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COVID-19 dominates Words of the Year, not to mention our lives

COVID-19 dominates Words of the Year, not to mention our lives

by Sue Horner | Jan 8, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

The top word searches this week on Merriam-Webster reflected the chaos in Washington, DC: sedition, coup d’état, fascism, capitol, breach, insurrection and more. But take a look at 2020, and you’ll see what dominated searches and our lives almost all year....
Top 10 posts in the Red Jacket Diaries in 2020

Top 10 posts in the Red Jacket Diaries in 2020

by Sue Horner | Dec 29, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

As we say good riddance to 2020 (finally!), here’s a look back at the 10 most-viewed posts on my blog during this pandemic year. Words are my business and pleasure, and it appears many of you share my interest in getting rid of jargon and corporate buzzwords. Will it...
In a confusing situation, aim to be clear

In a confusing situation, aim to be clear

by Sue Horner | Nov 4, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

I was among the many Canadians glued to the TV, watching the election results with America. I made it to midnight, and went to bed when it was clear there would be no speedy result. One word kept popping out at me during discussions on CBC’s The National: Several...
Really? ‘Man-hours’? The hunt for inclusive language continues

Really? ‘Man-hours’? The hunt for inclusive language continues

by Sue Horner | Sep 10, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

Here’s the TL;DNR (too long; did not read) for this post: The term man-hours is outdated and politically incorrect. This week, more than 4.47 billion people wanted to know the meaning of “man-hours.” Google Trends shows fairly regular search traffic...
34 ways to kick ‘unprecedented’ to the curb (Wordnerdery)

34 ways to kick ‘unprecedented’ to the curb (Wordnerdery)

by Sue Horner | Jul 23, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

No doubt you’ve lost count of the number of times the word “unprecedented” has come your way in the past few months. It’s a go-to word for newspaper headlines, concerned emails and earnest messages from CEOs, marketers and politicians. Google Trends shows little...
13 simple ways to avoid saying ‘ramps up’

13 simple ways to avoid saying ‘ramps up’

by Sue Horner | Jun 11, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

Are you getting a little tired of all this ramping up that’s been going on since the start of the pandemic? Testing, in particular, is always being ramped up, or there are calls for it to be ramped up. You might say the use of ramping up is itself ramping up. (Sorry.)...
Side effect of the pandemic: Trademark erosion

Side effect of the pandemic: Trademark erosion

by Sue Horner | May 7, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

Here’s my small wordnerdy nitpick in the interests of accuracy: All those workplaces installing barriers to protect employees and customers during the pandemic are not necessarily using “Plexiglas.” That’s a brand name, like Kleenex. The generic term is “acrylic” or...
70 good, better, best alternatives to good

70 good, better, best alternatives to good

by Sue Horner | Feb 13, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

“Amazing” was the go-to word on this year’s Academy Awards red carpet. In fact, if you had a drink every time someone’s gown or Oscar experience or career was said to be amazing, you’d have been drunk before the ceremony even started. At one time, something...
Our curiosity decides the word of the year

Our curiosity decides the word of the year

by Sue Horner | Dec 12, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

What topics caught the public’s imagination this year? Which words drove you or your friends to the dictionary? (Asking your Mom doesn’t count.) We’re starting to find out as dictionaries report the popularity of word searches over the year. The searches show...
It’s no Dad joke: M-W adds 530+ new words

It’s no Dad joke: M-W adds 530+ new words

by Sue Horner | Oct 3, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog

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...
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