tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post2862860649403244270..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: LicenSe to SpellIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-55054417617272659462009-05-21T09:58:03.433+01:002009-05-21T09:58:03.433+01:00Yes, interesting. For once, I feel inclined to joi...Yes, interesting. For once, I feel inclined to join in with the BBC-bashing that happens here. Someone ought to also monitor the highly paid journalists for their apparent inability (now more frequent than ever) to utter even a simple sentence without mangling the English language, failing to understand crucial points in interviews, etc. This blight is particularly apparent on the horribly expensive-to-run "News 24" (should that be Confused 24?!).<br /><br />All very relevant given the whining apologia yesterday from BBC executives that the inflation increase is justified given the "very high quality of our journalism".<br /><br />A starting point would be a list of the highest paid talking heads on the news programmes compared to a list of their many gaffes and inabilities.<br /><br />Oh dear, I am starting to sound like Hitchens. Could it be that Craig Brown's excellent satire of that gentleman in this week's Eye is having undesirable effects?DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-29379446959678286722009-05-21T06:14:05.595+01:002009-05-21T06:14:05.595+01:00Grumpy: that was probably because I'm married to a...Grumpy: that was probably because I'm married to an American and these things rub off on me. So shoot me, to use another one.Roynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-53623014989351083992009-05-21T01:59:14.084+01:002009-05-21T01:59:14.084+01:00It's not only the BBC's spelling which is at fault...It's not only the BBC's spelling which is at fault and appears to have been Americanised. Its pronunciation is too. Many of their reporters and presenters appear unaware that there is a difference between INcrease and inCREASE, SURvey and surVEY, PROtest and proTEST etc. i.e. they fail to realise that for many of these words which can be used as both a noun and a verb the first syllable is stressed in the noun and the second syllable in the verb.* It is pretty clear in the following where the stress should fall: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks". If the first syllable of 'protest' is stressed the line becomes singularly ugly.<br /><br />Ok – this can be viewed as being somewhat pedantic but the spoken word is, after all, central to the business of the BBC and it surely has a duty to promote the use of correct and mellifluous English. <br /><br />*Yes, there are exceptions such as 'research', but this word, itself, is all too often doubly mangled by being pronounced as 'REEsearch' when it should be 'ruhSEARCH'.Tubbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17895146479962723219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77771266002518315632009-05-21T01:22:07.671+01:002009-05-21T01:22:07.671+01:00They also varied between 'MP's expenses' and 'MPs'...They also varied between 'MP's expenses' and 'MPs' expenses' at several points today. You'd think given the practise (that's PRACTISE) they've had...C Hogan-Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00291999490773139100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-28248446479535833122009-05-20T23:43:06.035+01:002009-05-20T23:43:06.035+01:00I hate it too whenever I see traces of American En...I hate it too whenever I see traces of American English seeping in.<br /><br />American spelling today is based on <A HREF="http://www.translationlanguageculture.com/2008/10/english-languag.html" REL="nofollow">random choices</A> made by Mr. Webster (he of the dictionary) a long time ago and is not the product of a natural evolution.<br /><br />I, therefore, reject American spelling.Werner Patelshttp://www.wernerpatels.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-52977589159809430792009-05-20T23:24:41.055+01:002009-05-20T23:24:41.055+01:00Extremely Fat and Arrogant Eric Pickles is one of ...Extremely Fat and Arrogant Eric Pickles is one of the reasons I became an ex Tory. He is the one that finds it difficult to catch a train from Liverpool Street to Billericay in the evening,unlike those of us that work for a living and don't need or can afford a house in Central LondonA right wing non-Torynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-64181379094552881412009-05-20T21:14:20.309+01:002009-05-20T21:14:20.309+01:00" Roy said...
