A common problem with corporate writing is that it’s full of lazy, meaningless verbs. Utilize, implement, leverage—these words litter our writing and weaken our message.

“We are leveraging our core competencies to meet our customers needs.”

I stopped reading when I saw the word “leveraging.”

The verb is the powerhouse of your sentence. Choose clear, active verbs instead of throwaway ones. I hereby call for a ban on the following verbs from corporate writing, press releases, social media, and websites. Try these alternatives instead.

Instead of            Try

accompany              go with
ballpark                   estimate
commence               begin
consolidate              join
dialogue                  talk
disambiguate           clear up
disseminate             give, send
endeavor                 try
enumerate              count
facilitate                  lead, help
ideate                      think
implement               carry out, start
incentivize               motivate
interface                  talk
leverage                  use, take advantage of
modify                    change
operationalize          start, use
optimize                  improve
peruse                    read
promulgate              issue, publish
regarding                about
renumerate             pay
synergize                work together
utlize                      use

Readers, what verbs would you ban?

This article was originally published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

Many of these towns are no more than bends in the road, but it’s interesting to think about how these towns were named. What went on at those meetings?

1. Battle
2. Blowout
3. Content
4. Cut and Shoot
5. Dimple
6. Ding Dong (located in Bell County)
7. Dull
8. Earth
9. Elbow
10. Eulogy
11. Fate
12. Foot
13. Frog
14. Frognot
15. Golly
16. Good Neighbor
17. Gun Barrel City
18. Halfway
19. Harmony Hill
20. Jot ‘Em Down
21. Lollipop
22. Looneyville
23. Monkeyville
24. Moonshine Colony
25. Nameless
26. Noodle
27. Odds
28. Paradise
29. Placid
30. Point Blank
31. Raccoon Bend
32. Razor
33. Scissors
34. Security
35. Serene Hills
36. Stranger
37. Sublime
38. Sundown
39. Toadsuck
40. Uncertain
41. Utopia
42. Uz
43. West, Texas (which is not in West Texas, but Central Texas)

Care to share any of your state’s unusual town names?

This article was originally published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

I’m hoping my readers can help me out on this one.  This week, my associate editor and I disagreed about using different from versus different than. Here is the sentence:

“Physician surveys have shown that primary care physicians in rural areas have a notably different work experience than primary care physicians in urban settings.”

My associate editor insisted that different than is always wrong and different from should be used. I argued that different than makes better sense in the sentence. A quick check of the rules on the usage of these phrases was equally confusing.

Here’s what I found from the web site Grammatically Correct:

“When to Use different from
Use different from for simple comparisons, as in comparing two persons or things.

 Example: My car is different from (not than) her car.

When using different from, the two things being compared (e.g. my car and her car in the first example) should have the same grammatical structure. This is called parallel construction. Here is an example:

 Example: People in the field of literature write differently from people in the field of business.

 When different than is acceptable 
Because of increased use, different than is sometimes considered acceptable in American English. When in doubt, just use different from, as it is preferred by most people. According to the American Heritage Dictionary’s usage panel (1992), different than is acceptable only if the words following different than make up a clause — especially if the clause is elliptical (referring to an aforementioned context without restating it). Here’s an example:

 Example:  It seems so different than Paris.”

Additionally, many style books — including Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and Bernstein’s The Careful Writer — argue against using different than. According to these sources, different from is preferred and considered correct, but different than is considered acceptable on some occasions.

In our example, different and than are separated in the sentence.  Should that make a difference when applying the rules?

So, readers . . . what would you do. Should this sentence use different from or different than? Here it is again:

“Physician surveys have shown that primary care physicians in rural areas have a notably different work experience than primary care physicians in urban settings.”

 In a previous post, I wrote about words that are fun to pronounce. On the list were polydactyly, contumelious, and mundungus.

At the end of the post, I asked PR Daily readers to share their favorite fun-to-say words—though the allure in some cases may lie more in their definition than their enunciation Here are some of the responses. Click on the word to hear its pronunciation. (Definitions and pronunciations are from Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com.)

Aficianado — a person who likes, appreciates, and knows about an activity or interest.

