publically/publicly
There’s no particular logic to the spelling of “publicly.” Maybe it would help to remember not to include wastefully unnecessary letters at the public expense.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
simplistic: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, March 6, 2013
simplistic
“Simplistic” means “overly simple” and is always used negatively. Don’t substitute it when you just mean to say “simple” or even “very simple.”
“Simplistic” means “overly simple” and is always used negatively. Don’t substitute it when you just mean to say “simple” or even “very simple.”
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
satellite: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, March 5, 2013
satellite
Originally a satellite was a follower. Astronomers applied the term to smaller bodies orbiting about planets, like our moon. Then we began launching artificial satellites. Since few people were familiar with the term in its technical meaning, the adjective “artificial” was quickly dropped in popular usage. So far so bad. Then television began to be broadcast via satellite. Much if not all television now wends its way through a satellite at some point, but in the popular imagination only broadcasts received at the viewing site via a dish antenna aimed at a satellite qualify to be called “satellite television.” Thus we see motel signs boasting:
People say things like, “The fight’s going to be shown on satellite.” The word has become a pathetic fragment of its former self. The technologically literate speaker will avoid these slovenly abbreviations.
Originally a satellite was a follower. Astronomers applied the term to smaller bodies orbiting about planets, like our moon. Then we began launching artificial satellites. Since few people were familiar with the term in its technical meaning, the adjective “artificial” was quickly dropped in popular usage. So far so bad. Then television began to be broadcast via satellite. Much if not all television now wends its way through a satellite at some point, but in the popular imagination only broadcasts received at the viewing site via a dish antenna aimed at a satellite qualify to be called “satellite television.” Thus we see motel signs boasting:
AIR CONDITIONING, SATELLITE
People say things like, “The fight’s going to be shown on satellite.” The word has become a pathetic fragment of its former self. The technologically literate speaker will avoid these slovenly abbreviations.
Monday, March 4, 2013
they’re/their/there: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, March 4, 2013
they’re/their/there
Many people are so spooked by apostrophes that a word like “they’re” seems to them as if it might mean almost anything. In fact, it’s always a contraction of “they are.” If you’ve written “they’re,” ask yourself whether you can substitute “they are.” If not, you’ve made a mistake. “Their” is a possessive pronoun like “her” or “our”: “They eat their hot dogs with sauerkraut.” Everything else is “there.” “There goes the ball, out of the park! See it? Right there! There aren’t very many home runs like that.” “Thier” is a common misspelling, but you can avoid it by remembering that “they” and “their” begin with the same three letters. Another hint: “there” has “here” buried inside it to remind you it refers to place, while “their” has “heir” buried in it to remind you that it has to do with possession.
Many people are so spooked by apostrophes that a word like “they’re” seems to them as if it might mean almost anything. In fact, it’s always a contraction of “they are.” If you’ve written “they’re,” ask yourself whether you can substitute “they are.” If not, you’ve made a mistake. “Their” is a possessive pronoun like “her” or “our”: “They eat their hot dogs with sauerkraut.” Everything else is “there.” “There goes the ball, out of the park! See it? Right there! There aren’t very many home runs like that.” “Thier” is a common misspelling, but you can avoid it by remembering that “they” and “their” begin with the same three letters. Another hint: “there” has “here” buried inside it to remind you it refers to place, while “their” has “heir” buried in it to remind you that it has to do with possession.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
of: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, March 3, 2013
of
“Of” is often shoved in where it doesn’t belong in phrases like “not that big of a deal” and “not that great of a writer.” Just leave it out.
“Of” is often shoved in where it doesn’t belong in phrases like “not that big of a deal” and “not that great of a writer.” Just leave it out.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
prepone: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, March 2, 2013
prepone
South Asian speakers have evolved the logical word “prepone” to mean the opposite of “postpone”: to move forward in time. It’s a handy word, but users of it should be aware that those unfamiliar with their dialect will be baffled by it.
South Asian speakers have evolved the logical word “prepone” to mean the opposite of “postpone”: to move forward in time. It’s a handy word, but users of it should be aware that those unfamiliar with their dialect will be baffled by it.
Friday, March 1, 2013
accent marks: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, March 1, 2013
accent marks
In what follows, “accent mark” will be used in a loose sense to include all diacritical marks that guide pronunciation. Operating systems and programs differ in how they produce accent marks, but it’s worth learning how yours works. Writing them in by hand afterwards looks amateurish.
Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes carry their accent marks with them, as in “fiancé,” “protégé,” and “cliché.” As words become more at home in English, they tend to shed the marks: “Café” is often spelled “cafe.” Unfortunately, “résumé” seems to be losing its marks one at a time.
Many computer users have not learned their systems well enough to understand how to produce the desired accent and often insert an apostrophe (curled) or foot mark (straight) after the accented letter instead: “cafe’” or “cafe'.” This is both ugly and incorrect. The same error is commonly seen on storefront signs.
So far we’ve used examples containing acute (right-leaning) accent marks. French and Italian (but not Spanish) words often contain grave (left-leaning) accents; in Italian it’s a caffè. It is important not to substitute one kind of accent for the other.
The diaeresis over a letter signifies that it is to be pronounced as a separate syllable: “noël” and “naïve” are sometimes spelled with a diaeresis, for instance. The umlaut, which looks identical, modifies the sound of a vowel, as in German Fräulein (girl), where the accent mark changes the “frow” sound of Frau (woman) to “froy.” Rock groups like Blue Öyster Cult scattered umlauts about nonsensically to create an exotic look.
Spanish words not completely assimilated into English—like piñata and niño—retain the tilde, which tells you that an N is to be pronounced with a Y sound after it.
In English-language publications accent marks are often discarded, but the acute and grave accents are the ones most often retained.
In what follows, “accent mark” will be used in a loose sense to include all diacritical marks that guide pronunciation. Operating systems and programs differ in how they produce accent marks, but it’s worth learning how yours works. Writing them in by hand afterwards looks amateurish.
Words adopted from foreign languages sometimes carry their accent marks with them, as in “fiancé,” “protégé,” and “cliché.” As words become more at home in English, they tend to shed the marks: “Café” is often spelled “cafe.” Unfortunately, “résumé” seems to be losing its marks one at a time.
Many computer users have not learned their systems well enough to understand how to produce the desired accent and often insert an apostrophe (curled) or foot mark (straight) after the accented letter instead: “cafe’” or “cafe'.” This is both ugly and incorrect. The same error is commonly seen on storefront signs.
So far we’ve used examples containing acute (right-leaning) accent marks. French and Italian (but not Spanish) words often contain grave (left-leaning) accents; in Italian it’s a caffè. It is important not to substitute one kind of accent for the other.
The diaeresis over a letter signifies that it is to be pronounced as a separate syllable: “noël” and “naïve” are sometimes spelled with a diaeresis, for instance. The umlaut, which looks identical, modifies the sound of a vowel, as in German Fräulein (girl), where the accent mark changes the “frow” sound of Frau (woman) to “froy.” Rock groups like Blue Öyster Cult scattered umlauts about nonsensically to create an exotic look.
Spanish words not completely assimilated into English—like piñata and niño—retain the tilde, which tells you that an N is to be pronounced with a Y sound after it.
In English-language publications accent marks are often discarded, but the acute and grave accents are the ones most often retained.
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