On occasion I notice, and am extremely annoyed by, the use of ALL CAPS in a legal document or a piece of legislation. Grabbing my attention most recently have been examples of text from next month’s ballot. All the state questions and amendments are printed in all caps, as are the relevant sections in the … Continue reading Why legal documents contain ALL CAPS TEXT
It’s akin to the earth shifting beneath my feet, this constant change in the English language. It’s as though I built my editorial house on sand. Of course language evolves. It has to in order to accommodate new discoveries, new technology, new ideas. I understand that. But when perfectly good words and meanings are corrupted … Continue reading Throwing shade
It’s a term that begs to be used: apostrophe catastrophe. And it has become so cliché that I won’t use it here. There are already dozens of articles and at least one blog titled “Apostrophe Catastrophe.” Most of the writers describe the misuse of apostrophes and cite signs saying “banana’s” or “bracelet’s ring’s watch’s” or menu headings like “Extra’s.” … Continue reading When smart quotes aren’t
Coca Cola’s Super Bowl ad has caused quite an uproar on Twitter and Facebook. It seems a lot of people think the song “America the Beautiful” should be sung in English. And English only. They are angry and offended and say so in no uncertain terms. I was first made aware of the controversy on … Continue reading Coke commercial causes controversy
It’s here! The Lake Superior State University 2014 List of Banished Words. Selfie was recognized as the winning word, receiving the most nominations during the year. After that, the order of finish is not clear, as two overused suffixes (-ageddon, -pocalypse) were grouped. Ditto two sports terms (adversity, fan base). As in past years, the LSSU … Continue reading Words, suffixes officially banished for 2014
Massive amounts of Christmas advertising have always annoyed me. I’ve been a grinch for decades and freely admit it, and being assaulted by so much Christmas “joy” every time I turn on the TV just makes me grumpier. Sure, there are a few quiet, classy, understated commercials that I appreciate, and occasionally something really original and … Continue reading Freaking out over ‘giffing out’
