A NATIONAL BULLETIN

ISSUES IN AUSTRALIAN STYLE AND THE USE OF ENGLISH IN AUSTRALIA Volume 12 No 2 DECEMBER 2004 Australian hypocoristics: putting the -ie into Aussie Roland Sussex is Professor of Applied Language Studies at the University of .

ustralian English is becoming hypocoristics for place names in well known for its quirky, Australia, unlike other English- Alarrikin, idiosyncratic cre- speaking countries, where place I N THIS ativeness, as can be seen from the names are somehow above such ISSUE growing number of books on indulgent, and perhaps dis- ISSUE Australian colloquialisms and slang respectful, word-play. (e.g. the Macquarie Australian slang But Australian English goes dictionary, 2004), and on the much further than this. Most dozens of websites on “Aussie hotels have hypocoristic names slang” for travellers, tourists, and which are the default with their the linguistically curious. Phrases regulars, and with locals who know Style Council 2004 3 like flat out like a lizard drinking for the area well: The Wellington Hotel “to be very busy” or thin as six feet of in Brisbane is predictably The pump water, familiar to most Wello, The Bouldecombe Hotel in Book Notes 4 Australians, strike other users of NSW is The Bouldie, Young and The Cambridge Guide to English by their originality and Jackson’s in Melbourne is The YJ, English Usage word-play. hotels called The Criterion are A major strand in this intense variously The Cry or The Crit, and A Wave of Spelling creative layer of Australian English The Bavarian Tavern in Hobart is belongs to hypocoristics, also The Bav Tav. Australex 2004 6 known as diminutives. These are Sportspersons are often so the shortened or modified forms of honoured: AB for the cricketer Alan words like ambo for “ambulance Border, Warnie for Shane Warne, SCOSE Notes 7 officer”, fierie or firie (the spelling is the swimmer Ian Thorpe (Thorpie, typically unstable) for “fire officer”, Thorpedo), the footballers Alex From the Editor 8 the older and now dated beaut as a Jezaulenko (Jezza) and Jason cover-all term of approval, or pav for Ackermanis (Acker). A few pavlova. politicians are part of the pantheon, Letters to the Editor 9 Jane Simpson’s 2001 paper but only a few: Little Johnnie (the analyzed hypocoristic Australian Prime Minister, John Howard) or Feedback 24 10 place names like Brizzie “Brisbane”, the former Premier of Queensland, The Isa or just Isa “Mount Isa”, Gossie (Wayne Goss). Rotto “Rottnest Island” (W.A.), and To this we can add common Feedback Report 11 Gabba “Wooloongabba” (Qld), nouns like clippie “tram con- usually in the form The Gabba for ductor”, muddie “mud crab”, Rubicon 12 the cricket ground of that name. schoolies (the school leavers’ annual There are more than a thousand week of celebration), reffo “refugee”,

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 1 1 Continued from page 1 cab-sav “cabernet sauvignon” (wine), A second and equally deep- rhodo “rhodo-dendron”, fisho “fish running layer of meaning in merchant” or K “kilometre”. hypocoristics has to do with The database that I have been playfulness, sometimes wilful; with collecting, with the help of Jane the Australian laconic leg-pull, the Simpson and David Nash, now tendency not to take ourselves too stands at well over 4,000 seriously. We play with language headwords. These include around creatively, and share this play- 1600 proper nouns, 2350 common fulness, at all levels of society. What nouns, 90 verbs (to divvie up the other country would use pollie for spoils), and 200 adjectives (para for both politicians and parrots? Or paralytic or paranoid). Some of aspro for “associate professor”; these, like pollie “politician”, are barbie for barbiturates, Barbie dolls accepted into our national and barbecues; or flattie for flathead dictionaries. Others are still almost (a fish), flat-soled shoes, flatmate, wholly part of the colloquial, flat tyre, or a flat-bottomed boat? spoken language. Such homonyms are part of word- Some words have multiple play. They seldom cause problems alternative hypocoristics. Apart of communication, and when there from older examples like Commo/ are collisions, they present welcome Commie “Communist”, we find opportunities for punning. I have “sandwich” with sammie, sanger, called this tendency “ludicity”, sarnie, sando, sambo, sanbo, sango, from the Roman ludum “game” sandie, sangie, sammo, sammidge (Sussex 2004). and sangwidge; or “afternoon” Hypocoristics are a creative and represented by arvie, arvo, sarvo, open-ended part of the aftie, arve, arv and afto. morphology of Australian English. Overseas visitors are often The earliest example is croppie, a puzzled by this apparently convict with a cropped head, profligate creativity, which seems reported from 1800 in Amanda to some to suggest children’s Laugesen’s Convict words (2002). language. But hypocoristics have Among the more recent is Peej for some deep-seated relevance for PJ, the initials of one of the Australian speakers. Two of the characters in Channel 7’s series principle features are solidarity and Blue Heelers. playfulness. There are two lists of Wierzbicka (1984) has identified hypocoristics on the Web: Jane hypocoristics as a solidarity code, a Simpson’s list of placenames at the way of speaking which marks the University of Sydney: http:/// REFERENCES in-group belonging of Australians. www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/ Simpson, J. 2001. “Hypocoristics We use hypocoristics among linguistics/research/hypocoristic/ of place-names in Australian ourselves as a way of indicating a placenames.html and a subset of English” in P. Collins & D. Blair good-humoured, but also quite my own database at http:// (eds.) Varieties of English: Australian serious, sharing of social space. www.cltr.uq.edu.au/ English John Benjamins Amsterdam, Foreigners using hypocoristics can languagetalkback/Projects/ Philadelphia: 89-112. sound intrusive: hypocoristics Diminutives-list.html require Australian phonology to be Hypocoristics are found in all Sussex, R. 2004. Abstand, ausbau, consistent and fully solidaristic. Englishes, especially in personal creativity and ludicity in Australian Furthermore, not using customary names. But no other English runs English. Australian Journal of hypocoristics will sound formal, Australian English even close when Linguistics 24, 1, 3-19. stilted or unnatural: once I have it comes to creativity and usage of established with a mechanically hypocoristics, which are pushing Wierzbicka, A. 1984. Diminutives gifted friend that I know enough ever more vigorously into the written and depreciatives: semantic repres- about a carburettor to call it a language as well. entation for derivational categories. carbie, it would be inconsistent to Quaderni di Semantica 5.1: 123- use the full form carburettor. Australian Style is published by the Style Council Centre, Macquarie University. It is edited by Pam Peters, with executive assistance from Adam Smith. The editorial reference group includes Ann Atkinson, David Blair, Sue Butler, Richard Tardif and Colin Yallop. Views expressed in Australian Style and the styles chosen are those of the authors indicated. Design: Irene Meier. ISSN 1320-0941

