Jargon is everywhere, no matter what field of work you’re in or what your hobbies are. Sometimes, though, common jargon words can have a problematic origin. As an example, let’s look at the phrase “ricer car,” commonly used in the car tuning community. What does “ricer car” mean? The phrase “ricer car” is used …
English
Plenty of expressions derive their meaning from the context within which they are used. For instance, when you say something as simple as “sure,” you might be saying more than one thing. On the one hand, you might be simply agreeing with the person you’re talking to, and there’s no reason not to take you …
Some people would like you to think that the rules of English grammar are set in stone. They want you to follow the rules, and pretend that grammar has always been the way they say it is. You might even hear them say that you’re speaking incorrectly, even if you’ve been saying something a certain …
The flexibility of language as a communication device allows humans to convey information either colloquially or formally. While colloquialism emanates a tone of friendliness, formalistic speech entails more objectivity, logic, and conviction. Hence, the formal language is preferable for record-keeping, such as in historical texts, as well as in pedagogical practices. Let’s take a closer …
There are many words in the English language that are so versatile that they carry more than one meaning. On the one hand, you have homonyms, words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as “tree bark” and “dog bark.” On the other hand, some words can have a single meaning, yet …
Human thought is sometimes represented by expressions that are obscure and vague. The attempt to use precise and accurate language in texts, especially in technical documents, may reinforce some counterproductive effects. One way to address the uncertainty in the written language is by adding non-lexical symbols, such as commas, to assist in the disambiguation process. …
These days, email is everywhere. On the one hand, that means communication is faster and more efficient than it’s ever been before. However, the ubiquity of email has given rise to a whole new set of phrases and words, along with rules on when and where to use them. In this article, we’ll look at …
Many people think that accents are what other people have. This makes sense, because you’re so used to your own voice it’s hard to think that it might be different to other people. Accents, however, are like opinions: Everybody has one. There’s no reason to be upset by this. The different accents we use to …
Do you sometimes feel intimidated by words not typically used in everyday speech? And, have you come to a point wherein you doubted whether a word indeed exists in the world of languages or only in your head? If you answered “yes” to both questions, then you’re living proof that language apparently is a living …