Wordsmarts

word discovery: per diem

2009-11-17T12:34:00.003-05:00

Today's word: per diem, often used in the sense of paid allowances or tax deductions.

Meaning: "by the day" or "for each day" (Merriam-Webster); adv, adj, or noun.

Etymology: Medieval Latin (1520) "by the day" (per = by the; dies = day) (Online Etymology Dictionary)

Used in a sentence: You will be paid $100 per diem for food and travel expenses.

I have seen this phrase used many times over the past 25 years, but never knew exactly what it meant. Today, I decided to research it a little. It didn't yield much, but what I found was telling.

Twitter: @AlanEggleston or @a_copywriter

Word discovery: solipsistic

2007-01-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

Citation: LA Times.com column, “Have something to say? I don’t care.” By Joel Stein, January 2, 2007, 11th paragraph

Usage: “I'm an arrogant, solipsistic, attention-needy freak who pretends to have an opinion about everything.”

Meaning: self-centered or ego-centric

Examples: Two-year-olds have a solipsistic view of their place in the universe.

Comments: Also seems to describe actors and politicians.

Word discovery: susurrus

2007-01-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

Citation: Quarterdeck A Kydd Sea Adventure by Julian Stockwin, Chapter 4, p. 104, third paragraph.

Usage: “…the ghost-like susurrus of wind in the lines from aloft…”

Meaning: a whispering or rustling sound (merriam-webster); also, a murmur (wiktionary)

Example: The susurrus of leaves swept along the ground by an autumn wind, whispering of the approach of an unforseen storm.

Comments: Say the word and you get a sense of its origins, the “sus” sound of a whispered utterance, a poetic device to hint at a sound.

Back After a Long, Unplanned Absense

2007-01-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

What a road I have traveled since I last posted! I apologize to anyone who has visited and seen how long it's been since I last made an entry.

I suffered a series of health set-backs, the last of which -- prostate cancer surgery -- I am still recovering from. As a result, I wasn't able to give any time to researching or writing my blogs. I am trying to begin again.

So, if you have been a fan of the site and wondered where I have been... or if you have stumbled onto the site and would like more of what I have produced, let me assure you I am working on it again.

I am a freelance writer and editor and rely on that freelance work for a living, so I am doing this blog as I have time and energy. Recovering from prostate surgery at age 57 takes a long, long time. But I want to get this site back in gear, even if it isn't on a weekly basis as it once was.

Thank you for your patience.
Alan

Word discovery: bourse

2006-04-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

Citation: Hard copy: “How to Seize the Initiative,” Time magazine, April 3, 2006, p. 47. Online: How to Seize the Initiative online (may require registration or purchase of the article).

Usage: “For now, U.S. firms that want to trade emissions must join the Chicago Climate Exchange, a voluntary but legally binding bourse whose members, according to founder Richard Sandor, account for 8% of the greenhouse emissions from stationary sources in the U.S.”

Meaning: an exchange or trade, usually meant in terms of a European stock exchange. See Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Examples: U.S. power plants may purchase credits through a bourse from other power plants that meet their pollution-reduction targets.

Comments: I don’t see much need to use bourse when “exchange” is so much clearer.

The joke's on you

2006-04-01T11:26:00.000-05:00

Are you an admirer of April Fools jokes? Many people love observing the year's only sanctioned day of the practical joke, but most prefer to play the joke rather than receive it.

April Fools Day (sometimes spelled Fool's and sometimes Fools') is celebrated in many countries, including the United States and Great Britain (where it's also called All Fools' Day).

If you're short on ideas for celebrating in your neck of the woods, consider some all time greats from "The Top 100 April Fools Day Hoaxes of All Time." There's also a website for the joke-wary among us, "April Fool's Day Attrocities" or "The Top 10 Worst April Fool's Day Hoaxes Ever."

And if you're really into the so called "holiday," there is this page on "The Origin of April Fool's Day." Like the others links in this article, the material comes from The Museum of Hoaxes.

Finally, if someone near you can't get enough of the holiday and plays April Fools beyond April 1, there's this retort: April Fools' is gone and past and you're the greatest fool at last!

Enjoy the day!

A page you might even find fun

2006-03-27T20:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a page you really MUST visit. It’s called “10 More Words You Simply Must Know,” and it’s by the editors of Encarta’s Continuing Education section.

Go on, don’t let an ostentatious title like this keep you from immersing yourself in our language! You might even find it fun.

Anytime we can advance our vocabulary, it’s an investment in our future. Even if we can’t use it in a sentence right away, we can know it if someone else uses it, and it broadens our awareness of our language and our culture. Of course, we appear pretentious if we try to use it without really understanding it – so beware simply learning new words to make you look smarter.

My favorite of the 10 is “sternutatory.” Can you imagine what it means? Here’s a hint: “Gesundheit!”

If these are “10 More Words…”, what were the original 10? Find out by reading “10 Words You Simply Must Know.”

Word discovery: microinequities

2006-03-17T12:51:00.001-05:00

Citation: “Why your boss may start sweating the small stuff,” Time magazine, p. 80, Mar. 20, 2006. Online version.

Usage: Article subhead explains: “New sensitivity training at the office focuses on all the little ways a tone-dear manager can demoralize a staff.”

Meaning: “…puts a name on all the indirect offenses that can demoralize a talented employee.”

Examples: A team or meeting leader who becomes less and less interested in what someone is saying… someone important who keeps glancing at his watch during a meeting… someone who interrupts a colleague to answer the phone.

Comments: This can cut both into productivity and general employee attitudes, which can even affect customer relations. Working in a large corporation, I’ve seen it in action. It isn't an intentional slight, but it sends an unmistakable message, often a non-verbal statement that others can read as easily as the person who is slighted.

Word discovery: Celebutantes

2006-03-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

Citation: Encarta “10 More Words You Simply Must Know” by the editors of Encarta’s Continuing Education section.

Usage: In an example of using the word “paradigm”: The heiress who has become famous for being infamous is the paradigm of celebutantes.

