To capitalize or not to capitalize: 7 ea...

If I don’t know the answer to a spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, or style question, I know where to look it up—or so I thought. The question that stumped me this week came when I was writing a medical case study. In the case, a patient complained of a “charley horse.” My question: Do you capitalize the “c” in “charley horse”? After searching through several stylebooks for rules about capitalization, I was unable to find a clear answer. I asked a colleague, and her response was, “What difference does it make if it’s capitalized or not?” I...

What’s the term for a group of wri...

My friends and co-workers often harass me for what they call my use of “trivial” words. By “trivial,” they mean words that no one else uses except me. I like to remind them that I once received a free lunch because of my “trivial” knowledge of words. I was sitting in a sandwich shop waiting for my order. A white board by the cash register said: “This week’s word puzzler. Tell us the term for a group of kittens and your lunch is on the house.” I recalled my time in library school—before anyone had ever heard of Google—when we were charged with...

Words about words

Like many other word nerds, I love to collect quotes about writing and the power of words. Here are a few of my favorite “power of words” quotes. “When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.” — William Shakespeare, Richard II “One great use of words is to hide our thoughts.”— Voltaire “Words—so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” — Nathaniel Hawthorne “So difficult it is to show the various meanings and...

I’m talking to you . . . serial co...

PR Daily readers seem preoccupied with the serial comma. Several readers of my posts have commented on my use of the serial comma, quoting different style guides and telling me it’s wrong to put a comma before the “and” or the “or” in a list. Invariably, my response is that I use the serial comma because the style guide I follow says to use it. I know this is a provocative topic. I can’t think of anything that gets writers and editors more fired up than debating the pros and cons of the serial comma. And, as author Lynne Truss says, “Never get between...

Grammar quiz! Should these verbs be sing...

Want to take a test that might trip up your high school English teacher? In the following sentences, should the singular or plural verb be used? None of the books she referenced (are) or (is) in the library. Each of the members (has) or (have) one vote. A number of employees (was) or (were) selected for the education committee. A total of 12 products (was) or (were) offered to new customers. The number of spelling errors (was) or (were) distressing. A majority of the board (wants) or (want) the merger. Not sure of the answers? You’re not alone. Noun/verb...

The secrets inside your dictionary

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been watching the Writing the OED series on YouTube, fantasizing about what it would be like to work for the Oxford English Dictionary. Imagine going to work every day to study and write about the history and meaning of words. (Please, sir, may I come in and work on your dictionary?) Recently, I’ve been studying the different kinds and styles of dictionaries. And though they are ubiquitous in our profession, many writers and editors may not be familiar with all the types and styles of dictionaries. Here’s a summary. Language...

4 ways to improve quotes in press releas...

What will sink your press release faster than an iceberg on a foggy night? Well, besides clichés, superlatives, and meaningless terms such as “cutting-edge,” using poorly worded quotes will have reporters hitting the delete button before they read your third paragraph. Don’t fall victim to this problem. Consider the following tips as you are crafting your press release. Trash those lazy verbs A common problem with press release quotes is that they’re full of lazy corporate verbs such as synergize, utilize, leverage, or facilitate. “We are leveraging...

Resist the urge to ‘dumb down’ your cont...

Writing myths are everywhere. In my 14-plus years as a writer and editor, I have heard everything from “good writers don’t need to be edited” to “you shouldn’t sit down to write until you know exactly what you want to say.” The myth that I find the most misguided: Writers should “dumb down” their content so everyone, everywhere can read it. Pure fiction! The first rule of writing is to write for your audience. Take their current level of knowledge into account, and use language they know and feel comfortable with. Don’t write for sixth-graders if...