Great British Writers - Wilfred Owen

We have talked on many occasions of the fables and idiosyncrasies in the English language. We have looked at rules, such as the i before e except after c rule, which have many exceptions. We have also looked at words that are spelt the same, pronounced the same but have different meanings. Yes we know there are funny little quirks. However, that said I still believe English to be a marvellous language, and thought how about we look at some great British writers and poets, who are able to bring the language alive and provide pleasure to a great many people.

I don’t think there could be a better start to our new venture than Wilfred Owen, who is considered one of the leading poets of the First World War. Owen was born in Shropshire, England in 1893, though he was of mixed English and Welsh ancestry. At the age of twenty, in 1913, he went to France for two years to work as a language tutor. His love for writing was already established as he had begun writing poetry as a young teenager, mainly influenced by the romantic writings of Keats and Shelley.

In 1915 he returned to Britain to enlist in the Army and, after initial training was assigned into the Manchester Regiment as a second lieutenant. His regiment left for the Western Front early in 1917 where he witnessed the savagery of the war and such traumatic events that led to him being diagnosed with shellshock and returned to Britain for treatment. Whilst he was convalescing he met the poet Siegfried Sassoon who inspired and encouraged Owen with his poetry. The doctors had advised Owen to write of his experiences as part of his therapy. This coupled with his new friend Sassoon’s passion for realism saw a marked change in Owens writing style, and his work from that date was characterised by his anger at the cruelty and waste of life he witnessed during his active service. In this way Owen became one of the first anti-war poets. Prior to this, war poetry had tended to concentrate on the splendour and glory of war, rather than look at the reality.   

Owen returned to the fighting in France in August 1918 and was awarded The Military Cross for bravery in October. Owen was killed in action on the 4^th November 1918, just one week before the armistice. It is widely believed that his mother actually received the telegram advising of his death on the 11^th November, Armistice Day, as the church bells were ringing out to celebrate the end of hostilities.

For those of you unfamiliar with Wilfred Owens work, here is one of his most famous poems “Anthem for Doomed Youth”:

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

Below is a rendition of this poem by Sean Bean – I challenge anybody to listen and not be moved.  

For anyone who would like help with their written English, please visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com

Rugby Club Names - For a Change

A few weeks ago we started looking at the origins of some of the more unusual names of football teams. This is a fascinating topic and will continue for a few more weeks. However I think it is appropriate to interrupt the football theme and turn to rugby this week, as it is the season of international matches and the four-yearly tour of the British and Irish Lions to the southern hemisphere – this time Australia.

In the southern hemisphere there is a great tradition of giving teams animal names. These names suggest the physical prowess of the animals such as the Natal Sharks, the Pretoria Bulls and the Central Cheetahs from South Africa. Images of powerful animals certainly! Less well known is the animal origin of the Australian team name ACT Brumbies. Brumbies are feral horses which roam freely in Queensland and the Northern Territories. They are descended from horses which either escaped or were lost in the early days of the colonial settlement of Australia, and are made up of a number of different equine breeds.

In New Zealand team names tend to have a more historical basis, with names like the Highlanders and the Crusaders suggesting the traditions and strengths of army units. These references belie the fact that these teams are relative newcomers in the sporting world, having been formed following the move to professional rugby union in the late 1990s.

To find more traditional unusual names for rugby teams we must return to the northern hemisphere where we find clubs such as Harlequins and Wasps in England, and Stade Francais and Racing Club de France, obviously in France. Stade Francais was founded in 1883 and took its name from the Stade Jean-Bouin where it has always played all its home games. Racing Club de France began life in 1882 as an athletic club, and gradually added more sports to its portfolio, starting a rugby club in 1890. 

Harlequin FC was founded in 1866 as Hampstead FC but changed its name in 1870 as the club no longer represented the Hampstead area. However the HFC monogram had to be retained. A quick search of the dictionary suggested harlequin, and nearly everyone involved agreed to the new name! Those that did not like the new name separated from the club and formed a new rugby club, called Wasps. Names of animals and insects were very popular in the late Victorian period, and it has been long assumed that this was the reason for the choice of name. Also in London you will find Saracens FC, whose name was chosen because it represents the “endurance, enthusiasm and perceived invincibility of Saladin's desert warriors of the 12th century” Interestingly, 2 years after the club was formed it amalgamated with the neighbouring club Crusaders, something that never happened in the 12^th century!

