belated WOTY

[Dennis R. Preston]

Jerry,

I'm a lot more suspicious of Kissenger than geeks, but I think that's
political; not linguistic.

More to the point: I cannot discover ignorance (or sloth) in linguistic
structure (at any level). I find some very ignorant (and slothful) USERS of
language, but not any ignorant or slothful languages, language parts, or
language processes (including word-formation).

I argue that we should not transfer our nonlinguistic prejudices to
relatively abstract linguistic areas.

dInIs




>Dennis: I'm a "scairdy-cat," I suppose, because language -- and the use
>thereof - does tend to reflect the intelligence and values of the society
>that uses it. I am not afraid of changes in language, so long as they
>maintain some semblance of intelligence, reason, and/or effectiveness,
>rather than ignorance and sloth (at least one of which is a deadly sin,
>isn't it?). If Henry Kissinger or Hunter S. Thompson reshapes the language,
>I'm probably ready for it; when computer geeks and indolents do it, I am
>naturally suspicious (an old journalist, you know?). The old saying,
>"Consider the source," should be applied here, too, it seems to me.
>
>Jerry Miller
>
>P.S. To Natalie, I simply used "worm" as a play on (computer) words.
>
>
>        Words from internet worming their way into the language scary?
>Wouldn't it
>        be scary if they didn't?
>        Why are you such a scairdy-cat?
>        dInIs
>
>        >Dennis: I guess what is scary is that, before long Internet
>shorthand (which
>        >is where I first came into contact with "my bad," being a long way
>from
>        >either playground basketball sites or the East Coast) will "worm"
>its way
>        >into the language as real words -- e.g., "lol," "imho" (pronounced
>"im-ho"
>        >presumably), or even "woty" (pronounced "woe-tee"?).
>        >
>        >Jerry Miller
>        >
>        >
>        >> -----Original Message-----
>        >> From: Dennis R. Preston [SMTP:preston at PILOT.MSU.EDU]
>        >> Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 3:30 PM
>        >> To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>        >> Subject:      Re: belated WOTY
>        >>
>        >> "My bad" is way too old (and not exclusively so important this
>year) to be
>        >> WOTY this year (at least among us old-jocks).
>        >> But why is such usage "scary"? What's gonna happen?
>        >>
>        >> dInIs
>        >>
>        >>
>        >> >I'm sure I am very late in chiming in on the Word of the Year
>(and I am
>        >> >probably repeating what someone else suggested but I missed),
>but, in a
>        >> >mental flash of lightning, it dawned on me what the WOTY had to
>be. That
>        >> >would be "bad" used as a noun, as in (cybertalk) "my bad."
>        >> >This all came to me when I heard a sports announcer for one of
>the bowl
>        >> >games on TV use it to explain why a player tapped his own chest
>after a
>        >> play
>        >> >was botched. It gets very scary when Internet shorthand edges
>toward
>        >> >standard usage.
>        >> >
>        >> >Jerry Miller
>        >> >Pulliam School of Journalism
>        >> >Franklin College
>        >> >millerj at franklincoll.edu
>        >>
>        >>
>        >> Dennis R. Preston
>        >> Department of Linguistics and Languages
>        >> Michigan State University
>        >> East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
>        >> preston at pilot.msu.edu
>        >> Office: (517)353-0740
>        >> Fax: (517)432-2736
>
>
>        Dennis R. Preston
>        Department of Linguistics and Languages
>        Michigan State University
>        East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
>        preston at pilot.msu.edu
>        Office: (517)353-0740
>        Fax: (517)432-2736