Most popular tweets of 2020

Here, in ascending order, are the ten most popular* tweets about language and translation that I shared during 2020 on my @Smart_Translate Twitter account:

10. Beauty & Violence: Sophie Hughes on translating Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season

9.  Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales have been published in Scots, translated by writers including Val McDermid

8.  The meaning of ‘Just Deserts/Just Desserts’

7.  Un lexique éclectique de Le Monde diplomatique qui collectionne des problèmes dont la solution n’est pas mentionnée dans les dictionnaires usuels

6.  What does ‘Zhuzh’ mean (and why is it so hard to spell)?

5. On pourrait croire qu’il est facile de traduire l’un des incipits les plus connus de la littérature française, « Aujourd’hui, maman est morte »

4. Cameroon’s language barriers: Linguistic divides underpin conflict and poor translation is now hampering the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic

3. Eastern Parlance: delightful Asian words with no straightforward English equivalent

2. Les leçons linguistiques de la crise du coronavirus

1. And the winning tweet: Cambridge Words Dictionary has announced its Word of the Year for 2020

Interestingly three of the tweets are in French (which is a higher proportion than the number of tweets I send in French), two of them being from Slate France. And of the seven others, two are from the Grammar Girl blog.

Do you have a favourite article published in 2020 that you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to mention it in the comments below.

* ‘most popular’ = top tweets (most engagement & impressions) according to Twitter Analytics.

Related:

• Most popular tweets of 2018
• Most popular tweets of 2017
• Most popular tweets of 2016
• Most Popular Tweets of 2015
• Most Popular Tweets of 2014
• Most Popular Tweets of 2013

Most popular tweets of 2018

Here, in ascending order, are the ten most popular* tweets about translation and language that I shared during 2018 on my @Smart_Translate Twitter account:

• • What happens when, as a foreigner, you have an imperfect French accent in France?
  • What are some of the funny words that kids invent?
  • Expected and unexpected twists: what will be the fate of the English language in the EU after Brexit?
  • A mawkish misnomer: what is the etymology of the word ‘maudlin’?
  • When you start typing into Google the question “Why does …?” for European countries, what are the results?
  • Some words in book titles (e.g. brave, quick, sensibility) don’t always mean what you think they do …
  • Sparrows, elephants, microbes or potatoes: pet names from some other countries don’t work quite so well in English.
  • How American is your English? Find out with this quiz from Lynne Murphy (there’s also a “how British is your English” quiz, but that wasn’t quite so popular).
  • How has the word “hundred” evolved in various Indo-European languages?
  • And the ‘winning’ tweet is about forensic linguistics: How a murderer was brought to justice by his texting style.

* ‘most popular’ = most clicked on, according to Hootsuite.

Do you have a favourite article published in 2018 you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments below.

Related articles:

• • Most Popular Tweets of 2017
  • Most Popular Tweets of 2016
  • Most Popular Tweets of 2015
  • Most Popular Tweets of 2014
  • Most Popular Tweets of 2013

Most popular tweets of 2017

Here, in ascending order, are the ten most popular* tweets about translation and language that I shared during 2017 on my @Smart_Translate Twitter account:

• Humour: 23 subtle signs you’ll never quite master French.
• More humour: How to swear like a Swede.
• Etymology: What in the Word?! Mining the roots of ‘cobalt’
• Three little letters, 645 meanings: did you know that The Most Complicated Word in English is Only Three Letters Long?
• A 2011 post about telephony on Separated By A common Language that I recently re-shared was the sixth most popular tweet.
• Love your translator! says colleague Kim Sanderson.
• Why is English the “language of science” when brilliant scientists come from all corners of the globe? And does it matter?
• As freelancers, how can we track non-billable time?
• A map of emigration in Europe: Destination countries and percentages of emigrants.
• And the ‘winning’ tweet is about literary translation: Translating Boryana Neykova’s “Time to Pack” by Irina Ivanova on Words Without Borders

* ‘most popular’ = most clicked on, according to Hootsuite.

