I give up!
The BBC's journalists and editors really do not like national adjectives. Picking apart their linguistic shortcomings is like painting the Forth Bridge; an unending and thankless task. It doesn't achieve anything and, after a while, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, irritating and boring.
I realise that this linguistic stuff is quite difficult—I lay no claim to expertise myself. After all, sometimes letters have to be removed as well as added. And it can get real tricky, real fast:
| Nation | Adjective | |
|---|---|---|
| America | American | An easy one to start |
| Australia | Australian | |
| Austria | Austrian | Aha! If it begins and ends with a, stick non the end. Job's a good 'un! (thumbup) |
| Angola | Angolan | See? (proud) |
| Argentin | Argentinian | Oh poop! (embarrassed) |
| Bangladesh | Bangladeshi | |
| Fr | French | |
| Portug | Portugese | |
| Spa | Spanish | |
| W | Welsh | (eek) |
| German | German | WTF? |
| Norw | Norwegian | (SMH) |
| Fin | Finnish | |
| Swi | Swiss | This is harder than I thought |
| Dutch | Oh…sod it! |
It's clearly a challenge when the only edumakayshun you have is jurnalizzim skool. Innit? Besides, the BBC has only laid claim to being the world's most trusted international news broadcaster
™, it made no claim to being a standard-bearer for the use of proper English and clear communications in its international ambitions.
Therefore, Indian mountaineers in Nepal will be India climbers
; participants in a Chinese ultramarathon will be China cross-country runners
; while an Italian cable car fall will remain an Italy cable car fall
.
Gnnnnn…Must. Try. Harder. I shall endeavour to be a better person from now on.