Byzantine — of or pertaining to the Byzantine Empire; of the architecture, painting, and decorative style of the Byzantine Empire; highly complicated, intricate, or involved.

Defenestration — the act of throwing something out the window.

Forsythia — a shrub of the olive family with yellow blossoms.

Fracas — a noisy quarrel or brawl.

Hemidemisemiquaver — in music, a one-sixty-fourth note. It takes much longer to say it than to play it.

Mnemonic — a verbal device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.

Peripatetic — walking about or from place to place; traveling on foot; relating to the philosophy or teaching methods of Aristotle.

Prestidigitation — sleight of hand; a show of skill or deceitful cleverness.

Preternatural — beyond or different from what is natural; extraordinary.

Rhododendron — an evergreen shrub with clusters of bell-shaped flowers.

Serendipitous — come upon or found by accident; beneficial; favorable.

Tchoupitoulas — an extinct Native American tribe; a street in New Orleans

Triskaidekaphobia — fear of the number 13.

Vestibule — a small hallway or passage between the outer door and the interior of a house or building.

Vituperative — abusive; spoken or written abuse.

Walla Walla — a town in southeastern Washington near the Oregon border named after a Native American tribe.

Wilmerding, PA — a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. [Editor’s note: Neither Merriam-Webster nor Dictionary.com offers a pronunciation of this word, so you’re on your own. For our money, it’s pronounced: Wilmer-Ding.]

Got a favorite in this batch? Care to offer another?

This article was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

So, I thought I would call on the collective experience of my readers. How would you fix the following sentences? I’m sharing what I did with them; do you agree? What would you have done?


1. But having a discussion on end-of-life issues could well be the most important discussion you, as a physician, ever have with your patient; helping them through this process allows your patient to think about exactly what they would want done “if …” Inevitably, “if” will happen to everyone.

As a physician, some of the most important discussions you have with your patients may be about end-of-life issues. Helping patients through this process allows them to think about what they want done “if . . .” Inevitably, “if” will happen to everyone.


2. If known in advance, the physician should discuss their concerns with the patient and offer to transfer their care to another physician who is willing to carry out their wishes.

If known in advance, the physician can discuss his or her concerns with the patient and offer to transfer the patient’s care to another physician who is willing to carry out the patient’s wishes.


3. Instead, he waited to call his physician in the morning; when he was seen he had developed a new, loud murmur, diagnosis new mitral valve prolapse; plan admit to cardiology at a tertiary center about 50 miles away, no beds available, patient sent home with instructions that the hospital would call him when a bed was available.

Instead, he waited to call his physician in the morning. When he was seen, he had developed a new murmur and was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse. The plan was to admit the patient to a tertiary care center 50 miles away. However, there were no beds available, so the patient was sent home. The hospital would call him when a bed became available.


4. The company continues its string of financial success as results for 2011 were very strong, particularly given existing market conditions.

Despite existing marketing conditions, the company continued its financial success with strong results for 2011.


5. Without an original consultation note there is no way to know what the surgeon’s evaluation encompassed or what was discussed with the family as far as the options or his plan.

Because there were no notes taken during the surgeon’s initial evaluation of the patient, it was unclear what occurred or if the treatment plan was discussed with the family.


6. We do not forget and we will always remember and will point out in the history books of our area’s medical story — the impact that both organizations have had and helped each other in our times of need and will continue to be intertwined in the future.

The history books that chronicle our story will describe how we helped each other in our times of need. And we will continue to be intertwined in the future.


This article first appeared on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

Dinosaur names can certainly be a mouthful, but learning to pronounce them gave me a new appreciation for phonetics.

Inspired by all this prehistoric nomenclature, I compiled a list of words that are fun to say (dinosaur names not included).

Have some fun pronouncing them on your own, especially the unfamiliar ones. Then click on the word for an audible pronunciation. (Definitions and pronunciations are from Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com.)

Bourgeoisie — the middle class.

Cerulean — a deep blue color; sky-blue.

Contumelious — insolent; rude and sarcastic; contemptuous.

Discombobulated — confused, embarrassed, upset.

Exsanguinate — drained of blood.

Flautist — one who plays the flute.

Indefatigable — incapable of being fatigued.

Lilliputian — a small person; very small; trivial.

