The Word Guy from Creators Syndicate

And Now for Some Trash Talk for 05/23/2012

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

With the help of Mim Harrison's delightful book "Words at Work," let's go Dumpster diving and examine some jargon from the world of garbage collection ... er, "waste management."

If you still think of a garbage truck in the generic terms of your father's corny riddle ("What has four wheels and flies?"), you should know that those trucks with the noisy compa ...

Updated: Wed May 23, 2012

These Boots Were Made For… for 05/16/2012

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Two random dispatches from the Word Front...

— Talking the Walk

"I am a slow walker," Abraham Lincoln once said, "but I never walk back."

If only today's politicians would follow honest Abe's example. Every day, it seems some public figure is forced to "walk back" a statement.

"In Washington parlance," explains New York ...

Updated: Wed May 16, 2012

What's the Scoop on 'Troop'? for 05/09/2012

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q. What's up with the noun "troop"? The definition of this word as I learned it and as defined by Merriam-Webster is "a group of soldiers." Yet, so frequently these days, I hear or read lines such as "three troops were injured today," with the reference being made to three soldiers, with "troop" being used to mean an individual soldier. Help! — Dave ...

Updated: Wed May 09, 2012

A Child's Garden of 'Versus' for 05/02/2012

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q. Last year, we had a foreign exchange student from Germany stay with our family. When he wanted to challenge our boys to a video game, he would say he wanted to "verse" them. I have never heard of that form of "versus" being used that way. Now my oldest son wants to "verse" me in a video game. I would think that the word "challenge" would be the correct ...

Updated: Wed May 02, 2012

Don't Flout the Rules on ‘Flaunt' for 04/25/2012

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q. Could you please explain the difference between "flout" and "flaunt"? — John Daigle, Vernon, Conn.

A. There's a difference? Just kidding, though the frequent misuse of "flaunt" for "flout" makes me suspect that the distinction between these two verbs is fading.

"Flaunt" means "to show off or parade something in an o ...

Updated: Wed Apr 25, 2012

To 'B' or Not to 'B' for 04/18/2012

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q. Can you explain the origin of the word "subtle" and why the "b" is silent? Is there any other word that has a silent "b"? — Joanne Anderson, New Britain, Conn.

A. At the risk of being not so subtle, I love the word "subtle" ! Why? Because its history illuminates the fascinating evolution of English.

The ancient Romans used ...

Updated: Wed Apr 18, 2012

Breaking the Bank for 04/11/2012

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q. The screen on my bank's ATM machine closes all transactions by telling me, "We appreciate you choosing (Bank XYZ)." Instinctively I feel that it should be "We appreciate your choosing (Bank XYZ)." Or is the bank, as always, right? — Curt Vazquez, Pittsburgh, Pa.

A. To quote the Monopoly card, "Bank Error in 'Your' Favor!" In this sentence ...

Updated: Wed Apr 11, 2012

Honoring Our 'Nother' Tongue for 04/04/2012

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Q: I'm wondering whether you can shed some light on the phrase "a whole nother," as in "a whole nother ball of wax." I am hearing it more frequently of late. — Roselle Haas via email

A: "Nother" first appeared in written English in 1909 but was certainly common in spoken English well before then. Etymologists believe it arose when people heard "an ...

Updated: Wed Apr 04, 2012

English Faces Triple Trouble for 03/28/2012

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

What group constitutes the greatest danger to English?

Is it the Great Unwashed — careless abusers of grammar, usage, punctuation and pronunciation who pollute the linguistic atmosphere with blunders?

Is it the Great Prewashed — denim-clad teenagers who tattoo their speech with "like" and make every statement sound like a question?

Or is it the Grea ...

Updated: Wed Mar 28, 2012

Sleeping Like a Log in a Hotbed for 03/21/2012

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Right now, I'm facing a huge backlog of work: tall stacks of papers to grade, long lists of emails to read, and big, circular blocks of oak firewood to split and stack (thank you, October snowstorm).

That wood, in fact, harbors a clue to the origin of "backlog." In colonial days, Americans did all they could to keep the fires in their cavernous fireplaces burning overnight. Th ...

