Readers Respond
In the tradition of year-end roundups, I’m using the last post of 2009 to summarize the results of my recent poll asking readers which post topics are your favorites. With sixteen of the forty-nine...
View ArticleHandy Hint: Because vs. Since
Which is correct? A) I’m writing about word usage because it’s a popular topic. B) I’m writing about word usage since it’s a popular topic. If you read the results of my recent poll, you know both...
View ArticlePicasso Was a Descriptivist!
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I recently attended the Picasso and the Allure of Language exhibition, at Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art, which examined the painter’s relationship...
View ArticleA Day—and a Book—Devoted to Grammar
Now that it’s been a couple of months since New Year’s, have you given up your grammar resolutions? Well, fortunately, there’s another holiday to get you back on track: National Grammar Day is here!...
View ArticleHandy Hint: Ascribe vs. Subscribe
Which is correct? A) Picasso didn’t ascribe to traditional rules of language. B) Picasso didn’t subscribe to traditional rules of language. (Hint within a hint: You can find the answer in a previous...
View ArticleDear BPE: Designs on the Dash
Dear Blue Pencil,Can you please address the “em” vs. “en” dash? This has become quite a conversation in the design world. Not sure how you’d approach it as a writer/copy editor. In many cases,...
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The Lowly Semicolon
The Oatmeal, or the man behind The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman, has done it again. First, he hilariously explained how to use an apostrophe, and now he has come to the defense—and perhaps rescue—of the much...
View ArticleHandy Hint: Upmost vs. Utmost
Which is correct? A) Grammar is a subject of the upmost importance. B) Grammar is a subject of the utmost importance. Whether or not you agree with the statement, the correct answer is B. Many people...
View ArticleThe 16th Edition Is Here! The 16th Edition Is Here!
When the new edition of The Chicago Manual of Style arrived in the mail recently, my reaction was akin to Navin Johnson’s in The Jerk when the new phone book arrives (hence the title of this post)....
View ArticleIt’s a Punctuation Celebration!
For some people, the holiday season starts with Halloween; for others, it’s Thanksgiving—or the day after—and for a festive few, the party never stops. But for language lovers, it’s National...
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