Why do I more often hear people say LACKSADAISICAL than LACKADAISICAL? I’m asking because lacksadaisical isn’t a word; the correct word is lackadaisical.
Lackadaisical means without enthusiasm or interest or vigor, so someone who is lackadaisical lacks enthusiasm or interest or vigor (he’s just plain lazy)—but don’t make the mistake of including the word lacks in the word lackadaisical.
Sherry
I know that this is a pet peeve more than a serious language error (A Pet Peeve Warning is in Effect!), but when you have an appointment with a doctor, it should be called a doctor appointment, not a doctor’s appointment.
Think about it.
An apostrophe used in an example like this is generally used as a possessive, such as Bill’s car (the car belongs to Bill). It is also sometimes used in the genitive case, which is when a noun modifies another noun, such as Jack’s height (Jack doesn’t own his height; it’s a trait of his).
When you say that you have a doctor’s appointment, you’re unwittingly referring to an appointment that the doctor has; it’s parallel to saying that the car belongs to Bill when saying Bill’s car.
Maybe he has an appointment with his financial advisor, but that’s not what you mean. Technically, the doctor has an appointment with you, but you’re concerned with your appointment with him. In other words, it’s Your (Paul’s) appointment with the doctor, not a doctor’s appointment with you (Paul).
To further make my case, you never say that you have a dentist’s appointment. You probably say that you have a dental appointment or a dentist appointment instead.
Do the same with the doctor; it’s a medical appointment or doctor appointment.
–Paul
A friend of mine once said, “I’m going to bath the dog.” I didn’t have the heart to correct her grammar, but it’s been several years, and it’s still with me. (I know what you’re thinking, but I DO actually have more important matters to think about—-I just have a difficult time letting things go.)
While some might say that using bath as a verb is becoming more common, bathe is the correct verb; bath is a noun.
From what I’ve seen, using bath as a verb is more of a regional colloquialism, and it should be avoided in favor of the always-correct bathe.
Ok, now I wash my hands of it.
Sherry
As I mentioned in Literally, the Best Language Book Ever, it’s not surprising that many language trends begin at work since we spend so much time there. Talking offline is certainly one of those trendy phrases–one that started several years ago and now is standard workplace fare.
According to a business dictionary, to talk offline means to continue a line of discussion outside of the original context, typically a different meeting, time, or medium. Since being online or offline is typically understood to mean on the Internet or off the Internet, there is room for confusion, especially for those who haven’t heard the term before.
Besides, it’s annoying to hear time and time again when something more informative, such as ”That’s a good point, but we’ll talk about that next week” or “That’s not directly related, so you and I can discuss that tomorrow” or “We need to discuss that but not with everyone in this meeting” would also work.
A larger question is why businesses have their own dictionaries. I though that business people spoke the same language as the rest of us; thus, they wouldn’t need a business dictionary–they would merely need a dictionary.
Perhaps this is proof that business-speak is not standard English.
–Paul
I know that I’m probably in the minority, but this weekend–the one during which we return to standard time–is one of my favorite weekends of the year, unlike when we start daylight-saving time in the late winter (47-hour weekend).
I understand those of you who miss the extra hour in the evening, but it doesn’t have much value in the northern part of the country in November anyway. The leaves are off the trees, and the weather is turning colder; evening outside time isn’t a priority. Besides, after the change, it won’t be dark when I wake up in the morning, and it seems as if I’m sleeping an hour later for a couple of weeks.
And who wouldn’t enjoy a 25-hour Saturday.
–Paul
Communication can be costly because how well you communicate will largely dictate your success, but I didn’t know a communication mistake could cost a business $340,000,000 (340 million)!
That’s what happened when a Japanese trader accidentally sold 610,000 shares of a stock for 1 yen instead of trading 1 share for 610,000 yen. Yikes! Talk about bad days at work.
A recent switched.com post (5 Typos That Broke the Bank) makes reference to this error, along with a $40,000 missing “l” and a typo that sends a woman 1,500 miles away from her intended destination.
Boy, I hate when that happens.
–Paul
I always think of 1990’s health guru Susan Powter when I see someone using two spaces after a hard stop (period, exclamation point, question mark, etc.) in 2009. Not only is the reasoning behind the double space antiquated, but it drives copy editors crazy! As Ms. Powter would say, “Stop the insanity!”
It’s 2009, not 1989!
The two-space-after-a-hard-stop guideline started as a way to make typing on a typewriter (remember those?) more legible since the amount of space taken by all keys on a typewriter is uniform. For instance, an “i” takes up as much space as ‘w.’ As a result, an extra space was added after a hard stop, believing that it would make the print easier to read since breaks would be more identifiable.
We could argue that point, but it’s moot anyway. One of the few places you can still find a typewriter is in the landfill.
Extra Spaces Deleted
Many online software content management systems will automatically delete any extra spaces inserted into a text file, including those after a hard stop. It’s a waste of time to put them in.
Nearly all Web style guides state that there should be a single space after a hard stop, so if they’re not automatically deleted, they’ll be manually deleted by an annoyed copy editor.
Publications (books, newspapers (destined to go the way of the typewriter, perhaps?), magazines, and brochures) are nearly universally printed with one space after a hard stop. They’ve moved on–can’t you?
Awkward Text
Word processing software packages often automatically justify text (which adds and subtracts space between letters throughout the entire line to make the right margin consistent), or at least include that option. An extra space in this format looks especially awkward.
Typewriter-to-Person Communication
The ony type of communication that the double-space is considered acceptable is any type of typewritten material that is not also printed in an electronic format, so unless your office hasn’t “upgraded” from the file cabinet to a computer, it’s time to “upgrade” your punctuation.
–Paul
Good writing comprises different elements, for example, clarity, honesty, and correct basic mechanics. One of those mechanics is the ability to vary sentence structure. More mature writing consists of more than just what are called simple sentences. A simple sentence is an independent clause that has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.
Example: I am a freelance writer.
Example: He studies in the library after school.
Example: We like to take walks.
While simple sentences have their places, too many of them make your writing boring, boring, boring. Variety really is the spice of life—-even when it comes to writing mechanics. That’s why good writers use both compound sentences and complex sentences in their writing.
A complex sentence is a sentence with an independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Example: While I might hitherto have been silent, it’s time for me to tell you how I feel.
Example: After our morning meeting, we’ll be working on the presentation for tomorrow.
A compound sentence is a sentence that contains at least two independent clauses.
Example: I might be willing to forgive, but I’m not able able to forget.
Example: She works on the fifth floor; he works on the third floor.
Sherry
Cloudy and Cool