Posts Tagged ‘language’
The life changing difference between “do” and “don’t”
Attempting to improve on my ability to craft dialogue, I find myself listening to people more and more, eavesdropping on conversations and taking careful note of a person’s choice of words. Last week I was in Carvel, waiting to order, when the woman in front of me was handed her root beer float. She looked at…
Read MoreFiremen became firefighters. Penmanship became handwriting. Great. But there’s one gender neutral word I can’t support.
Firemen became firefighters.A serious improvement. I’d rather be a firefighter than a fireman. Stewardess became flight attendant.Also an improvement. Policemen became police officer.A solid choice. I’d rather call a police officer for help than a policeman. Mailman became mail carrier. Fine. More descriptive, even. Penmanship became handwriting.A more modern alternative. Waiter and waitress became server. I don’t…
Read More“Close to the chest” or “close to the vest?” The answer annoys the hell out of me.
I’ve heard this idiom spoken both ways: “Play your cards close to the vest.” “Play your cards close to the chest.” So I wondered: Which of these is correct? The answer: Both. There is no definitive answer to this question. While it appears that “close to the vest” appeared first, “close to the chest” followed…
Read MoreLet languages die.
A man in Hawaii is facing criminal charges for blocking the construction of a telescope on a mountaintop. His trial is being delayed because even though he speaks perfect English, he is insisting on being tried in Hawaiian, which happens to be the official language of Hawaii. The only problem: No judge speaks Hawaiian, and…
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