By AOL Comment Closed

READ ALL ABOUT IT !

News and comment about developments in the English language, Business English and the Media

Up to 90: Irish English words and phrases.

Today, March 17th, is St Patrick’s day, a national holiday here in Ireland. The Irish Times published an article, a list of the most popular words and phrases in Hiberno English, English as spoken here in Ireland

Hiberno English to replace British English as EU working language ?

No, Hiberno-English, or English as spoken in Ireland will not be replacing British English as the European Union’s working language, following the departure of the UK.
Hiberno-English is very similar to British English; the main difference being some grammar construction, which is directly translated from Gaelic.  The suggestion was a joke from wurst.lu, a satirical website based in Luxembourg. 

For more information, read the Irish newspaper, The Journal

Word 0f the Year 2019

The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression shown through usage evidence to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year, and have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.

The Oxford Word of the Year 2019 is climate emergency.
Climate emergency is defined as ‘a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.’

This year, heightened public awareness of climate science and the myriad implications for communities around the world has generated enormous discussion of what the UN Secretary-General has called ‘the defining issue of our time’.

But it is not just this upsurge in conversation that has caught our attention. Our research reveals a demonstrable escalation in the language people are using to articulate information and ideas concerning the climate. This is most clearly encapsulated by the rise of climate emergency in 2019

SPECIESISM Dec 11, 2018

Speciesism: the idea that animals are less important than humans and do not have as many natural rights PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organisation, have launched a campaign asking people to stop using what they describe as anti animal phrases, e.g. “Flogging a dead horse” or “Killing two birds with one stone”. Look at the media reports here from RTE and the Guardian: or here: .

Now listen to this report from RTE Radio One, and see how many animal phrases or idioms you can spot the presenter using: