Author Archive
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Posted by Beth Penfold on July 26, 2010
So, somebody please tell me when the word fine stopped being fine? When exchanging greetings with friends, I used to reply to any enquiry as to my health as ‘Fine, thanks’. When I still lived up North, a wry ‘Mustn’t grumble’ would usually suffice. This does not seem to be adequate any longer. People have [...]
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Posted by Beth Penfold on July 21, 2010
I recently bought a used car from auction and I have become enamoured of the specific vocabulary and euphemisms used when describing and discussing used cars. Buyers who are not au fait with this arcane language should beware, however, and I feel it my duty to publish this very necessary ‘guide’. Type / condition of [...]
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Posted by Beth Penfold on May 06, 2010
Could it be that the Macmillan Dictionary Blog has become a hotbed of nihilist political views? Are we seeing political apathy in extremis? Nah. Just want to whinge on about one of my old bugbears, namely, the misuse of the words hanged and hung. One of the many embarrassing truths about our past is that [...]
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Posted by Beth Penfold on February 03, 2010
I was enjoying the links in Jonathan Cole’s recent blog post this morning, when I came across a fabulous (or ‘badass’ as it was described) word, palaeotypographist. This word means ‘one who studies early writing’. From here, my thoughts wandered to outmoded forms of writing, such as the personal, handwritten letter. Oh the perfect pleasure [...]
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Posted by Beth Penfold on January 28, 2010
It seems that obesity is sweeping the Western world in a terrifying, gelatinous tide. This phenomenon even has its own word these days: globesity. Six months ago, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) called for a reduction in the size of chocolate bars to help tackle obesity. Perhaps in defiance of this move, it seems that [...]
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