130.2 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004

Style Council 2004

he “hamburgerisation” of language, but generally there are Rosemary Noble is Faculty Client Australian English was the more than 50 per cent of them to Co-ordinator for Learning T way that Lex Icon, from the be found in officialese? Services at Deakin University. She Society of Pure English (SOPE), Subsequent speakers explored reports on the Style Council aka comedian Rodney Marks, this theme from a wide variety of conference, 2004. described the current state of the angles, as politicians, journalists, language at the opening of Style lawyers, academics, business Council 2004 (we were after all in writers and editors. NSW state the McDonalds Room of the State government politician Andrew Library of NSW). His amusing Tink gave us examples of political browse through the conference speak to demonstrate that public centred around the contentious program gave him the ammunition language has been used for statement that “all prose can be he needed to demonstrate our love centuries by those in power to improved by a good editor”. of buzzwords. Liberally sprinkling attack, defend and criticise. At the Panellists were Bruce Heilbuth his ramblings with such gems as same time politicians use this (Businesswriters), Pamela Hewitt knowledge management, scenario language to avoid risky (NSW Society of Editors) and Bill planning, value propositions and commitment by boring and Krebs (Bond University) corporate governance, he well and stupefying the reader with jargon • the experiences of best- truly set the scene for the two days and waffle. selling author Matthew Reilly, of input, throughput and output Other presenters drew our when he agreed to publish online leading to a holistic totality on attention to the shifting meanings his sixth novel Hover car racer with public and professional discourse – of words. Heather Forbes, of ABC free downloads, before the print yes, really! News Radio, talked of how words version became available The overall theme of the such as terrorist can be used to • a comparison of the different conference was “Public and manipulate the perceptions of the levels of language used in court by Professional Discourse”, with audience by legitimising one side of the various protagonists – police to reference to Don Watson’s book, a conflict and demonising the suspect, lawyer to client, judge to Death sentence: the decay of public other. Alan Jones from Macquarie jury, counsel to witness, and so on language (Sydney, Knopf, 2002). University talked of ecospeak and – presented by Roland Sussex of The keynote speaker, Neil James of greenwash – the practice of giving the the Plain English Foundation, products an implicit association • some interesting discussions while not totally agreeing with with the natural environment to based on the language of research Watson, did concede that public soften their image. He gave theses, firstly by Janet Mackenzie discourse was definitely not examples of big business (i.e. oil on the recently ratified policy on healthy. Symptoms of the poor companies) using terms that were editing theses developed by the health of “officialese” include the vague (disposable, biodegradable), Council of Australian Societies of use of poor narrative structures, polysemous (development, growth, Editors (CASE) and the Deans and plenty of passive voice and an resources) or just plain misleading Directors of Graduate Studies (D- abundance of Latinate words. Did (spillage, labour-saving), to ensure DOGS); then by a panel of you know, for example, that “strategic ambiguity”. academics from the University of Latinate words comprise about 22 Other highlights included: who have set up a per cent of everyday English • the panel discussion that pilot program to work with research students to improve their writing skills. So what solutions, if any, were offered, to stem the tide of jargon, waffle, clichés and other distracting verbiage? Encouragement to use editors (hurray!), advocacy of the Plain English movement, even the re-introduction of the study of classical rhetoric and critical thinking, were suggested. For those of us whose livelihood revolves around words, Style Council 2004 proved once again to be a must to attend and a timely reminder to make each word count.

