Words and phrases from 1920s

Never under-estimate the power of words to communicate culture and define the spirit of the age. In 2020, the words “pandemic,” “lockdown,” “COVID,” “remote,” “anti-masker,” “unprecedented” and “unmute” were all chosen as “meaningful terms” or as “word[s] of the year.” To further explore how words can capture and transmit the ideas and beliefs of the time, let’s take a look at the 1920s in words. One-hundred years ago, you might have overheard these expressions in a café or while riding the bus. (Definitions from Merriam-Webster,...

Turning it down: Saying no to a project ...

Even though many of us write for a living, we may find ourselves at a loss for words when it comes to saying no to a project or person. Turning someone down in the complicated and politically fraught world of work is no easy task. Here are five templates you can use to say no to a project or offer politely and firmly.   1. Turning down an offer to advertise/publish content/sponsor an event Good afternoon [name]. Thank you for your patience as we reviewed the materials you sent. Based on our [current advertising strategies/publishing guidelines/company policy/budget],...

What writers really want for the holiday...

This year’s holiday post on “gifts for the writer in your life” doesn’t include any physical items. Though there are plenty of books, games, apps, and coffee mugs out there for writers to covet and for their loved ones to purchase, listing these felt wrong for 2020. After the year we’ve all had, doing something kind for the writer you love seems more meaningful than buying them a t-shirt that says, “I’m silently correcting your grammar.” With this in mind, my 2020 holiday post includes a list of 10 things you can do to soothe the writer in your life. Okay ....

9 non-controversial, apolitical, and sem...

In my family, having a drama-free Thanksgiving has always been a struggle. One side of the family lives to argue and will tear each other to shreds at the slightest provocation. The other side holds onto conflict and keeps it simmering, just below the surface, year after year. And then there’s my aunt Vikki who needs to be kept away from the wine, and my cousin David who needs to be kept away from my mom. But our 2020 Thanksgiving celebration — taking place on Zoom with relatives from both sides of the family — will have its own set of challenges. Below are a few...

There’s a word for that — 2020 ele...

As we await the results of the 2020 presidential election, here are a few phrases to describe what we may be seeing or doing or how we may be feeling. Availability cascade — the belief that if you hear or read about something frequently it must be true. This is similar to the bandwagon effect, the idea that if many people believe in something or do something, it must be true or acceptable. Fact checking and critical thinking are ways to fight against the availability cascade and bandwagon effect. Catastophizing — assuming the worst will happen or that the worst...

An inelegant solution

Did you ever have an English teacher tell you not to use the same word twice in a paragraph? If so, he or she was encouraging you to use “elegant variation,” a practice as misguided as the ban on starting a sentence with a conjunction. Elegant variation occurs when a writer uses synonyms simply to avoid repeating the same word. Here’s an extreme example: Bananas are a good source of potassium. Eating this elongated yellow fruit can also provide you with Vitamin C. A less extreme example: Four of the defendant’s witnesses were women, while all of the plaintiff’s...