Do you have a favourite article published in 2017 you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments below.

Related articles:

• Most Popular Tweets of 2016
• Most Popular Tweets of 2015
• Most Popular Tweets of 2014
• Most Popular Tweets of 2013

Top Language Twitterers 2016

Every year since 2009 Blabla language portal has held its Top 100 Language Lovers competition. There are five categories:

• Language Learning Blogs – blogs about the language learning process.
• Language Professionals Blogs – blogs by people using languages in their profession, such as translators or interpreters.
  
• Language Facebook Pages –Facebook Pages related to language topics.
• Language Twitter Accounts –Twitterers who share content about languages
• YouTube channels – Youtube users who vlog about languages.

The nominations received have been narrowed down to 100 for each of the five categories. For the fourth year running I’ve had the pleasure of being nominated in the Language Twitterer category for my account @Smart_Translate. Last year I arrived 8th in the Twitter category (having previously been voted 4th in 2014).

50% of the final score will be based on user votes. You can participate in voting here, or by clicking on the button to the top right, until June 6th. Note that twitterers are listed by name (e.g. Cath Cellier-Smart), not by Twitter handle. There’s no need to be on Twitter yourself to vote, as the link takes you to a web page where you just click on a link. You can also vote in the other categories by clicking on the links above.

Ranking and results will take place June 7th-8th, and results will be published on June 9th.

P.S. You can follow and/or tweet about the competition (all categories) on Twitter using the hashtag #tll16.

If you’d like to find about more about the competition see this article.

Most Popular Tweets of 2015

Here, in ascending order, are the 10 most popular* tweets about language and translation I shared during 2015 from my @Smart_Translate Twitter account:

10. Whether you’re an American planning to land in London or a Brit plotting your tour of New York, take care, these 12 English words mean something completely different to Brits and Americans.

“Vulgarity is no substitute for wit”

9. Le site de traduction en ligne Reverso est victime de son succès. Des internautes sont tombés sur certaines phrases porno qui se sont malencontreusement glissées dans la base de données.

8. This one has been largely shared in the media: Google Translate error sees Galicia celebrate ‘clitoris festival’.

7. Here are some rude Italian terms that just don’t translate word for word into English.

6. La traductrice Sarah Wafflard-Walker, une conseillère municipale, était mortellement poignardée en novembre.

5. A quiz from Oxford Dictionaries: test how good your Canadian English is.

4. Angela Merkel inspired a German dictionary manufacturer’s youth word of 2015.

BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 16: German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets students at the Sophie Scholl school during a visit on the fifth European Union school project day on May 16, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The nationwide initiative is meant to foster a stronger understanding young people of the role of the European Union. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

3. The Local France gave 20 French words a ‘Franglais’ makeover…

Time to add a few words to your vocabulary. Photo: Lagotic/Flickr

2. What are the advantages of self-discipline for a translator? An article by Dutch and English to German translator Désirée Staude.

1. And the winner is … 15 Hilarious Translation Fails In Video Games

This particular phrase became an internet sensation around the turn of the millennium.

P.S. In June this year I was delighted to come 8th in Blabla‘s Language Lovers Twitter competition, a list of the Top 25 Twitter Accounts world-wide to do with translation, language interpreting, linguistics, bilingualism and everything about languages.

Do you have a favourite article published in 2015 you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments below.

* ‘most popular’ = most clicked on, according to Hootsuite.

Related articles:

• Most Popular Tweets of 2014
• Most Popular Tweets of 2013
• Top Language Twitterers 2014

Top Language Twitterers 2015

Every year since 2009 Blabla language portal has held its Top 100 Language Lovers competition. There are five categories:

• Language Learning Blogs – blogs about the language learning process.
• Language Professionals Blogs – blogs by people using languages in their profession, such as translators or interpreters.
• Language Facebook Pages – Facebook Pages related to language topics.
• Language Twitter Accounts – Twitterers who share content about languages.
• YouTube channels – Youtube users who vlog about languages.