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Loads of Unusual Words!

Over the past few weeks, or should I say months, I have enjoyed constructing my A to Z list of unusual, often obsolete words . When we reached words beginning with the letter z I thought we had reached an end. However, I have been asked to summarise this project, to give all the words we have looked at in one blog with a brief explanation for each one. On reflection I thought what a good idea! If anyone is looking for a different word to use, hopefully they will find some inspiration here. We have a bit of everything, from fun words, to some that can only be described as insulting. Anyway, here we go!

Asinine – extremely or utterly foolish.

Balter – to tumble or dance clumsily, can also mean to tangle or stick together.

Cachinnator – a person who laughs loudly and immoderately.

Cockalorum – describes a little man with a very high opinion of himself.

Defenestration - the act of throwing something or someone out of the window.

Ebberman – one who fishes under bridges.

Flibbertigibbet – one who is flighty and whimsical.

Gobemouche – a silly or naive person who believes everything they hear.

Hornswoggle – a slang term meaning to cheat, hoodwink, swindle or deceive.

Impignorate - to place in pawn or to mortgage.

Illecebrous – pretty, attractive, alluring and enticing.

Jocoserious – half serious and half in jest.

Janiform – to resemble the god Janus, having two faces looking in different directions.

Koniology - the study of atmospheric dust and the effect it has on animal and plant life.

Leman – a secret lover or mistress.

Lavolta – a lively, bouncy dance.

Maunder – to ramble foolishly, or to move or act in a dreamy way,

Malefic – describes someone capable of causing harm and destruction, especially by supernatural ways.

Nitid – bright, glistening and radiant.

Obstreperous – to refuse to act in a reasonable way.

Postprandial – after a meal.

Preprandial – prior to a meal.

Posthumous – occurring after death.

Panurgic - skilled and adept at all kinds of work.

Quidnunc – an inquisitive and gossipy person.

Riziform – shaped like a grain of rice.

Ragabash – an idle and worthless fellow.

Runagate – a deserter or renegade.

Rampallian – a scoundrel and a rascal.

Sabrage – the technique of opening champagne bottles with a sabre.

Tantalus – A locked case containing bottles or decanters of wine; the contents of which can be seen.

Ubiquitous – to appear to be in many places at the same time.

Ventripotent – describes a greedy individual with a big belly.

Vesthibitionism – flirtatious display of undergarments by a woman.

Verecund – shy and modest.

Woundy – causing or characterised by wounds: or excessive.

Xerophagy – is a restrictive diet, often a form of fasting.

Xerophobia – the fear of dryness or dry places.

Xylophobia – the fear of forests.

Xenophobia – the fear of anything or anyone foreign.

Xenophilia – a person who is attracted to that which is foreign such as people tradition and cultures.

Yegg – a thief or burglar.

Yex – to hiccup or burp.

Zenzizenzizenzic – an obsolete mathematical term represent the eighth power of a number.

Zelotypia – a morbid jealousy; or an excessive zeal for carrying out a project.

Zonary – of a relating to a zone.

Zwischenzug – a tactical chess move.

As I'm sure you realize this is just a fraction of the many rare and unusual words we could have looked at. This is simply a list of words that I would like to share with you. As you will have notice some letters have lots of words that appeal to me and I hope I am forgiven that I did not include the same number of words for each letter; I just can't help myself, sometimes I get carried away!

If you would like any help with your written English, please visit our website at www.writtenenglishcorrected.com. Don't forget there is a 10% discount available throughout June for any customers who mention the blog.

Does a Yegg Zenzizenzizenzic His Money?

Our journey through the alphabet, looking at unusual and rarely used words, is nearly completed. It has been an interesting little project for me and I hope you have enjoyed some of the more obscure words, and will have fun using them in everyday conversations.  Today, we will look at words beginning with the letters “y” and “z” and believe me there are some really wacky words to entertain us!

