Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[gurnemanz]

Seems to me a reasonable and obvious back-formation from curator. What would you use instead? Cure clearly won't do.

Indeed. Isn't it the case that verbs ending -ate are usually back-formations from nouns? - imitate, accelerate, communicate etc etc. The "t" in "ate" is not in the infinitive stem of the Latin verb but a past participle inflection. Eg celerare, celeratus

[mercia]

from a BBC press pack

Harriet Walter curated season in Drama on 3

Radio 3 has today announced three new productions starring or chosen by one of our leading stage
actors, Dame Harriet Walter, as part of the BBC’s On Stage season in November 2015.

so what is she doing ? starring in or choosing three dramas - what will the curating involve ?

[jean]

Indeed. Isn't it the case that verbs ending -ate are usually back-formations from nouns? - imitate, accelerate, communicate etc etc. The "t" in "ate" is not in the infinitive stem of the Latin verb but a past participle inflection. Eg celerare, celeratus

Yes - and quite often you get one of those as well as something formed from the infinitive stem, meaning two different things.

I once knew a non-English-speaking classicist who would not have it that there could be an English verb to process, backformed from the noun procession, itself formed from the past participle of procedo. There could only ever be the verb to proceed, she held.

She clearly did not move much in ecclesiastical circles (or in ecclesiastical straight lines).

.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

from a BBC press pack

Harriet Walter curated season in Drama on 3
Radio 3 has today announced three new productions starring or chosen by one of our leading stage
actors, Dame Harriet Walter, as part of the BBC’s On Stage season in November 2015.
so what is she doing ? starring in or choosing three dramas - what will the curating involve ?

It isn't clear, but I would assume from this that she has chosen all three dramas, and is performing in one or two of these. (I would prefer to know, in any case, what the "new" dramas are, rather than (just) who is performing/directing/curating them.)

[doversoul1]

I thought a curator was a person who was in charge of / looked after objects and not someone whose job was to set up and run an event, e.g. a series of concerts or radio programmes.

I have a distinct impression (suspicion) that someone somewhere thought that having a person curate an event / a programme would sound more democratic, therefore P.C. than having a producer or a director. In the similar vein as a person being a facilitator rather than a teacher or a trainer: we are equal partners etc., etc.

[french frank]

It isn't clear, but I would assume from this that she has chosen all three dramas, and is performing in one or two of these. (I would prefer to know, in any case, what the "new" dramas are, rather than (just) who is performing/directing/curating them.)

Underlying people's (slight) irritation/eyebrow raising or whatever, is the use of the word, not its etymology or formation; that very often what the 'curator' is called upon to do in any given circumstance is felt to being over dignified? Dame HW has selected three plays (on what basis we don't know). She may also act in one or all of them, which is something different. As mercia was implying: what else is involved?

[decantor]

Any others that grate?

"For the next thirty days" is my principal 'grater'. Surely, surely - please God - listeners know that by now. But it's already been mentioned, and so....

"...but before that,....". The announcer tells us in detail the history, context, and structure of Piece A, and we become all agog (or not) to hear it. And then the fatal words: "But before that.....", meaning Piece B will precede the eagerly awaited Piece A. It scrambles my brain. It is at once bathetic and pathetic.

Similarly, the announcer trails in detail the next programme due on the hour. And then the hammer-blow: "But before that there's just time for a little Brahms." Always Brahms. Sadly, I cannot stomach Brahms. Cue the 'off' button.

[P. G. Tipps]

Similarly, the announcer trails in detail the next programme due on the hour. And then the hammer-blow: "But before that there's just time for a little Brahms." Always Brahms. Sadly, I cannot stomach Brahms. Cue the 'off' button.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

"Sadly, I cannot stomach Brahms."

[Richard Tarleton]

I thought a curator was a person who was in charge of / looked after objects and not someone whose job was to set up and run an event, e.g. a series of concerts or radio programmes.

Or in Clemmie's case, not even that. She has described the act of assembling a number of tracks for a playlist programme (and stringing them together with chat, segues etc.) as "curating" - "lovingly curated" was the expression she used in that much-discussed newspaper interview. When what she was describing is being a presenter, or disc jockey. No disrespect to presenters or disc jockeys, just that it's a different activity.

I've worked alongside a number of curators of the sort dover refers to - their work includes every aspect of caring for and displaying collections to best advantage (cleaning, repairs, lighting, humidity, security etc. etc). Curating an exhibition might include arranging to borrow, transport and insure objects from other museums, galleries or collections....I wouldn't know where to start. Whereas I daresay a number of forumites could make a reasonable fist of "curating" a playlist programme. They might not do it well, but then neither......Breakfast presenters don't even have to look after the CDs, the librarian does that.

[Bax-of-Delights]

Little did I know that the thread which I instigated so many, many months ago would still be up and running!

May I re-join the merry band of "the irritated" with a bugbear which is prevalent in many of the R3 programmes namely the use of "kick-off".
It is a favourite of KD and CB-H.
"Let's kick-off the next part of the show with "The Wasps/Slavonic Dance/Sorcerer's Apprentice/Variations on a Theme of Thomas Tallis..."
"The afternoon concert kicks-off with ..."

Football and rugby matches begin with a kick-off. And that's all.

Try start or begin.

[VodkaDilc]

Kick off, when applied to anything without a ball - e.g. 'the concert kicks off with The Hebrides Overture.'

Grow, when it's not connected with cabbages or hair - e.g. 'we are growing our business in Europe.'

I agree, as noted yesterday. I think the expression was even used at the first night of the Proms: "The Proms season kicks off with…….." (or, more likely, "The BBC Proms season kicks off with………" - another source of irritation.)

[Pabmusic]

"Let's kick off an hour of relaxation with..." [no vomiting emoticon ]

[Bryn]

Why are you lot kicking off about such an innocent experssion?

[teamsaint]

Why are you lot kicking off about such an innocent experssion?

just a harmless pass time.