Meaning: According to The Gazette*, “…celebutantes are daughters from rich families who receive media attention for the fortunes they are to inherit and for the escapades they embark on until the money is in their hands.”

*Note: the article I link to includes a photo at the top some may find provocative. Educators and parents may want to visit the page first to make sure they are okay with their students or children viewing the page. The article itself is informative on a current aspect of pop culture.

Examples: Some examples of celebutantes are Paris Hilton, Ally Hilfiger (daughter of Tommy Hilfiger), Margherita Missoni (Italian fashion heir) and Nicole Ritchie (who appeared with Hilton in the Simple Life television program of a few years ago).

A useless feature by any other name is still useless

2006-03-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

Word discovery: feature fatigue
Citation: Interview with Dr. Roland D. Rust on 3.11.06 edition of NPR’s Weekend Edition. He explains the concept in his article, “Feature Fatigue: When Product Capabilities Become Too Much of a Good Thing” in Journal of Marketing Research, 42, November 2005, 431-442. Co-authors are Deborah Viana Thompson and Rebecca W. Hamilton.
Usage: NPR interviewer explained the concept in terms of the ubiquitous cell phone with dozens of features that manufacturers hype to sell the item, but which consumers realize after buying that they will never use. Also in terms of the Mercedes automobile, whose manufacturer has removed a lot of features from its dashboard to simplify its use.
Meaning: The realization after buying and using a product that you don’t really need or want all the features hyped to sell you the product. Here is how Dr. Rust and his colleagues lead into their article:

As technology advances, it becomes more feasible to load products with a large number of features, each of which individually might be perceived as useful. However, too many features can make a product overwhelming for consumers and difficult to use.

Comment: I'm glad to see someone has a name for this. Often, as I'm watching television I see an ad for something and I wonder why on earth I'd want to buy something with all those unnecessary features. Do we really need a phone with a camera and games and silly sounding ringtones? Am I going to actually text message someone if I can call them? What I really want is a phone I can take with me away from home or office. Those other features are really needless toys.

No “bull” in this china shop

2006-03-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

I just ran into two excellent recasts of a couple of timeless clichés. See if you can tell who said them (both from the same guy):

● “There but for the grace of God goes God.”

● “He is the only bull I know who carries his china closet with him.”

And do you know the originals from which these spring?

They were uttered by Winston Churchill, prime minister of England, member of British Parliament, journalist, author, and bane of both Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union. Churchill, in fact, coined the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the Soviet Union’s choke-hold on Eastern Europe in the last century.

The first recast was a reference to an insufferable political rival and the second referred to a tough-talking U.S. Secretary of State.

The originals are:

● "There but for the grace of God go I."
Various attributions including John Bradford and John Bunyan

● "He is a bull in a china cabinet."
First use unknown but first recorded in Frederick Marryat’s Jacob Faithful

I found these in a speech given by seasoned political journalist Chris Matthews at the Westminster College in Missouri commemorating the 60th anniversary of Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech there in 1946. Titled “The ten lessons of Winston Churchill,” it’s a great talk and a great retrospective on one of human’s greatest orators and writers.

Note: Although using clichés is frowned upon by every professional writer and editor with any experience, recasting clichés can be good form. Churchill’s recasting of these two are excellent examples of turning a phrase to good use.

I maintain a weblog about clichés and how to recast them, using a cliché-a-day format to highlight a cliché every day of the week and show how to rewrite or recast it. Visit Cliché-a-Day to see what it’s all about.

Permanent trailers -- what are they when they aren't permanent?

2006-03-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

This morning while driving my wife to work, as I moved into the center left-turn lane, I came to rest briefly behind a large transportation truck -- sometimes called a "semi" or "semi truck and trailer." The beast had a sticker near the license plate that said: "Permanent Trailer."

Being a man of words, this phrase hit me as very odd. What, I wondered, is a "permanent" trailer? What would it be if it weren't permanent -- temporary? Are there "occasional" trailers, like there are occasional tables? If one is occasional, what is it when it isn't a "trailer"?

a "parker"?
a "get in your way-er"?
a "take up space-r"?
a "stage on wheels"?
a "mobile aircraft-lander", perhaps for very small planes, helicopters, or Harriers?

The list of alternatives could be huge. Anything come to mind to you?

I'm sure this phrase makes sense to those in the transportation industry, and perhaps someone from that group could let me in on the secret. Or maybe you have some good guesses.

Loneliness and the crying heart

2006-02-22T11:22:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: “You heart feel like it crying blood.” [sic]
Citation: Imagine, blog entry on Sat., Feb. 18, 2006 for Guyana by Guyana-Gal.
Usage: Describing personal loneliness.
Comment: Some very moving, descriptive prose. I also like the rhythm of the writing. It's a very interesting style, almost lyrical, perhaps from living in Guyana.

Looking for words in all the right places

2006-02-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

If the Internet is anything, it’s a marketplace for knowledge, including as a researcher’s dream for looking up words. That includes resources for word gamers. Here’s a so-far short list of places to go for answers while you’re playing crosswords, Scrabble, and other word games.

Online Game Dictionaries:

Dictionary.com – various languages, crosswords, legal, medical, acronyms, jargon
Merriam-Webster OnLine – Free, searchable online dictionary and thesaurus, word games, a word of the day, and many other English language and vocabulary reference tools and resources.
Strange and Unusual Dictionaries – “Resources for Scrabble games, bar bets, and other trivial pursuits.”

Moore accomplishes much in his narrative

2006-02-15T15:24:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase 1: “..her brow furrowed into moguls of earnest contemplation…”
Citation: Fluke by Christopher Moore, page 40
Usage: Describing a woman in thought: “Amy assumed the pose of Rodin’s The Thinker on her stool, her chin teed up on her hand…”
Comment: One of Moore’s great strengths is the quality of his narrative and his vivid descriptions. This is one example. A second one from the same book follows. In this one, I can see the moguls or ridges on the forhead as serious thought takes place.

