Only in Britain could the Olympic Games lead to a debate about the state of the English language.Athletes used to win medals now, much to the dismay of the self-appointed guardians of the English language, they just "medal".
Cue fury on Twitter with many decrying “medalled” and “medal- ling” as bad English or just down-right wrong. Forums have been dedicated to the vexed subject to such an extent that “verbing” is now trending.
According to John Simpson, the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the so-called grammarians who are wrong and the OED has recognised “medal” as a verb for years. Simpson cites the earliest example of it as being in a letter written by Lord Byron in 1822.
But pedants point out that a proper reading of this source reveals that people do not “medal” they “are medalled”. Moreover, anybody telling future generations that they “medalled at London 2012” will simply sound as if they interfered in some irritating, ineffectual way.
So stick that on your podium and salute it. And speaking of podiums that could soon be joining “medal” as a verb. Already commentators and pundits are using it in that fashion as in, he podiumed, she podiumed etc and according to Simpson “It is not unlikely for it to switch to a verb”.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars