Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN uses it as the go-to short piece against pedantry and for language change, recommended whenever grammar disputes come up.
What it is
A kinetic typography animation set to Stephen Fry's spoken essay on language. Fry argues against grammar pedantry and for the way language evolves, including the verbing of nouns.
Recommended by 4 HN commenters across 6 different months, 2012 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec inlined · 2019-08 · on “Flawed Algorithms Are Grading Millions of Students’ Essays”
> the engines also focus heavily on metrics like sentence length, vocabulary, spelling, and subject-verb agreement... The systems are also unable to judge more nuanced aspects of writing, like creativity. This reminds me of a wonderful essay/speech by Stephen Fry on the harm done by pedantry. I also feel that schools focus so much on a single structure of essay writing and similarly take the joy out of language. [this video]
Strong rec sethammons · 2021-03 · on “Write libraries instead of services, where possible”
Take ~6min to watch Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language. It is my favorite take on changes in English and addresses verbing of nouns directly. [this video]
Strong rec sethammons · 2022-04 · on “Researchers home in on possible “day zero” for Antikythera mechanism”
> let them dumb down a language If you've not seen it, I highly encourage this 6 minute take by Stephen Fry on Language: [this video] And besides, while you may be honing a blade or skill, my Homing Pigeon is homing in on home.
Recommends skeuomorf · 2015-08 · on “How to Fold a Julia Fractal”
That was kinda my point, I was not nitpicking -relative OP's- grammatical usage, I just thought it was convenient to refer to the author in a more specific manner since his details were obvious. I had no idea whether their -relative OP- :) intention was to use "their" in a singular or plural manner. Heck, one of my favorite Stephen Fry videos [0] talks exactly about this! Also, the videos you referenced are great :) [0] [this video]
Recommends Arkhaine_kupo · 2022-08 · on “The Age of Distracti-Pression”
While I tend to whinge at that kind of writing, I at the same time remind myself that Stephen Fry had a beauitful essay about how to use language, and how we can be wildly innovative with it. At the end of the day Shakespeare was the first to table a meeting and that must have sounded novel and too out there back then. Not everything will age well, but I would rather we try new things. [this video]
Recommends sethammons · 2025-07 · on “What happens when an octopus engages with art?”
On incorrect language use, I have long been a fan of Stephen Fry's take, with kinetic typography as a fun backdrop: [this video] In short, context, convention, and circumstance are all. Long live the solitary octopi.
Cites scorpion032 · 2012-09 · on “India Launches Beta Version of Its Data Site”
It's one of my own pet peeves to rightly use its spelling, having been a GrammarNazi myself for a long time. But I seem to have grown out of that: [this video]
Cites Ygg2 · 2013-10 · on “Why You Shouldn't Interrupt a Programmer”
Sadly I left that part out of the original claim. My apologies for perhaps sounding condescending. Correction was imo: a) correct (was proven false by you) b) unnecessary - pedantry is only OK in strictly professional context, which I don't consider HN to be. This was omitted from original claim by my error ( [this video] ). I really meant to thank you for correcting me there i.e. "Thanks for that input". It might have came of as sarcastic, but was not my intention. There is nothing (of value) to win/lose in a debate. In fact losing debate is more enlightening.