sort of […]
- The (poor) language of journalism - a lot less bad?
- Posted by Shane Rae on April 08, 2009
- Why is it that journalists seem to think that they are allowed the greatest licence when using the English language? Why do they not feel bound by the same linguistic restraints as the rest of us? Often they make up brand new words to describe something in a way they feel that no existing word […]
- Two short legs and a silly point: learn (about) English through cricket. Part 2: Origins
- Posted by Michael Rundell on April 02, 2009
- First, a little history to set the scene. We think of cricket as a very 'English' game, and nowadays it's mainly played in parts of the former British empire: Australasia, the Indian subcontinent, South Africa, and the Caribbean. But its history is more complex. In a recent novel, Netherland, the protagonist is a Wall Street […]
(E3)(L2) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/03
Archive for March, 2009
- New media - friend or foe for the English language?
- Posted by Finn Kirkland on March 28, 2009
- In the beginning there was the letter. Handwritten, focused, thought-provoking and sincere. Sentences would be considered, structured, and formulated in a way that could evoke any number of feelings and emotions, and it was the sort of piece that, when you finished writing, you felt content with the product in front of you: happy to […]
- Bored of life? What Dr. Johnson didn't say
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 26, 2009
- Samuel Johnson famously said that "when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life". This is sometimes misquoted as "when a man is bored with London, he is bored with life" (and sometimes wrongly attributed to Oscar Wilde, but that's another story). But what the great lexicographer definitely didn't say was "when […]
- Why do the British refer to their eggplant as an 'aubergine'?
- Posted by Shane Rae on March 25, 2009
- Why do the British refer to their eggplant as an 'aubergine'? This Canadian wants to know. Upon my arrival in the UK, I was astounded to find that the Brits not only pronounce the names of some vegetables incorrectly (e.g. tomato) but they even use the wrong words for some. Could this be their desire […]
- Bodily functions
- Posted by Stephen Bullon on March 25, 2009
- Scarcely a day goes by without Robert Peston, the BBC Business Editor, telling us of yet another eye-watering sum of money being allocated by government to a failing bank, or an eye-watering loss sustained by a major corporation. Here he is on his blog on 5th January this year: And we can be fairly confident […]
- Two short legs and a silly point: learn (about) English through cricket
- Posted by Michael Rundell on March 24, 2009
- Cricket is the most quintessentially English game, but is famously incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't been brought up with it. (The phrase in the title here makes perfect sense to an aficionado of the game but could easily be misinterpreted by anyone else.) George W. Bush - not the sharpest knife in the drawer - […]
(E?)(L?) http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/2009/02
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