Elder / Older - when to use which!

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:03:24 GMT

clipped by: JediKnut
clipper's remarks: Always wondered which was correct to use & when... This clears things up...briefly, before confusing you again!

Worth a read though.

Clip Source: www.bartleby.com

Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.

elder (adj., n.), eldest, older, oldest (adjs.)

Usually elder and eldest are used only of people, as in She’s my elder sister, whereas older and oldest can be used of either persons or things, as in She’s my older sister and These are my oldest clothes. When used with than, older is almost always the choice: She is two years older than I. With of, either older or elder, oldest or eldest will do: She’s the oldest [eldest, older, elder] of my children. Functional shift has given us elder and eldest as nouns as well: Be respectful to your elders. He is an elder in his church. She is our eldest. See THAN.

Tags: older, elder, oldest, eldest, english

Signs of panic over 'Chinglish' in Beijingghs

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:25:58 GMT

clipped by: JediKnut
clipper's remarks: Just an interesting article - read the original (the entire article) for a few laughs!

But what seems like a few laughs, seems to be a serious problem in China, with the Olympics coming up!

Read on!

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Signs of panic over 'Chinglish' in Beijing

For years, badly translated signs have had the Englishman abroad in stitches. But for tourism officials in Beijing, a city preparing for the arrival of millions of visitors for the Olympic Games in August, the problem is far from funny.

The Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau has hired English linguists to eradicate "Chinglish" from signs and shop fronts.

It has also instructed the city's 4,000 unrated hotels to translate their names, service hours, room rates, menus and notices into accurate English.

Restaurateurs have been given a list of the proper English names for the most commonly mistranslated items, including "virgin chicken" for a young chicken dish, "steamed crap" instead of crab, and "burnt lion's head" describing Chinese pork meatballs.

"These translations either scare or embarrass foreign customers and may cause misunderstanding on China's diet habits," the state news agency said.

Tags: chinglish, chinese, english, translations, signs

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Elder / Older - when to use which!

Signs of panic over 'Chinglish' in Beijingghs

Signs of panic over 'Chinglish' in Beijing