Clipmarks | Aribeth's 'english' clips

The Mystery of English

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:52:46 GMT

clipped by: dakotayii
clipper's remarks: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth.

When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so ....

Time to shut UP!

Oh ...one more thing:!

What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night?

U P!

Clip Source: www.thecommunitypaper.com

The Mysteries of English

Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. How do non-natives ever learn all the nuances of English?

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stirup trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And this up is confusing:

Tags: humor

nine most terrifying words in the English language

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:52:06 GMT

clipped by: swampfoxz
clipper's remarks: Greener grass.....

Clip Source: aslowerpace.com

Greener grass.....

It's important in life to reach out, to strive for greater achievements, to go for that greener grass that is on the other side of the fence.....

But one must also be careful……

Sometimes you can reach too far!

But when you find yourself overextended and you’re stuck in a situation that you can’t get out of, there is one thing that you should always remember.....

Not everyone who shows up is there to help you.

It kind of reminds me of Ronald Reagan's quote --

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' "

Tags: greener grass.....

Professor Paul Brians: Study Guides to Various Works

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:11:45 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: Very illuminative, engrossing, helpful, thought-provoking.

Clip Source: www.wsu.edu:8080

prepared by Professor Paul Brians of Washington State University for the use of students in his classes.

World Civilizations (General Education 110 and 111)

Science Fiction (English 333)

Science Fiction Film

Love in the Arts

Chinese and Japanese Love Poetry

The Song of Songs

Classical Greek & Roman Love Poems

Classic English Love Poems

Mystical Love Poetry

Medieval Love Songs

Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

Bernstein: West Side Story

Modern Women's Love Poetry

World Literature in English of India, Africa, and the Caribbean (English 222)

The Bible as Literature

18th and 19th Century European Classics (Humanities 303)

Beethoven: Symphony no. 9

Verdi: La Traviata

The Enlightenment

Voltaire: The Philosophical Dictionary

The Problem of Evil

Romanticism

Goethe: Faust

Women Artists Assignment

Realism & Naturalism

19th-Century Russian Literature

Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Misconceptions, Confusions, and Conflicts Concerning Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism

French Impressionist Painting

Tags: study guides, science fiction, love, arts, poetry, bible, dramas, philosophy, enlightenment, literature

Words about Words

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:24:06 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth
clipper's remarks: To communicate about their work, copy editors use a number of terms that most people forgot after their last course in English composition (or maybe never knew at all). In addition to knowing how to make a poor sentence better, a copy editor has to be able to defend his or her decisions to writers, editors, and fellow copy editors. That means being able to talk the talk. This list also provides a good indication of the errors that copy editors commonly catch and correct.<<

More at the source.

Clip Source: www.well.com

Words About Words

antecedent

A word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, usually (but not always) one that precedes the pronoun.

appositive

A noun or noun phrase set off by commas that follows a noun to which it is equivalent.

clause

A string of words containing a noun (subject) and a finite verb. It may be:

A complete sentence (e.g. Hanna went home. Paul laughs.); or
Part of a longer sentence (e.g. Joe sings and Lisa plays guitar. [2 clauses])

dangler

Also called a dangling participle; a phrase, usually at the beginning of a sentence, that is grammatically attached to the subject of the sentence but in fact refers to something other than that subject.

direct object

hyperbole

An immense exaggeration, usually intentional.

indirect object

metaphor

Figurative use of a word or phrase in place of another; a comparison without the use of as or like (compare with simile).

mixed metaphor

A combination of two metaphors that do not match up or that present contradictory images.

oxymoron

simile

Tags: words, language, english, writing

Beware of Buffalo buffalo, buffalo, for they may buffalo you

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 05:04:21 GMT

clipped by: Deepti

Clip Source: www.mentalfloss.com

Believe it or not, this sentence is grammatically correct and has meaning: “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” First devised by professor William J. Rapaport in 1972, the sentence uses various meanings and parts of speech for the term “buffalo” (and its related proper noun “Buffalo”) to make an extremely hard-to-parse sentence

Although most people know “buffalo” as both a singular and plural term for bison, and “Buffalo” as a city in New York, “buffalo” is also a verb meaning “to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate

Still too hard to follow for those of us who don’t know “buffalo” as a verb

[Those] buffalo(es) from Buffalo [that are intimidated by] buffalo(es) from Buffalo intimidate buffalo(es) from Buffalo

once more

Bison from Buffalo, New York who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community

Tags: language, buffalo, english, sentence, strange

I and Thou

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:10:11 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Ich und Du, usually translated as I and Thou, is a book by Martin Buber, published in 1923, and first translated to English in 1937. Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: that of the "I" towards an "IT", towards an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience; and that of the 'I' towards 'THOU', in which we move into existence in a relationship without bounds. One of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships.

For "I-It" relationships, the "It" refers to entities as discrete objects drawn from a defined set (e.g. he, she or any other objective entity defined by what makes it measurably different from other living entities). It can be said that "I" have as many distinct and different relationships with each "It" as there are "Its" in my life.

By contrast, the "I" in the "I-Thou" is a separate concept.

Tags: biber, i-thou

For The Love Of Words...