Quotable phrase 2: “…let the facts roll around the rim of the mind’s roulette wheel, coming to settle in whichever slot they feel pulled to.”
Citation: Fluke by Christopher Moore, page 200
Usage: Describing the notion of “pondering.” He says, “Pondering is a little like considering and a little like thinking, but looser. To ponder, one must let the facts roll around the rim of the mind’s roulette wheel, coming to settle in whichever slot they feel pulled to.”
Comment: I can just imagine the wheel in someone’s mind, the idea being the ball that runs round and round until it settles in a slot and the person sitting upright, his eyes fully open with a look that says “Aha!” In some instances, a mind works like a pinball machine with thoughts bouncing and bounding around synapses and finally landing in the hole where ideas take root.

Look for a review of some of Christopher Moore’s works in an upcoming issue of Booksville, my book-centered weblog.

From Winter Wonderland

2006-01-26T20:22:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd do something slightly different this time: Publish a poem I wrote while inspired by the wintry scene outside my window.

Softly snow in my backyard falls,
Cold and white as winter calls.
Light and lacy it drifts to earth,
Making cheery the warmly hearth.

Limb and leaf do snow embrace,
And cover gray walk's ugly face.
Turning autumn's colors to icy white,
Changing day to gray and night to light.

Cold and quiet snow settles the hills,
As families turn in to warm their chills.
Out windows they look on a magical sight,
To see nature nestled into pillows of white.

Watch the ends of your pencils

2006-01-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Memorable quote: “…getting the chewed end of the pencil…”
Citation: “Operation: E.L.E.C.T.I.O.N.S.”, Codename: Kids Next Door, Saturday, January 14, 2006.
Usage: Cartoon show on the Cartoon Network; “Nigel Number One” of the Kids Next Door is robbed of the 4th grade presidency by the “Delightful Children,” the "Kids’" collective opponents. One of the other "Kids Next Door" characters describes the rotten deal Nigel has gotten.
Comment: It’s one of those simple turns of the phrase that makes you as a writer wish you had thought of it first. At least, that’s how I felt when I heard it.

What made it more memorable for my daughter and me is that at the end of the episode, they introduce the real winner of the class presidency: Eggbert Eggleston. No relation.

Put it where the sun clearly shines

2006-01-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

Memorable phrase: “Congress and the Constitution have spoken as clearly as a bright sun on a cloudless afternoon about these matters…”
Citation: “The Lawbreaker in the Oval Office” by Bob Herbert, The New York Times, January 12, 2006.
Usage: Article about Bush White House, columnist Bob Herbert urging the president to obey the law about eavesdropping on Americans.
Comment: Not rousing language, but certainly a clearly expressed simile.

2005 Word of the Year awarded

2006-01-12T11:26:00.000-05:00

Word discoveries: 2005 Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society*
*Available to download; requires use of Acrobat Adobe Reader
Citation: highlighted on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC.
Usage: According to the American Dialect Society’s website, “The words or phrases do not have to be brand new, but they have to be newly prominent or notable in the past year.”
Other 2005 word-nominees include: Katrina (Hurricane Katrina-related words), podcast, intelligent design, and patent troll.
Other 2005 word-winner categories: most useful, most creative, most unnecessary, most outrageous, most euphemistic, best Tom-Cruise-related word, most likely to succeed, and least likely to succeed.
Comments: It’s always useful to see what new words have been created and used in the past year, as well as what existing words have taken on a new life. Both say a lot about our society and culture through vivid use of language.

An epiphany on listening

2006-01-11T17:54:00.000-05:00

Memorable Quote:
“Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.”

Citation:
Never have your dog stuffed and other things I’ve learned by Alan Alda, p. 161, (chapter 14, "Me and Hecuba"), copyright 2005 by Mayflower Productions Inc., ISBN: 1-4000-6409-0.

Usage:
Rehearsing a part for the play The Apple Tree, Mr. Alda struggles to “listen” to his partner on stage so the dialogue between them seems natural, not forced. The answer, he discovers, is in how you as your character listen to the other character and react to the situation, not just the words.

Comment:
This brings to me an epiphany.

As a writer, I’ve always struggled in an interview with not just asking a question and writing down the answer, then getting ready to ask the next question. Somehow you have to listen to the answer and see what other questions it raises. If it doesn’t raise a new question, you can go on to the next question on your list.

Furthermore, I’ve struggled as a person – often as a husband and father – to actually listen to the person talking, not getting ready to talk when it’s your turn again but to do something constructive with what you hear. What I’ve learned from Mr. Alda is that in all listening, you have to be looking to make a change – a change in perception or the way you look about a subject as a writer, as well as a change in what you hope to achieve from talking with a spouse or child. You can’t go into it with predetermined outcomes but hope you will hear what will make you do what is right.

Listening is often about solving problems, and often to solve a problem you have to first understand it. Sometimes you can’t know the problem until you’ve listened to someone describe it.

A rose by another name isn't quite the same

2006-01-10T19:50:00.000-05:00

Although I never intend to devote a page on this weblog to picking baby names as a topic unto itself, names are a part of language. They have meaning, and they are important both to new parents and smart authors. In fact, I think authors spend as much time coming up with a character name as parents do picking a name for a newborn.

With that, I give you Think Baby Names, which describes itself as “A concise dictionary on the origin and meaning of names.” It’s as important as a Webster’s is to a student seeking the right word and its origins.

When I googled the terms "baby names" I discovered there are 52,300,000 results! Here's what I found for baby names.

A twisted tale of irony

2006-01-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

Link discovery: black hole
Citation: secondary reference: Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary
Usage: Part of a rewrite of a cliché (sweep it under the rug) on my Cliché-a-Day weblog.
Meaning: An immensely dense object in space from which nothing can escape, even light.
Comment: Why was I not totally surprised when I tried to look up this term in the California Space Institute website and received a page replying, “Object not found!”? What irony!

