Paul Yeager's weather book
Paul Yeager's language book
Author Archives: languageandgrammar
Definite Possibility
An oxymoron is the pairing of two or more words to create a meaning that is contradictory or seems to be contradictory. A couple of examples of oxymorons that seem contradictory include objective opinion, speed bump, and jumbo shrimp. (For what … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged definite possibility, English, grammar, language, oxymoron, writing
3 Comments
To, Too, Two Grammar
O, that this too too grammar error would melt… I’m sure that Shakespeare wouldn’t mind my re-writing one of his most famous and quoted lines—as long as it’s done in the name of good grammar. Most people don’t have problems … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged English, grammar error, meaning also, preposition, to, too, two
Comments Off on To, Too, Two Grammar
There, Their, They’re
There, there now; they’re really not as confusing as their reputations might have you believe. They’re is the contraction for they are. They’re related to a prominent New England family. They’re not sure which candidate they’re going to hire. … Continue reading
I Want to Be a Statistic–Sometimes
A statistic is a numerical value or fact or an inanimate numerical representation of a piece of information. Examples include 53% of the the vote, $3.59 cents per gallon, a .309 batting average, and 63% of all bananas that my co-worker brings to … Continue reading
Whether or Not
When I was in high school, I wrote a short, humorous poem about my potential future career; it was titled Weather or Not. Unless you’re reading that poem, which is highly unlikely since it’s never left the back of my closet, you … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged English, grammar error, language, whether or not, writing
3 Comments
Jeff Corwin, Move Over
We at languageandgrammar.com took a brief respite from saving our readers from language pitfalls–just long enough to save nine ducklings in what could only be called a “daring rescue.” Ok, so it wasn’t that daring, but it was a rescue nonetheless. … Continue reading
Posted in off topic
Tagged ducklings, ducks, Jeff Corwin, rescue
Comments Off on Jeff Corwin, Move Over
Fed Up with Up
Up, Up, and Away could be the title of a sequel to Literally, the Best Language Book Ever. Rather than a book with 350-plus words, phrases, and expressions that you should never use again, it would be a book with … Continue reading
Sit, Set: Setting the Record Straight
You’re not really supposed to sit something on a table, and you’re not supposed to set awhile when you need to rest. It’s not the actions to which I object; it’s the verbs used to do them. To set means … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged English, grammar error, set something, set vs sit, writing
Comments Off on Sit, Set: Setting the Record Straight
It’s Not Impactful–it’s Inane
In an Internet article on careers: Companies need people who can make their sites easy to navigate and visually impactful…. Impactful is a new non-word (meaning, of course, that it is not a word) that people, especially in the media, … Continue reading
Posted in grammar
Tagged compelling, effective, forceful, impactful, impressive
Comments Off on It’s Not Impactful–it’s Inane
Obama Republican
Here at Languageandgrammar.com, we not only tell you what the current most annoying words, phrases, and expressions are, but we go a step further by occasionally anticipating and predicting what some of the next most annoying words, phrases, and expressions … Continue reading
Posted in language
Tagged it is what it is, Obama Republican, political language, political terms, Reagan Democrat, two-party system, writing
Comments Off on Obama Republican
Everything Language and Grammar 