As I browse the Web, skimming comments on various topics, one word comes up again and again: stupid. There’s no end of people or things that some grump somewhere is calling stupid in speech or in writing. For example: The government is stupid. Women are stupid. Men are stupid. April Fool’s Day is stupid. Handwriting … Read more
US Social Security records indicate that the five most popular boys’ names in 1915 were John, William, James, Robert, and Joseph. In 2014, the top five were Noah, Liam, Mason, Jacob, and William. Not only has William remained a popular given name for 100 years, it has become doubly popular with the newcomer Liam. Liam … Read more
Two frequently confused expressions are “to run the gamut” and “to run the gauntlet.” Gamut originated as a medieval musical term. The word is still used to mean “the full range of notes that a voice or instrument can produce.” Figuratively, gamut means “the full range or scope of something.” For example, a person might … Read more
Some bloggers, academics, and authors with books on Amazon seem to be confused about the verb believe and the noun belief. Here are just four examples: INCORRECT: Manobo Religious Believes and Practices—title of paper published at Academia.edu. CORRECT : Manobo Religious Beliefs and Practices INCORRECT: A recent study examines how religious and spiritual believes can … Read more
A reader has a question about formatting dialogue in a novel: I have some confusion regarding speakers when writing dialog, and when you should start new lines. The logic I remember being taught is that every time the speaker changes in a story we should start a new paragraph. Is that always the case, or … Read more
The error known as a “misplaced modifier” often results in hilarious images. Some of these errors, whether originating in actual writing or invented by clever English teachers, have achieved classical status and are quoted on numerous websites. Here are five of my favorites: 1. With his tail held high, my father led his prize poodle … Read more
A reader asks if a letter salutation can include more than one honorific. For example: Dear President Dr. Turner The short answer is, “not in English.” The conventional letter salutations in English are these Dear Mr. Adams Dear Mr. and Mrs. Adams Dear Ms. Adams Dear Margaret Adams Dear Harry (if you know the person … Read more