Paul Yeager's weather book
Paul Yeager's language book
Monthly Archives: October 2008
Complete Lack of Tolerance for Tolerance
Tolerate means to allow or to permit, and a person has no more right to allow or to permit another person (or group of people) to be different from himself or herself than I have to permit or to allow you … Continue reading
True Patriotism
The terms patriotic and unpatriotic have been tossed around in recent years more than a drunken rookie bull rider, with its most common usage being a repeated assertion by the McCain campaign (on many fronts–by himself, Governor Palin, campaign workers, … Continue reading
Posted in language, politics, writing
Tagged election 2008, English, language, McCain, Palin, patriotic, patriotism, politics, Presidential election, unpatriotic
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Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Verbs are either transitive or intransitive. That essentially means that they either need a direct object or they don’t. With a transitive verb, the action (verb) is being done to something else or someone else—a direct object. With an intransitive … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged English, grammar, intransitive verbs, language, passive voice, transitive verbs, writing
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Storm Chasers–I Don’t Think So
Storm chasing is one of the rare instances where science and cool seem to meet, which is evidenced by the preponderance of television shows that highlight storm chasers. In fact, there is at least one reality show based on storm … Continue reading
Posted in humor, language, weather, writing
Tagged humor, language, meteorology, storm chasing, TLC's Storm Chasers, tornadoes, writing
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Let Us Proceed from the Preceding
I’d never really considered that proceed could ever be used incorrectly to mean precede—until I saw it on a job application—for a university—a major university that prides itself on admitting only those students with the highest scholastic records. The application … Continue reading
McCain Condescension
Senator John McCain accurately made the point in the final presidential debate last night that you need to look closely at the words people use. He did it in reference to a point about Senator Barack Obama, but I’ll do … Continue reading
A Buck Ten Left in the Game
Oy. I don’t know if any trendy announcer-speak is more annoying than the tendency for announcers to start referring to the time left in a game in terms of money, such as There’s a buck ten left in the game. … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, sports, writing
Tagged a buck ten left, announcers, grammar, Joe Buck, language, NFL, sports, writing
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Does This Happen Everyday or Every Day?
Everyday is an adjective; it describes a noun and answers the question what kind of, as in the old song I Am Everyday People (what kind of people are you?), so it normally comes right before the noun. Temper tantrums … Continue reading
Exact Opposite
An oxymoron is a word or phrase that is contradictory. My favorite is jumbo shrimp–although I’m not sure that this is actually contradictory. You have your small shrimp. You have your medium shrimp. You have your large shrimp. Finally, you … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged exact opposite, grammar, language, oxymoron, writing
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