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Internet Slang

Tom Joad — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:51:19 +0000

Now, I’m a bit of a nerd and also a geek (I’m told there is a discernable difference). As such, I spend a lot of time hanging around in the corners of the internet where the spelling and grammar employed would be sufficient to make one’s eyes bleed. In these online dens of linguistic depravity, [...]

Internet Spelling Errors – Part Deux

Tom Joad — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:22:54 +0000

To paraphrase Blackadder, as I am given to doing, “Bad grammar and spelling stalk the internet like two giant stalking things”. Today’s post will address a few more common errors found around the goldmine of misspelled invective that is the internet. Again, I will stress that is not an excuse to poke fun at people [...]

Internet Spelling Errors

Tom Joad — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 08:09:20 +0000

Having been hanging around the internet since it was two pocket calculators joined together with coaxial cable, I have seen something of a sea change in the standard of grammar and spelling used in online forums. The proliferation of acronyms and initialisms (OMG, WTF, LOL), leet speak (1337 5P34K) and the splling used n mble [...]

It’s the Aussie’s turn

Tom Joad — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:05:15 +0000

There seems to be a rash of “word(s) of the year” around this time of year. Fine by me – at least I can guarantee something to write about around Christmas! This month, it falls to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English. You may remember that last year’s poll gave us the splendid “muffin top” [...]

Irony

Tom Joad — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:11:23 +0000

To quote from one of the BBC’s finest comedies ever made, Blackadder:

Blackadder: Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is? Baldrick: Yes, it’s like goldy and bronzy only it’s made out of iron.

Strangely enough, Baldrick is actually correct. The word Irony also exists as an adverb meaning “consisting of or containing iron, or [...]