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I think people care, to the extent they are familiar with the idioms. But what I think matters equally is that new idioms born outside of the natively spoken E
by mongol 3y ago
I think people care, to the extent they are familiar with the idioms. But what I think matters equally is that new idioms born outside of the natively spoken English should be seen as equally valuable, when they get a meaningful reach. I am thinking for example of "do the needful" which I understand being born in India. I don't hear it used except by Indian English-speakers but I think it should have equal status as your examples.
- rendall 3y ago> But what I think matters equally is that new idioms born outside of the natively spoken English should be seen as equally valuable, when they get a meaningful reach. I am thinking for example of "do the needful" which I understand being born in India. Yes! Absolutely! I agree 100%. English contains multitudes! What does it mean? I think I have even heard it. Where did it come from? Like, a poem or ...?
- actionfromafar 3y agoIsn’t it more “nature calls” than a call to nature, so to speak ;-)
- themadturk 3y ago>I am thinking for example of "do the needful" which I understand being born in India. I don't hear it used except by Indian English-speakers but I think it should have equal status as your examples. When my U.S. employer opened a technology center in Chennai, with the full intent of making two co-equal teams 12 hours apart, one of the first idioms our American staff learned from India was "do the needful." This is just to let you know that a whole bunch of very American tech people use this delightful and handy phrase all the time.
- rendall 3y agoOne of the marvelous things about English is that there are no official gatekeepers who determine correct English. It will happily absorb foreign or regional words and concepts. For instance, schadenfreude is probably now a proper English word despite its foreign origin. Often idioms and memes are adopted and propagated through popular entertainment. So if you want people to adopt and use "do the needful", one way is to write a popular and ensuring classic!