The usage by schools of the word incursion, may be considered incorrect uage by some.

I first heard the term 'incursion' at Templestowe Park Primary School. To me there just seemed to be something wrong with the usage. I now see the usage has continued for over a decade.

 

Many words can have multiple meanings and I have in the past been quite surprised when I've found a word I thought I knew well, that actually had other meanings I was not aware of. Is this the case with incursion?

The word incursion according to The Australian Oxford Dictionary , Second Edition, means 'an invasion or attack, especially when sudden or brief'.

Now when a bunch of school children all board a tram at once it certainly feels like an incursion, but in this case schools are using the word to mean an excursion which takes place at the school. That is, 'in' is replacing 'ex' to mean of an activity held at the school, as compared with outside of the school.

The online Oxford dictionary makes no reference to incursion with regards to an educational activity. The Australian Oxford Dictionary doesn't make such a reference either. However, the Macquarie dictionary does include the additional meaning for incursion as, 'an educational activity in which an artist, educator, etc., visits a school to give a demonstration, etc., of their specialty'.

Could it be that what was once a simple play on words has become another meaning for the word?

Care should be used when using the word referencing an internal activity, because that usage would normally not be considered correct.

What is interesting, is we now have a generation of students who have grown up using the word and when that happens, and enough people know the alternate meaning for a word, that word and the new meaning becomes part of the vernacular.

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

Is it shoveller or shoveler?

As I was reviewing words to go into, or to be removed from Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer 10, I noticed shoveller being marked as a spelling error in Microsoft Office applications, but not shoveler.

Initially I thought it was simply another error with Microsoft's dictionary including the American spelling and not the Australian spelling for a word. But this time it turns out to be a little more complicated.

The spelling shoveller does need to be included and will be. A shoveller is someone who shovels, such as a person who shovels snow.

Normally in the situation of an American spelling the result is the single 'l' version of the word is removed, but not in this case. It turns out that shoveler is a type of bird found in America and Eurasia.

I did found one reference in Wikipedia, The shovelers, formerly known as shovellers, are four species of dabbling ducks with long, broad spatula-shaped beak", so it does appear there has also been a change in the British spelling as well. However Wikipedia isn't a good authoritative reference for Australians as I've found many errors over time and Wikipedia doesn't make it easy to identify the preferred Australian English spelling.

The Oxford online (British dictionary) shows the following under origin.

late Middle English (denoting a spoonbill): alteration of earlier shovelard, from shovel, perhaps influenced by mallard

I then used Google UK and limited pages to UK sites. The spelling usage for shoveler duck when compared to shoveller duck is two to one. This supports the greater use of shoveler duck as the preferred spelling in the UK and also for Australians. I did this test to reduce the effect of American spelling on search results.

In summary, both shoveller and shoveler need to be included in the Australian dictionary, but it is important to note the spelling with the single 'l' refers to a duck.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.australian-dictionary.com.au

Bus advertising uses secondary spelling color instead of colour.

We've all seen the advertising on buses but this one particularly caught my attention.

Just another advert except what caught my eye was the spelling "colorist". But then I also noticed the spelling of "color". The spelling of colour without the "u" is considered by many to be the American spelling, but whether it is or isn't, it is a secondary spelling in Australia.

It does however make you wonder why a company that can afford such a large advertising budget would use secondary spelling variations rather than the preferred Australian English spelling. On the company's About page they've used the spelling colour, ("we do not promote do-it-yourself home hair colouring") which does indicate inconsistency.

My concern with advertising signage which doesn't use the preferred spelling is it can cause confusion when people regularly see alternate spelling variations. Buses are regularly used by students and I'd be fairly certain most teachers would mark the spelling "color" as incorrect.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.Australian-Dictionary.com.au
The preferred Australian English spelling.

Is it defense or defence?

As I was walking through Northlands today I remarked how the Wendys shop had gone. In the new shop I noticed the following sign on most windows.


<<< photo missing >>>

What caught my eye was 'Defense Health'. In America this would be the correct spelling. I wondered if perhaps there was a 'Defense Health' in Australia. It turns out there isn't. It is a spelling error.

The spelling in Australia is 'defence'.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 if you require help with your computer.
No problem too small.

Is the word 'ape' racist?

Recently there has been a lot of media attention with regards to the use of the word 'ape' by a 13 year old girl. I have to first say I'm an amateur lexicographer, so my opinion is simply as an ordinary person and not as some expert on the matter.

I've not heard of the word 'ape' being used with a racist meaning and everyone I've asked have also not heard of such use either. There is no doubt the word was used as an insult and insulting others isn't acceptable behaviour. If there is one thing I've learnt from maintaining the preferred Australian English spelling dictionary is you can't make assumptions. You need to read and research words.

If I check the authoritative references for Australia (the Macquarie and Oxford dictionaries) there is no reference with regards to the word 'ape' being a racist word. The best I could find is the online UK Oxford dictionary which indicates one meaning of the word as 'an unintelligent or clumsy person'. That is an insult but not racist.

