Browsing All posts tagged under »phraseology«

Time of the day

November 17, 2016

Comments Off on Time of the day

Stop being ambiguous and call your time of the day a spade.

Didn’t do, or didn’t didn’t do?

August 6, 2015

Comments Off on Didn’t do, or didn’t didn’t do?

By the laws of the planets and logic, "didn't do nothing" means "did something." Only if you're language course is called "maths."

The Great Sociology Charbroiled Words List

October 19, 2011

Comments Off on The Great Sociology Charbroiled Words List

YOU CANNOT READ anything in sociology (and, extension, the perverse field of linguistics) without constantly bumping into a plethora of pretentious, meaningless words. Those words are what we normal people call padding. The more offensive term is gratuitous padding. Both terms come under the general heading of soloing techniques (see Glossary). If you’re in sociology […]

Phraseology: ‘as it were’ vs. ‘so to speak’

August 17, 2011

7

SOMEONE HAS ASKED Learn English or Starve to explain the English phrase as it were, which LEOS already knows since time immemorial that many people (even native English speakers) have trouble with it. The phrase as it were is closely associated in meaning with the phrase so to speak, and this is where the fun […]

‘Add oil’ is lingo spillage

September 4, 2010

3

Why the Chinglish "add oil" used for encouragement is pointless linguistic oil spillage.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive new posts by email.

Join 94 other followers

Archives

thenakedlistener

thenakedlistener

Printbroker, financial printer & editor. Previously in London, Rome, Tokyo & Beirut. Motorbiker & non-practising lawyer. Wears cowboy boots & a ponytail. Fabulous.

Personal Links

Verified Services

View Full Profile →

Posts I fancy elsewhere

Notice

© Learn English or Starve, 2010–2018 • Any rights not expressed herein are reserved • This blog is non-commercial and non-profit, and is not an editorial product released to the public on a regular basis • Nothing herein licensed under Creative Commons • Some content governed by third-party rights • Excerpts and links freely permitted, provided that clear byline is given alongside a hyperlink back to the original content • Commercial reproduction is strictly at the Author’s discretion • No representation made or implied for any expectation of accuracy or timeliness of any content herein • No endorsement made or implied for any links appearing herein this site • Use of this blog site is strictly at your own risk • Author’s email: thenakedlistener@gmail.com.

This blog updates every Tuesday at 12 noon UTC.

Official blog language is English.

Comments close after 30 days on all posts • Comments once published are non-removable even upon request.