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:25:49 GMT

clipped by: carrerinyes

Clip Source: www.writinghood.com

For the Love of Words: Seven Wonderful Websites Where Words Matter

Words are beautiful, and these seven wonderful word websites illustrate the reason why they are.

For passionate writers around the world, choosing the right words to communicate are more than just clever wordplay, it's an obsession. Wordsmiths who routinely exercise their extraordinary vocabulary are continually positioned to learn new words, thus making them outstanding communicators.

Word Spy

Devoted to lexpionage, “The sleuthing of new words and phrases”.

Write Express

Confusing Words

The English language is one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world and here at Confusing Words the reason why is apparent. Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that sound alike, but are spelled and used differently. A great website for both readers and writers to learn the difference and stop being a confused word victim.

Virtual Salt

100 Words

101 Words

Wordie

John Cleese's "Letter to America" - I think we're all English now.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:55:18 GMT

clipped by: BartendingBear
clipper's remarks: The finest English humour. 19 other points of transition to British rule listed at source site.

Clip Source: starrgazr.wordpress.com

In view of your failure to elect a competent President and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.

Her Sovereign Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy), as from Monday next.

Your new prime minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

8. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists.

Thank you for your co-operation.

John Cleese

Strange things you likely didn't know?

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:43:43 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth

Clip Source: www.robinsweb.com

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them, "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."

It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

seven quotes

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:18:28 GMT

clipped by: rogerlinda76

Clip Source: garypresley.blogspot.com

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion and desire," said Aristotle.
"Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins," said Lao Tzu.
"Fall seven times and stand up eight," according to Japanese wisdom.
"We shall never understand one another until we reduce the language to seven words," said Khalil Gibran.
"I can't write five words but that I change seven," Dorothy Parker.
"You may poke a man's fire after you've known him for seven years," an English proverb.
"Naturally we would prefer seven epiphanies a day and an earth not so apparently devoid of angels," Jim Harrison.

Tags: quotes

Online Chat With Professor Seth Lerer

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:12:42 GMT

clipped by: carrerinyes
clipper's remarks: The full transcript is available at the source along with upcoming chat details. Anu Garg is the Author of the popular "A Word A Day" calender books.

Clip Source: wordsmith.org

A Chat With Seth Lerer

Today, we have as our guest Seth Lerer, a professor at Stanford University and the author of "Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language". He is joining us from California.

Anu Garg
The topic of today's chat is The Journey of the English Language.

Tom Doyle - DC
I very much enjoyed your Teaching Company lectures. Could you clarify something that you mentioned in them? You cited the Cornish accent that became “pirate talk” (due to the movie portrayal of Long John Silver) as an example of a form of English that had not completed the Great Vowel Shift. Some folks (without much authority) challenge this online -- have you or others written anything more detailed on this that I could point them to? And do you have anything further to say about it here?

Seth Lerer
Tom: not Cornish, but East Anglia, late 17th century English.

Jim Bisso - Sonoma
What do you think has been the biggest change in the English language in the last 100 years?

The Big Word of 2007

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 09:04:41 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: www.nationalpost.com

Joseph Conrad, a great novelist who learned English as an adult and developed a foreigner's nuanced appreciation of English words, was one of the first writers of the 20th century to notice that certain terms seem to leap from the shadows and suddenly dominate what we read and say. In Conrad's first successful novel, Chance, published in 1913, the narrator says a corrupt banker cheated gullible people of their money by playing endless variations on a favourite word of the period, "thrift."

At that point, the narrator explains, the word "thrift" was an idea out in the streets walking arm in arm with righteousness, the inseparable companion and backer of all national catchwords. "You know the power of words. We pass through periods dominated by this or that word -- it may be development, or it may be competition, or education, or purity, or efficiency or even sanctity. It is the word of the time."

Tags: catachresis

WW1 Christmas Truce: despite the 'masters'

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:07:26 GMT

clipped by: righthand

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

A cross

Khaki Chum's Christmas Truce
1999

Lest We Forget.

Christmas truce

to describe several brief unofficial cessations of hostilities that occurred between German and British or French troops in World War I

began on Christmas Eve

1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches

singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols

visits across the "No Man's Land"

many stories of football matches between the opposing forces

in some areas, it continued until New Year's Day

occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military

British commanders

vowed that no such truce would be allowed again

In all of the following years of the war, artillery bombardments were ordered on Christmas Eve to ensure that there were no further lulls in the combat

Despite those measures, there were a few friendly encounters between enemy soldiers, but on a much smaller scale than

Tags: history, war, uk, german, ww1

Weird and Wonderful Foreign Phrases

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 08:21:47 GMT

clipped by: Nerfzilla
clipper's remarks: I hope I'm not being a jayus.....!

Clip Source: www.mirror.co.uk

Weird and wondrful foreign phrases..

..that just don't translate

English is a rich and wonderful language - but sometimes it's just not good enough.

For example, have you ever searched around in vain for a word to describe someone who gets excited by eating garlic?

Or wondered why there isn't a nice pithy term for a person who is only attractive if they're standing quite far away?

Other languages do have such words. The extraordinary variety of international speech is captured in Toujours Tingo, a new book which draws on more than 300 languages exploring the areas where English fails us.

So try these words for size...

Tags: languages