Is this news?

[Librarian]

OK, folks. For those who wonder if this is the collapse of civilization, whether these are the End Times, or whether our supposed news outlets are just a little bit soft in the head, this is your thread. This is where we vote on the stupidest news story of the day.

My vote for today? "Shark-cam captures ocean motion" which means, if I may be allowed to translate this into American, Underwater Camera tapes a big shark taking a dump."

Linkified

You got a better one? Put it up here!

[udman]

I'm glad to see you posting again Librarian, but obviously you missed my "greatest news story" Pt. 1 & 2 over in the War Room.

[neebelung]

Just last night there was a segment on this, which left us going "is this really news?", but I don't think it tops your shark shit story.

(and just to clarify, while it's in the "Entertainment" section of our local news site, on the broadcast last night, it was aired as if it were really news )

ALSO to clarify, I'm not mentioning this in a political manner at all -- I just mean who GIVES a flying fuck if some first children (regardless of whose they are) have to wait to get a puppy????

[Librarian]

Originally Posted by udman

I'm glad to see you posting again Librarian, but obviously you missed my "greatest news story" Pt. 1 & 2 over in the War Room.

Ah well, I mostly lurk, but real sharkshit can bring me to do things I wouldn't normally do.

On that note, it is good to see a lot of familiar (and a lot of new) avatars.


On a totally different note: I've seen several photos from the SoCal fires where there are totally burnt out bikes in the scene. Has anyone thought about starting a fund to send money to the poor bikers in Montecito who lost their two-wheeled friends?

[udman]

You will appreciate this one:

Meh chosen for 30th anniversary of Collins English Dictionary
Ben Hoyle, Arts Reporter
There is nothing meh about the journey of the latest entry in the Collins English Dictionary. Rather, it illustrates how e-mail and the internet are creating language.

“Meh” started out in the US and Canada as an interjection signifying mediocrity or indifference and has evolved, via the internet and an episode of The Simpsons, into a common adjective meaning boring, apathetic or unimpressive in British English.

The word was chosen over hundreds of others nominated by the public for inclusion in the 30th anniversary edition of the dictionary, to be published next year. Jargonaut, frenemy and huggles were among entries suggested to the Word of Mouth campaign, run in conjunction with Waterstone’s. The panel that made the final selection chose meh because of its frequent use today.

Meh was submitted by Erin Whyte, from Nottingham, who defined it as “an expression of utter boredom or an indication of how little you care for an idea”. The dictionary will say that meh can be used as an interjection to suggest indifference or boredom – or as an adjective to say something is mediocre or a person is unimpressed.

Collins has been aware for some time of the growing use of meh in written and spoken language. The word is widely used on the internet and is appearing in British spoken English as well as in print media.

Cormac McKeown, head of content at Collins Dictionaries, said: “This is a new interjection from the US that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here.

“It was actually spelt out in The Simpsons, when Homer is trying to prise the kids away from the TV with a suggestion for a day trip. They both just reply ‘meh’ and keep watching TV; he asks again and Lisa says, ‘We said MEH! – MEH, meh!’

“Internet and e-mail are playing a big part in formalising the spellings of vocal interjections like these. Other examples would be hmm and heh, which are both now ubiquitous online and in e-mails. People are increasingly writing in a register somewhere in between spoken and written English.”

Elaine Higgleton, the editorial director at Collins Dictionaries, said: “We ran this campaign to encourage the public to tell us about the words that they use every day, but that aren’t in the dictionary.

“We want to make sure that Collins dictionaries include everyone’s words.”