Abramoff spurs cliché pile-on

2006-01-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

Questionable Phrase: "waiting for the other shoe to drop," a cliché
Citation: Various television and cable news programs
Usage: Referring to politicians worried about their possible connection with lobbyist Jack Abramoff after his indictment in Washington, D.C. for corruption. Now that he has been indicted, members of Congress and their staff are waiting to hear if they might also be affected.
Comments: Use of this phrase is a clear case of piling on by journalists. Every cable news program I watched for several days used this cliché to describe the worry members of Congress and their staff feel over their possible exposure to legal action based on their connections or work with Abramoff.

Come on, folks, dig down into your bag of metaphors and find a different way to say this! If you want to stick with clichés, how about "tag - you're it"? Or "knock-knock, who's there?" But a better choice would be to come up with something new. Maybe, "waiting to see where lightning strikes next" or "waiting in line at the will-call window, but hoping they're sold out."

Superior list needs your attention

2006-01-04T14:20:00.000-05:00

Notable list: Lake Superior State University “List of Banned Words and Phrases”
Citation: Lake Superior State University
Usage: This is the 31st such list, which is published each New Year’s Day.
Comment: This year the list includes 17 (I don’t know why 17 – why not a round number like 10 or 20?) unwanted words like “talking points” and “97% Fat Free.” I had suggested “Two Thumbs Up,” now so overused that nearly every film promotion uses the term to recommend you see their film. Lake Superior State’s list is worth visiting if not taking entirely to heart.

More on the Happy Holidays "Controversy"

2005-12-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

I just read a defining article in The Washington Post about the controversy over saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" (see last week's article here). The fact is, there is no conspiracy to remove the Christ from Christmas ... nor a conspiracy to eliminate Christmas as a holiday altogether. I highly recommend you read the article by Neely Tucker titled "Have a Holly, Jolly Holiday." (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/19/AR2005121901802.html)

The fact is -- and just a little bit of actual research shows this -- the controversy comes from a bit of hype from Fox News Channel, Libert Counsel, and the American Family Association. I'm sure they will downplay a story run in the supposed liberally biased WP, but honestly, the only ones running away from unbiased reporting is Fox News Channel and the league of conservative radio "journalists." Really, read the article. I dare you. Learn instead of just listen.

Happy holidays to you -- whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannakah, Kwanza, or some other holiday that occurs at this same time of the year. Especially if you're an Ebenezer Schrooge type looking for a way to mend your ways.

The Controversy over "Happy Holidays!"

2005-12-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

I'd like to address the whole controversy over changing the yuletide season greeting of "Happy holidays!" People feeling their new-found political muscle think we should say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy holidays!" Talk about political correctness!

The supposition from the side of conservatives -- Christian conservatives mainly -- is that non-conservative Christians, in fact anyone not pretty much a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian, are trying to "dumb down" the notion of Christmas and turn it from a solemn acknowledgment that Christmas is all about -- and nothing more than all about -- the birth of Christ. When someone says "Happy holidays!" instead of "Merry Christmas!" they are failing to acknowledge Christ as the center of the Christmas holiday and, as secularists, they are trying to drive religion out of the holiday. Maybe, but not on a sizable scale.

What conservative Christians are missing is that there are a number of holidays -- holy days, even -- that occur at this same time of year, and most people I know who say "Happy holidays" are not trying to rob the holiday of its religious origin as much as to wish the various groups celebrating the season much happiness. When I want to wish a Jew a "Happy Hanukkah," it doesn't make sense to wish him "Merry Christmas." When I want to wish someone in the African American community a happy Kwanza, it doesn't make sense to wish her a "Merry Christmas." Would it make sense to wish a Christian "Happy Hanukkah"? Of course not!

Just as important, I don't know what someone I meet on the street is celebrating other than the holidays, so it makes sense to wish him or her "Happy holidays!" Then if she wants to respond "Merry Christmas" I can then say "Yes, and a Merry Christmas to you!"

This sense by conservatives that the world wants to rob Christmas of its Christ is nonsense. It illuminates their myopic sense of self-importance that the world revolves around their faith and the self-perpetuated myth that the world is attacking them and they're martyrs for suffering through it. Again, nonsense! But "Happy holidays" anyway.

Some still find offense from "anodyne" quote

2005-12-01T22:21:00.000-05:00

Word discovery: Anodyne
Citation: Salon, “The Senate’s Bad Intelligence,” July 16, 2004 (may require log-in or watching a brief video ad).
Usage: “The conclusion is apparently based on one anodyne quote from a memo Valerie Plame, my wife, sent to her superiors…” [color font mine]
Meaning: not provocative (see “anodyne” [2] from Merriam-Websters online dictionary)
Comments: I wonder where Ambassador Wilson first discovered this word. Under what circumstances did he first need to use it? It’s an interesting word, but not one I have run into before.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2005-11-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to wish my readers a Happy Thanksgiving. May you and yours have much to be thankful for and may the holiday in which you celebrate your many thanks be full of blessings. God bless you. God protect you. God grant you his many graces.

Alan Eggleston and family

Lucidly clear

2005-11-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

Word discovery: “Pellucidly”
Citation: Hardblogger, Bush Administration: Parade of Lies (Bob Shrum), Nov. 2, 2005.
Usage: “He [Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito] was selected on Halloween, but the mask he’s wearing - that he hasn’t made up his mind yet - is pellucidly transparent.” [color mine]
Meaning: Transparently clear
Comments: If you look at the root word, “lucid”, it makes some sense.

O'Reilly: oh really?

2005-11-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: "…several light bulbs short of a marquee..."
Citation: Countdown on MSNBC-TV, Nov. 15, 2005
Usage: Keith Olbermann describing Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly’s reputation after 30 years in the news business; said in discussion with Chris Daly, supervisor of San Fransisco (California) Board of Supervisors, about O’Reilly’s offending remarks in which he welcomed Al Qaeda to attack San Francisco after voters in the city placed an initiative on their ballot to do away with military recruiting on campuses.
Comment: Great recast of clichés like “one brick short of a full load” or “one card short of a full deck”.

