Jottings explains , but many are now so uncommon that they can confuse readers . Latin phrases such as “ quid pro quo ” and “ ero ” mean little to anyone who never studied the classical language , it adds .
Thousands of words in English – such as cliché , kiosk and bungalow – were derived from other languages and are in common use , but the guide is asking for people to change their modus operandi and avoid 16 Latin phrases and even the French “ en route .” Some of the more obscure terms listed include “ a priori ,” “ sine qua non ” and “ inter alia ,” although the authors admit that those of a certain age are more inclined to maintain the status quo .
But language changes as years go by , and a new study from Oxford University claims that “ Multicultural London English ” ( MLE ) will become common across the UK . The dialect emerged in the 1980s amongst Jamaican immigrants , so get set to add MLE slang to your vocabulary .
This includes “ wagwan ” ( What ’ s going on ?) “ bare ” ( very , a lot , many ), “ skeng ” ( gun or knife ) and “ peng ” ( attractive person on something good ). A “ wasteman ” is a loser , “ chirpse ” means to flirt , and a car is a “ whip .” MLE is apparently set to become a future dominant dialect in the UK , innit ? You have been warned .
Meanwhile , on a positive note , the UK Health Secretary has taken an anti-woke stand against the country ’ s National Health Service by demanding that the word “ woman ” be reinstated in its online health service . Sajid Javid has said repeatedly that he did not agree with the term has being removed from its webpage on ovarian cancer guidance , where it has been replaced by “ anyone .”
Farming News
There ’ s trouble afoot in the farmyard . At least , in the toy farmyards marketed by Lego after our old friends at Peta called for them to be rebranded as “ animal sanctuaries .”
The group , People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , is reported to have claimed that toy animals on toy farms mislead children about the “ filthy , blood-soaked ” reality of farming which includes “ horror and cruelty .”
They added that “ pastoral scenes ” obscure the truth about chickens kept in cages , pigs in cramped pens and cows being sent to the abattoir .
Lego has apparently not responded , but the UK ’ s National Beef Association described Peta ’ s comments as “ misleading ,” adding that there is responsibility to teach children where their food comes from .
Meanwhile , farmers in New Zealand are being asked to support a new policy to reduce the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere by cattle . Contrary to popular belief , cow burps produce far more of the gas this way , than through any other function of bovine activity . ( The Editor won ’ t allow us to use the word “ farting .”)
The United Nations ’ Food and Agriculture Organisation says the total greenhouse gas emissions from all livestock accounts for a remarkable 14.5 per cent of all global emissions . As a result , New Zealand plans an animal gas tax from 2025 to encourage farmers to switch cows ’ diets from grass to seaweed or grain , and to offset the emissions by planting trees .
There will also be research into providing the animals with masks to capture the burps and into breeding
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