Even in something like an “Oslo Journal,” I step back for a little language. Today, I mention some things about a talk given by Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychology professor. I note that he is one of the three people left in the world to pronounce “bestial” or “bestiality” correctly. (We want to say “beast,” because we know those words have to do with animals.) And he is one of the three people outside of South Africa to pronounce “apartheid” correctly. We want to pronounce the word as though it were German: “apartide.” But it is pronounced “apart-hate” — an amazing coincidence of pronunciation and meaning.

One more language note, unrelated to Oslo writings. In a post last week, Daniel Hannan wrote,

We’re all familiar with the rap against MPs [members of Parliament]. They don’t get it, they won’t listen, they take voters for granted, they look down on ordinary people, blah blah. To some extent, this is fair criticism. I may have rattled off a similar litany myself from time to time, albeit in less demotic terms. (Few things are less demotic, come to think of it, than using the word “demotic”).
Still, look at it from the point of view of some of the MPs in safe Labour seats. Are you sure you can blame them for taking their constituents for granted?
Consider the result of yesterday’s shrieval by-election in South Yorkshire.

I said to him, “What do you mean, ‘demotic’? That word is perfectly commonplace compared with ‘shrieval.’ I had to look it up.” True. I had never seen or heard the word in my life. (According to the gloriously convenient Dictionary.com, “of, belonging to, or relating to a sheriff.”) Hannan said​, “Yeah. That word has had no use in England, sadly, for hundreds of years.”

I’m not sure I will ever be able to incorporate the word “shrieval.” When Sheriff Joe makes his prisoners bust rocks and so on — shrieval punishment?

P.S. I will always love Claytie Williams, my once and forever Texas governor: who promised to “introduce ’em to the joys of bustin’ rocks.”

P.P.S. I noticed that Hannan, in his post, said “blah blah” — whereas we say “blah, blah, blah” (or the three without the commas). I wonder whether two blahs is a British thing, versus our American three.

P.P.P.S. Dan would like to revive the word “shrieval” because British people see the institution of the sheriff — the shrievalty! — as an American one. They’re apt to think of our Old West. They do not think of — well, Nottingham. (Me, I think of Jackie Gleason in those trucking movies.)