WORDS GONE WILD

Contributions are welcome to this page, which exists to highlight fine or not-so-fine examples of written English, monitor trends in usage and the evolution of the language, and provide a home for general observations. Email submissions to pclittle@gmail.com

GO, GO, GLOBISH
The gloabl language is here - and we won. Take that Mandarin. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2006/dec/03/features.review37 Book soon from Penguin.

LOST IN TRANSLATION
Eat your heart out stuff for serious readers: leading translators nominate the books they think most need to be translated. You'll need to cut and paste the link in the address bar.  http://quarterlyconversation.com/translate-this-book-single-page  

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROOFREADING
An Australian publisher is reprinting 7,000 cookbooks after a recipe for pasta advised to use "salt and freshly ground black people". Penguin Group Australia's head of publishing, Bob Sessions, acknowledged the proofreader should have caught the "silly mistake". He told The Sydney Morning Herald, "We're mortified that this has become an issue of any kind and why anyone would be offended, we don't know." The typo was in the "Pasta Bible" recipe for spelt tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto. Sessions said the publisher would replace the book for any buyer "small-minded enough" to complain. The reprinting will cost A$20,000.

BRILLIANT GOBBLEDEGOOK, EVEN BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT STANDARDS
"Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select one or more parties whom the Electricity Commission (the Commission) may engage to address information barriers with the objective of increasing the uptake of heated towel rail timers in New Zealand homes" See more here: http://bit.ly/cZrhcs 

IT WAS LIKE ... OH, I DON"T KNOW ... A BAD ANALOGY CONTEST
http://www.qwertyed.com/q_pages/q6_fun_pages/analogies.html