Deep penetrating thought

If khram didn't mean "church" or "temple" in Russian, I'd wonder if Borat's faux Kazakh word for penis was inspired by Rahm Emanuel.

BREAKING: President-elect Obama arrested by the Grammar Police

Obama in today's press conference:

Well, President Bush graciously invited Michelle and I to -- to meet with him and First Lady Laura Bush. We are gratified by the invitation. I'm sure that, in addition to taking a tour of the White House, there's going to be a substantive conversation between myself and the president.

This is the kind of grammar up with which I will not put. (Yes, I know the irony of this paraphrase. It's intentional. Snarky responses are preempted.) I expect my president to speak English better than I, an immigrant from a country most Americans can't find on a map.

Besides the felony of using "I" as a direct object, the president-elect has also been charged with stylistic misdemeanors of using unnecessary and awkward passive voice where "We are grateful for the invitation" would sound better and have a clearer meaning, and saying "between myself and the president" where "between the president and me" would be the minimally acceptable improvement, but we should expect no less than a complete rephrasing, such as "...I'm going to have a substantive conversation with the president."

The "tour of the White House" jab has been noted as evidence of good character, possibly mitigating the charges.

Who is Maverick?

From Online Etymology Dictionary:

maverick
1867, "calf or yearling found without an owner's brand," in allusion to Samuel A. Maverick (1803-70), Texas cattle owner who was negligent in branding his calves. Sense of "individualist, unconventional person" is first recorded 1886, via notion of "masterless."

Negligent in branding his cattle? Not knowing whom he picks and what they do? Has to say "Oops!" and "I screwed up" a lot? It's beginning to make sense now...

Also note that the original Maverick was born 205 years ago.

The antics of semantics

Political scientists need to be careful about using technical terms like the far left end of a distribution when they write for the general public. This post at the Monkey Cage and the discussion in the comments are highly instructive. Arguments from both sides are intelligent, but the main issue is how did the readers of the op-ed understand what was said.

Rail grammar

The announcement at my commuter train stop yesterday:

Train 332 bound for Union Station is delayed 15 minutes due to heavy passenger travel.

I've seen some heavy passengers on the train, but I thought the engine was strong enough to haul them at normal speed.

Lesbians are from Lesbos... and everywhere else

Those activist librul judges:

ATHENS (Reuters) - A Greek court has dismissed a request by residents of the Aegean island of Lesbos to ban the use of the word lesbian to describe gay women, according to a court ruling made public on Tuesday.

This world must be going to Hell! What will they say next?

That residents of Czech Republic may not forbid socially unconventional people to call themselves "bohemian"?
That residents of India may not outlaw the name "Indian" for Native Americans?
That residents of Holland may not withhold the phrase "Dutch treat"?
That residents of Russia may not kill the phrase "Russian roulette"?
That residents of Germany may not stifle "German measles"?
That residents of France may not censor "French kiss"?
That residents of Thailand may not enjoin "Siamese twins"?
That residents of Scotland may not stick it to "Scotch tape"?
Even that residents of Turkey may not dicree what we gobble for Thanksgiving meal?

Now if only the Greeks realized that it is not their prerogative to tell another nation that it may not call itself "Macedonia"...

U seen dis? LOL

Sm ppl srsly translating teh Bibul. Here iz John 1:1-8

1. In teh beginz is teh cat macro, and teh cat macro sez "Oh hai Ceiling Cat" and teh cat macro iz teh Ceiling Cat.

2. Teh cat macro an teh Ceiling Cat iz teh bests frenz in teh begins.

3. Him maeks alls teh cookies; no cookies iz maed wifout him.

4. Him haz teh liefs, an becuz ov teh liefs teh doodz sez "Oh hay lite."

5. Teh lite iz pwns teh darks, but teh darks iz liek "Wtf."

6. And teh Ceiling Cat haz dis otehr man; his naem iz John.

7. He tellz teh ppl dat teh lites is tehre, so dat teh doodz sez "OMG."

8. Him wuz not teh lite; he jsut sez teh lites is tehre.

What's Democracy in a Name?

Countries whose long ("full") names contain the word "democratic", according to The World Factbook (as of 10 May 2007):

• People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
  
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  
• Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
  
• Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
  
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
  
• Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe
  
• Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  

Additionally, these countries, some of which no longer exist, called themselves "democratic" in the past:

• German Democratic Republic (1949-1990)
  
• Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)
  
• Somali Democratic Republic (1969-1991)
  
• People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1970-1990)
  
• Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (1943-1946)
  

Me Speak English Very Good... Some Day

A useful collection of common language errors from the Economist. I must plead guilty to some of them.

Other similarly useful guides are here and here.

(Yes, I believe there is such a thing as correct English usage.)