DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS

[Tizer]

Can anyone tell me why my spell check won't let me spell waggon with two gs when it informs me that waggoner is a correct spelling?

Collins recognises both versions of wagon/wagoner and waggon/waggoner. Type them in, right click on them and add them to your dictionary.

[Stanley]

I have just come across Autarky and on looking it up found why I was confused!
The word autarky is from the Greek: αὐτάρκεια, which means "self-sufficiency" (derived from αὐτο-, "self", and ἀρκέω, "to suffice"). The term is confused with autarchy (Greek: αὐταρχία – the idea of rejecting government and ruling oneself and no other).

[Stanley]

I see Suella Braverman says "her officials are working at pace to identify the next head of the police investigation authority".
This phrase 'working at pace' has become a favourite of spokes people for the government because it sounds impressive but actually has no meaning because the word 'pace' has no qualifier. There is a whole industry in Whitehall looking for weasel words like this.....

[Tizer]

I saw `gamify' used as a verb in a newspaper article on UK politics and had to look it up. Google tells me:
Apply typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to (an activity), typically as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service.
"I like to gamify parts of my life to keep things fun"

[Tripps]

I note the increasing use of the phrase 'reach out' . It's American of course and irritates me a little more than 'share'.

I sent a rather confrontational email to an American organisation recently, and they replied by saying "thank you for reaching out".

They fixed the problem though.

[Stanley]

I heard an author admit that she mentioned religion in one of her books simply so that she could include the word antidisestablishmentarianism. I like that and understand her reasoning.
Why invent new words and phrases when there are so many splendid examples just itching to be used. (I got persiflage in this week....)

[plaques]

Perhaps it was used unconscionable? (not guided by conscience; unscrupulous)

[Stanley]

I've just heard Sarah Montague on World at One use a word 'opency' which I think was a substitute for disclosure....

[Wendyf]

I've just heard Sarah Montague on World at One use a word 'opency' which I think was a substitute for disclosure....

I thought openness would have fitted the bill.

[Stanley]

You're probably right Wendy. Glad you heard it as well!

[Tripps]

Oh well spotted It seems Mr Google hasn't noticed it yet. I think the lady has got a bit ahead of herself here.

Not yet cromulent. Perhaps she thought it was the opposite of 'latency' ?

PS just spoken to my young lad who heard the programme. He thinks it was just a slip of the tongue and was not intended. She misspoke he says.

[Stanley]

She did hesitate and was searching for a word she'd forgotten while under pressure on air so understandable but still it happened and the word police spotted it!

[Stanley]

Another example of sloppy editing on World Service this morning. Describing the effects of climate change the presenter referred to 'islands sinking into the sea', this is of course nonsense. What she should have said was 'island which are being submerged by rising sea levels'.
Doe this matter? I believe it does, we need accurate reporting leading to clear understanding. Reports like this do nothing for either.

[Tripps]

Seen elsewhere -

Slang: "Doing a Harry"

Translation: A person or persons that will sell their own grandmother.

[Stanley]

Very apt. He is acting like a complete waste of space.....
I suppose all these inbred aristo families fail in the end...... I fear this is what we are looking at now. (German based dynasties are particularly prone to it....)

[Stanley]

Listening to experts talking about Octopuses on the natural history programme on R4 this morning I learned that they regard that as the correct plural form and not Octopi.
Now I need a definitive ruling on crocuses......

[Stanley]

More on the prefix 'dis'.
Is the origin of the word dismantle to be found in that the original meaning was 'undress'?

[Stanley]

I'd never come across the word 'yeaned' until it cropped up in evidence about Salterforth. I found it related to 'Yean' to bring forth young (of a sheep or goat) see ME 'yenen' 14th C.

[Tizer]

I encounter many old words when reading M.J. Trow's `Christoper Marlowe' novels based in the 1500s and enjoy finding out what they mean and their derivation. Last night I saw `caliverman' and found caliver refers to a small musket and it's related to `calibre'.

[Stanley]

New one on me Peter as well.....

[Tizer]

The Telegraph front page has a nib titled `Police warned not to rebrand paedophiles'. Apparently the police have started replacing that word with `MAPs' meaning `minor-attracted people'. Campaigners have warned that it's part of an attempt to rebrand paedophilia as a harmless sexual preference. They say child-abusers are trying to avoid the stigma attached to paedophilia and want to be seen as a niche group alongside the LGBT community.

[Stanley]

Could problems with spelling paedophile have some influence also? Remember the paediatric doctor who was attacked for child-bothering?

[Tizer]

It's a great shame that child abusers came to be known as `paedophiles' and the abuse of children paedophilia. The words paedophobe and paedophobia would have been more appropriate. Most of us love children (at least when they are behaving themselves!) but we don't abuse them.

[Stanley]

Or even child botherer or abuser.

[Stanley]

Why does it 'rain cats and dogs'?