25 Nov 2009


Call it a vast linguistic conspiracy: proponents of the major conspiracy theo­ries of the day — the truthers, the birthers, the deathers — share a suffix that makes them all sound like whackdoodles. “It looks like conspiracy theorists might acquire a permanent suffix in -er, just like political scandals now have a permanent suffix in -gate,” Victor Steinbok, a frequent contributor to the American Dialect Society’s online discussion board, observed recently in that forum. But unlike -gate, which merely names a scandal, he later noted, -er “makes fun of the participant” as an obsessive, “almost foaming at the mouth” advocate of a fringe political belief.


I won’t make fun of you if you want to be a Rascaler.

Call it a vast linguistic conspiracy: proponents of the major conspiracy theo­ries of the day — the truthers, the birthers, the deathers — share a suffix that makes them all sound like whackdoodles. “It looks like conspiracy theorists might acquire a permanent suffix in -er, just like political scandals now have a permanent suffix in -gate,” Victor Steinbok, a frequent contributor to the American Dialect Society’s online discussion board, observed recently in that forum. But unlike -gate, which merely names a scandal, he later noted, -er “makes fun of the participant” as an obsessive, “almost foaming at the mouth” advocate of a fringe political belief.

I won’t make fun of you if you want to be a Rascaler.

25 Nov 2009

RIP homeboy, RIP.

RIP homeboy, RIP.

25 Nov 2009


What’s done cannot be undone,” moaned Lady Macbeth in her famous sleepwalking scene. If she woke up in the 21st century, she would be pleased to discover that whatever can be done can be undone, too.

What’s done cannot be undone,” moaned Lady Macbeth in her famous sleepwalking scene. If she woke up in the 21st century, she would be pleased to discover that whatever can be done can be undone, too.

25 Nov 2009


A word that means the opposite of another is an antonym; a word that looks as if it means one thing but means quite another could be called a phantonym, and warrants wariness.

A word that means the opposite of another is an antonym; a word that looks as if it means one thing but means quite another could be called a phantonym, and warrants wariness.

25 Nov 2009

Since I brought up the On Language header images, let’s post a few of the latest. Click through to the articles.
Funny:

Those who have pet peeves about language have chosen their domain of umbrage well, since it is inevitable that people will continue to make errors in speech and writing, and so there will always be something to be offended by, which can be very comforting.

Since I brought up the On Language header images, let’s post a few of the latest. Click through to the articles.

Funny:

Those who have pet peeves about language have chosen their domain of umbrage well, since it is inevitable that people will continue to make errors in speech and writing, and so there will always be something to be offended by, which can be very comforting.

25 Nov 2009

From On Language:

The Cadillac division of General Motors has seen better days, with woeful sales figures even compared with those of other brands in the slumping luxury-car market. Yet the name Cadillac is thriving, at least on Capitol Hill. A centerpiece of legislation seeking to rein in health care costs is a tax on “Cadillac plans,” the favored shorthand for high-cost insurance policies. At the very high end are “gold-plated Cadillac plans,” or even “super-gold-plated Cadillac plans,” to use President Obama’s turn of phrase. How has the Cadillac brand survived as a stand-in for luxury, even as the cars themselves have lost much of their cachet?

This is not the original image they included. You know how I love their header pics but this time it was B-O-R-I-N-G.
New idea: I’m going to start refering to cars as “the Cadillac of cars.” It’s going to be great.

From On Language:

The Cadillac division of General Motors has seen better days, with woeful sales figures even compared with those of other brands in the slumping luxury-car market. Yet the name Cadillac is thriving, at least on Capitol Hill. A centerpiece of legislation seeking to rein in health care costs is a tax on “Cadillac plans,” the favored shorthand for high-cost insurance policies. At the very high end are “gold-plated Cadillac plans,” or even “super-gold-plated Cadillac plans,” to use President Obama’s turn of phrase. How has the Cadillac brand survived as a stand-in for luxury, even as the cars themselves have lost much of their cachet?

This is not the original image they included. You know how I love their header pics but this time it was B-O-R-I-N-G.

New idea: I’m going to start refering to cars as “the Cadillac of cars.” It’s going to be great.

25 Nov 2009

listening to "William De Vaughan - Be Thankful For What You Got"

Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac…


25 Nov 2009

Guest Post by My Pops. Go Pops, Go!

In a recent article in the Guardian Weekly, Alda Sigmundsdottir (love the name) writes about the closing of the only McDonald’s in Iceland (“We won’t miss Ronald”, GW 11/6/09).  She writes that the very first McDonald’s hamburger there was “snarfed down” by the then-prime minister, who apparently gets a lot of the blame for Iceland’s recent economic problems.  Some commentators would see it as fitting, therefore, if the same fellow were to “scoff down” the last McDonald’s burger to mark an end to an era many Icelanders would like to forget.

I am happy to know that there is at least one country that is McDonald’s-free, but I am also intrigued with these slang terms for eating. In college in the early 60’s (yes, I am old), we would talk of “scarfing down” a meal.   Checking freedictionary.com, I find that “scarf”, “snarf” and “scoff” are all listed as slang for eating food quickly and voraciously.  ”Scoff” and “scarf” can be used as nouns meaning “food”, as in “This scarf/scoff is awful!”, but “snarf” is a verb only.   While “scarf” and “scoff” have non-slang uses, “snarf” is slang all the way - it’s only alternate usage is as a replacement for “steal”.  Who knew?

Yay for my Dad! Good to know he’s doing something with his brain other than torment my mom.

This is a picture of my mom and dad. I love this picture! So I included here. Because here at youtalkfunny, I make the rules. In your FACE, authority!

As for the unfunny joke about my dad tormenting my mom, I know it’s not that funny but I thought it would totally make my parents laugh.

18 Nov 2009

Shweet.
robot-heart:

Unfriend (via Hollis Brown Thornton)

Shweet.

robot-heart:

Unfriend (via Hollis Brown Thornton)

17 Nov 2009

Why is nonetheless one word but superdopeawesome isn’t? Fascism!

— I just quoted myself. I’m that awesome.