Ed Buckner writes: In my work, people often use the word “dispose” when referring to solid waste. My issue is that many people want to append the preposition “of” to the word “dispose” as in, “the company disposed of the hazardous waste.” This does not seem correct to me, yet I have had wordsmiths in … Read more
A note from Stephen Thom has recalled me to a post that I wrote in May: “Speak of the Devil!” Maeve, I might suggest double-checking the “printer’s devil” expression. It was my understanding that the term referred to the compartmentalized wooden tray that holds all the little metal letter stamps used in a printing press. … Read more
Last year we had a series called “English Grammar 101,” where the basic grammar rules were covered. Many readers asked if it was possible to transform that series into an ebook. We thought that the idea was good indeed, and started working on it. Maeve edited the whole thing, adding examples and formating the sections. … Read more
Derrick Grant writes: I’ve always been perplexed on whether the period goes inside the quotations or outside, when the sentence is not quoting someone. For example: They didn’t describe it as a budget cut, they called it “streamlining services”. Does the period go inside the quote or outside? I’ve seen it, in professional publications, done … Read more
A reader experienced a moment of doubt when he came across an online essay ending with this line: So, no cry of victory yet. Rather, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends!” I forget. Is it supposed to be breach, as in the gap in a broken wall, or breech, as in the part of the … Read more
Frederick Fuller is dismayed by the wide-spread misuse of the expression “to beg the question.” Beg the question followed by a question, as if a bit of information demanded a question, as in “The high price of eggs begs the question: are we paying chickens too much to lay eggs?”Beg the question is a logical … Read more
Autumn writes: I’ve been wrestling with the title of a new Food Channel show called “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”. I can’t put my finger on it, but this sounds incorrect to me . . . what is it that’s throwing me off? Autumn’s grammatical instincts are correct. There is something not quite right … Read more
Amir Bahmanyari raises a question about the use of the word “Farsi” in English: . . . there is a well defined word “Persian” in English which refers to the language of the Iranian people. Why is it that the Arabic word “Farsi” [is] used in daily communications by the English speaking people instead of … Read more
Philip Dragonetti writes: Another word that drives me up the wall is “fullest”—as in: “Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Would someone please tell me how the “fullest” extent of the law is greater than the “full” extent of the law? I agree with Philip that “full” is sufficient when … Read more
Sterlin writes: My girlfriend says plots are “a dime a dozen,” but I feel different. I am trying to write my story and I am loaded with themes, but no plot, nothing to drive the themes or story. Can you offer any tips or techniques for devising a plot? In one sense the girlfriend is … Read more