Category: Grammar
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‘Out of an Abundance of Caution’: a Tired Phrase
When I hear someone state they acted out of “an abundance of caution,” my ears prick up and then my eyes roll.
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Ron Desanctimonious Sends People to the Dictionary
The issue is, frankly, many people don’t know what “sanctimonious” means.
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No, Merriam-Webster, “Irregardless” is Not a Word
The weasel word Merriam Webster uses to describe irregardless is “nonstandard.”
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How to use “Resonated” Correctly
“Resonated” is joining the ranks of the most misused words in the English language.
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“I Appreciate You”: A Sentimental and Misguided Phrase
Wherever this abominable phrase began, it needs to be discarded as unsentimentally as possible.
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“Definitely Possible”: a Contradiction in Terms
If an eventuality is possible, by definition it is not definite, when after all it might not happen. In other words, the phrase is an oxymoron.
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“Twang”: an Onomatopoeia?
When you hear a nice southern accent, especially from a female speaker, you hear that twang. When men speak, I suppose it’s more of a drawl. Twang is considered an onomatopoeia. That Twang is an onomatopoeia might seem straightforward enough. But upon further reflection, it became a much more fraught topic. Twang is characterized as…
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Adjectives Shouldn’t Modify Verbs
One of the most common errors in spoken English, made even by educated people, is the misuse of adjectives in the place of adverbs: “They need to push forward much quicker.” I’ll give you a moment to try to figure out the grammar issue, and then I’ll reveal it in the next paragraph… The problem…