Ask a linguist!

As those of you who follow it well know, the linguists on languagelog do a fantastic job of critiquing the dribble that passes for linguistic reporting or analysis in mass media. It's probably simply bias engendered by familiarity, but I agree with their frequent assertion that the press does an even more ham-fisted job of covering linguistics than other scientific fields. It's a low bar, to be sure, but I like to think we're some of the lowest on it.

To their credit, though, the bloggers recognise that some of the blame must rest with the profession for doing such a deplorable job of educating the masses about how language works. One of my purposes with this blog has always been to do what little I can to try to remedy this sorry state of affairs, but I've never felt like I've been particularly successful.

For one thing, I easily come off as arrogant and condescending, which puts off questioners. Then there's the problem of striking the right balance between accuracy and readibility. It's easier for me to write for my fellow language geeks using technical jargon that bores or frightens away a wider audience.

So this is an appeal to help me improve. Do you have any nagging queries related to language and how its used? Out with them! If you're afraid of sounding naïve or misinformed, feel free to post anonymously. If I can't answer the question, I'll try to say so in few words rather than posting bullshit (another major flaw of mine). If I can, I'll try to do so as clearly and concisely as possible.

Dubious distinctions

At lunch today, I was helping one of my more lefty co-workers on with his jacket. Ignoring his protestations, I said, "Every man should know what it's like to have a valet," pronouncing the last word in the manner of Bertie Wooster. "Oh," he replied, "you're one of those people who says ['valɪt]."

"A [væ'leɪ] is someone who parks your car," I shot back. "Someone who helps you with your clothes is a ['valɪt]."