Posts Tagged ‘terminology’

  • The business of gobbledegook

    Posted by on May 11, 2011

    When we communicate in a business environment, obscure jargon is an occupational hazard. Given how specialised are many industries and work environments, it’s natural that people will use a certain amount of terminology that won’t always make much sense to outsiders. The trouble is when this language is used in inappropriate contexts, or when it [...]

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  • Revolving speakers: “So she turned round and said…”

    Posted by on June 08, 2009

    Why do we say that someone “turned round” (or turned around) and said something? It’s one of those  expressions people seem to find deeply irritating, and the standard response to what is perceived as “sloppy” English is to imagine it is nothing more than a meaningless filler. I tend to take the opposite view: language [...]

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  • Two short legs and a silly point: learn (about) English through cricket

    Posted by on March 24, 2009

    Cricket is the most quintessentially English game, but is famously incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t been brought up with it. (The phrase in the title here makes perfect sense to an aficionado of the game but could easily be misinterpreted by anyone else.) George W. Bush – not the sharpest knife in the drawer – [...]

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