Where’s the Beef? Which would you rather eat — a burger made with 100% meat or one that’s clogged with flour, preservatives, and other fillers? Assuming you’re not a vegetarian, you probably want the beef, not the filler. In the same way, your readers want your message, not the mealy-mouthed hedge words that clog up […]
Filler Words Annoy People — So Why Do We Use Them? Read More »
A friend recently told me that she was laying low until after New Year’s. Alarm bells went off in my head as I wondered, “Doesn’t she mean she is lying low?” Many of us are perplexed about the difference between lying low and laying low. The problem arises from a deeper confusion about the difference between lie and lay. In my book on
Lying Low or Laying Low? Read More »
[4-minute read] An online film review gushes that This movie is imminently watchable. I suppose the reviewer meant that she was about to watch it but had not done so yet. Her watching was imminent, which means that it would likely happen soon. Or did she mean that the film was eminently watchable, in the sense
The In’s and Out’s of Eminently/Imminently Read More »
[2-minute read] I recently heard a businessman giving a testimonial. He said, “I can’t thank Bill enough for what he did for me.” My first reaction was, “Why not give it a try?” What did he mean when he said he couldn’t thank the person enough? That he could thank him, but he won’t? I
“I Could Care Less… or Could I?” Read More »
My daughter recently asked me whether the correct word in this idiom was “deserts” or “desserts”. Feeling cocky, I asserted that the right word was obviously “desserts”, as in the sweet reward for a job well done. Well, I was wrong. And my teenager was gleeful. The word “desert” means “that which is deserved”. It
Which is correct? Just Deserts or Just Desserts? Read More »
