Ever since the days of Elaine Bennis’s employment with J. Peterman, I’ve thought it would be fun to write/edit copy for lifestyle brands. When reading product copy, I’ve often wondered, “Who came up with this schlock!” — in a charmed way, of course. We’ve all sat at the breakfast table slurping milk and cereal and… Continue Reading
Did you know that there is a difference between might and may? It’s straightforward enough: might is the past tense of may. I may go home soon. (present) I might have gone home sooner if the beer hadn’t been so good. (past) Easy enough, right? But sometimes I’ve been unsure about which word to use.… Continue Reading
I learned a few things today. First, I found myself looking up influential. I thought it might have been influencial because that’s how it appeared in an article I was reading. But no, influential it is. Second, the difference between brought and taken was brought (heh) to my attention. I was perusing the website of… Continue Reading
Today the Huffington Post tweeted an old article on usage by editor Zoe Triska. The subject: nauseated vs. nauseous. That’s a good one that has confused me before. Most editors are well versed in the usual usage suspects: alternate/alternative, loath/loathe, flaunt/flout, historic/historical, principal/principle, farther/further, and so on. One usage distinction that recently came to my attention… Continue Reading