Chicken Little Swings

2005-11-16T12:19:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: "I’ve seen roadkill swing better."
Citation: Disney’s new animated movie, Chicken Little*
Usage: Chicken Little’s father describes Chicken Little’s pathetic skills at bat during a Little League game.
Comment: Wonderfully sarcastic metaphor
*On Wikipedia page, scroll down to entry for 2005 movie description.

A Caesar by any other name...

2005-11-15T18:17:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: "You may call a cat a fish, but it will not swim."
Citation: “The Spoils,” Rome, TV mini-series on HBO Sunday, November 13, 2005
Usage: Brutus speaking to his mother of Julius Caesar
Comment: Possibly, a recast of Shakespeare’s “A rose by any other name...” or “A rose is a rose is a rose.”

It's "regardless" not "irregardless"

2005-11-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

Twice on my favorite news programs (Countdown and Hardball), I've heard someone use the word "irregardless." Most people know that "irregardless" is one of those words that experienced writers shun like a leper. Its reputation is regarded even more loathingly than many "four-letter words."

Last week, Wednesday (11.09.05) or Thursday (11.10.05) I believe, Chris Matthews used "irregardless" on Hardball during a bumper (scroll down to "bumper") into a commercial while promoting an upcoming segment of the show.
This past Friday (11.11.05) on Countdown, reporter Roger O'Neill used "irregardless" on a piece about language, indicating that it isn't a word and you can't find it in a dictionary. He made a big deal about it not being found in a dictionary.

Before I chided Chris Matthews on his use of the word, I thought I should make certain that it is indeed not a word. Boy, was I surprised! It not only is a word, although "nonstandard," it appears in several online dictionaries, such as the Merriam-Webster. In fact, to see how many online dictionaries list it as a word (regardless of whether they approve of its use), do a search at OneLook, which is a place to run a search to get results from multiple (although not exhaustive) sources.

"Irregardless" is one of those words that everyday Americans pull out of the subconscious like a magician pulls a coin out of an ear. Another example is the frequent misuse of the word "fortuitous." Both have been so frequently used, people don't give them any thought. That's probably why they are in the dictionary -- because they're used often, even if they're improper.

I decided to share with the Countdown and Hardball folks and you what I had discovered. A little fact-checking will do wonders to strengthen a claim (or avoid an error), especially with word zealots on-guard.

Turn-of-a-phrase turns the phrase clever

2005-11-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: "impossible is nothing."
Citation: Adidas television ad Sunday, November 6, 2005
Usage: Tag line for Adidas after showing athletes doing the incredible.
Comment: A great turn of the phrase, “nothing is impossible,” a great American cliché. Makes the reference clever, very much like the shoe brand.

Novelist is "writing like flying fingers"

2005-11-07T10:53:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: “I'm writing like flying fingers.”
Citation: e-mail from inspirational romance novelist Gail Gaymer Martin on October 29, 2005
Usage: After a response on her weblog about occasional writer’s block, Ms. Martin writes, “Today is a good one. I'm writing like flying fingers.”
Comment: I can just Gail her at her keyboard, her fingers tapping out her story like a pianist’s playing the Minuet.
• Visit Gail's website at www.gailmartin.com
• Visit Gail's weblog at gailmartin.blogspot.com

Quote brings animation to the inanimate

2005-10-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

Quotable phrase: "I could talk the ears off of a wooden Indian."
Citation: Weblog ripped by RB Ripley, from October 24, 2005
Usage: Third paragraph, last line and a half: ‘describing himself, Earle's been quoted, "I could talk the ears off of a wooden Indian.")’ [color font mine]
Comment 1: An interesting turn of phrase.
Comment 2: I apologize if including this phrase offends anyone, especially our Native American cousins. The image portrayed here is not disparaging of Native Americans but rather is reflective of making the inanimate become animated -- immovable ears drop off. What might be disparaging to Native Americans is the "wooden Indian" itself.

Discovery: geek slang for "real world"

2005-10-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Word discovery: Meatspace (also meat space and meat-space)
Citation: The Blog Herald, Forbes does cover story hatchet job on blogging, Oct. 27, 2005.
Usage: Last paragraph, “Take a look around the blogosphere for yourself and you will find real humans - good, bad and ugly. What do you know? It’s just like in the meatspace (real world).” [color font mine]
Meaning: Physical world rather than the virtual world or cyberspace.
Comments: Originates from geek^1b slang, which often is as imaginative as the virtual worlds they enjoy inhabiting.

Discovery: a word meaning a secret scheme or plot

2005-10-25T11:25:00.000-04:00

Word discovery: cabal
Citation: “Former Powell Aide Says Bush Policy Is Run by 'Cabal'” by Brian Knowlton, The New York Times online, October 21, 2005
Usage: First paragraph: former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, saying that "foreign policy had been usurped by a ‘Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal,’" [link and color font mine]
Meaning: “a secret scheme or plot”, American Heritage Online Dictionary.
Comments: a word used a lot lately to describe the influence of neocons in general, and Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in particular, in the George W. Bush Administration.

Discovery: a word describing the combining of two things

2005-10-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

Word discovery: conflated
Citation: “A War on Wilson?” by Matthew Cooper et. al., Time (magazine) online
Usage: Ninth paragraph, first sentence: “Wilson says that the Administration conflated the prior report of the American ambassador to Niger with his own.” [link and color font mine]
Meaning: "to bring together" or "to combine", Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Comments: In this news story, which is about a White House (United States) effort to taint the image of former diplomat Joseph Wilson, this word takes on a sinister meaning.

"Fever Pitch" pitches Ted Williams' freezer metaphor

2005-10-17T15:19:00.000-04:00

Quotable phrase: …roll over in his freezer…
Citation: Fever Pitch, 2005 movie starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon.
Usage: Rabid Red Sox fans at a Boston bar discussing Boston Red Sox being down three games for three in World Series against New York Yankees. They see three star Sox players at a table eating copious amounts of food and one of the characters says, “Ted Williams would roll over in his freezer if he saw this.” [link and color font mine][also see official Ted Williams website][freezer reference]
Comment: A great reworking of “roll over in his grave” cliché to fit baseball metaphor.

