Podcasts can be quite informative to the evolution of the English language, as well as to the divergent ways the language develops here in the U.S. and in the U.K. motherland.
I say this because I’m quite a fan of the podcast of “The Geoff Show”, Virgin Radio’s evening show. The podcast is interesting, in that they broadcast all of the DJ banter but none of the music (due to licensing issues). But Geoff and his sidekick, Annabel, are quite entertaining, and their hour-plus show always provides a chuckle or a curious piece of random knowledge to brighten my day.
One thing that caught me from the start, however, was the way Geoff rattles off the URL of his website. For example, most U.S. residents would phonetically recite the website address:
www.virginradio.co.uk/geoff
as:
double-ewe double-ewe double-ewe dot virgin radio dot co dot ewe-kay slash geoff
But in a display of how “the Queen’s English” has broken away from the American construct, Geoff recites the address as:
double-ewe double-ewe double-ewe dot virgin radio dot co dot ewe-kay stroke geoff
It’s brilliant: using stroke instead of slash. “Stroke” is much more friendly sounding, isn’t it? It also might be the solution to the whole slash vs. backslash vs. foreward-slash argument that confuses computer users (and those who help them) all the time.
Dan
23 February 2006 — 10:57
If “/” is “stroke”, what do you figure they call “\”?
Surely it’s a “back-stroke”. Which, of course, is also a style of swimming. So it adds confusion on a whole new level.
Pardon me. I’ve been awake for too long this morning.
Grand Poobah
23 February 2006 — 11:00
Perhaps use “stroke” for “/” and “slash” for “\” – think that’d clarify things?