Cute archaic phrase of the day.

Thu, 26 Feb 2009
1 min read
2 Comments

put up (verb phrase)
to accommodate; lodge.
e.g. Where are you putting up now?

Someone asked me this today, and it was all I could do to stop myself from smiling. Why? Because I was reminded of a discussion some of us had during a workshopping session a month or so back, about ‘archaic’ phrases that people from our parents’ generation use, and how extremely out the place the phrases are. But because they’re so incongruent especially in our age, they’re kinda cute, in a retro sort of way. Other examples of cute archaic phrases: taking your breakfast/lunch/dinner in lieu of eating.

Any other examples you can think of?

Texting and language acquisition/use.

Tue, 24 Feb 2009
1 min read
Add Comment
  1. Your little texting runt may not be illiterate. (via Lucas Ho)
  2. 2b or not 2b: David Crystal on why texting is good for language. (A link I found some time ago)

I’ve always believed we shouldn’t be so quick to decry text messaging and immediately linking the use of abbreviations in texting to language depreciation.

My argument would run somewhere along the lines that the shortened forms of the words are a form of simplification – duh – and code-switching – I won’t use this form of language in formal letters, and people who do that aren’t stupid, they just haven’t been as quick to realise what is appropriate and what isn’t. Or maybe they have different perceptions of appropriateness.

Above all, we must remember that language has evolved over time, and will continue to evolve, regardless of whether you like it or not. The best advice I can give: move along with the times, people.

One of the favourite parts of my weekend:

Mon, 16 Feb 2009
1 min read
2 Comments

(Or the Lit Field Trip rather.)

Hanging out at the Fullerton Hotel, and letting the koi fish gently nibble at my fingers, then discovering that they were good-natured enough to let me pet them. The best part was when I decided to (gently) box them, and they let me do so AND then came back for more.

I think it was then that I realised that fish could make good pets, so long as they were interactive. Or perhaps humans are instantly engaged with anything that is interactive.

I was so happy with my discovery that I would’ve head-butted the fish. I don’t think they would’ve minded, seeing how good-natured they were

But I hadn’t planned on getting my head wet, so I decided against the idea, and settled for trying to get the fish to jump out of the water and nibble my fingers. I figured that since they had been rather dog-like so far, anything was worth a shot.

But head-butting would’ve been fun, wouldn’t it?