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 3 3 The Cambridge Guide to English Usage

Kate Burridge, Professor of how skilled speakers and writers go regional and sociolinguistic trends, Linguistics at Monash University, about packaging their messages. which can then give us some reviews The Cambridge Guide I feel that what makes this book indication of where the language is to English Usage, by Pam Peters, particularly successful are the years of heading. Cambridge University Press experience Pam Peters has had in This is also a work that 2004, RRP $75.00. addressing people’s concerns about successfully bridges the gap the English language. Not only between traditional grammar and does she know how to answer their the modern linguistic approach. In questions, in a scholarly but also particular, it manages to steer a accessible manner, she understands sensible course between prescription what it is they want to know about and description. Pam Peters makes the language – in other words, not recommendations. She advises just the usual matters of grammar, editors and writers on those points vocabulary and style, but those real of usage where they need guidance. n the main shelf of my curiosities of usage. For example, But the entries are so much richer study library, I have a why does Tolkien use Elvish, not and more informative because they Onumber of wonderful Elfish for the language in Lord of the also draw extensively on corpus English language reference works Rings? Should we spell the word evidence and the insights and that I regularly consult. My most licorice or liquorice? The Cambridge achievements of theoretical ling- recent acquisition – The Cambridge Guide to English Usage covers an uistics. This means that writers, for Guide to English Usage – is fast extraordinary range of issues and I instance, can tailor their style to becoming one of my favourites. was constantly astonished and their own particular needs. Its impressive 4,000 entries delighted at the entries I found. This is a superbly structured cover matters to do with word The accounts in each of these reference book. The explanations choice (e.g. while versus whilst), entries are based on a vast array of are well organised with various semantics (e.g. what is the different source material, including points of entry and cross- difference between malevolent, various corpora of spoken and referencing throughout. There is a malicious, malignant and malign), written English (with databases full bibliography provided and an grammar (e.g. burnt versus burned), from the main varieties of English), impressive collection of nine spelling (e.g. when to double those a range of different dictionaries, appendices, covering such things as final consonants) and punctuation grammars and style guides, as well the International Phonetic (e.g. everything from apostrophes as the findings of linguists. What is Alphabet for English sounds, a and em dashes to square brackets). therefore unique about this usage perpetual calendar (1901-2008), There is even the occasional foray guide is that it is truly “glocal” – it formats and styles for letters, into pronunciation. Some readers addresses the necessity for an memos and email, and details of will be delighted, for instance, to international form of written the margin squiggles used by find the pronunciation/spelling of English (with its international editors and proof-readers (which I mischievous (versus mischievious) English sections), but at the same will find especially helpful). discussed here. Also included are time it supports the needs of local To conclude, I cannot recom- many entries that deal with communicators, by identifying mend this book highly enough. It linguistic terminology, both regional differences in usage, offers a very scholarly treatment of traditional and modern. If you want grammar and style. The global the language and at the same time to know about the dative, village wants a uniform world maintains an entertaining style determiners, mood and modality, language. Individual nations want a throughout. It is an indispensable the intricacies of gerunds and national voice. This book addresses reference work for writers, editors, gerundives, or if you simply want to both the homogenising and teachers, students and all those know what nouns and verbs are, you differentiating pressures of global- who love language – and that can consult this book. Particularly isation. Particularly impressive is seems to be just about everyone! useful are the sections that examine the inclusion of results from Even if you don’t happen to have a aspects of discourse organisation, speaker surveys from around the burning question to do with English such as information focus and topic. world. These sorts of questionnaires language usage, this is an immensely These entries provide clues as to are extremely helpful in pinpointing readable book.

4 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004

A Wave of Spelling

ollowing the phenomenal of the classic alphabet A for Orses, B Valerie Yule, researcher in literacy and success of Lynne Truss’s for Mutton will be glad to have the imagination, formerly clinical child Ffunny book on punctuation, whole of it, although a list of psychologist and academic, looks at some Eats, Shoots and Leaves, the next tongue-twisters does not include books on spelling, including Acc- linguistic topic that is no longer a the deadliest – “Slowly by the stern omodating Brocolli in the Cemetary, no-no for general publishing is the sinking steamer sank.” And to Vivian Cook, Profile Books 2004, RRP spelling. A whole cavalcade of rub it in that not many people can $24.95. Understanding English books on spelling have been spell, there are 23 pages of rueful Spelling. Cambridge: Pegusus published recently: linguist Vivian jokes about spelling mistakes. Educational, 2004. ISBN 1- Cook’s entertaining miscellany, Professor Cook tries to be 903490-12-X. Spelling Dearest: Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary; even-handed about spelling. On the The Down and Dirty, Nitty- Masha Bell’s Understanding English one hand he admires its “rich and Gritty History of English Spelling, a readable and thorough fertile creation”, deploring disastrous Spelling, 2004. ISBN Electronic account plus 148 exhaustive pages attempts to meddle with it in the past, Book 1418459062, Paperback of analyses; Niall Waldman’s and giving the mistaken impression Spelling Dearest: The Down and that Noam Chomksy would oppose 1418453307. Dirty, Nitty-Gritty History of English change. On the other he admits that Spelling, with its relentless detail, a “English spelling is fiendish” and market share. This is to be followed superb caricature of the major “probably only one in a hundred by two television Spelling Bees and a historical personality in each people have truly mastered it.” BBC game show called Hard Spell, chapter and a title intentionally “Thankfully, English lends itself to hunting for the nation’s top speller. In resonant of Joan Crawford’s ironic innovation.” For some spelling Australia, the national com-petition Mommy Dearest; and the new mistakes, the writers may need help, Ozspell was televised last year. edition of the Bloomsbury English “or the spelling system itself may need I hope that this media Dictionary, now including the modifying”. Spelling is not to be seen attention will allow public discussion 1,000 words which cause most as “carved on tablets of stone”, but and academic research to turn to how spelling problems and slip-ups. “we should try to understand and English spelling can be developed There is still room for another develop this amazing resource.” without further uncoordinated funny book that explores even Wider interest in issues of chaos. Meanwhile, cross-cultural further. Look out for The Book of spelling and literacy are evident in research demonstrates that English Spells and Misspells, 2005. various quarters of the English- spelling really does handicap As an example of these speaking world. In America the English-language literacy and access riches, what can we can learn from National Spelling Bee has had a to the printed word. Books are still Vivian Cook’s new little bestseller boom revival, as evidenced by the superior to the Internet as a medium (bestspeller) with its cover showing popularity of the film docu-mentary, for connected thought, yet borr- a broccoli in a symbolic graveyard Spellbound. The Great British Spelling owing from British libraries has of spelling? Certainly the content Test on British ITV 1 on October 20 declined by a third in the past eight fully answers its subtitle – “Why had 5.27 million viewers – 23.1% years and is still falling. can’t anybody spell?” Most readers will never be able to spell broccoli, accommodating or cemetery correctly again. Its hilarious collection of current practices and past history shows that, for the average adult, English spelling is in an even worse mess than might be imagined, that the system is somewhere under an immense mass of brambles needing to be cleared up, and that English spelling is not necessarily petrified, it has changed and is changing. People who can only remember bits

