Trivial is an adjective that means ordinary, common or of little value. It comes from the Latin word trivialis, which indicated the cross of public streets (i.e., something that can be found everywhere). Now that the Democrats are in power, dissent has suddenly and conveniently become unpatriotic. Attacks on disenchanted citizens who speak up at … Read more
Graham writes: I suppose being a Brit., I should to use -ise instead of -ize? For example, realise/realize. I prefer to use -ize in most cases. Any rules say I can’t? I am pleased to report that British usage and American usage agree on the spelling of the verb realize. Look up “realise” in the OED and you … Read more
Have you ever wondered why we instinctively say “the shiny new red car” and not “the red new shiny car”? The reason is that there is a royal order for adjectives, and most native English speakers learn to use it as we’re forming our first complete sentences. Adjectives fall into categories, and those categories comprise … Read more
Scruple is the moral or ethical consideration that might inhibit certain actions in men. A politician without scruples, for instance, would be willing to do unethical things to achieve his goals. The adjective is scrupulous. He hates shedding innocent blood, a scruple hard to maintain while outfitting a young man with an explosive-filled suicide vest. … Read more
Gaby Beitler writes: I am confused when to use the word too and when to use also. For example, “he likes ice cream too” and “he also likes ice cream” mean the same thing. In conversation both words, too and also, are used interchangeably with the sense of “in addition”: Our friends went too. Our … Read more
Rife is an adjective which means abundant, prevalent, or of common occurrence. Synonyms include widespread, extensive and ubiquitous. Pronunciation: /rīf/ In an opaque justice system rife with corruption, who you know may matter more than what you know about the law. (LA Times) The microblogging site was rife with commentary and erroneous theories about the … Read more
This is a guest post by Charles Ray. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. Some might think me an old fashioned, stuffy person when it comes to grammar. I realize that language, whether written or spoken, is a living thing, and that it changes with time; but, there … Read more
An email in which balloon was spelled “baloon” got me thinking about words with double letters. Many of the most frequently-misspelled words in English are misspelled by leaving out a letter. Others are misspelled because we think a letter should be doubled, so we put in an extra one. I thought it might be useful … Read more
Minion, used as a noun, means a subordinate or servile follower of another person. It can also mean a highly esteemed one. Used as an adjective minion means pretty or dainty. For it was pity that blasted the life of a certain British Milquetoast named Arthur Rowe, pity that lured him between the tiger-smooth paws … Read more
Writers have three different dashes at their disposal: the hyphen, the en dash, and the em dash. Most of us are familiar with hyphens and their uses. They’re used to form compound modifiers (such as in “a well-attended event”). We also use them to break a word that falls at the end of a line. … Read more
A reader asks for a discussion of the media’s use of “illegal alien” to mean “illegal immigrant.” The Associated Press Stylebook recommends the phrase “illegal immigrant” in preference to “illegal alien.” The words alien and immigrant are not exactly interchangeable, but “immigrant” is perceived as having a more positive connotation than ”alien.” An immigrant is … Read more
Ablution is the act of washing or cleansing the body. Usually it refers to a religious rite, and it can also indicate the liquid used in the rite. It was in this environment — tense and riddled with suspicion — that Anan says soldiers and police grabbed him, his father and several others at ablution … Read more