Mundungus — not just a character from the “Harry Potter” series, mundungus means a stinking tobacco.

Nosocomial — of or related to a hospital; occurring in a hospital.

Onomatopoeia — the naming of something by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (hiccup, hiss, thud).

Otorhinolaryngology — the medical specialty that treats diseases of the ear, nose, and throat.

Oviparous — producing eggs that mature outside the body.

Perspicacity — keen insight; power to mentally grasp or understand clearly.

Phantasmagorical — having a fantastic or deceptive appearance; something in a dream or an optical illusion.

Polydactyly — having more than the normal number of fingers and toes.

Popliteal — the area behind the knee.

Quetzalcoatlus — a large flying reptile from the late Cretaceous period of North America. (I said no dinosaurs, but, technically quetzalcoatlus was a flying reptile, not a dinosaur.)

Sesquipedalian — measuring a foot and a half; a long word; a person who uses long words.

Ubiquitous — being or existing everywhere; widespread.

Verisimilitude — appearing to be true or real; something that has the appearance of being true or real.

Readers, care to share any other words that are simply fun to say?
This article was originally published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

In case you’re unfamiliar, circumlocution is the use of many words when one will do. For example, writing “at this point in time” when “now” will work.

As PR Daily publisher Mark Ragan often points out at his seminars, readers have “an incredibly shrinking attention span.” As writers and editors, we need to communicate as clearly and concisely as possible. One way we can do this—avoid circumlocution.

Here are some examples:

Readers, any examples of circumlocutory writing that you would like to share?


This article was originally published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

We’ve all been on the receiving end of a performance review in which we’re not quite sure what’s being said.

What follows is a sampling of phrases from performance reviews—along with their possible translations. All phrases were taken from the book “2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews” by Paul Falcone. Note the word “Effective” in the title.


Phrase: “Often flouts corporate policy and appears to march to his own drummer.”
Translation: You’re late every day.


Phrase: “Demonstrates an entitlement mentality.”
Translation: You think it’s OK that you’re late every day.


Phrase: “Often gets too ‘creative’ in changing established procedures without approval.
Translation: You try to convince others that it’s OK to be late every day.


Phrase: “Uses his position to dominate and intimidate others.”
Translation: People are afraid of you.


Phrase: “Remains unwilling to carry out tasks that are ‘below him.’”
Translation: You need to learn how to use the copier.


Phrase: “Is too wordy to communicate a clear and compelling message.”
Translation: No one knows what the heck you’re talking about.


Phrase: “Fails to display an acceptable standard of grooming.”
Translation: Ummm, soap and shampoo? Please?


Phrase: “Demonstrates a domineering work style.”
Translation: People don’t like you, because you’re an insufferable jerk.


Phrase: “Fails to take steps to strengthen the overall impression she makes.”
Translation: Because you’re an insufferable jerk, you don’t care that people don’t like you.


Phrase: “Over-relies on his engaging personality rather than substantive work.”
Translation: You’re a suck-up.


Phrase: “Often lets anger, frustration, and anxiety show.”
Translation: You yelled at Bob that time. And those other times.


Phrase: “Excessively bothers her peers with questions about basic matters.”
Translation: Everyone is tired of covering for you.


Phrase: “Appears sleepy and unfocused throughout the morning.”
Translation: More often than not, you come to work hung over.


Phrase: “Does not consistently avail himself of existing technology.”
Translation: You need to start using SharePoint.


Phrase: “Feeds the corporate grapevine with unsubstantiated facts.”
Translation: You really need to shut up.


And my favorite . . .

Phrase: “Lacks a basic mastery of business writing techniques.”
Translation: You can’t write your way out of a paper sack.

 


Readers, any other common review phrases you’d care to share?


This article was originally published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

This week, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite terms coined from “The Simpsons.” You won’t find them in the dictionary, but try slipping them into conversation and see what happens.

(Special thanks to the Simpsons Wiki for the definitions and examples.)


Embiggen and cromulent (two great words, one episode)

• Embiggen means to make something better.
• Cromulent means valid or acceptable.