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 5 5 Australex 2004

John Lonergan is a journalist at -o or -ie on the end of every word Hebrew or “Israeli” words. He Reed Business Information and that can possibly support one (see argued that rather than being works part time for the Dictionary lead article p.1). Do you say arvo, simply revived Hebrew, some have Research Centre. He reports on the aftie or afto? Do you give a donation been influenced by English recent Australex conference. to the Salvos or the Sallies? These without directly borrowing from it. shortenings often have multiple The “Israeli” word for dubbing is forms, and while many are dibúb/dibúv, from the medieval widespread, some are much more Hebrew word for speech. A word typical of particular social or with a similar sound and meaning professional groups. He has so far to dubbing was adopted instead of amassed a database of 4,000 of borrowing the English word. these shortened Australianisms and Challenges to lexicographers he Biennial Conference of is preparing them for publication as were thrown down by some Australex (Australasian a dictionary. presenters. The presentation by T Association for Lexico- Gary Simes (University of Deanna Wong (Macquarie Uni- graphy) 2004 was held at Sydney Sydney) charted the history of versity) was on backchannels, the University on July 12. While most sexual and excretory language in mms, ums and mhmms that attendees were from Sydney and Australia. The first British settlers listeners use to show they’re Canberra, they were joined by brought words pertaining to sex listening, express approval or visitors from around Australia and with them, and by the second half disapproval, or signal that they want presentations were made by of the nineteenth century Aus- to speak. Their varying meanings academics from Venezuela and tralians had begun developing make them difficult subjects for Cambridge. The organisation substantial numbers of their own. conventional dictionary treatment. fosters a wide range of research and Languages other than English Gavin Farrell (Macquarie Uni- the topics covered reflected this were well represented too. José versity) suggested the use of glossaries mix. Álvarez (University of Zulia, to accompany travel supplements Cliff Goddard (University of Venezuela) tackled the challenges and classifieds sections, explaining New England) launched the of constructing a dictionary of culturally or scientifically obscure conference theme of “Lexicon and Guajiro/Wayuunaiki, a language terms and abbreviations. culture” with his examination of spoken by about 400,000 people Trevor Johnston (Royal Institute the meanings of “language” and in Venezuela and Colombia. The for Deaf & Blind Children) has “culture” in English. He explored language has thousands of possible been involved in the development of to what extent they are loaded with forms for its verbs. He outlined Auslan SignBank, an interactive web senses that do not translate directly techniques of finding the simplest dictionary of Australian Sign to other languages. infinitive form of a verb, as Language. Sign language is highly The idiosyncrasies of Australian including all possible infinitives of variable, has no written language English were the focus of several every verb in a dictionary would be and is used by a small, geographically- papers. Pam Peters (Macquarie nearly impossible. dispersed community. This has University) presented on Australian Inam Ullah outlined the made it difficult to prepare a similes adapted from northern- practicalities of collecting and traditional dictionary. Rather than hemisphere originals. “Poor as a compiling a database for a attempt to impose a standard, the church mouse” was modified to fit dictionary of Torwali, one of at site allows users to submit the with local wildlife, becoming “poor least twenty-four languages spoken details of a sign they know. The as a bandicoot”. In other instances in northern Pakistan that have internet seems to lend itself to the the simile retained its form but remained unwritten and largely creation of a sign language shifted meaning. The phrase “like a undocumented. Andrew Pawley dictionary better than a traditional possum up a gum tree” seems to (Australian National University) dictionary could hope to. have experienced the most jarring compared the size of the lexicons of The conference drew to a close shift, being imported from America Austronesian, Australian and Trans with a presentation by Flavia only to find its meaning shift from New Guinea languages as input to Hodges, Clair Hill and Jan Tent, “trapped” right around to “escaped”. the question of whether Austro- describing the work of the Australian Gum trees are apparently a lot nesian languages have the largest National Place Names Survey. smaller in the States. lexicons. Full details about the conference Roly Sussex from the University Ghil’ad Zuckermann (University and presenters can be found at the of Queensland has been cataloguing of Cambridge) talked about the organisation’s website: www. the Australian habit of whacking an mixed parentage of modern australex.org

