What's your winning neologism? 🔥 Your F-word help needed 😲 Free book 🕮
Welcome to the latest instalment of English in Progress, the monthly newsletter that keeps you updated on the English language. Fresh in your inbox every first Wednesday of the month.
Heddwen’s news
First some news about me and this newsletter.
Your favourite English-news-category on my website
I have copy-pasted the content of all my past newsletters into various applicable categories on my website. So if you are particularly interested in American English, Indian English, neologisms etc, you can find the relevant list here and peruse at leisure. (More categories coming soon.)
Neologism most likely to succeed, Q1 2023
I have put out a survey with six neologisms from the first quarter of 2023. As far as I can tell, the words (bird words) above did not exist before 2023. Choose the one you think is most likely to succeed here, and feel free to share the link with others! Results next month.
Frequency down to monthly (for now)
Next month? Yes, I’m moving the frequency down to monthly for now. I love writing this newsletter, but with young children, translation work and another newsletter about Dutch English, once every two weeks has been proving a bit too ambitious. I will not stop (never!), but for now, monthly seems like a more sensible frequency.
Revising, editing and assembling
Assembling the Oxford Dictionary of African American English
Three linguists are introduced who are working on finding early citings of African-American-English terms such as “do-rag”, “grill” and “bussin”.
Reading time: 4 minutes / New Yorker (USA; archived)
Help revise book The F-word
Lexicographer Jesse Sheidlower is working on a new, fourth edition of his book The F-Word. A historical dictionary devoted to the titular word, illustrating in detail every significant usage and showing historical usage. He has a list of items he’s actively looking for and could use help with. More information in the link.
Reading time: 5 minutes / Strong Language (USA)
Copy-editing is not stuck in the past
A reply to an article I featured last week. (I have no skin in this game, and rather think it depends on the individual copy-editor. This article from February was only just on LanguageHat, which is where I found it.)
Reading time: 4 minutes / Editorial Arts Academy (USA)
On using ChatGPT to write essays
The value of writing a first draft is akin to the value of learning to fall off your bike when you’re beginning to ride it,” says Stark. A certain amount of discomfort is built in. Students need to learn the habits of mind and body they need for a lifetime of writing, to “develop muscle memory.”
Reading time: 8 minutes / The Walrus (Canada)
Odds and ends
Free book for English teachers
Language Practices in English Classrooms; From Primary School to Higher Education, edited by Pia Sundqvist, Erica Sandlund, Marie Källkvist et al. has been put online as open access by publisher MDPI books.
A love-letter to Northern Irish slang
The Belfast Telegraph interviews three experts on their love for Northern Irish slang. Because the article was written for locals, they do not actually explain any of the slang.
Reading time: 9 minutes / Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland)
How the accents on Irish radio and TV ads have changed
Lecturer in Applied Linguistics Dr Joan O'Sullivan summarises her research on Irish broadcast accents from the 1970s to today. Audio clips in article.
Reading time: 4 minutes / RTE (Ireland)
A discussion of singular they, including its history and some people it is helping
Reading time: 5 minutes / Penn University (USA)
Dad jokes help kids’ development
Dad jokes – really any kind of good-natured, teasing or giving grief to your children – can help children’s emotional development and teach impulse control.
Reading time: 2 minutes / CBS Austin (USA)
Rhode Island accent most difficult to understand abroad
I would not vouch for the scientific reliability and validity of this survey, but still: there’s a top 50 of American accents from most difficult to easiest to understand and that’s always fun.
Reading time: 2 minutes / Family Destinations Guide (USA)
A Brit lists the American words he prefers, in typical BuzzFeed fashion
(lots of angry Brits in the comments)
Reading time: 4 minutes / BuzzFeed (USA)
Comic SMBC on what it would be like if etymologists came up with a holiday
New words
Words that were new to me. As always, please click on the word for an article with more information and more similar terms.
anti-haul - a type of social media content where someone describes a number of products that they do not think their followers should buy (2022)
blue-sky dating - optimistic dating that comes with spring (2023)
digital immune system - a combination of practices and technologies for software design, development, operations and analytics to mitigate business risks (2022, I think)
to double-click on something - to focus on a topic (first entry urban dictionary: 2020)
fit check - the act of reviewing one's outfit before going out (first entry urban dictionary: 2019)
flashpacker - backpackers with disposable income (in use since about 2005)
gymtimidation - the fear of being judged at the gym (first entry urban dictionary: 2007)
murder noodle - a snake, especially a venomous one (first entry urban dictionary: 2021)
phubbing - the act of ignoring others by focusing your gaze on your smartphone, portmanteau of phone + snubbing (first entry urban dictionary: 2012)
sneaky link - a relationship between two people, usually sexual, that is kept discreet (first entry urban dictionary: 2017)
to touch grass - go outside, get back in touch with the real world, after spending too much time online (first entry urban dictionary: 2020)
UAP (unidentified anomalous phenomena) - new term for UFO (2022, I think)
World English
As always, please click on the word for an article with more information and more similar terms.
Ginch - western Canada. A "ginch" or "gotch" is a slang term for underwear, and sometimes more specifically refers to white briefs.
Twink - New Zealand. Wite-out/ tipp-ex
And finally
Merriam-Webster throws some shade in response to “Twitter Blue” Musk’s controversial subscription service, which provides patrons the coveted “verified” blue check mark for a fee.
What did you think of this newsletter?
Or reply to this email to give me any feedback you fancy!