Re: [GZG] Language Use - was Re: GZG official news - we've moved premises!

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Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@mail.csua.berkeley.edu
http://mail.csua.berkeley.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lI rather like
the British usage with collective nouns: "The Kra'Vak side have won
their last three outings, but the UNSC promise to give them a stiff test
at Mars."

If I have it right, at any rate....

Best,
Ken

--- On Tue, 6/15/10, Allan Goodall <agoodall@hyperbear.com> wrote:

From: Allan Goodall <agoodall@hyperbear.com>
Subject: Re: [GZG] Language Use - was Re: GZG official news - we've
moved premises!
To: gzg-l@mail.csua.berkeley.edu
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 6:49 PM

On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Tom B <kaladorn@gmail.com> wrote:

 Why did the BBC decide that 'Drug War' and 'Drug Lord' needed replaced
by 'Drugs War' and 'Drugs Lord'? That's probably strictly a usage
decision and therefore not an error, but it sounds very odd to my ears. 

Oh, this is easy to explain. They had a bunch of "s"-es left over from
the word "sports". In the U.S. and Canada it is "NBC Sports" or "CBC
Sports". In Britain it is "BBC Sport". They treat "sport" like it's a
plural.

So with all those extra letters and all the doping going on in "sport",
they put them on the word "drug".

"Next on sports, Chuck has a report on a new drug abuse scandal."
versus

"Next on sport, Charles has a report on a new drugs abuse scandal."

 Now, there are funny bits to all linguistic groups. I recall visiting
Mike Sarno and company in Towanda, PA. We went for a late dinner and
some drinks and at about 9 or 10 pm, Mike said they (the Americans) were
all really impressed. I was puzzled and inquired. I'd been there for 4-5
hours and they hadn't heard me use 'eh?' once. They'd been watching for
it. 

Most Canadians don't. However, I have a cousin who says it all the time.
My sister didn't use to say it until she moved to Calgary.

On the flip side, Alana tells me that I don't sound right when I say
"y'all", probably because while it's used all over down here, it still
doesn't come "trippingly" to my tongue.

However, I have caught myself very easily and casually using the term
"fixin' to". As in, "I'm fixin' to go to the store, did you want
anything?" (It's pronounced like it's all one word.)

  
 I guess that's foreign to most folks in America. It's nearest
equivalent is the equally all purpose surfer-term 'Dude'.... 'Dude,
where's my car?' 'Cool, Dude!', "Duuuuude!', etc. 

Stephen King talks about "ayuh" used in the New England states in much
the same way as "eh". I wonder if it's some sort of French influence...? 

-- 
Allan Goodall            http://www.hyperbear.com
awgoodall@gmail.com
agoodall@hyperbear.com

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