The nominations received have been narrowed down to 100 for each of the five categories. For the third year running I’ve had the pleasure of being nominated in the Language Twitter Account category for my Twitter account @Smart_Translate. Last year, I was delighted to arrive 4th in the Twitter category, and 5th overall.

My @Smart_Translate Twitter account

50% of the final score will be based on user votes. You can participate in voting here, or by clicking on the button to the right, until June 14th. Note that twitterers are listed alphabetically by name (e.g. Cath Cellier-Smart), not by Twitter handle. There’s no need to be on Twitter yourself to vote, as the link takes you to a web page where you just click on a link. You can also vote in the other categories by clicking on the links above.

Ranking and results will take place June 15th-16th, and results will be published on June 17th.

P.S. You can follow and/or tweet about the competition (all categories) on Twitter using the hashtag #tll15.

If you’d like to find about more about the competition see this article.

Most Popular Tweets of 2014

Here, in ascending order, are the 10 most popular* tweets about language and translation I shared during 2014 from my @Smart_Translate Twitter account:

10. In May colleague Kevin Hendzel blogged about inspiring the next generation of translators.

9. In July I shared ProZ.com’s call for nominations for the 2014 Community Choice awards. The winners were announced here on September 30th, International Translation Day.

8. Articles about the differences between US and UK English are always popular. This post on Separated by A Common Language blog explored the difference between ‘hire’ and ‘rent’.

7. Following on the same theme, here are Five Tiny U.S. Phrases With Opposite Meanings In The U.K.

A first floor elevator. (PhotoAlto via AP Images)

6. Articles about French culture are another popular theme: Ten French customs that confuse Anglos.

5. Can you name 15 differences between a normal friend and a French friend? (et en français : 15 différences entrée un ami normal et un ami français)

4. How many of France’s favourite idioms do you know? Find out here.

3. Back to the US/UK theme: Can you tell if someone is British or American just from the description in their Twitter profile?

2. More seriously, can an algorithm (that of Google Translate) be racist?

1. And the winner is … A dozen must-have programs for translators: how to move them to a new computer. This blog post written by colleague Emma Goldsmith in late February was the year’s most clicked-on tweet!

P.S. In June this year I was delighted to come 4th in Blabla‘s Language Lovers Twitter competition. This was only the second year in which I’d been nominated, and I also came 5th overall.

Do you have a favourite article published in 2014 you’d like to share? Don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments below.

By the way, here’s a cloud of my the words I use most in my Tweets, courtesy of TweetStats:

According to the same source the top five hashtags I use are: #language, #translation, #translators, #translator, #traduction, and my top five words are: #language, #translation, thanks, new, words.

* ‘most popular’ = most clicked on, according to Hootsuite.

Related articles:

• Most Popular Tweets of 2013
• Top Language Twitterers 2014

Top Language Twitterers 2014

Every year since 2009 Blabla language portal has held its Top 100 Language Lovers competition. There are five categories:

• Language Learning Blogs – blogs about the language learning process.
• Language Professionals Blogs – blogs by people using languages in their profession, such as translators or interpreters.
• Language Facebook Pages – Facebook Pages related to language topics.
• Language Twitter Accounts – Twitterers who share content about languages.
• YouTube channels (new category this year) – Youtube users who vlog about languages.

The nominations received have been narrowed down to 100 for each of the five categories. I’ve once again had the pleasure of being nominated in the Language Twitter Account category for my Twitter account @Smart_Translate. Last year, the first year I’d been nominated, I was delighted to arrive 12th in the Twitter category, and 17th overall.

My Twitter Account

50% of the final score will be based on user votes. You can participate in voting here, or by clicking on the button to the right, until June 9th. Note that twitterers are listed alphabetically by name (e.g. Cath Cellier-Smart), not by Twitter handle. There’s no need to be on Twitter yourself to vote, as the link takes you to a web page where you just click on a link. You can also vote in the other categories by clicking on the links above.

