Blog from http://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/eight-ways-to-tell-a-real-new-yorker-from-a-fake-new-yorker-052016
Abstract
At first, guest blogger Jonathan Millstein acknowledges that New York City (NYC) is a place where transplants transpire and many tourists stay. To help people distinguish “real” New Yorkers from “fake” ones, he lists eight things that separate them.
Jonathan points to their reaction, behavior, and way of thinking that set “real” from “fake” NYC people. To prove his claims, he lists the obvious differences between natives and tourists. These include sitting inside the train, crossing the main streets, and expressing their views on the city’s best burgers. He says they differ as well in food choices and in figuring out city locations. Last, Jonathan distinguishes locals from strangers by their penchant for food and long walks.
Reaction
On the blogger:
Jonathan is good at writing. He differentiates two types of people in a frank manner. Another thing I noticed is his admission of being a real New Yorker. His statement, “We don’t wait in line for some instafamous spot” proves my opinion.
On the content:
Since I’ve never been to New York, I can use Jonathan’s blog as a guide in knowing real and fake New Yorkers. His use of images helps readers understand him with ease. However, I find a few of his word choices unclear. For one, he mentioned, “Real New Yorkers will sit by the rail at all costs.” I confused rail for railroad because I am not familiar with handrail until I checked an online dictionary. Despite my opinions on his online entry, the blog remains interesting to read.
On the technical side:
As guest blogger, Jonathan, has good command of the English language. He is particular with subject-verb agreement. Yet, he fails to define a few “complex” words to make his write-up readable and understandable. As regards the title, he could have improved it into, “Eight Ways to Differentiate Real from Fake New Yorkers.” SEO wise, the content may not drive enough web traffic because it has no inbound or outbound link.
Vocabulary Words
In his guest post, Jonathan used words that a few readers may hardly define without a dictionary. To grasp the blog’s story and message, I noted below their meanings based on their usage in the blog.
Definition of Terms
taboo – prohibited or restricted by social custom
mixtape – a home-made compilation of music (typically copyrighted songs taken from other sources) recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio cassette, though CD or MP3 playlist formats are now more common
Halal – any object or action, which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law
akin – essentially similar, related, or compatible
hieroglyphics – designating or pertaining to a pictographic script particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented
Sources:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/taboo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixtape
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/akin
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hieroglyphics