These two words were used in the episode “Lisa the Iconoclast,” in which Springfield celebrates its bicentennial. Fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Krabappel hears the town motto, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man,” and comments that she had never heard of the word “embiggens.” Another teacher quickly replies, “I don’t know why; it’s a perfectly cromulent word.”


Craptacular

• One of the most popular words from “The Simpsons,” craptacular combines crap and spectacular.

In the episode “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace,” Bart describes Homer’s Christmas lights as “craptacular.”


Redorkulated

• Redorkulated means to become a dork again.

With the help of a hypnotist, nerdy Professor Fink becomes a smooth ladies’ man. The effect is short lived, and when it wears off, Professor Fink comments that he has been “redorkulated.” The episode was “The Blunder Years.”


Yoink

• Yoink is a verbal expression used when removing an object from its rightful owner or rightful place.

In “Duffless,” Homer says, “Yoink,” when he takes a stash of cash from Marge, cash that he had saved by not drinking beer for a month. He subsequently takes the cash to Moe’s bar.


Dumbening

• Dumbening is the process of becoming dumber.

In the episode “Lisa the Simpson,” Lisa writes in her diary: “Dear log, can it be true? Does every Simpson go through a process of dumbening? Hey, that’s not how you spell ‘dumbening.’ Wait a minute … ‘dumbening’ isn’t even a word!”


Shinning

• To have “the shinning” is to have the ability to read another’s thoughts and communicate telepathically. Notice the double n—it’s not shining, as in the movie, but shinning, as in the front part of your leg below the knee.

In “Treehouse of Horror V,” Groundskeeper Willie told Bart: “Boy, you read my thoughts! You’ve got the shinning.”


Car hole

• Car hole is another term for garage.

In the episode “The Springfield Connection,” Moe criticizes Homer for using the overly formal term “garage.” Homer asks Moe what he calls the garage. Moe replies, “A car hole.”


Word hole

• Word hole is another term for mouth.

Chief Wiggum tells Sideshow Bob to “shut your word hole” in the episode “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming.”


D’oh

• “The Simpsons” glossary would be incomplete without the ubiquitous “D’oh!” It is officially defined as an “annoyed grunt” uttered by Homer.


For more coinages from “The Simpsons,” visit:

• Simpsons Wiki
• Homerisms
• The Simpsons Dictionary

Any favorites from “The Simpsons” you’d like to share?


A version of this article first appeared on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.

A sentence is a sequence of words that expresses a complete thought. It is an independent clause that contains a subject and a verb. (Note: The subject can be implied, as in an imperative: Stop! The implied subject in this case is you.)

Correct: I woke this morning to the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.

We get into trouble when we combine two complete thoughts into one sentence without using the appropriate punctuation or conjunction.

Incorrect: I woke I heard the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.


The run-on sentence
A run-on sentence contains two or more independent clauses with no connector between them. If independent clauses are not separated into distinct sentences by a period, then they must be connected by a comma and a conjunction or by a semicolon.

Correct: I woke. I heard the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.
Correct: I woke, and I heard the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.
Correct: I woke; I heard the sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.

Remember that the length of a sentence does not determine whether the sentence is a run-on. Run-on sentences have structural flaws that can occur even in short sentences.

Incorrect: Looking at the mess they made I regretted sleeping in.
Correct: Looking at the mess they made, I regretted sleeping in.

Long sentences are not necessarily run-on sentences. Here is a 200-word sentence that is not a run-on.


The comma splice
Another type of run-on sentence is a comma splice. A comma splice is a sentence with a comma between the two independent clauses.

Incorrect: It’s time for school, put your light sabers away.

You correct a comma splice the way you would correct any run-on sentence. Separate the clauses into two sentences, or connect them with a comma and conjunction or with a semicolon.

Correct: It’s time for school, so put your light sabers away.
Correct: It’s time for school; put your light sabers away.


The fragment
A fragment is a sequence of words that is not a full sentence because it lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.

Incorrect: The sound of light sabers clashing in the living room.

You correct a fragment either by adding a subject or a verb, or by making the sentence a complete thought.

Correct: The sound of light sabers clashing in the living room roused me from my warm bed.

In that example, The sound of light sabers clashing in the living room is the subject of the verb roused.


Readers, any real-life sentence gaffes you’d care to share?


A version of this article first appeared on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.