Category: Techo stuff

Nova Scotia

Columbus always gets the credit/blame for finding the Americas, even though another sailor gave them his name. And it’s strange that clear evidence of Viking habitation of the continent is largely ignored. Even stranger that reports of the recent discovery of Roman artefacts in the same region also ignore the subsequent Viking activity – as if nothing else happened until 1492!

We all deplore attempts to re-write history, but the persistent failure to recognise key events is even worse.

No doubt learned colleagues can offer an explanation…..

Haggis schmaggis

The DT today gives rein to a Scotch cook called Callaghan (is that genuine Scotch?) who blasphemes to the effect that haggis originates from the Vikings and was made with venison – hence his ‘staggis’. And a Norse etymologist finds a link between haggis and ‘haggwa’ or chopped food.

The modern Danes call haggis ‘hachis’ which is French, from a root meaning ‘chopped food’ so the haggwa isn’t so far away, innit?

But dare we refuse the Scots their glorious invention? Er, yes. Because homo sapiens has been stuffing animal meat into conveniently shaped animal organs since Adam was a lad. Think sausage.

Verdict? Callaghan is good at PR but a poor linguist. 😳

Spell check mess

Proof readers were never fool-proof but editors now rely on blind electronics to check their texts.

So just yesterday I was treated to a corpse ‘lying prostate’. Well, it is in the dictionary. While the DT today advises that ‘the border force will compromise of…..’ thereby conflating two errors of syntax – one of which is getting ever more frequent, ‘comprise OF’ for ‘comprise’.

Do you get hot under the collar too?

Are you an unsung poet?

Clive James is a wordsmith of the first order. For example:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/21/clive-james-poets-sitwell-auden-gerbils

And he strikes a familiar chord for me, fascinated as I am by the spoken and written word, its etymology, philology and sheer existence in this otherwise technological world.

Continue reading “Are you an unsung poet?”

Motivated?

We have all worked in some capacity or other, sometimes with enthusiasm, sometimes with resignation (double entendre maybe).

Now I was once reminded by a (cough) Hun that getting a salary every month should be motivation enough. So with that in mind I’m always amazed that team coaches claim that a key part of their jobs is geeing up their charges. Sporting types being paid zillions of bucks need to be motivated to perform? How’s about their contracts including a clause like ‘perform commensurately with your rewards or butt out’.

Btw, Morten Olsen has just resigned from coaching the Danish footie team after 15 years. Did he ever motivate them to great success? Not noticeably, but maybe he knew all about silk purses and sows’ ears.

Er…say that again

A driverless car has been stopped for impeding traffic in California, doing 25 in a 35 minimum zone.

Backside wonders how you stop one of them? ‘Scuse me, er, sir, er ma’am, er…’

Does that harridan on the GPS answer back? ‘Type your name and badge number on the screen, press enter. Calculating, calculating. Invalid request. Bugger off.’