tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-520807396714463309.post7392758581359503286..comments2024-02-12T02:22:30.561-05:00Comments on The Lousy Linguist: purple pain and a gene called 'straightjacket'Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09558846279006287148noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-520807396714463309.post-19846927026168217842010-11-24T11:33:54.221-05:002010-11-24T11:33:54.221-05:00I don't think it's a US/UK thing - I'm...I don't think it's a US/UK thing - I'm actually American, same as the people who first discovered straightjacket (sic). Though it seems straightjacket is given as an alternative spelling in the dictionary. Of course, the meaning explains the spelling - a straitjacket is tight and narrow to restrain the wearer, rather than being a "straight" jacket. I guess you could call straightjacket an eggcorn.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154907630688934490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-520807396714463309.post-1958234194416566692010-11-24T09:32:39.666-05:002010-11-24T09:32:39.666-05:00@Andrew: I wonder if there's a difference in s...@Andrew: I wonder if there's a difference in spelling between the US and UK?<br /><br />@Alon: I'm willing to admit that there is some tentative evidence for something akin to sound symbolism, and the work on synaesthesia is part of that, sure. My snarky little comment was directed more at the type of stuff you see on branding websites about how to name anew product based on "strong" sounds and such like that.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09558846279006287148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-520807396714463309.post-6850772008577602132010-11-24T04:56:06.872-05:002010-11-24T04:56:06.872-05:00Re: note 2, there seems to be at least some eviden...Re: note 2, there <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2729" rel="nofollow">seems to be at least <em>some</em> evidence</a> for phonetic symbolism, according to MYL (I'll confess I haven't got around to reading the original article).Alonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12090230505298426117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-520807396714463309.post-58698240768999499802010-11-24T01:25:09.070-05:002010-11-24T01:25:09.070-05:00It's also great how the original people that i...It's also great how the original people that identified the gene straightjacket spelled it wrong (should be straitjacket), but now the typo is immortalized in Drosophila gene nomenclature.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154907630688934490noreply@blogger.com