Ranking and results will take place June 10th-12th, and results will be published on June 12th.

P.S. You can follow and/or tweet about the competition (all categories) on Twitter using the hashtag #tll14.

If you’d like to find about more about the competition see this article.

 

Around the web – March 2014

Been busy this month? I’ve curated a number of interesting articles about translation and language that have been published on the internet this month and that you may have missed.

• Following a blog post in The Guardian by Warren Murray about which English to use, well-known linguist Geoffrey Pullum then wrote a piece on the Chronicle Of Higher Education blog claiming the US and UK are undivided by a common language. Unsurprisingly Lynne Murphy, who writes the Separated by a Common Language blog, did not agree. Read her response to Pullum here.
• The blog Translation Ethics tells us that $489 million of revenue a year isn’t enough for Lionbridge.
• Pierre Fuentes wrote this article about Mother Tongue, Native Speakers and Other Linguistic Myths on the ITI’s Pillar Box blog.
• Here are 15 tips on how to increase your chances when contacting translation companies from Riccardo Schiaffino.
• Do you agree that accents and dialects are a thorny issue for translators?

The thorny issue of dialects

• The Oscar Pistorious trial in South Africa has garnered a lot of media attention, and not always for the right reasons, as once again bad interpreting was under the spotlight.
• Here’s a list of 40 French And English Words That Might Throw You Off Unless You’re ‘In The Know‘.
• Did you know that etymologically the words ‘adult’ and ‘adultery’ have nothing to do with each other?
• The Etiquettrix is a quick look-up chart of key social courtesies and faux-pas in different cultures. For a larger image you can click here. It’s still a work in progress, so don’t hesitate if you can help the designer who still needs some specific information on certain cultures.

The Etiquettrix

• Finally, here’s a glossary of ‘Surfrikan’  (South African surfer) slang.

 

Related articles

• Around the web – January 2014
• “SAfrican” English
• Most popular tweets of 2013

Around the web – January 2014

Been busy? I’ve curated a number of interesting articles about language and translation that have been published on the internet this month and that you may have missed.

• This handy little tool lets you translate any English word into its equivalents all over Europe.

‘Translator’ all over Europe

• Do you ever wonder how to pronounce deliberately off-putting British place names? This article on BBC America gives some tips. It was a follow-up to a list of American place names that are not pronounced the way they are spelled.
• Katy Derbyshire, who translates Contemporary German fiction, exploits the translator’s mind palace at Words Without Borders.
• According to this survey e-mail marketing is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter.
• Challenges: noted Russian translators talk to the Russia & India Report about misunderstandings, cultural differences and how not to get lost in translation.
• January 8th was National Word Nerd Day in the USA. You might already know if you’re a word nerd, but if in doubt here are 15 signs.

• Do you know the hardest word in translation? Iwan Davies writes about it in the ITI’s new blog The Pillar Box.
• Roman Mironov tells us how to improve translation quality by optimising segmentation.
• UK court interpreting firm Capita has been fined thousands of pounds for its poor performance.
• Here are some Italian loan words that we use in English that have a totally different meaning in Italian.
• Conference interpreter Elisabet Tulkur gives advice about introducing oneself as an interpreter.

En français :

• Etes-vous d’accord ? 11 mots qui nous manquent en français. (Pourquoi 11 ? Parce que c’est le nombre de lettres dans “pochemuchka” un mot russe désignant une personne qui pose trop de questions.)

© amanky / Flickr

• Dans une lettre ouverte au Nouvel Observateur, la SFT apporte des compléments d’information à l’article de Jacques Drillon Grandeur et misère des traducteurs apparu dans Le Nouvel Observateur du 9 janvier 2014.
• Est-ce que le niveau d’anglais en France est aussi catastrophique que l’on veut nous faire croire ?

Related articles

• Most Popular Tweets of 2013