Category Archives: English

Listening to the radio – folks talking about words. One problematic pronunciation is for folks pronouncing website names. double-you, double-you, double-you … 9 syllables, awkward dub dub dub …. 3 syllables – better Three-Dub … OK – maybe this one … Continue reading →

John Doe “has added new links and updated their profile” John Doe is an individual. “Their” is plural. I understand they’re trying to avoid “his or her”, but I’d prefer it. Another example… when someone requests an endorsement, the message … Continue reading →

I previously posted a blog entry on Dysphemism and cross-register synonyms. I sent an email to the guy who runs Podictionary – the podcast for word lovers, suggesting he use dysphemism in one of his podcasts. Well, he did. Kind … Continue reading →

Looked up defenestration on the web (dictionary.com) in order to provide the link to someone. I found the ads an interesting mix. I can understand ads for hotels in Prague, given the defenestration of Prague, but I’m curious about any … Continue reading →

I love learning new words. During a conversation in our open-space collaborative software development team environment last week, I used the term euphemism incorrectly. Thanks to Steve Moyer for pointing out the error of my ways. Apparently, the subtlety is … Continue reading →

The phrase “It is what it is” bugs me. It falls into the category that includes phrases/clauses like “Going forward…” (as if you could go backward) or “To be honest” (an admission that what you’re about to say is a … Continue reading →

Received from Linked In at 12:10 am EST on May 29 (9:10pm May 28 in PT terms) LinkedIn is currently unavailable while we make upgrades to improve our service to you. We’ll return around 9:30pm (PT) May 28nd, 2008. We … Continue reading →