Verbing weirds language.
November 22, 2011 12:55 PM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: Double. -- jessamyn
"Fopdoodle!" needs to join my lineup of driving cuss words immediately.
Charming and funny short. Thanks!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:13 PM on November 22, 2011
Charming and funny short. Thanks!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:13 PM on November 22, 2011
I'm waiting for languagehat or others to fact check the shit out of it, too. I casually noticed at least one error - the one at the end about the modern tech use of the word firewall, which is a borrowed word from the firewalls you find in cars and airplanes to, duh, keep fire in the engine compartment and out of the passenger compartment.
posted by loquacious at 1:15 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by loquacious at 1:15 PM on November 22, 2011
"Firewall" was probably first used for the construction technique used in urban house-building, c. 1850. And then applied to the similar construction in cars and airplanes.
posted by clvrmnky at 1:23 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by clvrmnky at 1:23 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
"Firewall" was probably first used for the construction technique used in urban house-building, c. 1850. And then applied to the similar construction in cars and airplanes.
In central Ottawa a few years ago a famous sporting goods store went up in flames one night. I watched the fire-fighting efforts, then later the razing of the remains of the store, an subsequently the construction of the new store from my balcony. While the showroom was reduced to a roofless, charred shell, the stockroom was protected by a cinder-block wall and most of the stock survived to be rerouted to another outlet.
Without fail, everyone I have ever talked about this to, when I say the the merchandise was protected by a firewall, begins formulating a question as to how computer security could have helped in a fire. "No, an actual firewall."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:31 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
In central Ottawa a few years ago a famous sporting goods store went up in flames one night. I watched the fire-fighting efforts, then later the razing of the remains of the store, an subsequently the construction of the new store from my balcony. While the showroom was reduced to a roofless, charred shell, the stockroom was protected by a cinder-block wall and most of the stock survived to be rerouted to another outlet.
Without fail, everyone I have ever talked about this to, when I say the the merchandise was protected by a firewall, begins formulating a question as to how computer security could have helped in a fire. "No, an actual firewall."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:31 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Was that Clive Anderson narrating?
Also interested in the fact checking that will inevitably occur.
Thanks for that awesome 10 (really 11) minutes loquacious!
posted by guster4lovers at 1:32 PM on November 22, 2011
Also interested in the fact checking that will inevitably occur.
Thanks for that awesome 10 (really 11) minutes loquacious!
posted by guster4lovers at 1:32 PM on November 22, 2011
Did the days of the week really come from the Angles and Saxons? Aren't Odin, Thor, and Freja all Norse?
posted by Sys Rq at 1:33 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 1:33 PM on November 22, 2011
"The Anglo-Saxon vocab was much more usefil, as it was mainly for simple everyday things."
Can't watch past that shit. It's pretty insulting that we still think some languages are "simple", the same lies we told in the past about Africans and Native Americans. Every language that has ever existed could express wide and deep thoughts on human experience.
If you don't believe this is true about Old English go to Bosworth–Toller and randomly click on a page.
Page 64: axiendlic: inquisitive, inquiring.
Page 951:sweotolung: a manifestation.
Not just house, dog and bread.
posted by Jehan at 1:36 PM on November 22, 2011
Can't watch past that shit. It's pretty insulting that we still think some languages are "simple", the same lies we told in the past about Africans and Native Americans. Every language that has ever existed could express wide and deep thoughts on human experience.
If you don't believe this is true about Old English go to Bosworth–Toller and randomly click on a page.
Page 64: axiendlic: inquisitive, inquiring.
Page 951:sweotolung: a manifestation.
Not just house, dog and bread.
posted by Jehan at 1:36 PM on November 22, 2011
Anyway, it's actually the History of English in 100 minutes, because it's a 10-part series.
...of one-minute clips.
Math!
posted by Sys Rq at 1:37 PM on November 22, 2011
...of one-minute clips.
Math!
posted by Sys Rq at 1:37 PM on November 22, 2011
Did the days of the week really come from the Angles and Saxons? Aren't Odin, Thor, and Freja all Norse?
Germanic mythology and Norse mythology are very similar, but they have slightly different names for the deities and our weekday names come from the Germanic (and thus Anglo-Saxon) names, Odin is called Woden, which gives us Wednesday.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:42 PM on November 22, 2011
Germanic mythology and Norse mythology are very similar, but they have slightly different names for the deities and our weekday names come from the Germanic (and thus Anglo-Saxon) names, Odin is called Woden, which gives us Wednesday.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:42 PM on November 22, 2011
Not a double. Waiting for languagehat part 2.
posted by hat_eater at 1:43 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hat_eater at 1:43 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
I certainly enjoyed this. We have spent far more than 10 minutes on the history of English in my Geography class. Its a pretty interesting story though.
posted by graxe at 1:47 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by graxe at 1:47 PM on November 22, 2011
hat_eater: ... Waiting for languagehat ...
Also eponysterical.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:47 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also eponysterical.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:47 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
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That was really charming. It reminded me of James Burke. Funny writing, wry delivery. I want more!
posted by overeducated_alligator at 1:12 PM on November 22, 2011