I suspect that someone at the Beeb n..." Roy said...<br />I suspect that someone at the Beeb never changed their PC's language settings from the default "English (US)" is all."<br /><br />It would appear that you are unable to use English English - "is all" is a typical AmericanismGrumpynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-67369554000366452292009-05-20T20:17:32.482+01:002009-05-20T20:17:32.482+01:00Anonymous says 'license' the American variant. So...Anonymous says 'license' the American variant. So what?<br /><br />Sinbad The Sailor, who says he has more important things to worry about, if you don't care about the integrity of the language, then you have no interest in the precise expression of ideas.Veritynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-12266051288450980302009-05-20T20:06:23.265+01:002009-05-20T20:06:23.265+01:00The TV tax should be abolished.The TV tax should be abolished.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-83082043412681429522009-05-20T20:06:05.381+01:002009-05-20T20:06:05.381+01:00So, wts th issu hr thn? Hsn't nybody hre evr snt ...So, wts th issu hr thn? Hsn't nybody hre evr snt a txt msg b4? Th BBC staff r jst kping up wth th times....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32286156801166424052009-05-20T19:30:26.813+01:002009-05-20T19:30:26.813+01:00I have noticed an marked increase in spellig mist...I have noticed an marked increase in spellig mistakes in captions on all TV stations. I guess it reflects the general educational standards of the country.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01536080469186800888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-62475985822642021152009-05-20T18:29:24.244+01:002009-05-20T18:29:24.244+01:00I thought the monthly food claim that they take fr...I thought the monthly food claim that they take from pensioners £4,700 annual pension is "only" £400 per month - it's obviously £4,000 per month!<br />Bet you don't post this one!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77561704543198198802009-05-20T18:19:24.188+01:002009-05-20T18:19:24.188+01:00Blimey, Pickles is a right porker isn't he? If he ...Blimey, Pickles is a right porker isn't he? If he lost a ton or so he'd be about the size of 25-stone, iron-watch-chained, crag-visaged, grim-booted Alderman Foodbotham.RWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-31449666390846301422009-05-20T18:16:55.573+01:002009-05-20T18:16:55.573+01:00Ean,
Its obvyus that nun of thees peeple in the me...Ean,<br />Its obvyus that nun of thees peeple in the meediaer are educkated - puhapps they shuld be in pollyticks?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-86268011903433990102009-05-20T17:24:52.996+01:002009-05-20T17:24:52.996+01:00I was dissappointed by Eric's lacklustre performan...I was dissappointed by Eric's lacklustre performance in the debate against Mr.Angry.<br />He should have raised the issue of waste and overmanning at the BBC, and the general lack of value for money.<br />For Three and a half BILLION pounds a year I would expect a whole lot more than the garbage they currently serve up.<br /><br /><br />Why do they need to advertise job vacancies in the Guardian at huge expense? They could have a jobs page on their incredibly expensive website, that would save about a quarter of a million a year.<br /><br />And I hear they're advertising the BBC in cinemas now too. What's that about?<br />I'm beginning to feel angrier than Mr.Angry now.Twighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16698620636313191152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-62733108711206351752009-05-20T16:48:56.156+01:002009-05-20T16:48:56.156+01:00I suspect that someone at the Beeb never changed t...I suspect that someone at the Beeb never changed their PC's language settings from the default "English (US)" is all.Roynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-2745255064806306322009-05-20T16:40:00.345+01:002009-05-20T16:40:00.345+01:00BBC has many spelin mistakes on its website, and t...BBC has many spelin mistakes on its website, and they're not the only ones either.<br />That's what edukayshun edukayshun edukayshun does for you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45203770893012748962009-05-20T16:39:53.959+01:002009-05-20T16:39:53.959+01:00'License' is the correct way to spell the verb. Th...'License' is the correct way to spell the verb. The noun (which is the one they meant) is 'licence'. <br /><br />This is a standard rule in English usage; see, for example:<br /><br />prophecy (noun)/prophesy (verb)<br /><br />advice (noun)/advise (verb)<br /><br />Simples...<br /><br />Americans get it wrong for the same reason they drive on the right and say 'aluminum'.Shakassocnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-83184610486885835572009-05-20T16:30:04.724+01:002009-05-20T16:30:04.724+01:00BBC's very own attempt at Newspeak.BBC's very own attempt at Newspeak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-63766129467816150912009-05-20T15:59:52.423+01:002009-05-20T15:59:52.423+01:00Or is that Unneek, in the case of the BBC?Or is that Unneek, in the case of the BBC?Thats Newshttp://thatsnews.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1580896346088250002009-05-20T15:49:33.734+01:002009-05-20T15:49:33.734+01:00I really don't care how they spell it, as long as ...I really don't care how they spell it, as long as they end it pronto! Never mind S vs C, it's still a ludicrous anachronism. They're welcome to continue existing, if they can persuade their claimed millions of loyal fans to continue coughing up without coercion, as long as they stop demanding money from me for a service I neither want nor use.James Sutherlandhttp://deadnode.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-83901468995143708992009-05-20T15:44:43.899+01:002009-05-20T15:44:43.899+01:00This is what happens when you spend 12 years dumbi...This is what happens when you spend 12 years dumbing down an education system...Mirtha Tidvillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07940977481295375071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-72423051724971115212009-05-20T15:41:42.838+01:002009-05-20T15:41:42.838+01:00As long as Lord Crony of Pie (better known as Lord...As long as Lord Crony of Pie (better known as Lord Foulkes) wasn't on the programme today, I think we'll live.The Grim Reaperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05543130733645367498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-14034984013990828732009-05-20T15:36:14.327+01:002009-05-20T15:36:14.327+01:00I still think the BBC caption saying that the Quee...I still think the BBC caption saying that the Queen was " laying a reef " was the best so far.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-49920265312063693232009-05-20T14:56:55.684+01:002009-05-20T14:56:55.684+01:00""Oh, why can't the English teach their children h...""Oh, why can't the English teach their children how to speak?" as Coward said"<br /><br />Surely that was Lerner and Loewe after George Bernard Shaw?<br /><br />On topic, I don't thinkreally matters about the spelling which is probably due to the old spelling chequer [sic], but if William G. Stewart wants some "flab" cutting out, how about a sharp reduction in the £92,000 salaries of certain newsreaders? Although if the spelling's a bit off in the autocue, maybe they regard it as an interpretive allowance.The Half-Blood Welshmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072936624444891100noreply@blogger.com