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Out of Context
What’s happening in the world
today—from the practical to the
ridiculous
Solving Generational Communication Problems
New Dictionary Opens Conversation
Pipelines
Our language is fertile ground for the many modern
mutations recorded in The Shorter Oxford English
Dictionary, Fifth Edition. Now updated with more
than 3,000 new words and meanings, The Shorter
Oxford English Dictionary manages more than
one-third of the coverage of The Oxford English
Dictionary in one-tenth the size. More than
500,000 definitions grace its 3,984 pages, and its
innovative, open design makes this vast amount of
information easily navigable and identifiable.
The Shorter covers virtually every word or
phrase in use in English—worldwide—since
1700. Drawing on the continuous research for The
Oxford English Dictionary (OED), each
definition’s changing meanings are followed
throughout history and are illustrated by more than
83,000 quotations from some 7,000 authors.
A lot of new words have spilled from mouths or
onto printing presses since the previous
edition—about 3,500 of them, among its
half-million or so definitions. Those new words and
phrases include badass, Grinch, beltway,
body-piercing, lap dancing, sticker shock, road rage,
get real, gomer, and feet first. Still others came
from popular culture or youth culture: wussy, wedgie,
airport novel, boy band. The OED, sometimes
ultra-cautious in its judgment, for the first time
includes Internet and BarcaLounger, which nowadays
almost everyone calls a La-Z-Boy, which is not in the
Shorter.
Maybe a cursory reading of the Shorter
should become part of every manager’s
self-development program. Otherwise, how can seasoned
leaders expect to communicate with youthful members
of the work force?
A Pain in the Back?
Study Shows
Backpack Pains Rarely Involve Backs
Children are more likely to be hurt tripping over
backpacks or being hit with them than they are using
the bags to lug around heavy school supplies, a new
study suggests. Research at Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital has shown that it’s
incredibly rare for backpacks to cause back pain,
says Dr. Charles Mehlman. “Of a large group of
346 children with back pain, only one said it was
caused by the backpack.” The Consumer Product
Safety Commission also says it’s rare. We
challenge the basic assumption that backpacks are
bad.
But overloading can cause strain. “If the
child can’t stand up and walk in a normal
posture with the backpack on, it’s too heavy.
And it’s important to use both straps, to
distribute the weight evenly. Some children opt for a
roll-along backpack that they pull behind them. But
it’s also easy to overload those,” said
Dr. Mehlman. “Then children can twist their
back from pulling with one arm. Eventually, they have
to lift the case to get on the bus or to put it in
their locker. So a roller backpack might not be
better than the traditional backpack.”
Once again, we have evidence that conventional
wisdom is rarely accurate.
Pointing Fingers
Aiming at
Yourself May Be the Best Choice
People who admit their mistakes are viewed more
favorably than those who deflect blame, concludes a
study published in The Journal of Social and
Clinical Psychology. Excuse-makers may believe
that admitting fault will hurt their images, but
others usually see through their excuses. Instead of
appearing more capable, these excuse-makers are
viewed as deceitful and unreliable.
Dr. Barry Schlenker of the University of Florida
and his colleagues observed that blaming failures on
other people or on events that can’t be
verified, such as traffic jams that made them late,
signals insecurity, self-centeredness, and
undependability. “What we value are people who
seem sincere and truthful, effective, and committed
to something beyond themselves,” Schlenker
says.
In fact, the ability to acknowledge our failures
probably makes us a more welcome member of the team.
Because all of us know deep down that we’re
going to make mistakes, it’s easier to trust
others who are willing to admit their mistakes and
ask us to help them overcome the problem.
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