Aftonbladet frågade igår Sverker Olofsson "Hur känns det idag?" eftersom han "hade fått ett ord uppkallat efter sig". Sverka finns nämligen med i Språkrådets nyordslista med betydelsen 'klaga på inköpt vara som man är missnöjd med'. Västerbottens-Kuriren uttrycker sig till och med mera exakt: "Detta sprillans nya verb är uppkallat efter Sverker Olofsson, programledare för SVT:s konsumentprogram Plus." Fast den som har läst sin språkfilosofi och fått lära sig att skilja mellan "use" och "mention" undrar vad verbet sverka i så fall kallas? Eller för att citera Lewis Carrolls Through the Looking-Glass:
`You are sad,' the Knight said in an anxious tone: `let me sing you a song to comfort you.'
`Is it very long?' Alice asked, for she had heard a good deal of poetry that day.
`It's long,' said the Knight, `but it's very, very beautiful. Everybody that hears me sing it — either it brings the tears into their eyes, or else –'
`Or else what?' said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.
`Or else it doesn't, you know. The name of the song is called "Haddocks' Eyes".'
`Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?' Alice said, trying to feel interested.
`No, you don't understand,' the Knight said, looking a little vexed. `That's what the name is called. The name really is "The Aged Aged Man".'
`Then I ought to have said "That's what the song is called"?' Alice corrected herself.
`No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The song is called "Ways and Means": but that's only what it's called, you know!'
`Well, what is the song, then?' said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered.
`I was coming to that,' the Knight said. `The song really is "A-sitting On a Gate": and the tune's my own invention.'
