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Tag Archives: language
Oh, Brother Moment
I recently had an “oh, brother moment” when I learned that there was a dispute between Mutual of Omaha and Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey’s media company, about whether Mutual of Omaha could use the term “aha moment” in an advertising … Continue reading
Posted in language
Tagged aha moment, charlie brown, language, mutual of omaha, oprah winfrey
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I’m Glad My Parents Aren’t Alive to See This…
The entire languageandgrammar.com staff went to dinner recently and were taken aback by an excessively loud conversation going on nearby (It was so loud that it was impossible not to hear), most notably when a woman around 60 said to … Continue reading
Posted in language, writing
Tagged glad my parents aren't alive to see this, ineffective speech, language, writing
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From Does Not Mean Off
The word from is not synonymous with the word off or the words off of. This is something that I hear fairly often. For example, I got these nematodes off the guy in the lab next door or I got … Continue reading
350 And Counting…
It’s hard to believe (at least it’s hard for me to believe) that we now have 350 (approximately) separate language and grammar posts on languageandgrammar. com, but since we do, it seems like a good time to highlight two of … Continue reading
Hubris–Definition in Real Life
Hubris is defined, by the New Oxford American Dictionary, as “excessive pride or self-confidence,” and a British man is a living example of the word. A criminal suspect actually sent the police an updated photo for his own wanted poster … Continue reading
Posted in humor, language, off topic
Tagged excessive self-confidence, hubris, humor, language, off topic, wanted poster
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Now, Don’t Be Lazy
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 … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged English, grammar errors, lackadaisical, lacksadaisical, language, writing
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The Appointment is Not for the Doctor!
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 … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged doctor's appointment, grammar, language, writing
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Talk Offline
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 … Continue reading
Posted in language, writing
Tagged business language, business terms, language, literally the best language book ever, talk offline, trendy language, writing
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Costly Language Mistakes
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 … Continue reading
Posted in grammar, language, writing
Tagged costly language errors, grammar, language, switched.com, writing
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