It’s no Dad joke: M-W adds 530+ new words
As Merriam-Webster likes to say, the English language never sleeps, and neither does the dictionary. Whether we like it or not – and many do get upset about certain changes – modern dictionaries constantly reflect the state of our word nation. We have no one but...
Wordnerdery: Part 4 of the inside view of employee comms
Having been on the outside of internal/employee communication for many years, I’m on a quest to find the current “inside” view. The September issue of my newsletter, Wordnerdery, continues a series where I report the results. My thanks to Sheri Morgan, ABC, for...
Sadly, communicators aren’t immune to jargon
Last week, IABC members received a short email from the chair of its International Executive Board with the subject line “IABC Leadership Changes.” Within the email are two classic bits of corporate speak: Two people “are no longer with the...
Timeless writing advice from Don Ranly
Writers are always eager to learn from the masters. We’re told to read widely, and model our writing on the work of those we admire. Years ago, I was lucky enough to meet the famous (in communications circles) Don Ranly, Ph.D., IABC Fellow and professor emeritus of...
8 lessons for writers from Dancing With the Stars
September marks the launch of the latest season of my guilty pleasure, Dancing with the Stars. You might think the show is mostly about the women’s scanty costumes, or possibly B-list celebrities getting some visibility. But the real point is to take non-dancers,...
Wordnerdery: Surprised? Print’s not dead
Print seems to be having a moment: IABC relaunched a print magazine in June. Its former Communication World was once printed monthly and more recently became online only. The new Catalyst will come out twice a year. Mentalfloss.com joined forces with the Paper &...
Is your writing ‘as smooth as Tennessee whiskey’?
Country music has a reputation for sad songs involving drinking, trucks, love gone wrong, and more drinking. While that’s still often the case, today’s stars are often more thoughtful about looking at and learning from past mistakes. They also put on a master class in...
Expressive writing is your on-ramp to understanding
My word-a-day calendar is famous for sharing words that make you go “huh?” True, they are often the “perfect” word for a specific situation (like petrichor, as I’ve talked about before). But they are more likely to set up a roadblock to meaning than open up an...