Monthly Archives: June 2008

What Is Breaking News

Posted on June 11, 2008 by languageandgrammar

In my recent mock news report (Olbermann Predicts Daring Clinton Heist), I used the term breaking news. I used it incorrectly, but that was part of the intended humor of the post; in the world of actual news reports, however, it’s … Continue reading →

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The Age-old Question: Is It Due to or Because Of?

Posted on June 10, 2008 by languageandgrammar

Some writers, editors, and dictionaries don’t care about the interchangeable use of due to and because of. Is that, perhaps, because of a lack of grammar information, or is that, perhaps, due to a lack of grammar information? Others (and … Continue reading →

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Olbermann Predicts Daring Clinton Heist

Posted on June 6, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I have breaking political news to report, and I’m not talking about another live report of the empty Washington D.C. home of Hillary Clinton while she talked to Senator Barack Obama in another location (Clinton, Obama talks held without aides … Continue reading →

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Stainless Steel Appliances

Posted on June 5, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I almost feel like a lawyer as I head into this mostly off-topic post since I have to begin with the question: How do you define clean? Stainless steel appliances have become more popular than yawns during a major league … Continue reading →

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Is It Gonna or Going To?

Posted on June 4, 2008 by languageandgrammar

I remember that in fourth grade, a friend of mine showed me an essay she’d written. I couldn’t tell you anything about it—not the subject or the class or the length of the essay–except that within this masterpiece of childhood … Continue reading →

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Efforting

Posted on June 3, 2008 by languageandgrammar

Two of the most popular trends in language are: 1) turning nouns into verbs and 2) making the argument that common usage is all that is needed in order for a word to become accepted. The non-word efforting is a … Continue reading →

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This Is Definitely an Error

Posted on June 2, 2008 by languageandgrammar

Definitely has quickly become one of the most commonly misspelled words on the Internet. In fact, hardly a web page scrolls by where I don’t see it spelled definately. Again, the correct spelling is definitely. Think of the other words … Continue reading →

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Guilty As Charged

Posted on June 1, 2008 by languageandgrammar

On a call-in radio show on Wisconsin Public Radio on Memorial Day, where I was the guest, a caller had the audacity to say that I had used the phrase the simple fact is that on three or four occasions during … Continue reading →

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