From Mercury to Hermeneutics
One of the most popular of the Roman gods was Mercury, patron of merchants and thieves. Mercury had other associations. […]
Discomfiture Is Worse Than Discomfort
I’ve noticed the two nouns, discomfort and discomfiture, being used interchangeably, as if both meant simply, “the condition of being […]
5 Cases of Faulty Parenthesis
When a sentence includes a form of parenthesis—a word, phrase, or clause framed by a pair of commas, dashes, or […]
Naming a Character
The most unforgettable fictional characters begin as a glimmer in the author’s mind. Only in writing the novel does the […]
“Painstaking” Does Not Mean “Painful” and a “Perk” is not a “Prerequisite”
Uses of the word painstaking that I’ve noticed recently suggest that some speakers may think it’s a synonym for painful […]
Common Errors in Vertical Lists
Employing vertical lists, which display related sets of words, phrases, or sentences entered on separate lines and marked with bullets […]
Democracy, Aristocracy, Plutocracy
The English suffix –ocracy derives from a Greek word for “power,” “rule,” or “authority.” Six examples of such words are […]
The Use of “They” for Gender Identity
Merriam-Webster recently announced that it has provided an additional sense in the definition for the pronoun they: “used to refer […]
Is ’til a Contraction of Until?
A curious request for a post has come across my desk: Please discuss the misuse of “till” for the contraction […]
How to Write Concise, Active Sentences
One of the most valuable results of revising one’s writing (or inviting another person to do so) is leaner, more […]
Worshipped and Worshipping Revisited
A recent comment on a past post, “Worshiping and Kidnapping” made me doubt my sanity: You note that Merriam-Webster lists […]
5 Types of Case and Punctuation Problems with Quotations
The following sentences demonstrate issues writers confront when they write sentences that incorporate quotations that are not framed with attribution […]