* Posts by John Ramsden

1 publicly visible post • joined 7 Sep 2007

Boffins develop quantum-computer building block

John Ramsden

boffinry journals

J wrote:

>

> Boffinry? Oh, my, does that one sound weird

Don't worry, it sounds just as weird and irritating to British readers. UK tabloid newspapers have a curious form of slang, like 'tot' for 'infant' and 'boffin' for academic or scientist.

Ironically, for an industry based on keeping up to the minute, many of these words were everyday slang 50 or more years ago but are now long outdated except in the minds of aging cliche-ridden hacks. For example I think "boffin" is a WW2 word.

Why the Register wants to identify with this mindset, in fact revel in it, is hard to imagine unless it is a kind of self-deprecating humour.

P.S. 'boffin' is bad enough, but 'boffinry' is taking the mick!