Archive for the ‘Grammar and usage’ Category
Ich kann do dis!
About a month ago, I embarked on an ill-advised (and perhaps ill-fated) attempt to learn German. This is my report from the trenches. I have the short-term memory of a stoned gnat, so I knew that learning German would be a challenge. And because I am both impetuous and impatient, I decided to try the […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Writing | 8 Comments
Tags: Auschwitz, David Sedaris, Easy Tiger, French Resistance, learning German, Michel Thomas, New Yorker, Pimsleur Method, postaday2011, Rosetta Stone
Out, damned snot! I mean, spot.
There are few things I love more than an orthographic malfunction: With the loss of a single “r,” a book can instantly go from sexy to savage! My friend Tom (aka., The Blogfodder) reminded me of this fact today with a wonderful piece titled The Prince of Typos. Make that The Price of Typoes. Uh, […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Writing | 8 Comments
Tags: blogging, book publishing, humor, orthography, postaday2011, spelling, Virginia Heffernan, writing, writing humor
For the word nerd: a longish tear on Strunk & White. That’s all my friend/colleague Patrick wrote as an introduction yesterday, when he sent me a link to The Chronicle Review’s “50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice.” I read the pseudo-scholarly essay voraciously. Twice. And then I fired off a (more-or-less) carefully measured response. What […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Writing | 4 Comments
Tags: grammar advice, grammar and usage, postaday2011, Strunk & White, The Elements of Style
Ich möchte ein heiße Hund, bitte
I’ve always felt a little bit inadequate because I don’t speak German. It’s a deep-seated complex, which began when I ran away with a mime troupe at age 16. Here I am, in all my white-faced glory. (Don’t worry—I’ve been in remission for years, and it’s not contagious.) Anyway … after spending almost a month […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Music, Psychology, Travel | 14 Comments
Tags: German, learning a language, Pimsleur, postaday2011, Rosetta Stone
Book titles: When colons attack
I’m glad I don’t have to come up with book titles for a living. Naming books is hard—it’s as much a science as an art. Imagine trying to sum up a book’s entire plot (or purpose) in just a few words. Maybe that’s why publishers are going back to that most beloved of Victorian conventions: […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Writing | 16 Comments
Tags: book publishing, book titles, naming books, postaday2011, writing
What a difference an A makes
“With lots of lice, XO Heather” That’s the sweet sentiment my iPhone sent my friend Jim a couple of weeks ago, in its infinite autocorrect wisdom. (Because nothing says “love ya, buddy!” like the gift of lice.) And just yesterday my phone inserted “leper” into an email I was writing my sister. (Don’t worry, sis—I’m […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Technology, Writing | 20 Comments
Tags: autocorrect fail, humor, iPhone fail, postaday2011, spellcheck, writing, writing humor
Words we love to hate
A week ago I ran into a wonderful blog post that made me think about the words I most love—and hate. In some cases, there’s a reason why I love a particular word. I just love saying “mellifluous,” for example. And “sonsy.” Other times, my intense dislike for a word is inexplicably visceral. Just hearing […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Friends and family, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Writing | 12 Comments
Tags: etymology, learning English, most hated words, postaday2011, vocabulary, writing
There are lots of blogs about writing out there, but Storytelling Nomad is among my favorites. Today, Katy posted a very small collection of the few words that I think could do with a bit more exposure, and those that, were they to crawl into a cave and die, would undoubtedly be doing the world […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Writing | 18 Comments
Tags: English, etymology, postaday2011, usage, vocabulary, word choice, writing
How to steal like an artist
I’ve blogged before about how all art is derivative. Whether we imitate classical art forms or paint-by-number portraits, there are few new ideas under the sun. But that doesn’t mean that the world is devoid of striking originality. Those were the exact words that came to mind today as I followed my friend Patrick’s link […]
Filed under: Grammar and usage, How to ..., Psychology, Random thoughts, Writing | 2 Comments
Tags: Austin Kleon, creative process, creativity, How to Steal Like an Artist, Newspaper Blackout, postaday2011, writing
When inspiration strikes
As a so-called “creative type,” I have an awkward relationship with inspiration. My muses can be fickle: Sometimes they strike when it’s least convenient and drive me to finish an entire photography book in a few hours. Other times, they abandon me for days to the tyranny of the blank page. Inspiration can seem so […]
Filed under: Attempted humor, Friends and family, Grammar and usage, Psychology, Writing | Leave a Comment
Tags: creatives, inspiration, muse, New York Times, postaday2011
