Those about to speak…
I am going to attend a conference soon. But as much as I look forward to it (and to Rome, which I adore), I also know, it will be a time of frustration. But before I offer my rant, I’ll tell a story. About 15 years ago I attended one of large international conferences in pragmatics. As usual on such occasions, there were a number of plenary lectures which were 3-4 times longer than the time allocated to mere mo Continue reading “Those about to speak…”
I miss the typewriter
It’s been just over 25 years since I received my doctorate. I remember it very well. An oath to preserve my integrity as a scholar (in Latin), being told that my name was in the second book where all doctorates were recorded (the first ended in 1930s) or the pro-vice-chancellor (in Polish ‘prorektor’) who was complaining that his gown with fur would make him sweat. But what I remember most, is typing my doctorate. On a typewriter. Continue reading “I miss the typewriter”
A Linguist on ‘suicidality’
Here is a link to an interesting piece on how to refer to a person’s suicidal death. I think it’s great. The authors point to a number of important issues and make some useful suggestions and I agree with them. The problem is that in my view (which I have already expressed here), they don’t go f Continue reading “A Linguist on ‘suicidality’”
Do I have symptoms?
Some time ago I was accompanying a friend to see a doctor. As I was waiting for them, I engaged in a brief conversation with a patient who had just left the surgery. The conversation was inconsequential, yet one thing struck me. The patient said:
‘It does take time to describe all the symptoms I have.’ Continue reading “Do I have symptoms?”