Ya Gotta Love the Qatar Press
OK, bear with me. I am picky about language. I dance with joy to see that the Qatar press no longer uses “flay” on a daily basis; it is a strong word, a word that literally means ‘to skin’, and it was often used when one team triumphed over another, like Arsenal Flays Manchester, or some such, even if the victory was just points.
“No! No!” I would shake my head in horror, “please stop! Use some restraint! Choose the right word!”
But when it comes to rain, the press vocabulary seems stunted, and once again, predictably, we were treated to a ‘lashing’.
Think about it. It’s a strong word. What does lashing rain look like?
A lashing rain is blowing in bursts, coming at you sometimes at almost a 90° angle, an umbrella is useless. A lashing rain can hurt your face, it hits so hard, a lashing rain is heavily wind blown. A lashing rain has FORCE behind it.
What we had in Doha was a steady, drenching rain. At no time did it exceed an angle of maybe 15%; almost 100% of the time the rain came steadily down. Maybe it streamed. Maybe it soaked. Maybe it even flooded. But lashing? No. No. It was never lashing. There was no great wind behind it, no great force. It gently, steadily dripped. It accumulated. It never never lashed.
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I am laughing when I read your blog. Yes, “lashing” can be hailing with 75 km/h wind. This rain is a “shower”. I made similar mistakes before and I hope someone like you could correct my English. Otherwise people will laugh and laugh, well it is good for them maybe. I sewed a signature on my first quilt for my younger son, “To my sweat heart.” Now he calls himself my sweat heart all the time.
Truly enjoy your blog!
I love your story, Polar Panda, and I really love your photographs and blog. Thanks for coming by and checking in. 🙂
You are aware of the World Englishes model are you not?
I highly suggest you take a look at Indian English for everything in it would go against your preconceived, native notions about the English language.
“As a result Kirkpatrick, who teaches at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, finds notions of “correctness” of pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, and even grammatical functions quite problematic and limited.”
You will note that while World Englishes encourages acceptance of a variety of pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling and even grammatical functions, it does not touch the subject of a word’s definition. My objection – over and over again – is that words are wrongly used in the Doha press. Words are excessive, too over-the-top, and inaccurate. When a word is inaccurately used, or wrongly used, it cheapens that word, it robs the word of its strength.
Many of these words are used day after day, which also cheapens them. I think it is the sign of a lazy intellect, using a chop-shop word instead of taking the time to select a more fitting, a more appropriate word.
As I already said, to you they seem over the top or innactuate but they technically are valid within the grammatical and structural norms of the English language.
The World Englishes model doesn’t encourage “acceptance of a variety of pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling and even grammatical functions”, it demands it.
Go read news articles from India or African countries and you will see the exact same thing you claim to see in Kuwaiti/Qatari newspapers.
The words are used day after day? I wasn’t aware they were catering to just you or that they were seeking to win the Pulitzer award for best writing style.
None of the words they used are excessive or over the top according to the World Englishes model, it just doesn’t bode well with the native speakers of English, which in itself is a concept that is changing
We’re not going to agree on this one, Sylar. You are always welcome to express your views. I enjoy your blog.