13 February 2009
12 February 2009
Words: editing and proofreading
As of Monday, I'm back in gainful employment. Hurrah!
Here ends my existence of sitting around pretending to be a writer and filling the empty hours with voluntary work for Chorlton's Big Green Festival (see, you don't catch me swigging gin and watching Trisha back to back).
I'm going to be the interim Publications Officer for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is all very right-on and Chorltony, and something I'm looking forward to immensely. I get to do loads of editing and proofreading, so I can't wait.
I wonder if I get a dictionary and some pencils with rubbers on the end? Ooooh, I hope so!
Strangely, my horoscope for today alludes to my getting the position. Obviously I don't normally believe in that kinda shit, especially when it's written by Russell Grant in the MEN, but maybe I will do henceforth. (Oh no, it's just the beginning of a slippery slope sliding into the dark mystic underbelly of dreamcatchers and windchimes; it must be passed on genetically. Mother, what have you done to me?)
Anyway, that horoscope...
Capricorn
Donating time, money or energy to an important cause fills a hole in your life. Don't be surprised if someone asks you to work for a charitable organisation.
Wow, it's like he knows me.
Here ends my existence of sitting around pretending to be a writer and filling the empty hours with voluntary work for Chorlton's Big Green Festival (see, you don't catch me swigging gin and watching Trisha back to back).
I'm going to be the interim Publications Officer for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is all very right-on and Chorltony, and something I'm looking forward to immensely. I get to do loads of editing and proofreading, so I can't wait.
I wonder if I get a dictionary and some pencils with rubbers on the end? Ooooh, I hope so!
Strangely, my horoscope for today alludes to my getting the position. Obviously I don't normally believe in that kinda shit, especially when it's written by Russell Grant in the MEN, but maybe I will do henceforth. (Oh no, it's just the beginning of a slippery slope sliding into the dark mystic underbelly of dreamcatchers and windchimes; it must be passed on genetically. Mother, what have you done to me?)
Anyway, that horoscope...
Capricorn
Donating time, money or energy to an important cause fills a hole in your life. Don't be surprised if someone asks you to work for a charitable organisation.
Wow, it's like he knows me.
11 February 2009
Misfit: a Christmas carol
University Challenge also brought to my attention the linguistic phenomenon of "metanalysis", in which a new lexical item is formed by the movement of a letter across a word boundary (in the olden days, an adder was a nadder and an apron was a napron, dontchaknow).
I decided to see what The Oracle (Wikipedia) had to say on the matter, and learnt that, as well as metanalysis of words, there exists metanalysis of phrases.
I discovered that in the title and lyrics of the Christmas carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, originally merry was a complement with rest (in other words, rest ye merry = have a pleasant repose).
I, like many I am sure, thought twas the gentlemen who were merry (as in cheerful, jolly or perhaps full of the Christmas spirit, having been at the sherry).
Well, I never. Perhaps someone should get in there with a comma in the songsheet and a crochet instead of a semiquaver.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen.
I decided to see what The Oracle (Wikipedia) had to say on the matter, and learnt that, as well as metanalysis of words, there exists metanalysis of phrases.
I discovered that in the title and lyrics of the Christmas carol God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, originally merry was a complement with rest (in other words, rest ye merry = have a pleasant repose).
I, like many I am sure, thought twas the gentlemen who were merry (as in cheerful, jolly or perhaps full of the Christmas spirit, having been at the sherry).
Well, I never. Perhaps someone should get in there with a comma in the songsheet and a crochet instead of a semiquaver.
God rest ye merry, gentlemen.
10 February 2009
Words: universally challenged
Manchester Uni are doing very well on the current series of University Challenge, and are through to the final. Hurrah to them!
Here's one of the questions from this week, which I liked (and for once wasn't about quantum physics or obscure operas by someone you've never even heard of).
In best Paxman voice, ahem:
Which common three-letter words begin with the same letter and end with the same letter, but have different vowels in the middle, and mean, in alphabetical order: sack; beseech; large; marsh, and a type of insect?
That'll be: bag, beg, big, bog, bug, Jeremy.
Here's one of the questions from this week, which I liked (and for once wasn't about quantum physics or obscure operas by someone you've never even heard of).
In best Paxman voice, ahem:
Which common three-letter words begin with the same letter and end with the same letter, but have different vowels in the middle, and mean, in alphabetical order: sack; beseech; large; marsh, and a type of insect?
That'll be: bag, beg, big, bog, bug, Jeremy.
09 February 2009
Fixture: mirror, mirror on the wall...
Thought it was time for a little reflection.
There we go. That's better.
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