Writing Tip 436: How do you spell “on the lam”? (“On the lamb?”)
Of course you know! Or, do you?
Of course you know! Or, do you?
A few stolen minutes out of your day to talk words and communication, because our daily lives are surrounded by the evolution and influence of words. Forget the grammar police. There is so much more to this conversation.
A few stolen minutes out of your day to talk words and communication, because our daily lives are surrounded by the evolution and influence of words. Forget the grammar police. There is so much more to this conversation.
A few stolen minutes out of your day to talk words and communication, because Ben Franklin and Kurt Cobain both influenced our modern English language and spelling memes deserve to be debunked. Words. Language. Human communication. Everything begins there.
Norrie Epstein once said, “The best writing advice I ever received: facts are eloquent.” Oh how much I love this statement. It’s true in conversations, in books, in journalism, and anywhere words might take you. Sometimes, these facts are world changing. Sometimes, these facts are word-changing—or, at least in how you perceive certain uses of language.
Are you ready to dive in? I have two big questions for you today.
A few stolen minutes out of your day to talk words and communication. Let’s talk language tips for the curious or confused. Welcome to episode three of season three.
The Irish author Samuel Beckett once wrote, “Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” I love this idea, in talking about communication skills as well as so many other areas of life.
People can be so scared of failure or doing something incorrectly. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. But what can we achieve if we don’t try?
So you’re telling me you think grammar is gross. You’re allergic to the idea of sentence diagramming. Actually paying attention to the English Language sounds kind of icky. Okay, sure, that’s not my opinion, but you knew that. And if it’s yours, that’s okay. I get it.
But you know what is icky to me? Lots of the creatures that seem to be coming out this time of year, and the problem is that the words we use about them often cause as much confusion as anything else.
This is episode 10, the final episode of season 2 of the “Words You Should Know” podcast. Time flies when you’re having fun, I guess. Let’s dive in.
Getting my fingers covered in dirt is as satisfying as having them covered in ink. Weeding is a bit like editing, after all, cleaning up what’s there to turn it into its best.
And then there’s the wonderful language of the garden. “Zucchini” comes from the Italian word for “sweetest.” The head of an asparagus is called the “squib.” When lettuce flowers, these flowers are called “bolts.” Yes, my book on the language of food will debut in the fall of 2019, but I have a feeling that a book on the language of nature and gardening is not too far after it.
But before we get into the weeds of my publishing life, let’s talk about watering your garden—or more specifically, of course, the language involved.
Why do I call this the “Words You Should Know” podcast? It’s not a lecture. The whole idea of grammar police annoys me. This is the podcast that reminds you that Ben Franklin and Kurt Cobain both influenced our modern English language, and spelling memes deserve to be debunked. See past episodes for those details.
And speaking of last episodes, it’s kind of ironic that the episode after I talk about apples, “how do you like them apples,” and old versions of the expression about how they keep the doctor away, I get sick.
But onward, as always. Thanks for bearing with my slightly scratchy voice today.
If you’re listening along as I publish each episode, you might know it’s flu season in the U.S. I’m not going to go into how to spell “flu,” as in influenza, versus a chimney “flue” or the past tense of “fly,” but I do want to talk about how an apple a day can keep the doctor away. Or if not the medical side of this conversation, let’s at least turn to the language side of things.
Apples. Are they “preventative” or “preventive”? What’s the surprising linguistic twist of the Bible’s mention of the apple in the Garden of Eden? And while we’re on the subject, what’s the explosive story behind the expression, “how do you like them apples?”
Apples, apples, everywhere. This is the “Words You Should Know” podcast, season 2, episode 4
It’s time to get a grip on your communications, isn’t it?
The English language can be difficult, I know. But there’s a certain pet peeve of mine we’re going to dive into today. It’s all about the word “butt.” And it’s not about starting a sentence with it. I’m talking about butts—B-U-T-T-S—that shouldn’t be there.
What are you walking into here? Keep listening to find out.