That’s according to this article which suggests the term “pet” is insulting to animals. Leading academics claim that domestic animals should be referred to “companion animals” whilst their owners should be called “human carers”. The call comes from the editors of the Journal of Animal Ethics which argues that derogatory language about animals can affect…
Category: Language
Cockney Accent Could Die Out in London
According to new research the Cockney accent is likely to disappear from London within 30 years. It seems the accent is being replaced by a more multicultural mix including Cockney, Bangladeshi and West Indian accents. The traditional Cockney accent appears to be moving further East as traditional Cockneys move into surrounding areas such as Essex…
School Test Fails to Make the Grade
According to this article a school test in Massachusetts was found to have more than 100 spelling, grammar and factual errors. The test which was designed for 2,600 of the districts 11th and 12th grade pupils in May was found to have severe typos and factual errors. In parts of the test students were asked…
And the Word of the Year is…. Unfriend
The New Oxford American Dictionary has named the word unfriend as its word of the year. It has beaten other finalists such as hashtag, intexticated, sexting and funemployed to win the title. If you are confused as to the meanings of any of these words there are explanations here. I find it interesting that most…
The Correct Usage of Loose and Lose
I am frequently frustrated when I come across people who fail to understand the difference between loose and lose so found this article particularly interesting. Its worth reading the whole article but amongst other things it points out:“A bet you’re unlikely to win is a losing proposition. If you’re playing Scrabble and your opponent is…
Collins to Drop Some Little Used Words
Collins will drop some little used words from the next edition of its paper dictionary according to this article. The compilers of the dictionary have decided that some words are are rarely used and are rather obscure will need to be dropped from the next edition of the its dictionary in order to make room…
Thought Shower
Apparently it is no longer acceptable to have a brainstorming session, instead you should have a thought shower. That’s according to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council which has suggested staff stop using the term in case it offends epileptics. Its the first time I have come across the term thought shower, it seems to be one…