Springfield, MA, Jan. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The charming quirks of the English language are on full display in a series of new videos performed by the Finnish comedian ISMO in cooperation with Merriam-Webster, a division of the Encyclopaedia Britannica Group and the dictionary publisher helping millions of people understand, appreciate, and use language better.
In the videos, ISMO uses his unique perspective as a non-native speaker of English to point out the peculiarities of the English language and the hilarious implications when words have multiple meanings. The word “tip,” for example, can mean a piece of advice, the gratuity left for a restaurant server, the end of a pointy object or, as a verb, to knock something over. While the different meanings may be kept straight in daily use, ISMO’s art consists of deliberately and mischievously conflating them, with enormously entertaining results.
“I have been fascinated by languages, mainly English and Finnish, my whole life, and they have been a big and important inspiration for my comedy, too,” said ISMO. “Merriam-Webster seeing my observations as something officially relevant and educational is truly a big honor.”
The partnership with ISMO is a natural one for Merriam-Webster. America’s most trusted authority on English for almost two centuries, the dictionary publisher frequently uses humor to foster appreciation for the language. "There's no avoiding the fact that English is illogical in many ways," says Lisa Schneider, the company’s Chief Digital Officer and Publisher. "You can let it drive you crazy, or you can revel in its eccentricities. We prefer the latter, and consider it part of our mission to propagate our irrational love of and appreciation for the language—idiosyncrasies and all. ISMO’s humor cuts right to the heart of our mission, highlighting the complex nature of English and the flexibility and creativity that complexity makes possible. We are so pleased to be partnering with him to open yet another window onto the beauty of English.”
Merriam-Webster’s efforts are part of the Britannica Group's broader set of initiatives aimed at inspiring curiosity and the joy of learning. The parent company just celebrated its 250th anniversary and 25th year on the Internet in December. “While education is driven by a curriculum, learning is driven by curiosity. Our brands are focused on inspiring the joy of lifelong learning in creative ways. In a digital world that is swirling with proactive misinformation, we are committed to creating solutions that not only help users discover trusted information whether through search, social, video or voice channels but also provide knowledge in engaging ways through Demystified, Curiosity challenges, and humorous videos that blend learning and laughter,” says Karthik Krishnan, Britannica Group’s Global CEO.
Britannica Insights is a free Chrome browser extension that enables searchers to cut through the internet clutter and access trusted and verified information at the top-right corner of their search results page. The Britannica promise is ‘Save Time. Learn More. Be Sure.’
Britannica’s Demystified, provides insights into some of life’s biggest mysteries and popular questions circling the digital world. Questions include: Why are planets round? How does the U.S. Electoral College work? Does listening to Mozart in the womb really make babies smarter?
Recently the company launched a Curiosity Compass to help people tune into our “innate desire to know.” The spark that drives us to explore, discover and invent/reinvent. Discover your curiosity type and rekindle the spark at curiosity.britannica.com.
Two more videos in the Ismo video series will be released later this week. Tune into www.merriam-webster.com/topics/words-with-ismo-standup-comedy-videos. In the meantime, enjoy the Demystified videos here.
About Merriam-Webster Inc.
For 180 years, in print and digital media, Merriam-Webster has been America’s leading and most-trusted provider of language information. Each month, our websites and apps offer guidance to tens of millions of visitors. In print, our publications include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary (among the best-selling books in American history) and newly published dictionaries for English-language learners. All Merriam-Webster products and services are backed by the largest team of professional dictionary editors and writers in America, and one of the largest in the world.
For more information, visit Merriam-Webster.com, an official Webby Award Winner for 2017 & 2018, and follow @MerriamWebster on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
About ISMO
ISMO started his comedy career in 2002 in his home country of Finland; becoming one of the top performing comedians in the country today. There, ISMO wrote and starred in 2 seasons of his own sitcom, ISMO. He filmed four DVD specials from 2008 to 2016, and has sold-out numerous concert halls and theaters across the UK and Finland. The comedian has also performed to sold-out crowds across the world including: US, Canada, Australia, England, Scotland, Faroe Island, Denmark and Iceland. He has been gaining attention at the biggest comedy festivals around the world including: Just For Laughs in Montreal, Toronto, Sydney & Melbourne, Edinburgh Fringe and the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
ISMO made his US debut in 2014 at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood where he won the title of “The Funniest Person in the World.” In December 2015, he relocated to Los Angeles from Finland, and now performs regularly at the clubs in LA along with headlining across the US. He has appeared on national television; NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, and just became the first Finnish Comedian to perform on Conan in 2018. Ismo’s clip from Conan has been viewed 65+ million times. For more information, visit (add his social media here)
Ismo.fun, https://www.facebook.com/ISMOcomedy, https://www.instagram.com/ismocomedy/
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