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Post by Verbivore on Feb 1, 2021 23:28:01 GMT
After a slow lexical start to my month, here's a word I learned today through reading an article on (dis)abilities: moil – to toil, work hard, drudge.
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Post by Verbivore on Feb 3, 2021 8:47:34 GMT
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 4, 2021 2:11:36 GMT
“It's the first time the 22-year-old [Spit Turner] properly opened up to their mum about their feelings toward their gender.
“Non-binary is a term used to describe people who don't identify as male or female. Often, non-binary people will use they/them in place of gendered pronouns.”
This is the first time I have seen a major news outlet adopting the non-gender third person singular pronoun in the text of a report, albeit with an explanation, but thus, nevertheless, respecting the preferences of the person concerned.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55857270
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Post by Verbivore on Feb 4, 2021 6:36:47 GMT
“It's the first time the 22-year-old [Spit Turner] properly opened up to their mum about their feelings toward their gender. “Non-binary is a term used to describe people who don't identify as male or female. Often, non-binary people will use they/them in place of gendered pronouns.” This is the first time I have seen a major news outlet adopting the non-gender third person singular pronoun in the text of a report, albeit with an explanation, but thus, nevertheless, respecting the preferences of the person concerned. www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55857270It's been the practice of the Oz ABC and SBS – the two government-owned networks – for a few years now. |
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Post by Verbivore on Feb 6, 2021 14:30:39 GMT
Television terminologyToday we have (or are) television viewers. However, back in the early days of TV, John Logie Baird referred to viewers of the first broadcast as " lookers in". See @ 20:45 in this video.
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Post by Dave Miller on Feb 6, 2021 17:05:38 GMT
Television terminologyToday we have (or are) television viewers. However, back in the early days of TV, John Logie Baird referred to viewers of the first broadcast as " lookers in". See @ 20:45 in this video. Interesting. That (to me, anyway) suggests not just a change in terminology, but also a change in the mental image of what the TV station(s) and their "audience" considered the process to be. We nowadays regard the production team as making a programme, to be consumed in our homes. Perhaps back then, the wonder of the technology made them see it as holding a show in the studio, which by magic could also be seen by those with the appropriate long-distance spying equipment. |
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Post by Twoddle on Feb 7, 2021 10:53:58 GMT
I recall reading somewhere that the BBC, or possibly The Radio Times magazine, held a competition among its subscribers to create a name for people who watched television, and the winning neologism was "viewer".
Later: It seems I was partly correct. The Online Etymology Dictionary say, "Viewer. Early 15c., "civic official responsible for surveying property," agent noun from view (v.). Meaning "watcher of television" first recorded 1935, in place of earlier suggestion looker-in (1927)".
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Post by Verbivore on Feb 7, 2021 11:25:46 GMT
I had supposed looker-in was based on the listener-in of radio.
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 7, 2021 13:18:30 GMT
But I watch television (all too much in these lockdown days). The television analysts may say I am a viewer but I never spend my time viewing it; only watching it.
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Post by Dave Miller on Feb 7, 2021 16:00:25 GMT
But I watch television (all too much in these lockdown days). The television analysts may say I am a viewer but I never spend my time viewing it; only watching it. I agree, LJH. There’s a subtle difference. (I recall having to explain to learners when, some years ago, I taught English to Cantonese people, the differences between see, look, observe, watch, etc.) But what am I doing if the telly is on in the background and I’m paying only a bit of attention? With the radio, I could say I was hearing but not listening. “Seeing but not watching” doesn’t quite hit it ... |
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 9, 2021 13:18:10 GMT
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 9, 2021 13:35:03 GMT
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 9, 2021 16:19:23 GMT
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Post by Verbivore on Feb 9, 2021 19:59:03 GMT
LJH: I have been a fan of Simon Roper's YT channel for a couple of years. He presents some very interesting material. One thing I particularly like is Simon's claim to not be a linguistics expert but a student of archaeology with an interest in language. Any YouTuber who claims not to be an expert on the material s/he presents is an improvement over the zillions of self-proclaimed experts who often know a lot about a little or a little about a lot. Those give me the irrits.
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Post by Little Jack Horner on Feb 12, 2021 9:00:03 GMT
If folk outside the UK can access past broadcasts from the BBC, I heartily recommend number 2 programme in the BBC2 “Shakespeare Unlocked” series from 11 February. It was actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company together with their directors exploring and performing differently three scenes from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. A worthwhile masterclass I think, especially the first scene.
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