The Persistent Misuse of “Enormity” & 27 Other Commonly Confused Words
When a word is misused often enough, its meaning changes over time. Such is the case with enormity, which has nothing to do with size. It’s not synonymous with enormousness, but that’s changing.
Goodbye 2018: Top Dictionaries Choose Words of the Year
Popular online dictionaries are saying goodbye to 2018 with some choice words: toxic, misinformation, and justice. These are some of the most looked-up words this year.
Bitcoin, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency & Other New Words Related to Money
Is Bitcoin as good as Monopoly money? Worse than gambling? Well, no matter your opinion, the word itself is now official. Bitcoin is among the 850 new words recently added by Merriam-Webster to its online dictionary.
Forget about Snowflake—it’s time for “Up Lit” and Other New Words
Snowflake is last year’s cliché, while Brexit is so 2016. It’s time for a fresh batch of new words, or at least newly repurposed words.
In Praise of the Lowly Comma
One tiny comma can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to the meaning of a sentence or a contract for that matter. Strunk and White advocated for the Oxford comma in their classic book, “The Elements of Style,” while the AP Stylebook doesn’t require series comma. If you’re an Oxford-comma proponent like me, a recent federal court ruling will reinforce your position. The following articles will help make my case on the importance of the lowly comma.
Do We Really Need the Oxford Comma? A Federal Court Says Yes
If you don’t think the Oxford comma is necessary, a federal court’s recent decision will tell you otherwise. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of delivery drivers who claimed they were eligible for overtime pay under Maine’s regulations. Their argument relied on the absence of a serial comma in the law.
Snowflake, Alternative Fact, Post-Truth, & Other New Words Stemming from Politics
The new political order in America has added new words to our vocabulary. The media and technology also continue to influence our ever-growing lexicon.
Who versus Whom: Remember Just One Rule
Do you have trouble remembering when to use who or whom? It’s a common problem with a quick fix from a Grammar Girl video.
Brexit and Other New Words Stemming from Political News
The European Union’s loss is the English vocabulary’s gain. We’re talking about Brexit, a new word stemming from the news.
Normcore, Americaphobia, and 8 Other New Words to Take Note Of
The English language evolves all the time. New words are born and old words change meanings. This evolution is part of what makes writing exciting. Here are 10 new or newly coined words to take note of.