ER November 1997

From the archives

Cyber series No. 1
November, 1997

HOMO DIALECTICUS -- All dialects are equal. Linguistically, any dialect serves equally well the function of communication needed by its speakers. The only thing that gives one dialect more prestige than another is that its speakers have more prestige. But that is a social judgment, not linguistic. In news writing, there are standards that make communication easier, and those standards are, in effect, those of the dialect known as Standard American Written English. Speak as you wish, but let your writing conform to SAWE.

DANGER, DR. SMITH -- The Samurai Pencil draws a warning to the folks at The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, which perpetrated a "foreward" on its online description of the table of contents of "The Headline vs. The Bottom Line," a study of distrust between business executives and news reporters.

SHIVERING SHIBBOLETH -- When using a word that's out of the ordinary, make sure you know what it means, and that it's the right word. Unusual words may make you sound erudite to those who are not familiar with such words, but to those who are familiar with them, you are simply wrong. Example: "'I want people to feel as if they are sitting inside a cello' long has been the (performing arts center president's) shibboleth in describing the atmosphere he hoped for" in the concert hall.

A mission statement, certainly, and -- with a stretch -- a slogan or a motto. But a shibboleth is a word or phrase that serves to distinguish one group from another, whose members do not pronounce it the same way. Moreover, it has a negative tint. Its origin is ancient Hebrew, and was used by rival tribes to identify spies. It seems that one tribe pronounced the word for "torrent of water" as sibboleth, and another as shibboleth (see Judges, 12-6, King James version). If the captive could not pronounce it appropriately, he was slain.

ODDS AND ENDS -- The widespread use of alphabetic devices to remember things is becoming a mnemonic plague. "Unpredictably capricious" -- there is no other kind. Neither is there anything other than a "foreboding portent." "He wanted to revenge his brother." Sorry. Revenge is the noun, avenge is the verb.

MATH INJURY -- He suffered multiple fractions in both legs.

GOOFY GADGETS -- Wheel barrel. The Samurai Rim Man has never seen a barrel with wheels. A barrow with a single wheel is quite common, however.

OFFICE REVOLUTION -- "The nation's leader declared he acted within constitutional power to save the country from secretarian strife."

SIGN OF THE TIMES -- This sign in St. Louis offered special notice to the open overcoat brigade: "No left turn except when flashing."

QUOTATIONS of the Samurai Rim Man -- Bureaucracy expands to consume the amount of money available to it.

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Editor's Revenge is a memorandum on the use, misuse and abuse of the English language in America, issued occasionally from somewhere in cyberspace. Logomachist: J.T. Harding. To receive Editor's Revenge (it's free), send your email address to editorsrevenge@comcast.net. Or check the blogletter at http://editorsrevenge.blogspot.com/