Words & language: Points for debate

Inspired by Word4Word, our forum members joined the debate about how we communicate, and what our language tells us.

Male anorexics

Is there was any reason for a separate word for men with eating disorders?

Protecting vocabulary

Is it possible to save rare languages?

Bring and buy

Is it too late to save the fine distinction between bought and brought?

Misery loves company

Are whingers beating out the moaners? Names for upset people.

Messing with language

Has the word for 'messing about' made the leap from dialect phrase, or is it too much of a faff?

Showing our roots

Do we reveal too much about ourselves when we use dialects?

Not fade away

Is there a natural end to regional variations - and should we let dialects die?

Talking nonsense

Dismissive in dialects. How do people use different terms for nonsense?

Many and singular

Group nouns seem to be causing confusion between plurals and singular.

Basque separte?

Is it true that the basque language is unique?

Singing for England

Why is the BBC happy to use the clunking phrase the England team?

Gnalskcab

An investigation into secret-ish communication: Backslang.

Hot issue

What is the real difference between celsius and centigrade?

Misplaced apostrophe's

Have we unearthed a new threat to the language: The chemist's apostrophe?

Saucy question

Where would children be delighted to enjoy a splash of monkey's blood?

AWOL

When children aren't in school, how do they describe what they're doing? Is it bunking off?

Scone sober

If you pass over the muffins, you're left with the problem of ordering a scone.

Open passages

Around the country, there are lots of different words for lanes: Twittens and alleys.

Between grace and guzzling

If you're English, what do you say to fellow-diners before eating?

Language schools

Once a crucible for neologisms, what is the modern state of school slang?

Parlour talk

Living room, lounge, sitting room. How do you use lounge language?

Bank charges

Barclays bank start using slang when talking to customers. Dumbing down or loosening up?

Broken channel?

If people's use of language is getting worse, are the media to blame?

Misused wildly

Is it too late to stop the misuse of careen.

An ocean of difference

One of our visitor's pet hates: Pacific versus specific.

Welsh lessons

The forum had some tips for making sense in Wales.

Historical drama

How has English developed across 400 years of language?

Unfrozen words

It can't just be down to the Fonz. Why are things 'cool'?

Capital language

Is there still something of the country to be heard in London accents?

Talk this way

Are there physiological explanations for accent origins?

Pointing the finger

Is it only on the streets of Blackburn where you'd hear the words stepmother-jag?

Tired phrases

Should we apologise when we use the word knackered?

Changing meanings

How can a word like silly change its meaning? What causes a silly slip?

Written challenge

Could English be improved by overcoming its phonetic failings?

Extrar

Why have so many people started pronouncing words as if they had an extra 'r'?

Bungalow borrowings

Where can we see the evidence of an Indian influence?

TXT THRT

Will there be a negative impact from the influence of technology on language?

Measure for measure

Is the adoption of metrication a sign of modernisation as we shift between metres and yards?

RIP RP?

Are other accents challenging the idea of BBC English?

Place names

Should we use the local favoured names for places?

Content last updated: 30/09/2009

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