Fired for advancing the homophone agenda

[Mageth]

Is that a pun?

What, you don't understand? (Of course it's a pun...)

 

[funinspace]

I guess we should start calling ourselves heterosapians instead of homosapiens...else someone will think everyone is gay.

PS Thanks for the laugh

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Today on trying to equate little used English words that have a history of mixed use with well known grammar designations...

A history of mixed use? No, it just sounds similar to another word. And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

In the sense that homonyms isn't common or superlative, but it should be a word that has an understood definition.

Is there some reason you don't want to compare the two incidents?

Yes, I call it Moore-Coulter.

 

[dismal]

A history of mixed use? No, it just sounds similar to another word. And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

In the sense that homonyms isn't common or superlative, but it should be a word that has an understood definition.

Is there some reason you don't want to compare the two incidents?

Yes, I call it Moore-Coulter.

Yeah one is multiple incidents some of which involved public officials that resulted in a wave of self-censorship by various news organizations.

The other is a single yutz at a school for English as a second language who no one is defending.

Not the same at all.

 

[Bronzeage]

Today on trying to equate little used English words that have a history of mixed use with well known grammar designations...

A history of mixed use? No, it just sounds similar to another word. And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

To day on "Don't equate a misunderstanding of English with a misunderstanding of English"...

Is there some reason you don't want to compare the two incidents? Is it because of the apparent political affiliation of the supposedly offended party?

It is a very common word in the vocabulary of writers and editors. They must always be on guard for homophones because most will go right past a spell check program.

If the story of the fired teacher is true(I have my doubts about stories which seem two good too be true), what the school director has done is commit a malapropism, mistaking "homophone" fore "homophobe."

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

A history of mixed use? No, it just sounds similar to another word. And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

To day on "Don't equate a misunderstanding of English with a misunderstanding of English"...

Is there some reason you don't want to compare the two incidents? Is it because of the apparent political affiliation of the supposedly offended party?

It is a very common word in the vocabulary of writers and editors. They must always be on guard for homophones because most will go right past a spell check program.

If the story of the fired teacher is true(I have my doubts about stories which seem two good too be true), what the school director has done is commit a malapropism, mistaking "homophone" fore "homophobe."

I certainly share your disbelief in the story, however, the article indicates that the school confirmed it.

 

[dismal]

A history of mixed use? No, it just sounds similar to another word. And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

To day on "Don't equate a misunderstanding of English with a misunderstanding of English"...

Is there some reason you don't want to compare the two incidents? Is it because of the apparent political affiliation of the supposedly offended party?

It is a very common word in the vocabulary of writers and editors. They must always be on guard for homophones because most will go right past a spell check program.

If the story of the fired teacher is true(I have my doubts about stories which seem two good too be true), what the school director has done is commit a malapropism, mistaking "homophone" fore "homophobe."

The blogger wrote an article about homophones that apparently (I have not been able to find it) had nothing whatever to do with homosexuality. The director thought the ESL students wouldn't understand what the word meant and would think it was about homosexuality. So technically it's not about a homophobe homophone confusion. It's more about the director assuming the students are stupid.

 

[Bronzeage]

It is a very common word in the vocabulary of writers and editors. They must always be on guard for homophones because most will go right past a spell check program.

If the story of the fired teacher is true(I have my doubts about stories which seem two good too be true), what the school director has done is commit a malapropism, mistaking "homophone" fore "homophobe."

The blogger wrote an article about homophones that apparently (I have not been able to find it) had nothing whatever to do with homosexuality. The director thought the ESL students wouldn't understand what the word meant and would think it was about homosexuality. So technically it's not about a homophobe homophone confusion. It's more about the director assuming the students are stupid.

Otherwise known as "getting your name in the paper the easy way."

 

[Bomb#20]

Or black holes.

Yeah, being offended by the term black hole is silly. I'm guessing that person has never heard what happens (what's left over) when very massive stars die.

Well, the reason we call what's left over when very massive stars die black holes is a metaphorical reference to the Black Hole of Calcutta. If modern sentiments had prevailed in 1960s' academia that comparison would have been considered highly politically incorrect.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The director of the ESL school is weigh out of his mind. It seams that hee thinks that if a word can be mistaken four something that it isn't, they should fear the worst. The students who don't no English well enough, are feared to think anything with "homo" involved means gay? I suppose that the teacher should have tot the students about the greatness of heterophones such as "bass" and "the"... words that our spelled the same but sound different.

 

[Shadowy Man]

It's more about the director assuming the students are stupid.

It's more that he assumes they won't know the English word, but isn't that why they are in an English class?

 

[dismal]

It's more about the director assuming the students are stupid.

It's more that he assumes they won't know the English word, but isn't that why they are in an English class?

It's more that he assumes they can't learn it or won't. In any case if he was worried about the reputation of the school the move did not work out so well.

 

[Bronzeage]

Yeah, being offended by the term black hole is silly. I'm guessing that person has never heard what happens (what's left over) when very massive stars die.

Well, the reason we call what's left over when very massive stars die black holes is a metaphorical reference to the Black Hole of Calcutta. If modern sentiments had prevailed in 1960s' academia that comparison would have been considered highly politically incorrect.

I think this is after the fact folk etymology. I've never seen a reference to Calcutta in connection with astrophysics, or John Wheeler. Twenty three men did walk out of the Black Hole of Calcutta, which sort of spoils the metaphor. This is the same guy who coined the term "wormhole," so he was adept at metaphors.

 

[Keith&Co.]

And I would not say that the word "homophone" is exactly an everyday word either.

It is for an ESL teacher.

 

[fromderinside]

And his sister's a THESPIAN!!!

(shamelessly stolen from another comment on the site)

I'm thinking you are the hamburgler.

 

[Emily Lake]

That's sad. On so many levels. Just sad.

 

[thebeave]

So, I guess the gays get the homophone and poor minorities get an Obamaphone? Why can't we all just use the same type of phone?

 

[none]

I clique a link and this is what I get?

 

[Bomb#20]

Well, the reason we call what's left over when very massive stars die black holes is a metaphorical reference to the Black Hole of Calcutta. If modern sentiments had prevailed in 1960s' academia that comparison would have been considered highly politically incorrect.

I think this is after the fact folk etymology. I've never seen a reference to Calcutta in connection with astrophysics, or John Wheeler.

I have; and Wheeler didn't coin it, just popularize it.

Twenty three men did walk out of the Black Hole of Calcutta, which sort of spoils the metaphor.

It seems pretty apt to me -- a lot more men went in and never came out, it was so densely packed.

 

[Bronzeage]

I think this is after the fact folk etymology. I've never seen a reference to Calcutta in connection with astrophysics, or John Wheeler.

I have; and Wheeler didn't coin it, just popularize it.

Twenty three men did walk out of the Black Hole of Calcutta, which sort of spoils the metaphor.

It seems pretty apt to me -- a lot more men went in and never came out, it was so densely packed.

Who did coin the term "black hole" to refer to the big dense thing in space?