Kicking Off In General - Using 'brigade' as the suffix for everything.

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

stop it!!!

nothing winds me up more than when people can't refer to political correctness without using the cliches of 'gone mad' or for the group collective 'pc brigade'.

now it is used to imply any kind of sniffy behaviour... but it is forever tainted as a term by being a horrid Daily Fail cliche

i just don't like cliches folks. the nature of a cliche is that a once highly pleasing turn of phrase has been degraded so much through overuse that it no longer carries any significant meaning or wit as it once did.

The phrases used by footballers are the most shining example of what i'm talking about.

OK so this is an issue more appropriate for poor journalism or other writing and not a football fans forum but i'm bored and wanted to whinge about something

here is a link if you are interested which comes highly recommended for budding writers and english students (genuinely fascinating and will boost your efforts / grades)

George Orwell, 1946

It's George Orwell's famous and Excellent Politics and the English Language essay. If you think this is a post by a hifalutin ponce then I shall needle you by saying you are not a true Englishman if you do not read and absorb the excellent ideas of one of our greatest writers so neeurrrgghhhhhhh

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

"Kicking off" usually does it for me,anybody would think this was a football forum or something.

 

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

A truly glorious quote from GO if anyone is sick of moronic banter and an elucidation of the deeper reasons for why we hate it:

'Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.'

 

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

"Kicking off" usually does it for me,anybody would think this was a football forum or something.

I know, it makes me sick.

 

[Art Vs Science]

Oh god, it's one of the George Orwell brigade.

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

I know, it makes me sick.

I do know what you mean though & what was that video all about,with the skaters in the other thread? i can't get any sounds

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Oh god, it's one of the George Orwell brigade.

No Avs evening btw,it's MY god-aint it,actually

 

[Don Quixote]

In all honesty George Orwell is not a linguist and neither does he know anything about linguistics or language. Some people believe language will fall apart, and needs to be protected by a group of snooty people who don't understand anything about it. These people are wrong, and yes George Orwell is wrong too.

 

[Art Vs Science]

No Avs evening btw,it's MY god-aint it,actually

Evening GWF. Only 3 things matter in life. 3 points, family and is Ben and Jerry's ice cream on offer ?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

Evening GWF. Only 3 things matter in life. 3 points, family and is Ben and Jerry's ice cream on offer ?

Only cookies n cream or double choc i'm afraid

 

[JonathanLivingstonSeagull]

In all honesty George Orwell is not a linguist and neither does he know anything about linguistics or language. Some people believe language will fall apart, and needs to be protected by a group of snooty people who don't understand anything about it. These people are wrong, and yes George Orwell is wrong too.

I find the arrogance of this statement ridiculous. I don't call the essay the only worthwhile writing on the matter but I think it contains some important ideas. It is a shame you seem to think you know enough to reject it out of hand. I assume you must have had an excellent A-level teacher to design for you your point of view.

What or who is indeed your 'linguist'?

The persons who define themselves as such? Then perhaps contribute and further promote the area of study under the title? Sometimes accruing fees and certainly wages in the pursuit? University is a business too you know, if that is your linguist. You are trying to tell me that a genius (or at least an excellent practitioner) of the form of the English language, speaking exactly ON that subject, has an inferior understanding than your nebulously defined official 'linguist'? He has no understanding or right to comment?

That seems idiotic to me. Are you talking about language as a function of group consensus? Accretion over time, of it's own will? That it evolves manifest of the people through which it functions? Are you talking from a psychadelic point of view, or from Bill Hicks? That language itself is a kind of conscious being and we are just mammalian nervous systems it has hijacked, through which to experience its one-ness subjectively? Are you talking about collective unconscious?

All you've done is offer an unsubstantiated condemnation and offered no explanation. Good going champ.


Ironically I enjoyed being referred to as the George Orwell brigade... And lo! it was leant ironic meaning and emerged refreshed and like new to signify humour through which a self-deprecating smirk could function - indicating I am not as arrogant and boring as the decision to go ahead and post this thread would indicate. Isn't life wonderful?

 

[ArcticBlue]

stop it!!!

nothing winds me up more than when people can't refer to political correctness without using the cliches of 'gone mad' or for the group collective 'pc brigade'.

now it is used to imply any kind of sniffy behaviour... but it is forever tainted as a term by being a horrid Daily Fail cliche

i just don't like cliches folks. the nature of a cliche is that a once highly pleasing turn of phrase has been degraded so much through overuse that it no longer carries any significant meaning or wit as it once did.

The phrases used by footballers are the most shining example of what i'm talking about.

OK so this is an issue more appropriate for poor journalism or other writing and not a football fans forum but i'm bored and wanted to whinge about something

here is a link if you are interested which comes highly recommended for budding writers and english students (genuinely fascinating and will boost your efforts / grades)

George Orwell, 1946

It's George Orwell's famous and Excellent Politics and the English Language essay. If you think this is a post by a hifalutin ponce then I shall needle you by saying you are not a true Englishman if you do not read and absorb the excellent ideas of one of our greatest writers so neeurrrgghhhhhhh

Excellent point well made. Unfortunately the aspirations of many is the banal.

Some useful tip from the aforementioned author....

(i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

(ii) Never us a long word where a short one will do.

(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.

(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.