This week, I'm going to rant about a two topics, not necessarily related. Let's begin with the Oxford English Dictionary. On one of those sort-of-news shows last week (48 Hours, maybe, not that it really matters), there was a segment about the first American to be on the OED editorial staff. Or whatever his position is. Anyway, he's one of the people who argues about which words go in. He sees it as his role to bring in more American words and phrases, including slang terms. So, of course, we switch to the crusty old Englishman who, in a very measured and polite way, froths that slang has no place in the OED, or anything other than a dictionary of slang. It's a travesty, etc., etc. Now, I know they dug this guy up and posed him in front of the camera just to get the air of controversy. I also know that it's pointless to argue with such people because, hey, he was pretty much mummified and we all know, thanks to movies, that mummies aren't big on embracing new ideas. If it's not old, outdated, and rotting, it's crap.
His argument is, as they say, full of shit. The OED is a document of the English language. You don't pop open a copy of the OED to figure out what "wainscoting" means; you use it to figure out when wainscoting was first used, where the word derives from, and that in 1530s England "wainscotter" was a very rude name. Assuming that was true. But as such, of course the OED should contain slang; they're words, they're used in English, and they need to be documented. They show up in our written, spoken, and visual media, so someone, somewhen is going to want to know the derivation and first usage of the word "babelicious" (cited as an example in the program). And the OED should give them that information. Plus, it's fun to think that the OED contains the word "babelicious."
Ok, now onto that thing with the statues being destroyed in Afghanistan. Now, I'm just as opposed to the destruction of art, literature, etc. as the next person; probably even more then most people. That whole Library of Alexandria thing still irks me. But, people? They're busy harboring terrorists, and lopping off someone's limbs because of their beard length or because they impiously went and decided to be born female.
Let's face it: According to the Taliban, we're all godless heathens who are going to burn in a Hell even worse than the one they're turning Afghanistan into, so I'm guessing they're not shaking in their untrimmed beards over our condemnation. Not that I have a better solution, but it's kinda sad to watch the UN get into a lather over this, when all they can do is write really nasty letters. I'd boycott goods from Afghanistan, but I don't know what they make there. Besides fanatics, of course.
Personally, I'm hoping that those wacky talibanners get more and more obsessed about this whole "strict interpretation" thing and end up knocking each other off because their nose hairs aren't long enough, or something equally ridiculous. They're just about that insane already, so it should only take a little bit more to push them over the edge. Or maybe they're start up their own crusade and march on Mecca. Boy, that would be interesting.