Discovery: A phrase to describe a delayed repartee

2005-10-14T20:28:00.000-04:00

Word discovery: “esprit d’escalier” or “wit of the staircase”
Citation: “The Wit of the Staircase”, weblog intro
Usage: From the French phrase 'esprit d'escalier,' literally, it means 'the wit of the staircase' [color font mine]
Meaning: As explained in the weblog intro: “…usually refers to the perfect witty response you think up after the conversation or argument is ended.”
Comments: This actually has a name?
Notes: I haven’t been able to confirm that it is an idiom of French. Do you know? I looked up “esprit d’escalier” and didn’t find a direct translation via the program I used. However, I did verify that “wit” or “humor” are among the meanings for esprit and “staircase” is one of the meanings for escalier. (Usage example: rampe d’escalier means bannister.)

Also, from the title: repartee

New feature: Word discoveries, adding to my vocabulary

2005-10-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

Word discovery: fungible
Citation: “Debunking Financial Urban Myths”, AOL Personal Finance, Myth No. 5, second paragraph, third sentence.
Usage: “…gasoline is what's known as a fungible commodity…” [color font mine]
Meaning: adjective, “of goods or commodities; freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation” from OneLook Dictionary Search.
Comment: I'm not sure how often I would use this word, but it's interesting to know. I have written and edited for business for 25 years, and this is the first time I have seen this word. Have you seen it before?

Embracing your inner somethings

2005-10-11T11:47:00.000-04:00

Quotable phrase: "...embrace their inner Manhattans..."
Citation: “The new Sohos” by Les Christie, CNN/Money, introductory blurb.
Usage: “Western U.S. cities, once bastions of low rise construction and single-family homes, are beginning to embrace their inner Manhattans …” [color font mine]
Recasts cliché: embrace your inner self
Thoughts: I like it. It's a rephrasing of a cliché, which means the reference is familiar but the use is unique.

The ethics of ethical controversies

2005-10-10T09:50:00.000-04:00

Questionable phrase: ethical controversies
Citation: “For GOP, election anxiety mounts” by Charles Babington and Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post (via msnbc.com), fourth paragraph, second sentence.
Usage: “With an unpopular war in Iraq, ethical controversies shadowing top Republicans in the House and Senate, and President Bush suffering the lowest approval ratings of his presidency…” [color font and links mine]
Recommendation: ethics controversies
Rationale: as currently used, “ethical” modifies controversies. The controversies they talk about are neither ethical nor unethical. Using “ethics” instead, it becomes a compound noun with controversies as the primary noun modified by "ethics". The controversies they mention do involve ethics.

Two from Saturday’s The New York Times

2005-10-08T12:29:00.000-04:00

Ever hear of the “razor blade” business model?
It describes a marketing approach “named from the marketing innovation of King C. Gillette, who in the early years of the last century sold razors for a low price but made all his money on the high-margin* disposable razor blades.”

*margin: see point 6 in the American Heritage Dictionary

The New York Times is tying the concept into the digital photo printing business practices of Hewlett-Packard and Canon, who sell photo printer hardware inexpensively but make their money on the repeat expensive purchases of paper and ink (accessories) that go into the printers.

See “Why Do-It-Yourself Photo Printing Doesn't Add Up” by Damon Darlin in the Saturday, October 8, 2005, issue of The New York Times.

What’s new with the flu?
Are you reading or writing about the new Avian Flu pandemic the world is expecting in the near future? With the way government leaders and journalists are throwing around the concepts behind it, how much does the world really understand about the problem?

Here, via The New York Times article in Saturday’s (October 8, 2005) article, “Bush Plan Shows U.S. Is Not Ready for Deadly Flu” by Gardiner Harris, is a listing of information that may help you sort it out.:

● Use of “epidemic” vs. “pandemic” see articles on “epidemics”

● Use of term “Virus” see articles on “Viruses”

● Use of term “Flu” see articles on “influenza”

Words that could begin – or stop – a career

2005-10-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

If you are about to write a résumé – or if you have one already, but you need to update it – pay attention to some advice on CareerBuilder.com: Watch the words you use, many with commonplace use in the past may be dangerous to use now.

These are words like "ambitious," "competitive," "experienced," and "knowledgeable."

For the complete list of résumé no-no words, read “25 Words That Can Hurt Your Résumé” by Laura Morsch at CareerBuilder.com, under Articles & Advice.

"Up-level" might make you up-chuck

2005-10-06T12:37:00.000-04:00

Questionable word: up-level (used as a verb)
Citation: Crisis Manager e-newsletter of 10.04.06 (by subscription), Crisis Manager University, fifth article: “Guest Editorial Re Katrina Predictions” by Rick Reed of California.
Usage: First paragraph after Editor’s Note, “…I also believe that we must up-level the discussion from emergency managers to those who decide on how much “insurance” they want to buy…” [color font mine]
Recommendation: Avoid it.
Rationale: It doesn't show up in any of the online dictionaries I consulted (Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford English Dictionary, Wiktionary) nor my hardbound copy of the American Heritage Dictionary. I'm not even clear what it means, although from the usage I suspect it means "go up a level" or "take it up a notch." This is obviously a word the author made up, which is dangerous, especially for a consultant, who needs to demonstrate knowledge and skill.

Research Tip: A great one-stop word resource (dictionary) is yourdictionary.com, which includes links to dozens of dictionaries, in lots of languages.

Going for a “chick flick” tonight? Consult a dictionary first.

2005-10-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

All right word fans, what do “brain freeze,” “chick flick,” “hospitalist,” “otology,” and “amuse-bouche” all have in common? They’re among the 18 new word entries in the latest printed edition of the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. They join the roughly 17 million other words that the dictionary publisher monitors, a few of which make it into their amalgum of words of the American language.

