Alright All right folks – let’s try this again. As a very late followup to part won of this post, presented below are some of you’re own pet peeves when it comes to proper word youse. And if you haven’t noticed it yet – every underlined word so far is improperly yoused or completely nonexistent. As a reminder, I’ll repeat the notes presented in the first post – Continue reading
Tag Archives: English
Your Copy Sucks: Talkin’ British
Lately a lot of folks have asked me questions that come down to a matter of Britishocity. Is it “gray” or “grey?” Is it “theatre” or “theater?” It’s okay if you’re confused about these things because, to be honest, you probably had little to do with dumping a bunch of Twinnings into Boston Harbor. Or is that Harbour?
We’ve whined about the differences between American and British English before, but spellings are a whole ‘nother animal. Or is that animaul? (Hint: it’s not.) If you care, here are some commonly mixed-up spellings that differ across the pond.
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They’re’s a problem with are grammar
Alright folks, I know using Twitter and email is all about speed and brevity, but their are sum things that our simply inexcusable for communications professionals.
Before getting into it, a few notes. Continue reading
Your Copy Sucks: I don’t think that means what you think it means
I love English, but I’ll be the first one to say it is cruel, unwieldy, illogical, and frustrating. We have words that sound alike but are spelled differently, words that have two meanings, words that are spelled the same but sound different, words that have three meanings, words that mean one thing as a verb but the opposite thing as a noun, and words that have seventeen meanings.
And there are some words and phrases you should just avoid because you are doing it wrong. Sorry, but you are. Here’s a quick rundown: Continue reading