Let’s start with a simple little word, yegg, which is a slang name for a thief or burglar, and in particular for a safe cracker. Usage of this word dates back to the early1900’s. Although the origin is unsure, one theory is that it was the surname of a rather daring criminal John Yegg. So the story goes John was once a successful electrician and merchant living in the United States of America. However a fondness for too many drinks and keeping bad company led him into a life of crime. It is suggested that he was the first person to use nitro-glycerine when blowing open safes. He shared his methods with others in the criminal world, and after his arrest and imprisonment, it is suggested that others copying this method became known as yeggmen or yeggs. I have no idea if this is the true story of the term yegg, but wanted to share it with you as it seems both possible and probable. Also, for any screen writers out there I think it would make an excellent plot for a film!

To yex is an old English word meaning to hiccup or to burp. To quote Chaucer “He yexeth and he speaketh through the nose” (1913 Webster). You may also speak of yexing and yexed. Now I quite like this word and have a feeling I may prefer to yex than to hiccup in the future.

If you were wondering if I would have a problem thinking of an unusual word beginning with the letter z, have I got a treat for you. I have a word, not with one z but with six – zenzizenzizenzic! This is an obsolete mathematical notion representing the eighth power of a number.  For example the zenzizenzizenzic of 2 is 256 (2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2). This term was first used by the Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, in his book published in 1557 entitled “The Whetstone of Witte”.   

If you think that is a bit too much like showing off, we could look at some other words such as zelotypia, which suggests a morbid jealousy or an excessive zeal in carrying out a project; or what about zonary, meaning of, or relating to, or of the nature of a zone. I will leave you with zwischenzug, which all you chess players will know is a tactical move in chess where an unexpected move is made to turn a situation around to the player’s advantage.

I hope this little walk through the alphabet has introduced some new and interesting words to you. Don’t forget if you would like any help with your written English please check out our website at  www.writtenenglishcorrected.com 

Ventripotent? Time for Xerophagy!

Our list of interesting and not very often used words just keeps growing and growing! Today we are nearing the end of the alphabet and looking at words starting with the letters “v” “w” and “x”. I think we have an amusing assortment, and hopefully you will find something you can slip into a conversation over the weekend and raise a couple of eyebrows!

I have to confess, after a week of overindulging at birthday celebrations I feel the following word could be very fitting to describe myself at present! Ventripotent is an adjective used to describe someone with a big belly. It can also be used to describe a greedy individual with a great capacity for food. Oh dear – diet really is starting tomorrow!

If you are feeling very naughty you may just fancy a spot of vesthibitionism. For those of you who have not heard of this, it is the flirtatious display of undergarments by a woman. Ummm, I’m sure my readers are far too verecund to indulge in such a pastime. Verecund, from the Latin vereri meaning to fear, means modest or shy.

What about a simple little word like woundy. Any ideas of the definition of this word? Well, you may take an educated guess that it could relate to causing wounds or being characterised by wounds and you would be correct. However, there is also an alternative, meaning excessively or extremely as given in the Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary published in 1913. One may talk of asking a woundy price for an item or being woundy cold. On the other hand one may prefer to talk of an extortionate price and being freezing – the choice is yours!

Earlier we were talking of diets and having a few xerophagy days may certainly help me get back into shape. Xerophagy is a restrictive diet, a form of fasting by eating dry foods only. An example may be a diet of bread and water that may be enforced as a punishment or followed as a form of religious discipline. The following quote from The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 states   “Fridays, or on days during their various Lenten seasons (Wednesdays and Fridays excepted), a complete or partial suspension of xerophagy takes place.”

When looking at words that begin with the letter x there are many examples of words  that relate to the fear of something, such as xerophobia – the fear of dryness or dry places, xylophobia – the fear of forests or woods and xenophobia – the fear of foreigners.  However lets finish on a more positive note and I will leave you with xenophilia – a love of foreigners. A xenophile is a person who is attracted to that which is foreign such as people, traditions and cultures.  

As always, if you would like help with your written English, please visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com  As a special offer for June there is a 10% discount for any customers who mention the blog when they contact us!     

Stanley, Albion and Argyle... Great Football Names

Last week we began to look at some of the reasons why football clubs have the names they do. This week we will continue this interesting little project, and look at some of the less common team names. Why is Accrington Stanley, Plymouth Argyle or West Bromwich Albion?