New words take about 10 years to get into the dictionary. Some are more urgent to get in that others, like “SARS,” which stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. This acronym began attracting attention two years ago as a health hazard, but is of such consequence to American readers that the publishers decided to add it this year. The last update to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary in print was in 2003.

These new words haven’t begun to show up in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, however.

Read the original article, which includes an interactive look at the 18 new words.

A voice in the third trimester?

2005-10-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

Quotable phrase: “his voice pregnant with emotion”
Citation: “Friend, in deed” by Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune online, Oct. 1, 2005
Usage: Page 2, second to last paragraph, talking about Tim Wambach who had run a 600 mile journey raising awareness about Cerebral Palsy: "Tim ran really for all the people who can't run, for all the people who have a struggle, who have a block," said Denis Berkson, his voice pregnant with emotion as he addressed the crowd. [color font mine]
Recommendation: Leave as is.
Rationale: Nicely expresses a voice heavy or loaded with feeling, also perhaps burdened but expectant for the future.

Charms hang, bracelets wrap

2005-09-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

Questionable phrase: “hanging from him like charm bracelets”
Citation: “Justice DeLayed” by John Dickeson, Slate, September 29, 2005.
Usage: Second paragraph, third sentence, “DeLay's got troubles hanging from him like charm bracelets,” talking about Rep. Tom DeLay’s (former Majority Leader) recent indictment in Texas.
Recommendation: I would have said something more like “hanging from him like charms on a bracelet.”
Rationale: I don’t think the writer really meant troubles hanging like bracelets, which is what his simile says; rather, I think he meant troubles hanging like charms, which is what charms do – they hang, while bracelets wrap around the wrist. Otherwise, I really like the metaphor.

New words and the sources to figure them out

2005-09-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

American lexicography continues to grow, much as the English language that it studies grows. How does an editor keep up with all the new words? Various sources are available to learn what’s new.

Copy Editor’s Dictionary Update
The bi-monthly editing newsletter Copy Editor publishes “Dictionary Update” each print issue, bringing its readers up-to-date with new words and their meanings. For instance, in the August-September 2005 issue, they include the following new words:
• babymoon
• go-bag
• hick-hop

FYI, Copy Editor's "Dictionary Update" is prepared by Jesse Sheidlower, the principal editor of the North American unit of the Oxford English Dictionary. His DU entries come from the OED files.

Wired’s Jargon Watch
The monthly Wired magazine (print and online) includes five or so new words from technology each issue under “jargon watch.” For instance, in the September 2005 issue they include the following:
• non-analytical positive
• dirt-style
• toyetic
• meat puppet

Wikimedia’s Wiktionary
Have you seen a word but you can’t find it in the dictionary? It might be new to the lexicon. One sure place to look is the Wikimedia Foundation’s “Wiktionary” or “Wikipedia.” Caution: Wiktionary and Wikipedia are not static sources of information. The Wikimedia Foundation describes the Wiktionary in this way:
Wiktionary is a free multilingual dictionary and thesaurus that's being
written collaboratively on this web site. Anybody can edit any article,
and a record of changes is kept. Since December–2002, we have created
92,802 definitions or articles.

Still, having a fluid definition may beat no definition in a pinch. And they provide definitions for words in dozens of languages.

I will bring you new sources in this weblog as I find them.

Time is precious and so is language

2005-09-25T17:59:00.000-04:00

I ran into a great new expression that I just had to share it with you! Thus, my second post on language of the day.

Quotable expression: "time precious"
Citation: "What Are Some Blogs About?" by Peter Brady, Ads on Blogs, Friday, September 23, 2005.
Usage: Third paragraph: "What I do know is that most people are time precious and want to know what a blog is about within seconds of landing on a home page." [color text mine]
Recommendation: Use as is and give Peter Brady a pat on the back.
Rationale: You hear about people who are "time conscious" and "time sensitive," but can you recall ever hearing about someone who is time precious? It's a great addition to our language that expresses with far more immediacy how critical time is for many people -- it's precious.

Also see my blog on clichés at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com.

When "more importantly" may not be "more important"

2005-09-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

Questionable phrase: "more importantly"
Citation: "Can Bloggers Strike It Rich?" by Adam L. Penenberg, Wired online, News
Usage: Fifth paragraph, "...but more importantly, they'd be validating..." used as a bridge in quoting David Hauslaib, founder of Jossip and Queerty blogs.
Recommendation: "more important"
Rationale: Here again, this is a quote, so maybe this isn't as pure an example as I could use, but I ran into it today and it occurs frequently in many other magazines, newspapers, and other communications vehicles.

The problem with using "importantly" this way (beyond this specific example) is that it's an adverb, and what does that adverb modify? Taken face value, it seems to say that the mere fact of stating the clause which is to come is important, giving an unintended heightened sense of importance to the writer. What the writer (or speaker, in this case) really means is that the point he is about to make is more important than the point he previously made in the same (long) sentence. In this case, I think "more important" is the better phrase.

It's become almost standard use, and I think it occurs out of rote rather than out of correctness. One almost falls easily into its use because one has seen it so often.

What do you think?

Also see my blog on cliches at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com. (Note the hyphens in "cliche-a-day".)

Where do you go for the last word on words?

2005-09-24T10:21:00.000-04:00

Today, I am going to depart slightly from my usual form. What I'm about to say is germane to our discussion on language, so please bear with me a moment and read on.

The Copy Editor newsletter recently ran an article on dictionary publishers and their contributions to American language. It brought up the issue of what readers expect out of entries in a dictionary, which reaches to the core of how we make decisions on word usage and lexicography in general.

So here is a thought to ponder for writers, editors, and other students of our language: What do you expect when you reference a word in a dictionary? Are you looking for definitive decisions on words as they must be, or are you looking for suggestions on words as they may be? (Let me know what you think by using the Comments feature.)