6 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004

S C O S E NOTES

he task of examining the nal according to a law or a decision Language researcher Irene Poinkin sometimes conflicting ex- of a court or judge, and to use kill summarises recent discussions at T pectations of listeners and or murder in instances where the SCOSE, the ABC Standing broadcasters continues to provide killing was not sanctioned by law. Committee on Spoken English. new challenges for SCOSE. Is this It’s well known that some listener too politically correct? Is members of the police profession that broadcaster a little too collo- can’t seem to bring themselves to quial? Is this expression too old, or use the word dead and will go to report. It’s never enough to tell peo- too new, a malapropism, or an ac- great lengths to avoid it. The latest ple that a sentence or expression is ceptable alternative? In making its fabrication is extinct – as in “his life incorrect in the context. You have to judgments, SCOSE often adopts a was pronounced extinct” or “he was explain why, and do it in a way that stance somewhere between the ex- pronounced life extinct”. The makes it easier for them to choose tremes of prescription and committee’s response to this was – the correct expression next time. But description. I’d call it a “verbal hy- Don’t even think of it – there’s no I’m digressing. Exceed means to be giene” approach (using the term place for this silly sort of jargon in greater in quantity or degree. Surpass coined by the linguist Deborah ABC news reports. is generally used in a more abstract Cameron). It’s all in the interests of In a strongly worded email, a sense. It means to excel or to be su- cleaning up and improving the way female lawyer criticized the ABC for perior in achievement or excellence. English is used on air. See if you using the term legal fraternity. She (As you can see, there’s plenty of agree with some of the committee’s claimed that the term was inaccurate room for improvement in an expla- recent decisions. and discriminatory and that it nation such as this.) With beheadings featuring in suggested the law was an exclusively There was no reason to disagree much recent news from Iraq, some male institution. But SCOSE with the nurse who phoned the ABC listeners remarked that they rejected this view because the ABC to point out that some broad- thought the term behead sounded modern English sense of fraternity is casters talk of patients being released old-fashioned and that decapitate not gender specific and indeed, from hospital but that it’s usual to should be used instead. However, according to current dictionaries, the say that patients are discharged from SCOSE maintained that behead was main senses of fraternity do not carry hospital. Although it’s not wrong an acceptable and self-explanatory any obvious traces of the original to say released, it’s better to say dis- word for the deliberate cutting off Latin word for “brother”. charged and use released when of a person’s head, and that in some Can a person be “reticent” to speaking about allowing prisoners contexts it can be more appropriate watch an AFL final? Listeners have to leave jail. than decapitate because it has a noticed that some broadcasters are In recent months, listeners say purely physical meaning and refers using reticent/reticence in place of they think two verbs, (to) extricate to a deliberate action, whereas a reluctant/reluctance. SCOSE will not and (to) exact are in danger of being decapitation can be accidental. be reticent about this! Broadcasters supplanted by the one verb, (to) ex- Another objection to decapitate was have been reminded that a person tract. A precis on the ABC TV that it had recently acquired a cannot be “reticent” to do something website of a program about a young military sense – in the rhetoric of because reticent means reserved or lawyer who was handling the case going into Iraq, “decapitation” was disinclined to speak freely. of a victim of domestic violence the goal. A more subtle distinction needs read: “Matthew can’t understand SCOSE was more interventionist to be maintained between exceed why the woman hasn’t extracted or prescriptive with regard to the and surpass. Some listeners are like- herself from a series of relation- use of the word execute. Some jour- ly to have been distracted from the ships”. In one of several other nalists had been content to use execute message when they heard the state- examples, a producer corrected a as an alternative to kill or murder, ment, “The death toll has surpassed script that called for extricate, only particularly when referring to any one hundred.” SCOSE members to find later that it had gone to air hostages in Iraq who had been agreed that exceed should have been with extract. And according to lis- killed or beheaded. But SCOSE used instead of surpass. But it’s one teners, more and more broadcasters considered this colloquial use of ex- thing to realise that a word is wrong say “to extract revenge” instead of ecute to be inappropriate, despite its in a particular context and quite an- the correct expression, to exact re- inclusion in dictionary definitions. other matter to try to explain, in venge. Are people’s vocabularies The committee advised ABC jour- simple terms, why that’s so. That’s shrinking? SCOSE faces the chal- nalists to use execute in its more what I often find when I’m faced lenge of encouraging some formal sense, i.e. only in reference with preparing appropriate usage broadcasters to expand theirs. to the putting to death of a crimi- guidelines for the monthly SCOSE

