 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / May 2007How old?
Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe very small children. The first two occasions were during interviews, but the third, just now, was in a prepared piece by the BBC Home Affairs correspondent, Mark Easton. We don't appear to have discussed it before in a.u.e., but Google gives 23,000 hits. Are there any Englishes were it has become an unexceptional idiom? I can understand it slipping off the tongue in an unguarded moment, but I'd be as embarrassed if it crept into a prepared broadcast or written piece of mine as I was once when I wrote about "scaremongerers". Philip Eden > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > written piece of mine as I was once when I wrote about > "scaremongerers". I've never heard or read it before.  SignatureFranke: EFL teacher & medical editor Native speaker of American English; posting from Taiwan. "In proportion to the want of happiness resulting from the want of rights, a reason exists for wishing that there were such things as rights. But reasons for wishing there were such things as rights, are not rights; -- a reason for wishing that a certain right were established, is not that right -- want is not supply -- hunger is not bread." Jeremy Bentham, Critique of the Doctrine of Inalienable, Natural Rights. From Jeremy Bentham, _Anarchical Fallacies_, vol. 2 of Bowring (ed.), Works, 1843. http://www.ditext.com/bentham/bentham.html > > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe > > very small children. > > I've never heard or read it before. Me neither, and I'm fully submerged in the world of toddlers. SignatureSML > Me neither, and I'm fully submerged in the world of toddlers. Hope you've got some hand sanitizer! >> Me neither, and I'm fully submerged in the world of toddlers. > Hope you've got some hand sanitizer! We've starting calling our tyke Generation Z. Jump on the bandwagon! > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > written piece of mine as I was once when I wrote about > "scaremongerers". It is an hissing and an abomination, and a general outer-darkness-worthy wailing-and-gnashing-of-teeth candidate. The nearest we've got in AUE is, I think, discussion of forms like "our six-month anniversary". Don't worry, though: they shall have their reward. The signs are that a selective fire and brimstone onslaught must be brewing. . . Surely. . . I mean, come on! SignatureMike. -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com Mike Lyle wrote, re "xx month year old" as mentioned by Philip Eden: > It is an hissing and an abomination, and a general > outer-darkness-worthy wailing-and-gnashing-of-teeth candidate. The > nearest we've got in AUE is, I think, discussion of forms like "our > six-month anniversary". Don't worry, though: they shall have their > reward. The signs are that a selective fire and brimstone onslaught > must be brewing. . . Surely. . . I mean, come on! As far as I recall, I didn't post about "six-month anniversary" when the thread was active, so I'll mention the following now. From Merriam-Webster Online (An American dictionary): anniversary Inflected Form(s): plural -ries Etymology: Middle English anniversarie, from Medieval Latin anniversarium, from Latin, neuter of anniversarius returning annually, from annus year + versus, past participle of vertere to turn -- more at ANNUAL, WORTH 1 : the annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event; broadly : a date that follows such an event by a specified period of time measured in units other than years <the 6-month anniversary of the accident> 2 : the celebration of an anniversary I would say that "six-month anniversary" is unremarkable these days in the US, and has been so for a long time. ("Long time": at least since 1950, before which I don't remember much.) BTW, I loved your descriptive passage above. SignatureMaria > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe > very small children. The first two occasions were during > interviews, but the third, just now, was in a prepared > piece by the BBC Home Affairs correspondent, Mark > Easton. BBC News staff have a written style book to which they are supposed to conform (and which is deliberately revised from time to time; i.e. you may expect an answer if you write to the appropriate BBC News manager on this point. SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) >>Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've >>heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > answer if you write to the appropriate BBC News > manager on this point. At first scan, I read "reversed" instead of "revised". I might even be right. SignatureRob Bannister > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > written piece of mine as I was once when I wrote about > "scaremongerers". I wouldn't've believed it if I hadn't seen it, but there it is, six examples from the BBC website: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cr=countryUK|countryGB&safe=off&q=+site:new s.bbc.co.uk+%22month+year+old%22+bbc Has the population been infected with some linguistic lurgy? Adrian >> Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've >> heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >Has the population been infected with some linguistic lurgy? The lurgy has been cured in four out of those six. The two that have been left unamended are quotes from non-BBC people: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/panorama/transcri pts/transcript_22_11_99.txt http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3512801.stm SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) > >> Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > >> heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > > The lurgy has been cured in four out of those six. Wow. That was quick. I only emailed them an hour ago. Adrian > > >> Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > > >> heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Wow. That was quick. I only emailed them an hour ago. Here's their crop of "year year old"s, which should all now have been corrected: BBC News | Health | Killer disease claims more victims A 42-year-year-old woman from the Taff Ely area of south Wales has also died of the disease. The woman was one of five cases treated over the Christmas ... news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/248880.stm BBC SPORT | Football | World Cup 2006 | World Cup scouting ... But the 25-year-year-old has proved he has the ability to make the grade at international level, grabbing six goals despite only starting four times in his ... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4849108.stm BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Arsenal | Record in Gunners' sights In a neat act of squaring the circle, the Gunners' 2-1 win over Manchester City on Tuesday night equalled the 66-year-year-old record held by the Sky Blues ... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/2251466.stm BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | No prosecutions over dog attack The owners of a dog which attacked an 11-year-year-old girl on a train are not to be prosecuted. The girl was travelling on a Blackpool North to Buxton ... news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/6572785.stm BBC SPORT | OTHER SPORTS | Cooke in the swim The Reading 18-year-year old was not overawed by the presence of America's Kaitlin Sandeno next to her or the German Hannah Stockbauer, who got off to a ... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/other_sports/1450983.stm BBC SPORT | Rugby League | National League | Scrum-half Moran ... The 29-year-year old was a free agent after being released by the Super League's bottom side last week. Vikings coach Steve McCormack said: "I've said all ... news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/rugby_league/national_league/5031604.stm BBC NEWS | England | Humber | 'Appalling' attack on woman, 86 An 86-year-year old woman was robbed and knocked to the ground by a boy riding a bike in what police have described as an "appalling" attack. ... news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/humber/5305424.stm Adrian "Adrian Bailey" <dadge@hotmail.com> wrote : > "Adrian Bailey" <dadge@hotmail.com> wrote : >> "Peter Duncanson" <mail@peterduncanson.net> wrote : [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Here's their crop of "year year old"s, which should all now have been > corrected: <snip examples> What a litany ... I had no idea when I posted my observation that it was widespread and apparently systematic. I shall be talking to R4's "More or Less" later this week on a different subject but I'll raise the point with them to see what their reaction is ... if any. Philip Eden > The two that have been left unamended are quotes from non-BBC > people: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/panorama/transcri pts/transcript_22_11_99.txt I particularly liked the placement of "almost" in "I have almost a 2 month year old son". I suppose it means eight months (year) pregnant. SignatureRob Bannister > Three times in the last week on BBC news programmes I've > heard the construction "xx month year old" used to describe [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > written piece of mine as I was once when I wrote about > "scaremongerers". This is so weird, I've had to investigate a bit more. First, Google's hit counter is up the spout. Second, "week year old", "day year old", "hour year old" and even "year year old" are also out there, in all combinations of singular and plural: (unique hits only) web:UK YYO year year old 742:78 years year old 104:7 year years old 141:8 years years old 381:40 MYO month year old 725:149 months year old 119:9 month years old 58:2 months years old 195:9 WYO week year old 167:20 weeks year old 22:0 week years old 16:0 weeks years old 20:1 DYO day year old 80:6 days year old 24:0 day years old 13:0 days years old 32:1 HYO hour year old 5:0 hours year old 3:0 hour years old 7:0 hours years old 6:0 Third, here are some early(ish) Usenet examples. The first YYO is 2 June 1988, quoting from the Washington Post: "Donald Gene Burleson, a 39-year-year-old Fort Worth programmer, has pleaded innocent to charges of computer sabotage and burglary..." The first non-media example is by "JJ" on 23 February 1993: "I would envision a much more deeper feeling of loss for my 10 year year old." The first MYO is by Hitoshi Doi on 11 June 1990: "My 8 month year old son reprogrammed ... the VCR!" Fourth, as to origin; is it possible that this usage is DTP-induced? Does/did any software automatically enter "-year(-old)" when someone starts to type an age? Fifth, as to why do people do it now; it appears that some people think that "-year(s)-old" is a set term to which the age must be added. Adrian [...] > Fifth, as to why do people do it now; it appears that some people think that > "-year(s)-old" is a set term to which the age must be added. > > Adrian Which reminds me of the old joke - Question - How do you recognise an Oxford academic in a conversation? Answer - He's (or She's, natch) the one who says, "And ninthly, ...." I'll get me coat. Will. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.