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Dr. Solri's Language Clinic
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 12:18 pmQ: Is it correct (politically or linguistically) to use people's names to refer to parts of the body or as insults? If so, should they still be capitalised?
A: The use of names such as Dick, Willy or Fanny to refer to parts of the body should in general be avoided in formal writing (such as academic papers and job applications) but is perfectly permissable in less formal contexts. Strictly speaking, these words are no longer proper nouns, so they do not need to be written with a capital letter, though usage is not consistent here. The use of such words as pejoratives can be insensitive, so it is advisable to find alternatives to describe obnoxious people; for example, "He's a real cheney."
Q: Why is it that in America a fanny is at the back, whereas in Britain it is at the front?
A: The two words are homonyms and have no etymological relationship. The British word is a contraction of "Fanny Hill", and is a bilingual pun on "mons veneris". The American version derives from an Iroquois word meaning "white man".
Q: What is the difference between asyndeton and a comma-splice?
A: When I use it, it's asyndeton, when you use it, it's a comma-splice.
Q: What is the difference between irony and sarcasm?
A: To quote Reginald Hill, irony is "sarcasm for posh folk."
Q: i am taking freshman english and i want to know is it ok to use smileys in my essays?
A: Absolutely. English teachers appreciate creative punctuation, and may even give extra credit for it ;-)
Q: Why does MLA style recommend underlining for emphasis rather than italics?
A: Probably because the Modern Languages Association is run by geriatrics who still use manual typewriters.
Q: Do Eskimos really have twenty words for snow?
A: First of all, you're not supposed to call them Eskimos. "Eskimo" is a Native Canadian word meaning "Dances with Seals", and Inuit generally disprefer this term, especially since there is some ambiguity in the verb. However, those natives of the Arctic circle who happen not to be Inuit are not keen on being called thusly, especially since in their language, "inuit" means "polar bear droppings". To answer your question, this is a linguistic myth: Inuit has only two words for snow, which translate roughly as "snow" and "more bloody snow". On the other hand, they do have twenty words for "anthropologist".
Q: What is the origin of the phrase "bitch slap"? Should it be hyphenated?
A: The term goes back at least to the sixteenth century, but was originally "bitch's lap" (probably as in "lapdog"). See, for example, "Fie on thee for a bitch's lap!" (Kyd, The Welsh Tragedy, 1581). Accordingly, it should not be hyphenated.
Q: I am British, and find American terms for ethnic and racial groups confusing. Which of the following should I use: Afro-American, African American, Black, person of color [sic], homeboy? And why are Hispanics not counted as White?
A: As a speaker of British English, it is best simply to refer to all US citizens as "Yanks".
A: The use of names such as Dick, Willy or Fanny to refer to parts of the body should in general be avoided in formal writing (such as academic papers and job applications) but is perfectly permissable in less formal contexts. Strictly speaking, these words are no longer proper nouns, so they do not need to be written with a capital letter, though usage is not consistent here. The use of such words as pejoratives can be insensitive, so it is advisable to find alternatives to describe obnoxious people; for example, "He's a real cheney."
Q: Why is it that in America a fanny is at the back, whereas in Britain it is at the front?
A: The two words are homonyms and have no etymological relationship. The British word is a contraction of "Fanny Hill", and is a bilingual pun on "mons veneris". The American version derives from an Iroquois word meaning "white man".
Q: What is the difference between asyndeton and a comma-splice?
A: When I use it, it's asyndeton, when you use it, it's a comma-splice.
Q: What is the difference between irony and sarcasm?
A: To quote Reginald Hill, irony is "sarcasm for posh folk."
Q: i am taking freshman english and i want to know is it ok to use smileys in my essays?
A: Absolutely. English teachers appreciate creative punctuation, and may even give extra credit for it ;-)
Q: Why does MLA style recommend underlining for emphasis rather than italics?
A: Probably because the Modern Languages Association is run by geriatrics who still use manual typewriters.
Q: Do Eskimos really have twenty words for snow?
A: First of all, you're not supposed to call them Eskimos. "Eskimo" is a Native Canadian word meaning "Dances with Seals", and Inuit generally disprefer this term, especially since there is some ambiguity in the verb. However, those natives of the Arctic circle who happen not to be Inuit are not keen on being called thusly, especially since in their language, "inuit" means "polar bear droppings". To answer your question, this is a linguistic myth: Inuit has only two words for snow, which translate roughly as "snow" and "more bloody snow". On the other hand, they do have twenty words for "anthropologist".
Q: What is the origin of the phrase "bitch slap"? Should it be hyphenated?
A: The term goes back at least to the sixteenth century, but was originally "bitch's lap" (probably as in "lapdog"). See, for example, "Fie on thee for a bitch's lap!" (Kyd, The Welsh Tragedy, 1581). Accordingly, it should not be hyphenated.
Q: I am British, and find American terms for ethnic and racial groups confusing. Which of the following should I use: Afro-American, African American, Black, person of color [sic], homeboy? And why are Hispanics not counted as White?
A: As a speaker of British English, it is best simply to refer to all US citizens as "Yanks".
