The Spelling Nazis Are at It Again!
Very amused by a recent exchange on the Forbes.com website, commenting on an article about multi-level marketing. One guy corrected another’s spelling, and lo, and behold, the wars were on! The argument was over which of two spellings was correct: bush league or Busch League. I did a little online research, and I share my […]
Stop It, Stop It, STOP IT !
The Grammar Guru cannot take it anymore! “Low and behold,” “roads to hoe,” “lines to tow,” “here, here!” and “he has more then me.” WHAT is this world coming to that even simple, everyday expressions cannot be accurately spelled? The phrase, dear friends, is Lo, and behold! As is “lo, the angel appeared unto Mary.” […]
Do You Want to Copywrite or Copyright? There IS a Difference!
The Grammar Guru keeps coming across this unbelievable error in her excursions through both online and print media. She doesn’t really understand why there is confusion between these two terms, but she thought that she ought, perhaps, to try to clear it up anyway. Copyright. This is the registration that confirms that an author’s work […]
These Words Are NOT Interchangeable!
The Grammar Guru has become painfully aware of a more and more common mistake in word usage. She has seen this on blogs, on news sites, and in various other written venues. And the mistake is creeping into people’s speech. So The Grammar Guru tells everyone, right now, to stop it! The words adieu and […]
Spelling Rant
The Grammar Guru spent fourteen hours this weekend tramping through various home improvement stores looking at cabinets, linoleum, floor tile, ceiling fans, countertops, lavatories (bathroom sinks, for you non-architectural types), and other stuff for her remodeling projects. And her feet are killing her. Those hard, concrete floors as not conducive to comfortable shopping experience. But […]
Who’s vs. Whose
There’s a battle going on in the world of words, and heaven only knows who’s going to win! Everywhere I go, I see “who’s” being used as a possessive — I don’t know why; it’s just plain silly. Actually, I have a pretty good guess about why it’s happening. People don’t understand apostrophes. I’ve talked […]
Overdo and Overdue are not interchangeable.
This error is a simple mix-up due to sloppy pronunciation. Overdo (which should be pronounced /oh vuhr doo/) means to attempt too much or to go too far. Examples: Don’t overdo the pepper in that soup, or it will be inedible. Myra wanted to work outside on this hot day, so we told her to […]
Dependent or Dependant?
The Grammar Guru has learned something today, and she’s here to pass it on to you. The Grammar Guru was taught that dependant was not a word — that it was an all-too-common misspelling of dependent, and that dependent was always the correct spelling. Imagine the Grammar Guru’s surprise when, upon checking her references prior […]
To Clench or To Clinch … That Is the Question
The Grammar Guru has received a request to explain the difference between these two words, to settle a fellow-editor’s dispute with her typesetter. Always glad to oblige — we editors need to keep those uppity typesetters in their places. According to Fowler, clinch is a variant of clench that appeared in the sixteenth century and […]
Stop Adding Syllables!
Some pronunciation — and now spelling — errors have become quasi-acceptable in the language, to the point that a couple of them can even be found in the dictionary. That still doesn’t make them right. Orientated is not a word. Orient is a verb meaning to find one’s position or direction. One can orient oneself. […]