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Campbell, Greer win awards for dubious turns of phrase
By Stone Martindale Dec 12, 2006, 16:30 GMT
11/17/2006 - Naomi Campbell - 2006-2007 Lexus Fashion Night 3 - Arrivals and Press - Warsaw, Poland - Warsaw, Poland © WG Foto / Photorazzi
Fighting for crystal clear communication since 1979, the Plain English Campaigners have announced this year's crop of notable gaffers. Pugnacious supermodel Naomi Campbell has been awarded the Plain English Campaign's Foot in Mouth award for 2006, for talking nonsense.
Campbell was awarded this year's prize after stating she loves traditional English food, followed by the statement, "There's nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta."
Aussie writer and feminist Germaine Greer, who came under intense fire for her unkind remarks immediately following the death of Steve Irwin, was awarded the Golden Bull award after writing in a newspaper column, "The first attribute of the art object is that it creates a discontinuity between itself and the unsynthesised manifold."
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Older Talkback
page: 1
pugnacious is most definitely a word. Pretty much means someone looking for a fight, keen to provoke conflict. I think
Courtesy of the Oxford English Dictionary.
pugnacious, a.
(pVg'neIS@s) [f. L. pugnQx, -Qci- combative (f. pugn-Qre to fight, f. pugn-us fist) + -ous: see -acious.]
Disposed to fight; given to fighting; quarrelsome; contentious.
1642 H. More Song of Soul iv. xiv, Plato affirms Idees; But Aristotle with his pugnacious race As idle figments stifly them denies. 1776 Pennant Zool. (ed. 4) I. 328 [The whitethroat] A shy and wild bird+; seems of a pugnatious disposition. 1877 Mrs. Oliphant Makers Flor. i. 10 These pugnacious Florentines, whose personal feuds and hatreds+were infinitely more real and vivid.
Hence pug'naciously adv., in a pugnacious manner; pug'naciousness, pugnacity.
1681 H. More Exp. Dan. iii. 64 The strength+and pugnaciousness of the Ram well represent Cyrus and his Successours. 1829 Palmerston Opinions & Policy (1852) 102 If the nation is overflowing with so much pugnaciousness. 1847 Webster, Pugnaciously. 1871 E. P. Whipple Success & its Conditions 69 A politician weakly and amiably in the right is no match for [one] tenaciously and pugnaciously in the wrong. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 334 We valiantly and pugnaciously
The whole situation is funny, really funny, I has never really been known for paste; except maybe macaroni and cheese. Hey you can't blame her for trying to make English food look good.
page: 1
martyozDec 12th, 2006 - 20:17:21
According to my dictionary, there's no such word as 'pugnacious.' Maybe this is supermodel argot?
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