Accrington Football Club was one of the 12 founding members of the Football League when it was formed in 1888. At the same time there was another football team playing in Accrington, called Stanley Villas, which was so called because the team was based at the Stanley Arms pub, on Stanley Street. Accrington FC resigned from the Football League after only five years, and Stanley Villas took the opportunity to adopt the name of its home town, and became Accrington Stanley. So the next time you are at a sports quiz, and the quizmaster says that Accrington Stanley was one of the founder teams of the Football League, you can now challenge him with confidence!

There is some confusion over the origin of the name Plymouth Argyle. The club was founded in 1886 as Argyle Football Club, and there was speculation that the name came from an army regiment, the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. This regiment was renowned for having a very strong football team. However, the geographical separation between Plymouth in the south of England, and the Highlanders from Scotland suggests that this may not be the real reason. Far closer to home, there is a pub in Plymouth called the Argyle Tavern, on Argyle Street. As many amateur teams started off playing from pubs it is much more likely that this was the source of the name. But this is not quite as romantic as being named after one of the most illustrious regiments in the British army!

Albion is not an uncommon name in football. West Bromwich, Brighton and Hove, and Burton all use the term. The word Albion comes from the old name for Great Britain, and is considered to be patriotic. The first football club to use the name was West Bromwich Albion. The team started life as the West Bromwich Strollers in 1878, but changed its name to Albion in 1880 as this was a district in the town of West Bromwich where a number of the players lived. By comparison, Stirling Albion, a team in the Scottish League is reputed to have taken the name from the Albion make of heavy lorries that were provided by the club’s first owner, a coal magnate, and used as temporary grandstands for the fans. However this story may be apocryphal! There is even an Albion FC in Uruguay. Founded in 1891 this is the oldest football club in the country, and was started by students from the English High School in Montevideo.

Don’t forget, if you would like any help with your written English, visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com

Would a Tantalus Stop the Ubiquitous Sabrage of Champagne?

It’s Friday, so it must be time to have a look at some more interesting and rarely used words.  Let us start with “sabrage”, the technique of opening a champagne bottle with a sabre. Now this is one that I certainly suggest that you do not try at home!  The history of this unusual pastime is believed to date back to France and the victories of Napoleon’s army all across Europe. It is believed, that at parties given to celebrate these successes, the cavalry would open the bottles of champagne with their sabres. Indeed, I think Napoleon may have encouraged this as he is known to have said, "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it."  Either way bottles of champagne were required! These days sabrage tends to be used only at ceremonial occasions, such as weddings. Unbelievably, the record for the greatest number of champagne bottles sabered in one minute is thirty two. This amazing achievement was accomplished by Julio Chang in Marbella, Spain in April 2011. I must admit, having witnessed a champagne bottle being opened in the more conventional way of “popping” the cork, that led to a scene involving a shattered light bulb and a screeching cat, I think to involve a sabre must certainly be left to the professionals.

Keeping on with the alcohol theme have you heard of a tantalus? This is a locked case containing wine bottles or decanters, where the contents of the bottles are still on view.  It is believed that they were first used to prevent servants stealing from their masters. The term originates from Tantalus, a Greek mythical figure who received the terrible eternal punishment of having to stand in a pool of water, where the water always receded when he tried to drink.  Above his head was also a fruit tree, with low branches, but the fruit always eluded his grasp. Therefore, he was forever unable to eat or drink. The name Tantalus is also the origin of the verb “to tantalise” meaning to arouse a desire or expectation for something unobtainable. You can see how the experience of someone who is tantalised can compare with Tantalus, the thing they most desire is out of reach.

We could have a little cheat when it comes to looking at words beginning with “u”. Many words can be changed to mean the opposite by putting “un” in front of them. Let me give you a few examples to explain: approachable becomes unapproachable, meaning discouraging and reserved, assuming becomes unassuming, not arrogant or pretentious and unbiased simply means without bias.  However, the word I want to leave you with this week is ubiquitous meaning to appear to be in many places at the same time, to be everywhere! There are many examples of how we could use this word, maybe to describe a politician in the run up to elections or a popular television advertisement. It just has a certain ring to it –  I hope you will use it too!  

Don’t forget, if you would like help with your written English, visit our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com