One of the funniest instances of homonym confusion that I have ever heard of purportedly came from a church bulletin… Read more »
Monthly Archives: October 2005
Persuade me to follow the rule
We have an expression among copy editors: Don’t follow the stylebook out the window. That is, don’t be so rigid… Read more »
We do care
Some people, perhaps you, irritate some people, including me, by saying, “I could care less.” Y’all need to stop it…. Read more »
Continual or continuous?
If your neighbor’s dog barked all night, was the noise “continual” or “continuous”? It depends. Did the dog bark, then… Read more »
Loath to say this
I have “loathe” and “loath” on my mind. I fixed two instances this week. In both cases, the writer had… Read more »
Diagnose an illness
A colleague reminds me of the widespread misuse of “diagnose.” As he points out, illnesses are diagnosed, not people. Theodore… Read more »
Sneaked or snuck?
The past tense of the verb “sneak” seems to be mutating (and I do mean like a germ). I always… Read more »
Along the midway
The State Fair reminds me of the origin of the “midway” as the term for the place where games, rides… Read more »
None, not one, not any — nary a one
The word “none” gives us fits. Many people were taught that “none” is always singular. Indeed, if you think of… Read more »
It is I
When I pick up a ringing phone and hear the caller ask to speak with Pam Nelson, I say, “This… Read more »
Fit the bill?
I have come across “fit the bill” a few times lately. The expression, which means that something is just right,… Read more »
Sick about it
I ran across a quote that used the word “nauseous,” as in “Even the thought of broccoli makes me nauseous.”… Read more »
Are you eager or anxious?
Writers and speakers sometimes mix up “eager” and “anxious.” Here is a sentence from a wire service story about a… Read more »
A vs. an
In most instances, the choice between the articles “a” and “an” is easy. Use “a” before a word beginning with… Read more »