Americanisms In Schools

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31983, 9 May 1969, Page 10

Americanisms In Schools

Sir,—“Australasian's" letter this morqing was a model of common tense, but my heart goes out somewhat to "Parent” The American passion for tautology as exemplified in “up until,” "as of now,” and other unlovely examples of a determination to expand rather than contract a sentence is oddly out of keeping with go-getting methods of business, which we, who are so eager to jump on the American band - waggon, should follow. Such clumsy extensions of sensible verbal expressions "elevator” for “lift,” “burglarising” for “burgling,” and phrases such as “make a reservation” instead of the explicit British “book a seat” are all examples of what I mean. On the pronunciation of English by our pundits on the N.Z.8.C., I know that you do not encourage comment, but it does provide a good deal of mirth to those sophisticates who enjoy dining out on oral “howlers”—modstly of transatlantic origin.—Yours, etc., CARACTACUS. May 8, 1969.

Sir,—Seth Newell, with the unsolicited support of the Rationalist Association, may prefer “the decent life not fearing any God.” This piffling polytheism is scarcely relevant to the Ulster Issue. Furthermore, they should know that “the main cause of partition” belongs to the past tense and was political. Bogus democracy dispensed by Britain fragmented the geographical entity that was Ireland and allowed a minority to opt out, in a travesty of the principles of selfdetermination. The tragedy of the situation is that apparently only violence forces recognition of injustices, as witness the footage given by newspapers to oppressions which have existed for many years. Joselyn Darling throws in a pot-boiler, grossly distorting J. Moloney’s letter, which did not describe the Rev. lan Paisley as a friend of the civil rights movement This is no forum for “isms” prefixed with an “a.”—Yours, etc., GEORGE KELLY.