A guide to common sports metaphors
Writers and editors frequently encounter mangled and confusing metaphors in messages from executives and co-workers. And it’s our job to correct those metaphors, so we can communicate clearly with our audience. But when it comes to sports metaphors, some pros can quickly strike out. Sports metaphors (or phrases or idioms) are used universally in the workplace. It’s a rare meeting that goes by without a manager asking, “Who will quarterback this project?” or someone mentioning “bench strength.” Yet, not everyone understands these metaphors. For those of us who...
52 “muscle memory” typos
As a writer and editor who spends hours at the keyboard every day, you probably don’t think about how to type. That ability is built into your “muscle memory”— or more accurately, your subconscious memory. Once you learned to type, there was no need to learn again. Your brain creates “subroutines” that allow you to type (or ride a bike, ice skate, play an instrument) without consciously thinking about it. However, this can lead to mistakes, especially when typing commonly used words. As you type, you might be thinking “thank you” but you type “thanks...
The dark history behind four common expr...
History is about more than just dates and places . . . it’s storytelling at its finest. While visiting Boston and the city’s historic sites this summer, I was captivated by the stories and storytellers I met there. Tied closely to the history of Plimouth, the Freedom Trail, and the Boston Tea Party is the language used to tell those stories. And as it turns out, the language has a history of its own. Many of our everyday idioms and expressions have dark origins that date back to colonial times. Think about the history of these terms the next time you use them. ...
