Talks

These are some popular presentations that I have given over the years. Please feel free to contact me if you would like me to give a talk on any of the following topics, or if you would like to suggest a talk that you might like me to give.

Aussie slang

A fun way of looking at the history of Australian English, from convict days to the present day, with examples of words and expressions we have acquired from London slang, British dialects, and American English. Our first lexicographer, the gentleman convict, James Hardy Vaux, gets a special mention.

Presentations

Follow this link to see some of the presentations I have given on these topics.

The food lexicon of Australian English

The linkage between language and culture is always fascinating for the lexicographer to explore, and never more so when the focus is on food.  The search for these words in Australian English reveals not just information about the words in question but also the attitudes of the community to food at different times in our history. We begin with what was edible in convict days and work up to more genteel colonial afternoon teas. We discover Henry Lawson’s loathing of the Christmas pudding, and review – and perhaps revise – our food icons.  Lastly we take note of modern preoccupations.

The history of the Macquarie Dictionary

As the person who was Executive Editor for the first edition of the dictionary, and Editor for the seventh edition published just before my retirement in 2017, I can give the details of the dictionary’s success as well as personal anecdotes of my experiences as one of Australia’s leading lexicographers.

The greatest wordsmiths in the English language

In my years as a dictionary editor I have found that one thing that stirs the imagination of an audience and puts a certain light in their eyes is the notion that they might make up a word that gets into the dictionary. 

This is a review of the claims made for Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens as great coiners of new words in the English language,  which attempts to sort fact from exaggeration, and to honour writers who have contributed to our store of words while not feeling the need to claim more for them than is their due.

 WEAPONISING WORDS

There are several ways of influencing debate with words.  There is the blunt-weapon approach.  Then more subtle ways which turn straightforward and positive meanings on their heads by the application of irony. Finally, to empty a word of all meaning and fill it with the meaning you want it to have against your opposition. In a world of media and political ‘spin’ we need to be aware of the ways words are weaponised to influence the reader and listener.

The power of the dictionary

TEDxSydney talk 2017

People feel that as Editor of the dictionary, I have wielded enormous power. Words have gone into the dictionary or not on my say-so. But in fact the reverse is true. For better or worse, I obey the decisions made by the community. Some people wish that I had laid down the law more often, but the language follows its own paths and it is the role of the dictionary to record, not to dictate.

From Truth to Truthiness: political spin in Australia

In the world of media and political ‘spin’ we need to be aware of the ways in which words are weaponised to influence the reader and the listener.

There are several ways of influencing debate with words. There is the blunt-weapon approach. Then there are more subtle ways which turn straightforward and positive meanings on their heads by the application of irony.  Finally, there is the option of emptying a word of all meaning and refilling it with the meaning you want.

Matters of Language and Usage:

When to care and when not to care

In editorial matters it is important to know when to care and when not to care. On the one hand the editor should not be a pedant. But there are moments when the blue pencil must fall. On the use of infamous for famous, for example. Confused words, especially in phrases, should be corrected. It is not acceptable to seize the reigns of power. But the editor needs to be cautious. Nine times out of ten they will be correct but beware the tenth time when they are out on a limb. Cliches and fashionable but overused words and phrases bring out strong reactions. Punctuation is at a minimum these days but there are moments when we really need it. The rhyme or reason of compound nouns — two words, hyphenated, set solid — is difficult to detect. A group of editors need to share a dictionary and a style guide. Jargon is a very useful thing, as long as it is contained to the group who understand it. It can be difficult to judge the point at which new words are accepted by the community but again the dictionary makes the decisions for you. It would be nice, in the interests of clear communications, to clear up some of the messy bits of current English but who would be powerful enough to do that?

Macquarie Dictionary: its beginnings and its interactions with users

This paper provides a history of the Macquarie Dictionary with an emphasis on the elements necessary for the successful publication of a national dictionary of Australian English, on its social context and its presentation to the Australian community.  The dictionary finds itself at the heart of some disputes.  One such is spelling as it relates to a sense of national identity.  There are also awkward moments where it is evident that taboo words are undergoing generational change. There are flashpoints in politics where words matter, as in the case of misogyny, and there is angst over what is an acceptable new word to include in the august pages of the national lexicon, particularly in the area of slang. We close with some observations about the future of dictionary publishing.