To a wordnerd like me, spelling and grammar mistakes jump out and make my brain itch to fix them. And I want to do the best job I can with language. Most people aren’t wired up like that. If you’re not, is there a real practical reason why you should worry about that stuff? Yes […]
grammar
“Attendee”? I’m afraid not.
Have you noticed that it’s common for people talking about events to refer to those who come along as attendees? The “-ee” suffix means something happens to you. For example, an employee is someone who is employed by another person or organisation. Attendee actually means someone who is attended – perhaps they have servants! To […]
Let’s have a 121 chat
Have you noticed wording like this appearing? “I also offer 121 coaching.” I guess it’s people aiming to be cool; possibly in some cases a touch of laziness. But here’s what will happen in the reader’s head. – interrupt reading – call up number processing routines – “They offer a hundred and twenty-one coaching sessions? […]
Word Fu
I realised last night that I have something in common with my qigong teacher. Qigong is a Chinese system of movement to improve health. You can use a mental shorthand of “a bit like tai chi” if that helps (though of course there are reasons why it’s inaccurate, like tai chi being a martial art […]