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 7 7 he editor’s mailbag con- cal and poetic”! The primary pro- subject pronoun, though Allison tained a bumper crop of cor- nunciation in the Oxford Dictionary still Sharpe (NSW) who reported it T respondence, with many correlates with the earlier spelling, thought it might come from imple- people picking up a question from and is indeed the only pronunciation menting a fixed phrase like “we the June 2004 editorial on the cur- mentioned in the Macquarie. If you journalists” in any and every circum- rency of the expression “the boy of like spelling to reflect pronunciation, stance. Jones”, used to paraphrase “Jones’s jewelry works best. The reflexive pronoun for “they” son”. We now have evidence that it Punctuation was at stake for sev- is also somewhat variable, in that has been heard in Central eral other correspondents, and for themself is certainly on the rise. It Queensland (Allison Sharpe, Stephen Gard in the “dwindling might have flabbergasted Rex NSW); in Newcastle (Stephen interrogative” in polite requests Mossop, as Dick Sanders said, but Jones, NSW); in central New South that are phrased as questions: was indeed there in sixteenth cen- Wales (David Nash, ACT); north- “Could you please switch off your tury English, and now a necessary west (John Edwards, mobile phone.” The inverted order consequence of using the pronoun VIC) and in western NSW around of subject and verb makes it a ques- they to refer to a singular person. Parkes (Pamela Nankivell, NSW). tion, grammatically speaking, yet We do just this with yourself, so It’s thus quite well dispersed up the function of the total sentence is why not themself? Perhaps the and down the eastern side of Aus- ask that something be done, not Queen uses ourself. tralia. In all these cases of family or whether the person reading it will neighborhood use, the expression consider the possibility or not. No seems to invoke the father, like a one would take that sentence as al- patronymic. But it’s also possible lowing a choice, which is why the that in the school context, it simply question mark gets left off. It’s a identifies the family name of a boy case of the sentence function taking whose first name is unknown, un- over from its grammatical form. So Feedback Acknowledgements available or not salient for the in polite requests the question mark Feedback 23 on “Verbal Options” moment: see the letter from Nicola is a “going-going-goner”, as was greatly helped by hundreds of Stainlay reproduced opposite. Stephen suggests - and as the latest respondents, and especially the Another issue from June 2004 following people who sent in batches Australian government Style of questionnaires on behalf of their on which we received a batch of Manual (2002) notes (ch. 7: Sen- groups, named and unnamed: Dr comments was the spelling of the tence Punctuation). Robert Smith, Southern Cross word jewel(le)ry in Feedback 23. Apostrophes are a matter of University, NSW (11); The Tertiary Written on the anonymous ques- doubt generally for some writers, as Preparation Certificate Class at Nowra tionnaires, we are unable to Vivienne Mawson (TAS) notes. If TAFE, NSW (13); Rosemary acknowledge the correspondents, it’s the son of Jones, should it be Montgomery, Students and Staff but glad that they raised the ques- Jones’s boy or Jones’ boy? The from the Tertiary Preparation Course tion of its spelling and pronunciation. rules on this have been quite con- at Illawarra TAFE, NSW (14); SBS Most thought that jewelry was un- tradictory, and though there are Radio, NSW (28); Writing Class U3A Australian, and it is marked as supporting rules for both styles, the Northern Rivers, Lismore, NSW (5); “Chiefly US” in the Macquarie Dictio- first is in line with with the broader Glen Coulton, NSW (6); Brian and nary (1997). In fact jewelry is far older pattern. Yet in a Feedback survey Val Stewart, NSW (8); Lorraine than jewellery - by four centuries. It’s carried out in 1996, a majority of Sushames from the School of one of those interesting cases where 60% of respondents went for Australian Indigenous Knowledge American English preserves the James’, without the additional s. Systems, Charles Darwin University, older spelling, while British English For a gratuitous apostrophe see the NT (11); Students of the Diploma of has introduced the new form in the signage reported by Syd Curtis (op- Editing and Publishing at Southbank last two hundred years. The first posite). Institute of TAFE, Brisbane, QLD record of jewellery is in 1786, accord- Instability in pronouns can be (12); A. Hudspeth, TAS (5); Dr Peter ing to the Oxford English Dictionary heard (not so often seen) in “be- M. Arndt, VIC (10); Rosemary (1989), and it only becomes the regu- tween you and I”, though it’s Milne, VIC (13); Hans Colla and the lar spelling in the later nineteenth probably an interesting case of U3A Nuts and Bolts of English Class, century. According to Fowler’s Mod- hypercorrection, as Stephen Jones VIC (15); Robyn Whitely, VIC (16); ern English Usage (1926), jewellery was F. Triglone, WA (31); The Sunset (NSW) commented. A parallel ex- Coast Literati, WA (7) the “commercial and popular ample: “apparent to we journalists” form”, whereas jewelry was “rhetori- shows the same surprising use of the

