Listen closely; I may not repeat this message.
I’ve screamed, I’ve hollered, I’ve cried, I’ve whispered, and I’ve cursed. Still, I receive questions about using an apostrophe to make a noun plural. No, No, a thousand times NO! A bunch of apples has no apostrophe! Only the apple’s core or the apple’s peeling or the apple’s blossom rates the apostrophe.
An apostrophe indicates two things: 1) in the cases of the core, peeling, and blossom (above), it shows possession. 2) The other use is to indicate something left out, f’r cryin’ out loud! Don’t you see that?
IS NO ONE LISTENING?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Do You Feel Persecuted or Prosecuted?
The answer depends on whether or not you’re in court yet. You can feel persecuted (annoyed, bothered, discriminated against, or harassed) without a lawyer, but if you’re being prosecuted, best to hire that lawyer (you could be in deep doo-doo).
Thursday, January 12, 2012
“Love Me Like a Man...” Really?
There’s a song that Diana Krall sings that drives me up the wall when I hear it. Sung by a woman, she is asking, “Love me like a man...”. Now I have to wonder: does she want someone to love her as a man would love her, or is she asking someone to love her as if she were a man? Gender issues are difficult enough to unsnare without them bubbling over into song!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
BYAM — an excellent guideline
Trouble remembering whether it’s “between you and I” or “between you and me”? Use the BYAM mnemonic tool and you’ll never be wrong again. I could tell you why, but then it wouldn’t be fun!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Who Changed Brit-English to U.S.-English?
No, it wasn't The Grammar Anarchist, although the need persists. (Will we never learn?)
ANSWER: Noah Webster. Yup! Back BEFORE the U.S. Constitution was finalized, he taught school and realized the blasphemy of teaching British words to kids whose parents were overthrowing the king. He wrote the Blue-Backed Speller for his students and published it in 1783. He followed that with a grammar book in 1784 and a reader in 1785.
Still, we insist on spelling honor with a “u” and center with the “er” reversed!
ANSWER: Noah Webster. Yup! Back BEFORE the U.S. Constitution was finalized, he taught school and realized the blasphemy of teaching British words to kids whose parents were overthrowing the king. He wrote the Blue-Backed Speller for his students and published it in 1783. He followed that with a grammar book in 1784 and a reader in 1785.
Still, we insist on spelling honor with a “u” and center with the “er” reversed!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Time to Get To Work
“The holidays have passed”, says the Spirit of Holidays Past. Time to paste in some more cheery words as a pastime for the grammar geeks.
On the cusp of a new year, we use words such as “passed, past, pastime” and often mix up the spelling. Careful, Writer, even the experienced ones do it! You’re not the only one to muck up your memories of yore. There are many who mix their words as they’re concentrating on the melody.
Oops is a 4-letter word! Avoid having to use it.
On the cusp of a new year, we use words such as “passed, past, pastime” and often mix up the spelling. Careful, Writer, even the experienced ones do it! You’re not the only one to muck up your memories of yore. There are many who mix their words as they’re concentrating on the melody.
Oops is a 4-letter word! Avoid having to use it.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
However you say it…
Even a grammar anarchist enjoys a holiday respite.
To keep you thinking for a while, here is my message:
To keep you thinking for a while, here is my message:
Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!,Joyeux NoelFroehliche WeihnachtenFeliz NavidadVesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo LetoFeliz NatalBuone Feste NatalizieNadolig LlawenGlædelig JulNollaig Shona DhuitZorionak eta Urte Berri On!God Jul or Gledelig JulIdah Saidan Wa Sanah JadidahMerry KeshmishMele KalikimakaGajan Kristnaskon
and if you didn’t find your language:MERRY C H R I S T M A S
and
HAPPY, P R O S P E R O U S
N E W Y E A R!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Beware What You Call “Good English”
Listen to the oft-quoted British playwright, William Shakespeare, who noticed half a millennium ago, “Good English writers cannot be understood today.”
As if to prove the Bard right (two centuries before he was born), Thomas Hoceleve commented about something written by Chaucer,
As if to prove the Bard right (two centuries before he was born), Thomas Hoceleve commented about something written by Chaucer,
Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaungeLest you don't read “English”, he's saying, that speech changes every thousand years or so, and words, although they contain hidden human traits that once sounded nice and strong, become misunderstood. Language changes. Get used to it!
Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem;
Upper Case Respect
Nouns are things; some nouns are more important than others — they’re called “proper nouns”. Proper Nouns receive capital letters, to increase their importance. Kathleen Parker, in a recent column in the Washington Post, called it “Upper Case Respect” — a term that describes the guideline very well. Which nouns deserve your Upper Case Respect are your decisions. Ain’t grammar fun!
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