The English Blog

Film of the Week: Avatar

I finally got around to seeing Avatar this afternoon (in French, worse luck). So, is all the hype justified? Yes and no. As many critics have already pointed out the plot is unoriginal and full of clichés, the dialogue often clunky, and the film far too long. But (and it's a big but), as a spectacle, Avatar is truly impressive (I saw it in 3D). Some of the images are breathtakingly beautiful and the alien world is perfectly realised. My advice? Don't wait for the DVD. See it in 3D at the cinema while you've still got the chance.

As for Avatar being the 'future of cinema', as some have claimed, I don't think so. For a science-fiction or action film (Avatar is both), I can see that 3D adds an extra dimension (forgive the pun). But for a comedy or drama, the 3D would just be distracting.

FOOTNOTE
I saw 33 films at the cinema this year. My movie of the year? Slumdog Millionaire.

How Financial Jargon Changed Over The Decade

The last decade has seen the financial world turned upside down. And these changes have been reflected by business jargon used to describe the decade. Harry Wilson at Financial News Online has charted how many times certain words were mentioned in the media over the past ten years—and the words tell the story of a decade running into trouble.

For example, before the credit crunch, the word 'subprime' had never been used more than 7,000 times in any given year, according to Factiva. But after the crunch bit, the word was published in 145,354 separate articles in 2007, followed by a further 137,900 usages in 2008. However, this year its use has dropped back considerably. Read article >>

English Learning Website of the Year: EnglishCentral

COMMENTS
In my opinion, EnglishCentral was far and away the best new EFL/ESL site this year. Read my original review.

Patrick Blower's Livedraw Review of 2009

In this brilliant 'best of 2009' Livedraw cartoon, the Guardian's Patrick Blower looks back at a year when America looked to Barack Obama for change, and bankers looked to taxpayers for bailouts.

COMMENT
I love those Postcards of the Future (3m51s). Very funny.

TIME's Top Ten Viral Videos of 2009

COMMENT
I've featured several of these videos on The English Blog over the past 12 months. My own favourite viral video is not on TIME's list, however. It's this hilarious Downfall spoof on Michael Jackson's death.

FOOTNOTE
See here for more TIME Top Ten lists.

The most-read stories of 2009

From the king of pop to the queen of reality TV, from swine flu to MPs' expenses, these are among the year's most-read stories according to BBC News Magazine. There are goodbyes and near-misses, extremes in the weather, and a few light-hearted moments alongside more serious tales. Read article >>

COMMENT
By my reckoning, over 90% of the stories were bad news. Let's hope for some more good news in 2010!

Video: Did Homecoming Scotland 2009 Work?

Rona Dougall looks at whether the Homecoming Scotland 2009 event to mark the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns was a success or failure.

Cartoon: Bull in a China Shop

This cartoon by Morten Morland  from The Times is based on a well-known idiom. If you say that someone is like a bull in a china shop, you mean that they are very careless in the way that they move or behave. A Google search reveals this to be a very popular theme with cartoonists.

Here, the bull is UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (the caption at the top is "Gordon's New Year Message"), who is sitting on the floor of the china shop surrounded by broken cups, plates and ornaments. He's trying to repair a plate with glue. Gordon the bull says, "Leave me alone! You'll wreck the recovery!" There is, of course, irony in his words, since he has already smashed nearly every item in the shop.

The cartoon is a comment on the economic situation in the UK (the shop is called 'UK Economy'). Many people blame Gordon Brown for Britain's current economic woes, yet Brown warned voters not to "wreck the recovery" (i.e., by voting for the Conservatives) in his New Year message, which sets out the political agenda ahead of a general election in 2010. Read more >>

VOCABULARY
China (with a small 'c') is a hard white substance made from clay. Cups, bowls, plates, and ornaments made of china are referred to as china (see how logical English is!) China is an uncountable noun. • Her hobby is collecting antique china.

Video: Iraq Hostage Is Freed By Captors

The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has confirmed that Peter Moore, who has been held captive in Iraq for more than two-and-a-half years, has been freed. Sky's Tim Marshall reports.

Words in the News: Hostage

The Independent quotes freed hostage Peter Moore as saying he wanted to cry, after spending two years in solitary confinement in Iraq. Full story >>

VOCABULARY
A hostage is someone who has been captured by a person or organization and who may be killed or injured if people do not do what that person or organization demands. • Two British hostages being held by pirates in Somalia are facing a Christmas in captivity with no immediate sign of their release.

Oxford English Dictionary's Words of 2009

Zombie bank, bossnapping and jeggings (see pic) are among the terms selected by dictionary expert Susie Dent in her pick of the year's words from the Oxford English Corpus.

You can see the complete list of words and find out what they mean in this article from The Daily Telegraph.

COMMENT
One word I wasn't familiar with is 'phantonym', defined as 'a word that looks as it if means one thing but in fact means something quite different. [from ‘phantom + antonym] (for example fulsome, used by President Obama to mean ‘full’, when in fact it is now chiefly used in reference to excessive flattery).

SEE ALSO
• Words of 2009 and the 2000s (Schott's Vocab, New York Times)
• OMG, tweetup is a candidate for the dictionary (LOL) (Sydney Morning Herald)

Avatar: The Making of the Bootleg

Very funny spoof of all the “making of Avatar” videos.

COMMENTS
I still haven't seen Avatar, but am planning to go tomorrow. I can't imagine why anyone would want to watch a bootleg version. Surely the whole point is to see in in 3D on a big screen.

Video: Anger Over Execution Of British Man

China has executed a British man found guilty of drug smuggling. Akmal Shaikh was put to death despite serious questions over his mental health. Sky's Holly Williams reports.

Video: Execution Pits China Against UK

The UK is at odds with China after the latter's controversial execution of a British national many say was mentally ill. Report from Newsy. View transcript.

Cartoon: Chinese Dragon

In this cartoon by Morten Morland from The Times, China is portrayed as a fiery dragon, defying the rest of the world. Uncle Sam (i.e., the USA) is caught up in the dragon's coils. He is waving a fan with IOU written on it (in May 2009, the US owed China $772 billion). The British bullodog is easily kept at bay with a single finger (China disregarded the UK government's pleas not to execute a British man convicted of smuggling heroin). The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being squeezed out, while the Dalai Lama is imprisoned in the dragon's claw. A fin on the dragon's back has cut the Copenhagen climate deal in half (China was widely blamed for the failure of the summit). Around the dragon's neck hangs some bling in the form of a dollar sign and a map of Africa. The meaning is obvious: China is the most powerful country in the world and does what it wants.