Wordwatch Towers
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A plain language guide to grammar, punctuation and writing well. The Wordwatch Towers bar is closed on Sundays. Bring your own beer if medically necessary. Don’t tip the butler.
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We have Lewis Carroll to thank for the expression 'portmanteau word'. But what exactly does it mean?
#portmanteauword #lewiscarroll #Englishlanguage #grammar
#portmanteauword #lewiscarroll #Englishlanguage #grammar
Humpty Dumpty packs his portmanteau
In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice that the word ‘slithy’ from the poem, Jabberwocky (also by Carroll) is a combination of ‘lithe’ and ‘slimy’: You see it…
wordwatchtowers.wordpress.com
November 22, 2024 at 4:01 PM
We have Lewis Carroll to thank for the expression 'portmanteau word'. But what exactly does it mean?
#portmanteauword #lewiscarroll #Englishlanguage #grammar
#portmanteauword #lewiscarroll #Englishlanguage #grammar
Reposted by Wordwatch Towers
John Dryden (1631-1700) feared that ‘the minds of the fair sex would be perplexed’. Dr Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) muttered darkly about ‘the most heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together’.
#JohnDonne #metaphysicalconceit #literaryconceit #TSEliot #BennisonBooks #poetry
#JohnDonne #metaphysicalconceit #literaryconceit #TSEliot #BennisonBooks #poetry
Fleas, compasses, love and seduction
The term ‘metaphysical’ was first used in relation to poetry by Dr Johnson, who wanted to express his disapproval of the convoluted and complex way that many seventeenth century poets expressed the…
wordwatchtowers.wordpress.com
November 21, 2024 at 2:11 PM
John Dryden (1631-1700) feared that ‘the minds of the fair sex would be perplexed’. Dr Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) muttered darkly about ‘the most heterogeneous ideas yoked by violence together’.
#JohnDonne #metaphysicalconceit #literaryconceit #TSEliot #BennisonBooks #poetry
#JohnDonne #metaphysicalconceit #literaryconceit #TSEliot #BennisonBooks #poetry
'My friends and I' or 'Me and my friends'? This is an old chestnut that causes a lot of disagreement and puzzlement. But there's a simple way to find out which is correct.
#myfriendsandI #meorI #Englishgrammar #punctuation #Englishwriting
#myfriendsandI #meorI #Englishgrammar #punctuation #Englishwriting
‘My friends and I’ or ‘me and my friends’?
There is an easy test to apply when deciding if you should use ‘I’ or ‘me’ in a sentence. Look at these two sentences: My father is taking me and my friends out to dinner. My father is taking my fr…
wordwatchtowers.wordpress.com
November 18, 2024 at 4:13 PM
'My friends and I' or 'Me and my friends'? This is an old chestnut that causes a lot of disagreement and puzzlement. But there's a simple way to find out which is correct.
#myfriendsandI #meorI #Englishgrammar #punctuation #Englishwriting
#myfriendsandI #meorI #Englishgrammar #punctuation #Englishwriting
Using too many Latin words and phrases in your writing can be off-putting. But it's good to know the meaning of those that are commonly used.
#Latin #Latinwords #Latinphrases #UsingLatin #writingwell #goodEnglish #grammar
#Latin #Latinwords #Latinphrases #UsingLatin #writingwell #goodEnglish #grammar
Intelligenti pauca
The moral of this tale is that writers should not pepper their work with Latin and other foreign words and phrases if there’s a good chance their readers will not understand them. And especially no…
wordwatchtowers.wordpress.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:31 AM
Using too many Latin words and phrases in your writing can be off-putting. But it's good to know the meaning of those that are commonly used.
#Latin #Latinwords #Latinphrases #UsingLatin #writingwell #goodEnglish #grammar
#Latin #Latinwords #Latinphrases #UsingLatin #writingwell #goodEnglish #grammar
'Alright' is perfectly OK in informal writing, unless you're emailing someone with grammar-related blood pressure issues. wordpress.com/post/wordwat...
#alrightorallright #UKspelling #UKgrammar #Englishgrammar
#alrightorallright #UKspelling #UKgrammar #Englishgrammar
November 17, 2024 at 10:42 AM
'Alright' is perfectly OK in informal writing, unless you're emailing someone with grammar-related blood pressure issues. wordpress.com/post/wordwat...
#alrightorallright #UKspelling #UKgrammar #Englishgrammar
#alrightorallright #UKspelling #UKgrammar #Englishgrammar
Reposted by Wordwatch Towers
A colleague was described today as someone who could write a good ten page summary of a four page note.
November 13, 2024 at 11:29 PM
A colleague was described today as someone who could write a good ten page summary of a four page note.
Reposted by Wordwatch Towers
Good morning.
Word of the Day is as beautiful as it is underused. ‘Confelicity’ is finding joy in the happiness and success of others.
Word of the Day is as beautiful as it is underused. ‘Confelicity’ is finding joy in the happiness and success of others.
November 14, 2024 at 7:43 AM
Good morning.
Word of the Day is as beautiful as it is underused. ‘Confelicity’ is finding joy in the happiness and success of others.
Word of the Day is as beautiful as it is underused. ‘Confelicity’ is finding joy in the happiness and success of others.
If you think good grammar and punctuation are optional extras, consider the following:
A woman without her man is nothing.
With the correct punctuation all becomes clear:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
A woman without her man is nothing.
With the correct punctuation all becomes clear:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
November 12, 2024 at 10:13 AM
If you think good grammar and punctuation are optional extras, consider the following:
A woman without her man is nothing.
With the correct punctuation all becomes clear:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
A woman without her man is nothing.
With the correct punctuation all becomes clear:
A woman: without her, man is nothing.