Michael Vuolo
Former OTM producer Mike Vuolo was reared in the bucolic wilds of New Jersey, on a neighborhood block populated entirely with Italians and Jews - including his own childhood home, which contained both. It was ...
From the Lexicon Valley Files
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - 03:36 PM
Wow, such smart and informed comments on our language segment (and a few quibbles, which, let's be honest, are totally fair when discussing such matters). Speaking of quibblers, one of the most vocal 19th-century detractors of the then-encroaching progressive passive was a man named Richard Grant White, a Shakespeare scholar who wrote a book called, “Words and Their Uses, Past and Present.” In it, he declared that such constructions as is being done or was being built “affront the eye, torment the ear, and assault the common sense of the speaker of plain and idiomatic English.” Ouch. Here’s another good example of the esteemed passival from T.B. Macaulay’s “The History of England from the Accession of James II”:
It was much noticed that, while the foulest judicial murder which had disgraced even those times was perpetrating, a tempest burst forth, such as had not been known since that great hurricane which had raged round the death-bed of Oliver.
On another note, thanks to all who have expressed an interest in more installments of Lexicon Valley, which I'd describe as a kind of summer experiment – a fling that, with enough encouragement, could blossom into a full romance. I love talking about language and to Bob and so I thought, heck, I should talk to Bob about language. We may air one or two more short episodes on OTM and then explore ways to continue it as a podcast. Feel free to leave your suggestions here in the comments. As for now, a late lunch is preparing.
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Comments [14]
Yes, please!
Absolutely brilliant. I loved the conversation betweeen Mike and Bob. The use, abuse and evolution of language is fascinating. please do get the podcast going Mike
I too would subscribe to a Lexicon Valley podcast, and loved the segment. Thanks to those of you who recommended other podcasts on language!
Listening to this piece left me uncontrollably smiling in amazement - I never realized language could change so abruptly and pervasively. I look forward to more from segments and hope that a dedicated podcast "is preparing"!
This is a really, really good piece and my sincere request is to continue it as a piece of OTM or as an independent entity. After all, English is the language that has 'divided' two countries! Look at how its spoken across the world, add a little comic twist and your venture takes a flight. I have no doubt about it.
My best wishes!
Absolutely loved the segment. If you get the podcast going, here is one future subscriber.
Idea for segment/podcast: When did the split between British and American English for referring to collective nouns occur? e.g. The Brits say "The BBC have revealed," we would say "The BBC has revealed."
And does this split correspond to the notion of corporate personhood (i.e. are we predisposed to think or corporations as people because we refer to them in the singular?)
Here's a great public radio show about language that's on lots of stations: A Way with Words, <a href="http://www.waywordradio.org">http://www.waywordradio.org</a>. I listen to the podcast, but I know it's on in Dallas, San Diego and elsewhere. They get calls from all over the country and the world.
Here's a PRI podcast that I've been enjoying for a few years: It's the World in Words, http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=98206657. As its name indicates, it doesn't focus merely on English. It talks about "New Words! Old Words!! Censoring!! EVERYTHING!!!"
I would love to hear a full Lexicon Valley podcast so please keep us informed when and if this will happen.
Planet Money began as an off-shoot from This American Life and while the collapse of the English language is not nearly as headline grabbing as the collapse of the American economy, I do believe a separate podcast would be just as fascinating and enjoyable.
This segment was fascinating. Please continue it! Since being introduced to John Ciardi's "On Words", I have been hoping to find a podcast such as this.
Please tell me the Lexicon Valley is an ongoing segment and/or podcast that I can catch regularly. If so, where? If not, why not!?!? Don't wet our appetites and then tell us it's a one off.
I would love to hear more. William Z. Shetter's <a href="http://mypage.iu.edu/~shetter/allmins.html">Language Miniatures</a> essays really opened the door for me in regards to a fascination with language. Also, I remember <a href="http://thewordnerds.libsyn.com/">The Word Nerds</a> podcast being quite good, as well (though it is no longer being produced).
I enjoyed last Friday's piece on progressive passive. I would enjoy hearing more such discussion, especially as part of a separate podcast.
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