Language


Acronyms of Pain

It’s unlikely that you will find these acronyms in an IM chat:

The dry-erase boards scream profanity across the ER.
Letters of blue roar:
OOC (out of control — usually after crack or methamphetamine)!”
They cry:
ICH (intra-cranial hemorrhage),
AMS (altered mental status),
SSCP (substernal chest pain),
GIB (gastrointestinal bleed),
AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm),
SBP (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis)!”
They mock:
AOB (alcohol on breath)!”
HOD (heroin overdose)…”
Via Hermes.
(Ed. colors added)


So You Want to be a Lexicographer

Check out a day in the life of the folks who work at the Oxford English Dictionary. For example David Martin, Senior Assistant Editor:

Spent all day editing the entry for the word phoenix, which poses an interesting etymological question about a possible connection with Phoenician. During my trawl for new quotations I was perhaps lucky to add only one quotation about Harry Potter: his �phoenix-feathered wand�.

The OED word of the day is always interesting.
Via Languagehat.


420

The term 420, four-twenty, started cropping up on mailing lists, blogs and in classroom discussions with regularity a few days ago. Much as every year in recent memory.
Paul Goyette reminded me of this annual discussion. For those of you who are afraid to ask (some time ago it took me a few years to figure it out) Snopes has the story though perhaps one of those San Rafael kids had read some Lovecraft while enjoying a bit of Acapulco Gold.


Airport Abbreviations

What is the origin of those 3 letter airport abbreviations? Some make sense and many seem non-sensical. At least until you understand their origins.
City names, airport names and sometimes the original name of an airport. Get the whole story here.
Via Languagehat.