Am I "different than" you? Or "different from " you? And does it matter?
"Different than is often considered inferior to different from," Garner's Modern American Usage says. We certainly don't want to be inferior. Continue reading...
The good times were back on Wall Street, the news report said. Executives of an banking firm were staying at "some luxury digs in New Dehli." But, the report added, "This is not a pure junket, to be sure." The executives would also be conducting some business.
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Last month, a post at the Poynter Institute took a strong stand: "It's time for copy editors to loosen the cardigan when it comes to 'media,'" Andrew Beaujon wrote. He said he felt "like a tool writing 'The media are.'"
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The word bludgeon is perfect for writers looking for a synonym for club that isn't overused. It can be a noun or a verb. As a noun it means "a heavy, short club that is thicker at one end or is weighted at one end." Think of the clichéd caveman's club, and you've got the right idea.
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A friend of mine recently alerted me to an odd type of "word." See if you can guess what the following mean:
• l10nContinue reading...
• i18n
• d11n
Word Tasting Note: "Hubbub"
Is a hubbub simply general hullaballoo, or is it something more threatening?
"What's the hubbub, Bub?" said Bugs Bunny. But, buddy, what is a hubbub? Is it simply general hullaballoo? Or is it something more threatening?
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Topics:
Word Origins
Some words travel a winding path to their meanings, causing language users confusion over what they actually mean. A word whose definition or usage is so hotly contested that it never fails to draw attention to itself is called a skunked term. It may be that language users will resolve the problem over time, but until then, what's a writer to do? Today, the story behind fulsome and what to do with this stinky term.
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