Writing

Happy 2020! It’s the start of a brand-new decade that’s sure to bring changes we can’t yet imagine. Turning points like this inspire language observers of every ilk to focus on how our common lexicon has evolved during the past ten years. Various language-focused organizations revealed their selections for 2019 Word of the Year (WOTY)…

New words enter the English lexicon in all kinds of ways. They may originate in slang, migrate in from other languages, expand from regional dialects or even morph from brand names into general terminology (e.g. Kleenex, Xerox, Jell-o, Band-Aid, and Google as a verb). Some transition from the name of an inventor or researcher into…

If you’re in one of the professional services, you probably don’t think a lot about ink. You know – the stuff that fills pens and printer cartridges and seems to cost more than it should. Fun fact: you’re not imagining those exorbitant prices. Ounce for ounce, ink costs more than blood on the open market.…

Today is a holiday; that much we know. But what exactly is that holiday called? Is it President’s Day? Presidents’ Day? Presidents Day? Or something else entirely? It all started with George Washington, who was born in 1731 – or maybe 1732. The holiday we celebrate on the third Monday in February began as a…

Language is full of rules, no matter which one you speak. The funny thing is that we often know and follow the rules of our mother tongue without ever recognizing that there’s even a rule involved. If someone asked you to share your feelings about ablaut reduplication, what would you do? If you’re like most…

In writing, mistakes are inevitable. That doesn’t make them any less regrettable or embarrassing though, especially when they’re preventable. Often, the most troublesome words closely resemble others that may or may not be related but are definitely distinct. In the interest of helping business writers avoid some of the most common errors, here are five…

All modern languages are alive, in that they grow and change as a response to the way their speakers use them. English, as the most widely spoken language on earth today, expands at a rapid clip. While it’s easy to observe these changes first-hand, we can also look to the dictionaries for notice because they…

The English language holds no shortage of pitfalls for writers. With so many cognates and words that are almost-but-not-quite the same, it’s no wonder that mistakes riddle our communications. Sometimes these errors are accidental; other times the misuse reflects a downright ornery refusal to stick within accepted usage guidelines. Editors may sneer, proof-readers pooh-pooh, and…