August 20, 2008, 01:58
arnieSwift (if not cunning) linguist
The British 400 metre runner
Christine Ohuruogu has just won a gold medal at the Olympics. The interest to Wordcrafters is that she went to University College, London and graduated in 2005 in Linguistics. An article I saw in the paper yesterday mentioned this, and said that, when asked what she'd read while at uni, she replied "
Chomsky, Chomsky, and more Chomsky."
There is some controversy about her being able to take part as she failed to inform testers of her whereabouts so she missed three out-of-competion drug tests. She received an automatic one-year ban for missing the tests, but the British Olympic Association has a rule that anyone receiving a drug-related ban is banned for life from competing for Great Britain at the Olympics. Eventually she got the ban overturned on appeal.
August 20, 2008, 20:42
KallehChomsky, huh? Now that's an interesting mix with being a gold medal winner!
On another front, do you British speakers call a university a "uni?" When I was a nursing student, I remember that's what we called our uniforms. We definitely don't use that abbreviation here.
August 21, 2008, 01:04
Richard Englishquote:
On another front, do you British speakers call a university a "uni?"
It's more an Australian expression so far as I know - no doubt riding in on the back of the plethora of appalling antipodean soaps that we are presently having to suffer.
August 21, 2008, 01:38
arnieUni = university.
Encarta says that it's a UK informal shortening from the late 19th century.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary also mentions that it's Australian English.
August 23, 2008, 04:54
arnieAnother British medallist - this time only a silver - was Acer Nethercott, the cox of the GB men's rowing eight. He is another linguist, this time a DPhil. See
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/07/olympics.acernethercottinterview(Link found through
Language Log.)
August 23, 2008, 20:36
KallehWhat do you mean "only a silver?" It's such an amazing feat to even
get to the Olympics! Good for him!