Yes, I hype correct hyphenation, but proper treatment of the little line enables clear communication, so on this site, I repeatedly attach importance to the attachment tool. In the following sentences, excessive or insufficient use of hyphens clouds rather than clarifies. Correct the connective calamities below, then check my answer key at the bottom of … Read more
The similarity of the letters e and i leads to frequent confusion between similar-looking and similar-sounding pairs of words. Here are five such word pairs with their respective meanings and tips for keeping each word in its place: 1. Elicit vs. Illicit Elicit, meaning “draw forth,” comes from the Latin term lacere, “to entice or … Read more
What determines which prefix is attached to a word to form that word’s antonym? Why unlawful, but illegal? Why infirm, but impaired? You may be surprised that there’s a method to this madness: Negative prefixes come in forms that vary not only according to language derivation but also depending on meaning, and variations occur according … Read more
Last week, I offered a roster of synonyms for talk and talking. This list expands on that theme by offering set phrases about talking and their meaning: 1. Beat (one’s) gums: to speak excessively and aimlessly 2. Bull session: a rambling group conversation 3. Chew the fat: to chat 4. Chew the rag: to chat … Read more
What’s the difference between analog and digital, and why is the latter word, which originally referred to fingers, now the antithesis of “hands-on”? An analog is something related to physical quantities (hence the name; analog comes from a Greek word meaning “proportion”): An analog clock, for example, shows the passage of time by measuring it … Read more
Which tech terms merit capitalization, and which are generic? Which terms are open compounds, and which are treated as one word? Word processors might not help you with such terms so here’s a guide to treatment of some of the most common names for technological phenomena: 1. App: This abbreviation of application has existed for … Read more
Editing is as much an art as writing is. Whether you’re finessing your own writing or revising the work of another, the process requires simultaneous attention to multiple issues: spelling, grammar, style, accuracy, formality, and the subjective aspect of substance: providing context, assigning meaning and conveying value, and more. When I was a copyediting instructor, … Read more
Entropy is the uncertainty or disorder in a system. In a technical sense, it is the gradual breakdown of energy and matter in the universe; in casual usage, it refers to degradation or disorder in any situation, or to chaos, disorganization, or randomness in general. The stem -tropy, from the Greek word trope, means “change” … Read more
A previous post detailed synonyms for story. This entry defines words identifying various genres — categories of story types — and similar terms: 1. Adventure fiction: stories in which characters are involved in dangerous and/or exhilarating exploits 2. Airport novel: a work of fiction, generally genre fiction, so named because of its availability at stores … Read more
What is the state of writing today? Pick up any newspaper, magazine, or book, or look at a website, an email message, or a tweet, or examine a newsletter, a brochure, or a report. Want a more useful indicator of how particular words are used? Look them up in a new dictionary. But these strategies … Read more
Talk, talk, talk — it’s all the same. Or is it? There are many ways to talk, and each has its own word (or words) for it. Here’s a noncomprehensive roster of many synonyms for the noun and verb forms of talk (I had to stop somewhere): 1. Babble: enthusiastic or excessive talk, or meaningless … Read more
Well-meaning writers and editors sometimes mangle the language they’re trying to manage — a fault called hypercorrection. Errors of this class are the result either of adherence to a spurious superstition about proper form, a misunderstanding about a point of grammar, or an attempt to fit a square idiom into a round pigeonhole. Here’s a … Read more