8 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004

Dear Pam, Dear Prof. Peters, Hi Pam, A colleague and I are putting to- I wonder if other readers have I first heard the phrase “the girl gether a style sheet for the School of noted the confusion between the $ of Clark” in our staffroom at Nursing and Midwifery at Flinders and c symbols (i.e. dollars and Murwillumbah High School in University. As part of this process, cents), particularly in handwritten 1970. I even remember that the we had a session with a number of signs in shops? If I wanted to sell person who said it was a teacher staff yesterday to go through our something for 25 cents, I would ad- called Mr Haydon. (“A teacher of draft. We had written a section on vertise it as either 25c or $0.25, but Haydon” perhaps.) I was amazed as time which included the twenty- frequently I see signs advertising an I’d never heard it before and along four hour system which our item for sale at the price of 0.25c, with my name being pronounced students and lecturers use con- i.e. a quarter of a cent. Unfortu- with a “haitch” for the first time stantly. Following the sixth edition nately, I have not been able to buy ever, 1970 stands out! The use of of the Style manual (p.173) we had four of anything for a cent for about “the girl of Clark” though, wasn’t said that midnight was 0000. This 35 years, but hope springs eternal. used in a possessive sense at all, as was hotly contested with our lec- Naturally, shop assistants give me you imply in your Editor’s letter; it turers insisting that midnight is odd looks when I muse aloud how I was simply her surname. I would 2400 and that there is no such time am going to get four cents in have said “the Clark girl” perhaps. as 0000. Any clarification would be change, or whether I will have to appreciated! buy 20 items for five cents instead! Nicola Stainlay Email Rebecca Miller Stewart Unwin, Email Canberra, ACT [Ed. Please let us know at Austra- lian Style which of the two ways of indicating midnight are used in your institution.]

Lines written on reading in a newspaper report that “The emotion over the decision to give Tendulkar out LBW will louden the SIGNAGE call for further technology”. Ray Kelley, QLD A real estate agent’s sign on SOLD Louden my laugh at another’s joke, Lord; the house next door to Syd Drollen my telling a joke of my own; Curtis (email) yours next Braven my conduct in a crisis; Kinden my nature when asked for a loan.

Gentlen my manner visiting Grandma; When I’m with elders, wisen my words; Blonden my hair to youngen my 1. STAFF WANTED APPLY WITHINN countenance And suaven my speech when I chat up All spotted by John birds. 2. COFFEE WITH SANDWHICH McArthur (VIC) in the Melbourne CBD 3. THESE PREMISES ARE UNDER Tallen my stature, prouden my bearing, Brisken my step to a rendezvous; CONSTANT SURVEYLANCE Biggen my salary, smallen my tax bill, Swiften my refund if one is due.

Moren and even galoren my virtues, Captured by Deanna Fewen – no zilchen! – my vicious acts; Wong in the suburbs of Uptothemarken my technical know-how, Sydney. Hotoffthepressen my grasp of facts.

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 9 9 GRAMMATICAL CONUNDRUMS

Despite what we all know about grammar, there are a number of constructions where more than one might be possible. People vary, and the choice may depend on the surrounding words to some extent. Below are a set of puzzles we’d be glad to have your answers on. Please tick the one you would use, or both, if they both seem reasonable. In the latter case, you might like to say if they go into different contexts, 24 e.g. speech and writing.

1(a) We’d like to take a walk. (b) We’d like to have a walk.

2(a) I’d not want to be there in an earthquake. (b) I wouldn’t want to be there in an earthquake.

3(a) A number of persons was seen leaving after midnight. (b) A number of persons were seen leaving after midnight.

4(a) They’ll not be here on time. (b) They won’t be here on time.

5(a) There’s three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. (b) There are three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.

6(a) A large number of students of French has visited the centre. (b) A large number of students of French have visited the centre.

7(a) Anyone who comes late must let themself in through the back door. (b) Anyone who comes late must let themselves in through the back door.

8(a) The number of appeals is down this year. (b) The number of appeals are down this year.

9(a) A person without a ticket must introduce themself to the lecturer. (b) A person without a ticket must introduce themselves to the lecturer.

10(a) They haven’t any opportunity to go there. (b) Tney have no opportunity to go there.

11(a) Do you have any answers to the question? (b) Have you any answers to the question?

12(a) You should have a look at that document. (b) You should take a look at that document.

Would you please indicate your age bracket and sex:

10-24 25-44 45-64 65+ F/M and the state in which you live:

ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

Please return this Feedback questionnaire to: Style Council Centre, Linguistics Department, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Australia. Alternatively, the questionnaire may be faxed to the Style Council Centre at (02)9850 9199.

10 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004

Feedback 23 featured questions about how we phrase our verbs – questions which are on the agenda for the Ausralian English grammar project. We’re very grateful to the more than 500 people who returned the questionnaire, and in particular to the groups mentioned on p.8 from whom we received multiples. The data have been carefully processed by Style Council research assistant Deanna Wong and computer-analysed by Australian Style’s executive editor Adam Smith.