Now we have to keep in mind communication isn't one way and what someone says (or does) may not be received that way intended. I now understand from reading additional material why Adam Goodes considered the taunt racist.

Sadly in this case two people were affected. A young 13 year-old girl who was taken away and detained for two hours. which any parent would consider wrong and a real concern it could happen. On the other hand Adam was insulted with what he considered a racist slur. There are no winners in that situation.

This reminds me of how easy it is to offend when it comes to not only language but also hand gestures. The hand gesture we use in Australia to indicate 'it is OK' by creating an 'o' with the forefinger and thumb, is considered in some countries to be a very rude gesture.

The lesson for me is from this day on all Australians need to consider that the word 'ape' can be and is considered a very offensive and racist word and should not be used in such a manner. 

Kelvin Eldridge
Online Connections
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for computer support.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.

MyAnswers: Nine words added to Word Check.

The following MyAnswers solution 2353 is now available:

Nine words added to Word Check.

Click here to obtain the solution.

Click here for related solutions.

Kelvin Eldridge
www.MyAnswers.biz
(An Online Connections service.)

Search Australia new features including searching using your choice of Google, Bing or Yahoo, quick access to a JustLocal postcode page and check if you're using the preferred Australian English spelling.

Search Australia was added to JustLocal to give those who wish to search a search engine which focuses on Australian sites and removes many of the directories which have now taken over the internet. I’m pretty happy that if I search for ‘fish and chips’ in a local suburb, if the business has a web presence I can now see their page. Of course many small businesses don’t have a web presence which doesn’t help them or their customers. I’ve shown a number of local businesses how a site I’ve put on the internet for them can generate hundreds of leads a month but in the end they don’t seem to care.

The worst example of not providing up-to-date information is when I went into a fish and chip shop in Doncaster Road. After placing the order via telephone the order was some 15% dearer. Every customer was complaining because like me they were ordering from an out-of-date menu and the business decided to increase their prices without letting them know. Had the business put their menu on the internet I would have known before I ordered and so potentially could everyone else. I’ve never used the business again so an out-of-date menu can and does lose businesses customers. A single page site assists hundreds of customers a year and is easily paid for by a single repeat customer. Small business can’t see if they don’t provide the tools people need they’ll go elsewhere and the bigger companies ARE providing online menus.

But I digress. The real purpose of this post is to let users of JustLocal know of three new features I’ve added to Search Australia, the search engine available on every JustLocal page and also available as an Add-in to Internet Explorer. If you add a single letter at the start of the search phrase you can select your preferred search engine, go to a JustLocal postcode page, or find out if you’re using the preferred Australian English spelling for a word.

1. Type in g, b, or y and go directly to Google, Bing or Yahoo. If you add a space and then your search query (such as ‘g fish and chips templestowe’) you’ll get search results for local fish and chips shops without all the directories. That is hopefully if they have a site you’ll get the actual business’ site.

2. Type in j and you’ll go to JustLocal. Type in j followed by a space and a postcode (such as ‘j 3106’) and you’ll go to the JustLocal postcode page. That’s a pretty convenient method to go direct to your local JustLocal postcode page. Keep in mind if your area isn’t covered you’ll get a place holder page with generic ads. As soon as a business or person in your area takes up the mantle to promote JustLocal in your area the generic page will be replaced with local information.

3. Type in w followed by a word and you’ll go direct to the Word Check page to check if you are using the preferred Australian English spelling for a word. You do need a password to see the answer. All clients of mine are provided with the password. In fact if you use Search Australia from JustLocal and type in ‘dictionary’, you’ll have access to Word Check for a while. A thank you for trying out Search Australia.

On top of removing dozens of directories now cluttering search results when using Google (not Bing or Yahoo) and the ability to enter a single word or couple of words to go to the top searched for sites by millions of users, these new features should make Search Australian even more useful. Clients are welcome to request the list of top site search terms. I don’t currently publish the terms on the internet because of the work involved collating the list so please feel free to ask for a copy to assist you in your searches.

Don’t forget, the most convenient way to use Search Australia is to use the link to add Search Australia as your default search engine in Internet Explorer. Then you can perform a search direct from the address bar in Internet Explorer. If everyone in Australia used Search Australia (heaven forbid as my server wouldn’t hold up to it) if could potentially save many hundreds of millions of searches when people are looking for major Australian companies, a TV guide and even the weather. Search engines want you to end up on their page to make money from advertising. I want you to get quickly to the site you want to get to.

For me the real test of whether or not something I’ve developed is worthwhile is whether I use it myself or not. Search Australia is my preferred search tool. It doesn’t stop me from using Google, and in fact if I want to use Google I simply enter the letter ‘g’ and I go direct to Google. I can quickly decide which search engine I’d prefer and not be stuck with just one. With one or two words I access most of the popular sites such as ANZ, eBay, Gumtree, Freeview (TV guide) etc., so it makes sense to use Search Australia rather than end up hunting through Google results that have become so cluttered. I hope you find Search Australia useful too.

 

 

Kelvin Eldridge

Online Connections

www.OnlineConnections.com.au

Call 0415 910 703 for computer advice and support.