Important Mutters
It's always reassuring for a journalist to find it is the weightier matters one reports that get the most feedback.
Recession, for instance, the future of globalisation, or whither Scotland's manufacturing base?
No, none of these.
The issues that get most feedback have so far been declining newspapers ("they had it coming to them"), Scottish independence ("any awkward questions are a betrayal of Scotland") and, yes, the correct spelling of "hullo".
If you look at the brief greeting at the top right of this blog, you'll find me greeting you with a "Hullo, I'm Douglas Fraser..."
It seemed uncontroversial at the time I wrote it, but offline, the feedback has been passionate.
I've even been quizzed about this by the august man from the august Financial Times.
And someone who works for a large American multi-national and who clearly doesn't have enough to do - let's just call her Julie to protect her identity - has been researching this.
The word "hallo", she informs me, is an exclamation of surprise.
"Hello" was invented as a means to answer the phone, while "hullo" was derived from a hunting call.
"I know the economy is constantly full of surprises," writes Julie, "but I wonder if that's really the way you want to greet your loyal readers on your blog."
Well, Julie and others, I've done my own extensive research, even going so far as to look up Wikipedia.
And if it is to be believed, then Julie is partly right, though possibly a bit wrong.
"Hello", it is claimed, pre-dated the invention of the phone, and had come into regular literary use by the 1860s. (It is also the name of a magazine, and I don't do product placement.)
"Hullo" pre-dated it, being used as a greeting or expression of surprise, and turned up in both Oliver Twist and Tom Brown's Schooldays. It's now fallen into much less use, but is found still in British English.
"Hallo" was the hunting call, and goes as far back as Shakespeare's Coriolanus (as in "halloo") and as far forward as Enid Blyton and its comic French format "'allo 'allo".
It's also a greeting in German, Norwegian and Dutch.
So now, duly educated, you have something to discuss over your festive dinner table.
In the meantime, I'm taking this opportunity to wish all blog readers a Murry Christmus.
Hullo, I'm Douglas Fraser, and I'm business and economy editor at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland. Welcome to my blog, where you can read my take on money matters, viewed from a Scottish perspective.
Comment number 1.
At 24th Dec 2008, oldnat wrote:"I've even been quizzed about this by the august man from the august Financial Times."
It's OK. The man from the july Financial Times will probably agree with you.
I'm really looking forward to your asking awkward questions about the UK Union and the UK separatists in 2009.
Merry Xmas.
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Comment number 2.
At 24th Dec 2008, AngusMiasma wrote:Hi Douglas,
First of all, merry christmas!
Second, as you allude to, god love those that feel so strongly about grammar and punctuation when there are much more important matters out there!
It is sooo good to know that folk have their priorities right!
Blummin' idiots that they are!
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Comment number 3.
At 25th Dec 2008, kaybraes wrote:How right we all are , enjoy your Xmas padding ! (nearer the mark than puddin' ") Happy new year
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Comment number 4.
At 26th Dec 2008, frankly_francophone wrote:Personally, I would never dream of suggesting to anyone that his or her spelling, punctuation, grammar, choice of vocabulary or register might in some small measure be causing me agonies of irritation, frustration or, frankly, fury. Somehow - pardon me while I blow my own trumpet - I am generally able to rise above all of that and focus upon the matter in hand, whatever it might happen to be, although my bilingual respect for language never allows me to be wholly unaware of the potential of language to reward those who are prepared to make the effort to show it the respect that it deserves. In so doing one respects one's interlocutor or correspondent or audience, even if these may not always appreciate it.
Whatever you do, you sensitive anglophone souls, never, ever expect such restraint in the francophone world, should you ever venture into it. A culture shock awaits you. Serried ranks of orthographical, punctuational, grammatical and other varieties of language police will pounce upon you to put you right. How will you know what is right, if we do not correct you when you go wrong? That is the approach to - how shall I put it? - idiosyncratic use of language that may confidently be expected there. It is, after all, another world. Oh yes, it is.
Of course, in the anglophone world there is no one right way in language, and one should respect that. It is the glory of the language and of the culture, arguably. Nevertheless, the useful little distinction that is to be drawn between liberty and licence should perhaps be borne in mind even here, if it has not been lost sight of already. Put that in your pipe and smoke it over the holidays.
Yours didactically and as irritatingly as I can manage, I wish you joy of what remains of Boxing Day.
#1 oldnat
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ asking awkward questions of the British Union? You have been at the mulled wine.
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