Subjunctives passive in it; and (b) that there is The -ed participle Though the subjunctive as been something negative about it. The Variation in the use of the declared dying for centuries, it two sentences tested both set up perfect form of verbs has been survives in two forms in modern negative circumstances, yet in observed in modern English, English, to which Australians are neither case did the majority particularly when they are contributing. The present endorse the get passive. Instead combined with certain adverbs subjunctive is still relatively active they voted for the passive with be: of time. The test sentences when used in what linguists call “If I am phoned by the bank...” provided combinations of the “mandative” constructions, as in (80%), “Andrew was struck by perfect with different adverbs “They insisted that the complaint lightning...” (86%). There was such as “ago”, which was be presented in writing”, and “She however a very strong association resisted by almost 90% of expressed the wish that her jewelry between the be passive and its use respondents in “That problem be given to charity”. Both these in writing, noted by the 40 or so has been solved long ago”. But were endorsed by a two-thirds respondents who commented, there was much less conviction majority of respondents (68% and whereas get was strongly associated when the adverb was “just”, and 66% respectively). The sentences with speaking. The results also a small majority (57%) voted in with the past subjunctive won showed that younger people (under favor of “Alex has just spoken to smaller majorities (55% and 45) were more comfortable her”, rather than “Alex just 62%), for “Many would take generally with get than those older spoke to her”. In fact “just” isn’t advantage of the system if it were – despite all the dramatic ways in simply a time adverb but available in the country”, and “The which primary school teachers have expresses a kind of immediacy seat had a strange effect on her, as if tried to discourage them from which probably fosters the use she were suspended in space”. using it. of the perfect. The use of “just” There was little sign of age with a simple past verb is also a differentiation for the present The -ing participle known regional difference subjunctive, but a definite age English has seen a steady increase between American and British effect for the past form were: in the use of continuous/imperfect English, and at this point in respondents aged 65 and over were forms of the verb over the last four time Australians still just prefer much more inclined to use it than centuries. In the twentieth century the British construction. When those younger. The results make they have been creeping into more it comes to questions, Aus- interesting comparison with those kinds of verb than ever before, and tralians strongly prefer the from similar questions run in providing extra nuances not perfect form of the verb (“Have Feedback 2 (1993), where support previously noted. One of the two you...?”) to the periphrastic for the present subjunctive ran at test sentences: “Next the people form of the past (“Did you...?”). around 80%, and for the past will be asking for cake” was strongly This emerged in “Have you ever subjunctive at 62/63%. It seems endorsed (79%), and the -ing lived in France?” (84%) and that Australian support for the seems to suggest an inescapable “Have you told them the news subjunctive has slipped somewhat process or “the future as a matter of yet?” (91%). A slight age during the past decade. course” as some grammarians have differential could be seen with it. But the other test sentence, the second sentence but not the Passives setting up a clumsy passive first. There is thus little The standard form of the passive construction with -ing was voted evidence among the general uses a part of the verb be. But down. A bare 2% could count- public of the “here and now” constructions with get are also used enance “A shuttle bus system could use of the perfect noted in as in “got arrested”, and they seem be being introduced in the next few media reporting, as in “An to carry the suggestion (a) that the weeks”. Perhaps it sounded too avalanche has killed 14 subject has somehow contributed much like your government people...” to the process, and is not simply speaking.

DECEMBERDECEMBER 20012004 AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN STYLE STYLE 11 11 RUBICON, devised by David Astle, is a hybrid of crossword, jigsaw and acrostic. First, solve as many clues as you can and R U I C begin to fit the answers inside the grid. (The scattered letters of RUBICON should give N you a toehold.) When the grid is completed, arrange the clues from the first Across to the B O last Down – their 32 initial letters will spell a category. As a bonus, which six of your answers belong to the category in question? Musical based on Shaw’s Pygmalion (2,4,4) State boundary (10) Amazing sight (3-6) Clapped (9) Motherland for most of us (9) One snared by an autumn prank (5,4) Natal arrival, or a googly possibly (8) Thoroughly cooked (4-4) A Jolley novel and film (3,4) Abiding ad infinitum (7) Couture gets sulkily strutted here (7) Describing land with more inclines (7) Had tickets on oneself (7) It hangs handily for a hungry horse (7) Nerve bundles (7) Office escape? (7) One language unique to a geographical corner (7) Solution to Rubicon in last issue S C A R I F Y H A D D O C K Over-the-shoulder rocket launcher (7) WORDS THAT FORM NEW ONES R E I F N O U S U R F N O E L C O W A R D Pamphlet (7) WITH CROSS: Patch, Examine, Porcupine down under (7) E E I R E E R Reference, Fertilisation, Current, C L A R I N E T S I L V E R Potter’s fantastical art (7) Country T E G I T N Revere (7) H Y E N A B L O O D B A T H Roast wrap (7) C F I R L Tennessee neighbour (7) W A R E H O U S E P A T C H Glued with fear (6) N U A T C O The subzero mass surrounding either S T U P O R T H A N K F U L Pole (6) H S T I T G N F R E A K E D O U T O A T H Falls of Venezuela; heavenly being (5) A L E N O L R Newest thing in fashion (5) E X A M I N E G O O D B Y E Passing your peepers over (5) Reefer’s contents (5) Animal featured in Free Willy (4) Kong, say (4) How to contact Australian Style On editorial matters Please contact the Editor at Macquarie University as follows: By mail: Please write to Pam Peters, Editor By Fax: Australian Style Call fax number 02 9850 9199 Department of Linguistics Macquarie University NSW 2109 By Phone: By email: Call direct on 02 9850 7693. If there’s no one in the Style Council Centre office, your call [email protected] will be received on an answering machine and returned as soon as possible. Concerning the mailing list If you change your address, or need to alter your details on the mailing list in any way, or would like to add the name of a friend or colleague to the list, please contact: Australian Style c/- Department of Finance and Administration, Australian Government Infor- mation Management Office, GPO Box 390, Canberra ACT 2601 or by email: [email protected]

12 AUSTRALIAN STYLE DECEMBER 2004