You might be surprised to learn that dictionary publishers look for the latter when making an entry on a word. From their point of view, our language isn't static, it changes over time -- morphs if you will -- to the way people actually use it. These scholars, who often do extensive research on words, try to depict a word's usage nearest the time of the writing. Their citation actually reflects their best educated guess.

Furthermore, as in many disciplines, scholars don't always agree on word usage. So, you may find different information in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary than you do in the American Heritage Dictionary. As a word researcher for your project, you need to decide what usage will make the most sense to your readers.

Then how much should you rely on your favorite dictionary to help you find word information? Only to the extent that you trust its knowledge base, and only to the extent your word(s) are non-controversial. In the latter instance, it would be wise to have a second dictionary on hand -- today you can even use a couple of online dictionaries.

Online Dictionaries
• Cambridge Dictionaries Online (currently being upgraded)
• Oxford English Dictionary
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A final note on dictionaries: Did you know that there is more than one version of "the Websters"? Yes, multiple dictionary publishers use "Websters" in their titles. Which is best? It depends on what information you want to find and which Websters provides it to you the most consistently. It also depends on how many words you may need to research and how wide the area of language it may provide.

Cliché about Moss gathers no stones

2005-09-22T15:21:00.000-04:00

Quotable text: "...this picture worth a thousand words...and millions of dollars."
Citation: "Moss Loses Two Jobs After Cocaine Reports" Associated Press, ABC News Tonight, Wednesday, September 21, 2005. Original story without recast of cliché, at ABCNews.go.com.
Usage: Kicker to the television version of the story about supermodel Kate Moss losing contracts after photos in a London (England) tabloid showed her using cocaine.
Recommendation: Leave as is and give the writer a long round of applause.
Rationale: Using clichés is all right when you give them a twist as the writer (unknown) did here. It would have been easier -- though far less effective -- if the writer had simply picked up the old cliché about a picture being worth a thousand words. Recasting the cliché to greater effect is what good writing is about.

See my blog on clichés at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com.

Finally, some language to cheer about

2005-09-20T16:42:00.000-04:00

Quotable text: "...and by threatening to revoke the licenses of repeat polluters, the Senate seeks to return to the public square the gentler tenor of yesteryear, when seldom were heard any scurrilous words, and famous guys were not foul mouthed all day." [color font mine]
Citation: "Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore" by Natalie Angier, The New York Times, Science, Tuesday, September 20, 2005.
Usage: Second paragraph, describing potential new federal legislation to increase penalties for uttering obscenities on the air.
Recommendation: Leave as is. I applaud this twist of an old and sometimes overused lyric, "when seldom were heard a discouraging word, and the skies were not cloudy all day."
Rationale: I have highlighted abused or questionable language more recently and I was excited to have something positive to share. The whole article is a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

Also try my blog on cliches at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com.

Caption falls short as it leans too far forward

2005-09-16T02:13:00.000-04:00

Questionable caption: "New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, left, leans forward to view a map as he calls out areas that will be open as the city recovers from Hurricane Katrina." [color text mine]
Citation: "Mayor Plans to Reopen Parts of New Orleans" by Brett Martel, AP., AOL News, Crisis After Katrina, Latest News, Thursday, September 15, 2005, 9:49 pm EDT.
Usage: Photo of New Orleans mayor looking at map.
Recommendation: delete "leans forward to view"; better yet, recast the whole caption to something more like "New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, left, identifies areas of the city to reopen beginning Monday as it recovers from Hurricane Katrina."
Rationale: Captions can be hard to write, but please! Telling the reader that the mayor is leaning is useless information. Who cares that he's leaning? More important is the fact that the map identifies areas of New Orleans, La., soon to reopen to residents.

Also try my blog on clichés at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com.

Let's remove water instead of dewatering

2005-09-14T01:48:00.000-04:00

Questionable word: "dewatering"
Citation: White House Press Release, September 12, 2005. "President, Lieutenant General Honore Discuss Hurricane Relief in Louisiana North Claiborne and Cleveland Streets
New Orleans, Louisiana."
Usage: In third paragraph, "And we just came through an area that had had substantial water in it, and the dewatering is an indication that the city is moving forward."
Recommendation: "water removal" or "removal of water"
Rationale: This is a quote directly from the President during extemporaneous comments, so you probably have to use what he said, verbatim. However, written comments for the President might have been a better route: Mr. Bush isn't nearly as effective speaking off-the-cuff as he is when given something to say. My hope is that editors would paraphrase for him and not use the bureaucratic-sounding "dewatering."

Also try my blog on clichés at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com

A "rewild" idea

2005-08-20T09:27:00.000-04:00

Questionable word: "rewilding"
Citation: among other publications, Live Science, "Lions, Camels and Elephants, Oh My!" by Robert Roy Britt.
Usage: describes the possible practice of reintroducing wildlife present more than 10,000 years ago into the U.S. Great Plains and Southwest; recently recommended by scientists at Cornell University.
Recommendation: instead use "reintroduction" or "repatriation"
Rationale: why give an old concept a new name when the old names work fine?

Why is there this desire to make up words? Why does "rewilding" better describe "reintroduction" or even "wildlife repatriation"? At least if scientists and journalists used these terms to describe the practice, people could look up the term(s) in a dictionary. Rewilding isn't in the dictionary -- yet.

Also try my blog on clichés at http://www.e-messenger-consulting.com/latest/.

Do you come with "references"?

2005-08-19T16:12:00.000-04:00

Questionable phrase: "with reference to" or "regarding"
Example: When submitting a question with reference to our company policy on rebates...
Thought: Using more complex language often reduces understanding.
Recommendation: simplify "with reference to" to "about"
New example: When submitting a question about our company policy on rebates...
Rationale: the simpler the language, the quicker it is to read and the easier it is to understand.

I often find this more complex language in use by bureaucrats and educators, in addition to the inexperienced who confuse it for more formal language. The best rule I can cite is K.I.S.S. -- keep it simple stupid!

See my blog on clichés at cliche-a-day.blogspot.com