A look at the use and misuse of apostrophes for National Grammar Day
During such a troubling time in the world, it may seem wrong to be talking about grammar. Yet the pandemic, the anti-vaccine protestors and now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have clearly showed the importance of words and how they are presented. Also, maybe you...
Be inspired by a ‘Post-it note’ for the brain + more analogies (Wordnerdery)
“Corporate” writing doesn’t need to be so “corporate.” Employee communications consultant Steve Crescenzo thinks it gets that way when people write for the approver, not the reader. He advises taking the “corporate” out of corporate comms and replacing it with...
Snowboarder jargon and insider language at the Olympics, decoded
The 2022 winter Olympics are in full swing, and so is the insider language. Normally I recommend using words people understand and explaining jargon, acronyms and unusual terms. Announcers during fast-paced Olympic sports don’t have time for that, or they assume...
ICYMI, January edition: Writing tips, words and more links you might have missed
As we all know, the lifespan of words posted on social media is pretty short – as little as a few seconds. So when I find interesting, helpful or just plain funny posts, I like to share them. Here’s another collection of content you might enjoy and might have missed:...
My yearly question answered, and why blogging isn’t dead
Every year, people go to the internet to find out if blogging is finally dead. I celebrate my own blogging anniversary in January, which always prompts me to ask, too. I had lots of company this week; “Is blogging dead for 2022?” brought back about 197 million...
Before & after: Be clear if you want public comment (Wordnerdery)
At 100+ decibels, the sound of a large jet nearing a runway’s end is as noisy as being in the front row of a rock concert. (Remember those?) While the pandemic slashed the number of planes landing at and taking off from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport,...
Cheers to 31 years in business ’Getting it Write’
In January 1991, the Edmonton Oilers were on their way to the Stanley Cup. R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” was all over the radio (remember “radio”?). That year, Apple introduced the PowerBook, and Norton’s new AntiVirus launched. The average price of...
Pandemic words still dominated our lives in 2021
Just as in 2020, one subject drove us in record numbers to Google and online dictionaries and dominated our lives this past year – that pesky pandemic. This time, as we got used to words like quarantine, lockdown, pandemic, COVID-19 itself and the ever-present...