[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by macmillanelt and Abroad Languages, Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Dictionary said: Michael Rundell visited the 'What is proper English?' event #evolvingenglish at BL http://bit.ly/h4YwJQ […]
But no Simon Heffer? What a shame! I’d love to have seen him taken out with a few strategically placed rhymes from Dizraeli.
Dan: no, Simon Heffer pulled out and was replaced by Bernard Lamb, who didn’t make a very convincing case for the traditionalists. Heffer, though in my view completely wrong about language, would have made a more feisty opponent,and the debate might have been more lively. Perhaps Simon Heffer was worried that David Crystal would be there! David is the main figure in the Evolving English exhibition, and he also wrote a scathing review of Heffer’s recent book about correct English: http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2010/10/english-heffer-sentence
The points you make about Bernard Lamb’s arguments are supported by his rather muddled piece for The Independent here , so it would have been good if Heffer had been there, like you say.
If you think that David Crystal review is scathing, take a look at this one from Geoff Pullum!
Thanks for the review of it, by the way. I wish I’d managed to go – sounded fun.
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by macmillanelt and Abroad Languages, Macmillan Dictionary. Macmillan Dictionary said: Michael Rundell visited the 'What is proper English?' event #evolvingenglish at BL http://bit.ly/h4YwJQ […]
But no Simon Heffer? What a shame! I’d love to have seen him taken out with a few strategically placed rhymes from Dizraeli.
Dan: no, Simon Heffer pulled out and was replaced by Bernard Lamb, who didn’t make a very convincing case for the traditionalists. Heffer, though in my view completely wrong about language, would have made a more feisty opponent,and the debate might have been more lively. Perhaps Simon Heffer was worried that David Crystal would be there! David is the main figure in the Evolving English exhibition, and he also wrote a scathing review of Heffer’s recent book about correct English:
http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2010/10/english-heffer-sentence
The points you make about Bernard Lamb’s arguments are supported by his rather muddled piece for The Independent here , so it would have been good if Heffer had been there, like you say.
If you think that David Crystal review is scathing, take a look at
this one from Geoff Pullum!
Thanks for the review of it, by the way. I wish I’d managed to go – sounded fun.
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