Updated: Wed Mar 21, 2012

Caution: Transitions Ahead! for 03/14/2012

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

When you drive along an unfamiliar road, you depend on yellow warning signs to tell you what's coming next. Perpendicular lines signal an upcoming intersection, a snaky "S" heralds a curvy passage, a leaping deer tells you ... vaulting venison!

By showing what's ahead, these signs help motorists anticipate adjustments in speed or direction. And they're much less annoying than ...

Updated: Wed Mar 14, 2012

Verbs Are Subject to Subjects for 03/07/2012

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: In the following sentence, what is the correct verb with the noun "relationships": "Relationships was/were the top reason for winning this new contract." I agree that, on the face of it, "relationships" takes a plural verb, but to me, "were" does not feel right when the phrase "top reason" follows. — Earl Flowers, West Hartford, Conn. < ...

Updated: Wed Mar 07, 2012

Principal Stands on Principle for 02/29/2012

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

I was called into the principal's office last week. And, no, it wasn't because I had smuggled a toad into school or dipped Becky Thatcher's braids into the inkwell.

I was visiting a local elementary school when all of a sudden the principal summoned me into her office.

"'All the sudden!'" she said. "I hear it over and over. Will you please write about this?"

Updated: Wed Feb 29, 2012

Of Human Blondage for 02/22/2012

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: I would enjoy it if you wrote about the correct use of "blonde" and "blond." — John Currie, Farmington, Conn.

A: First, it's important to point out that "blond/e" is no Anglo-flaxenism. It's derived from French, and its two different endings (split ends?) reflect the French practice of using "e" as a feminine tag and the "e"-less ...

Updated: Wed Feb 22, 2012

Put a Sock in It! for 02/15/2012

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Sometimes you put your foot(wear) in your mouth. Let's look at the origins of some "soxy" and "sole"ful terms.

— Blue stocking

Oddly enough, this derogatory term for an intellectual woman derives from an intellectual man. In 1750s London, a group of upper crust ladies began hosting evening gatherings for men and women to discuss literature. This proved to ...

Updated: Wed Feb 15, 2012

Cue up a Queue of Tricky Phrases for 02/08/2012

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Verbs followed by prepositions can be tricky. Can you select the correct verb in each phrase?

1. At dawn, the band's fans started to (cue up, queue up) for tickets.

2. The danger of infection (militates against, mitigates against) extensive surgery.

3. The hikers (clambered up, clamored up) the steep trail.

4. The stream was (teaming with, teeming with) fish.

...

Updated: Wed Feb 08, 2012

Let Us Now Pronounce Famous Men for 02/01/2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Q: What's the proper way to pronounce "Carnegie"? I am from Pittsburgh, where the guy lived for many years and had a university named for him — Carnegie Mellon. We pronounce it "kahr-NEG-ee" in these parts of the woods. I hear newscasters and people from the New York area pronounce it "KAHR-nuh-gee." — Liz in Butler, Pa.

A: Funny you should ask. ...

Updated: Wed Feb 01, 2012

Getting Our Kilter Back in Whack for 01/25/2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Why do we say something is "out of kilter" or "out of whack"? Has something ever been "in kilter" or "in whack"?

I first heard the term "out of kilter" as a kid while watching my father build a basketball backboard and hoop next to our driveway. I had rarely seen him more serene and busy.

But after the concrete ...

Updated: Wed Jan 25, 2012

Do You Have 20/20 Revision? for 01/18/2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Can you find 20 errors in the following account of the ongoing battle over English usage?

Commentators on English usage follow one of two general principals. Prescriptivists believe English should adhere to a multitude of discreet rules and find it nerve-wracking when they see a violation of these regulations. They wish there were less errors, and they try to staunch these mistakes. ...

Updated: Wed Jan 18, 2012

Getting Excited About Prepositions for 01/11/2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Some random dispatches from the word front ...

THEY'RE SO EXCITED!

A U.S. senator's website reports that the senator was "genuinely excited to meet Jon Stewart." A headline says that golfer Michelle Wie is "excited to start a dream job." A competitor on a high school swim team says, "We're really excited for the championships."

Is it just me, o ...

Updated: Wed Jan 11, 2012