Comments on: Halcyon

By: Tom Joad

Tom Joad — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:51:22 +0000

A funny thing, Mon. Try looking up the word “criticise” in the Oxford Dictionary. I looked in the online version and it comes up “not found”. “Criticize”, however, pops up first time. If it’s good enough for the OED…

By: Monica

Monica — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:18:57 +0000

A non-Americanism? But correct!!

By: Tom Joad

Tom Joad — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:52:12 +0000

Tip – glad to be of service. As for Sunday’s debacle, I think I will rest in keeping with the theme of words when I say that the arbitrator (whose parents’ marital status at the time of his birth is debatable) did nothing to facilitate our task – particularly the erroneous ejection of one of our squad members.

By: Tom Joad

Tom Joad — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:45:54 +0000

Mon – Hmmm. I should have said “thought of as an Americanism, but the Americans are correct” or “people often think of it as an Americanism but they are incorrect”. You are right to criticize (see what I did there?)

By: Tippler

Tippler — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:04:00 +0000

Except Chelsea didn’t have one yesterday…

By: Tippler

Tippler — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:37:37 +0000

Often wondered about ‘halcyon days’. Never looked it up. Most enlightening, ta.

By: Monica

Monica — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:14:46 +0000

Don’t you mean “…thought of as an Americanism, but they are incorrect”???

By: Tom Joad

Tom Joad — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:40:25 +0000

Definitely to “ize”. This is often thought of as an Americanism, but they are correct (in this instance, their policy on “thru” and “color” I still take issue with!). The Oxford English Dictionary itself stresses the use of “ize” as correct. My problem has been trying to “unlearn” my schooling, which taught “ise” as standard. It’s trickier than you might suspect.

By: Minky

Minky — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:19:48 +0000

Obviously, no effort is vain. I'm sleepless ever since I started messing with all this but I've also learned a lot and right here, I've learned many "words I never knew I didn't know" (Tippler dixit). I'm sure you know that the verb ending "izo" (ίζω) is yet another Greek input. So... to "ise" or not to "ize", that is my question.

By: Tom Joad

Tom Joad — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:06:26 +0000

Thank you Minky – I’m glad my efforts are not in vain. I thought I knew a lot about words when I began this little effort. What a lot I’ve learned. I had no idea the Greeks had so much input into the English language for a start! I presumed that it would be mainly Norse and French – although I know that often French = Latin = Greek. It’s great fun. Halcyon days for me