A Harvard linguist offers a monster list of commonly misused words.
“Some languages, like French, have an official body that decides how words can and cannot be used. English, as a flexible, global language, has no such designated referee. Therefore, there is no definitive answer to whether you’re using a word “correctly.” It’s all a matter of taste and context. But there are opinions. And some count more than others.
Steven Pinker is probably as good an expert to ask as anyone. Helpfully, the renowned Harvard linguist and best-selling author
Another article on words.
From alright to zap: an A-Z of horrible words
Rebecca Gowers | The Guardian
Very interesting. But in addition to the commentary about the 26 words, I found the use of punctuation fascinating. Every style book I’ve read calls for placing all periods and commas inside the quotation marks. Always – no exceptions. This author puts the commas and periods outside the quotation marks. Also, it starts off italicizing the reference words, and then switches to using quotation marks around them. Interesting stories about words, but inconsistent (at best) punctuation.
- How 2020 can make 2021 better - December 28, 2020
- Welcome to the Kim Schlossberg Designs newsletter - December 18, 2020
- A Strong Brand is the Key to Resilience - April 10, 2020
