h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Another overused word: the adjectival 'key' -- particularly in political language.

ugh

>>liberate (v.) - to invade

Hear, hear!

Not a word but "VIP".
As though someone is more important than someone else becuase they've got more money/fame.

Yuk!

"Celeb"

Use the full word, dammit!

xml error on this site you are reading nnow!

"Whatever"

>> A thread inspired by one word: ABSOLUTELY. <<


Absofrigginlutely!



~jwf~

UFO

Many people use this term when they actually mean 'flying saucer full of green aliens'.

"UFO

Many people use this term when they actually mean 'flying saucer full of green aliens'."

Which they would be much less likely to come across.

Genre:
Why isn't there a good synonym for this in English?

And a phrase: At the end of the day.

Everything seems to be 'at the end of the day'. Surely some things won't be resolved at least until the end of the week.

F

I think 'at the end of the day' ends up meaning that one can finally just go to sleep and - hopefully - forget about it all.

Though perhaps it means the same as 'when all is said and done', which I think means kind of - what the hell. What difference does it make?

Neither of which sound terribly optimistic to me!

az
optimist in training . . .

I like it when Nick Ross says 'sleep well and dont have nightmares'. I can understand why people complained when he stopped.

hi Fathom,

The word 'genre' has turned into something English to mean exactly what the French word does. English is full of this stuff. Adopting foreign words. At the end of an invitation we put RSVP. That isn't English. But it has become the norm for requesting a reply on formal invitations.

I quite like the mix-mash of language and cultures in an attempt to express things better. If we all could speak at least five or six languages, just imagine how well we would be able to express every little nuance.

After having lived in Spain for over ten years I have come to learn that so many things are just not 'translatable'. Certain expressions only exist within those particular words and within that particular culture. And they are quite lovely and often very funny and even often quite rude! But the love of language says that all new ways of expressing 'whatever' should be embraced. At least, I think so.

az

Hello az,

Fancy meeting you here!

I've nothing against the continued evolution of English - it's what makes this such an expressive language and so much fun to use. The problem is that 'genre' has such an atypical pronunciation. Usually when 'we' adopt a foreign word we anglicise it to fit with our own consonants and vowels [struggles to find an example] but there's nothing in English quite like the first consonant in 'genre'. It's somewhere between Jonra and Shonra - sort of Zhonra. Consequently you hear some strange pronunciations: Jenra, Jenner, Jonree etc.

And why, after all these years of English, is there no real synonym for it? Class doesn't quite fit the bill, nor does category or genus. Although in most cases one of these would perhaps do the job.

I have enough trouble with one language, let alone five or six.

Ciao

F

....Hmmm.... foreign words with no English equivalent...

Let's all do the Schadenfreude Polka!!!

(this was an actual song on a wonderful cartoon called Pinky and the Brain)

sounds like Schläger Festival

Fathom,

I pronounce it sorta kinda like 'zjonra'. And almost everyone I've ever heard pronouce the word - even French people - tend to pronounce it quite the same. Problem?

Why should there be an English word for it? Yes, you are right. Class or category doesn't work, so why not just use the French word, which is quite a nice word anyhoodle. And it works.

Part of what I love so much about the English language (and I'm an English teacher) is that it is so open to change and accepting other words and expressions. It may be the most dominant global language now in terms of technology and business, but for example, we still put RSVP at the end of wedding or dinner invitations. That's not English!

Really, genre is a fabulous word, I think. No matter how badly some might pronounce it.

az

I keep hearing "Get you hands off me you filthy pervert" so I'd like to hear that alot less

say what?

"Mad" and "pervert" should both be used less. People say them so much they lose all meaning.