Quote of the Day
October 31, 2015
“Historically, the most terrible things – war, genocide, and slavery – have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience.” ― Howard Zinn
Month: October 2015
Meanings of words change, but…
October 30, 2015
Choose the correct word: Cecil’s spiritual adviser urged Cecil to avoid the porn shop by taking an (alternative/alternate) route to work Colbart was not (adverse/averse) to cheating at solitaire. Abigail was (loath/loathe) to try the fried grasshoppers Mort was raving about. Even the whiskey barbecue sauce didn’t (titillate/titivate) her appetite. (Your/You’re) more than welcome. Bert’s … More Meanings of words change, but…
Quote of the Day
October 30, 2015
“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.”–Robert Cormier
Unintended Consequences
October 29, 2015
I am a complainer. I have complained to managers about bad service in stores and restaurants. I have complained to customer service reps about being put on hold on the telephone. I have complained about the music that I have had to listen to while on hold. Not long ago, after being put on hold … More Unintended Consequences
Quote of the Day
October 29, 2015
“Thanks to the redundancy of language, yxx cxn xndxrstxnd whxt x xm wrxtxng xvxn xf x rxplxcx xll thx vxwxls wxth xn “x” (t gts lttl hrdr f y dn’t vn kn whr th vwls r)” ― Steven Pinker
Adjectives
October 28, 2015
Also look at “Killing Adjectives” https://noharmspilt.com/2015/10/08/killing-adjectives/ Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns. Nouns are persons, places or things. The adjectives in the following examples are in bold type: an old man, a big deal, beautiful Canada. Sometimes two words are used together to form a single compound adjective. Some compound adjectives such as … More Adjectives
Quote of the Day
October 28, 2015
“I do not think science has to make any apologies. It looks at the world and tells it like it is. And we all live longer, better lives because of this dispassionate view. Sure, it commands awe and provides inspiration. Still, I would rather be operated on by a surgeon who sees me as an … More Quote of the Day
Spotting Errors
October 27, 2015
Can you spot the errors in the following sentences? I didn’t bother reading Improve Your Body Image: Make Friends Who Exercise Less Than You Do, which was stupid. Neither the Brown sisters nor Jadwiga have ever considered dating Colbart. Sedgewick almost ran five miles before he remembered that the marathon had been cancelled. To get … More Spotting Errors
Quote of the Day
October 27, 2015
“An ideology that divides the world into those who are worth more and those who are worth less, into superior and inferior beings, does not have to reach the dimensions of the German genocide to be wrong.”–Amira Hass
To Hyphenate or Not To Hyphenate
October 26, 2015
Rules for using hyphens are complicated, and anybody who has to do a lot of writing should have a good reference manual handy. Here are some useful guidelines: Compound adjectives are generally hyphenated when they come before a noun: a gas-guzzler car, a four-story building, a five-year-old child. Compound adjectives are generally not hyphenated when … More To Hyphenate or Not To Hyphenate
No Harm Spilt 