And the number one new word in the Oxford English Dicitonary is....

SUBPRIME (adj): "Of or designating a loan, typically having relatively unfavourable terms, made to a borrower who does not qualify for other loans because of a poor credit history or other circumstances; (also) designating such a borrower."

See also "disaster", "greed" and "runaway neo-liberal, free market capitalism".

Can we still call them "suiciders"?

When we start allowing the islamofascist jihadi suiciding holy warriors to dictate how we use our language* then the islamofascist jihadi suiciding holy warriors have well and truly won.

At least we fought the good fight!

*Actually the language belongs to the English but for the sake of argument let's pretend otherwise.

In which I drone on and on and on about THE importance of THE definite article!

You would think that Auntie would know better. When I first saw the headline "Plans to control access to Amazon" I panicked. Where the hell would I buy my CDs and books? However after taking the time to actually read the article I find that the story is about an idea under consideration by the Brazilian government to require all researchers and workers in THE Amazon basin to procure permits and any found in THE Amazon rain forest without a permit would be heavily fined.

A message to the great nation of Poland

Watching old episodes of the British version of Big Brother is not, I repeat, is not a a good way to learn to speak "English". You'll just have to trust me on this, OK?

Today in infamy - special Geno's Steaks edition

Today is International Mother Language Day. UNESCO calls on us this day to:

(a) create the conditions for a social, intellectual and media environment of an international character which is conducive to linguistic pluralism;

(b) promote, through multilingual education, democratic access to knowledge for all citizens, whatever their mother tongue, and build linguistic pluralism.

Don't tell the English only folks!

An editorial note to the Anti-Defamation League

Dear sirs,

I would have thought you well educated enough to realise that it is inappropriate to use the term anti-Semitic to describe Arabs. As I am sure you are fully aware Arabs are, like Jews, a Semitic people and are therefore your brothers. A more appropriate term for what you seem to wish to communicate is "anti-Judaic" and I would recommend that you use it in the future.

I hope this was helpful.

Sincerely,

Yank in London

When a language dies

89 year old Marie Smith Jones, who was the only known fluent speaker of Eyak has died in Anchorage. Her language goes with her.

Too fucking right

A man in Doylestown PA has apologised to police after he added the note "go fuck yourself" to the memo line of the cheque he used to pay a parking fine. The charge of disorderly conduct against the man was dropped apparently to the chagrin of the judge in the case. The man's attorney had been prepared to argue that the word "fuck" no longer had a solely sexual connotation and that it could no longer be considered obscene. Will someone ring the FCC and inform them of this? I would but the call's expensive from here.