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As both a copy editor and an English major, I have read a lot of people’s writing. I’ve discovered writing styles that I really enjoy, and I’ve discovered a whole set of writing pet peeves.
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Here’s a judgmental list of seven words with different American and British spellings, based on which versions make the most sense.
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While the Oxford comma is technically grammatically correct, it is most often unnecessary and pointless. Thus, writers and editors should eliminate the comma unless it’s absolutely essential for comprehension.
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It seems that words present a peculiar and unexpected kind of irony. We rely on them to communicate effectively in a variety of situations, but countless times over, they confuse, frustrate and fail us.
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The idiom “face the music” has been a staple in the English language for decades. But how did this phrase come about? And how has its meaning changed over the years?
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Typography plays an important role in journalism. While newspaper typefaces may not seem as exciting as the content itself, they are a mode of creative communication. The very curvature, shape and aesthetic of letters are often and understandably overlooked; the extent of the writing’s impact is usually contemplated through word choice and diction. From a visual perspective, however, the font is foundational; a paper’s main objective is to deliver information efficiently, and an effective message is elevated by clear design.
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With the help of the Oxford English Dictionary and the debatably reliable Urban Dictionary, here are some relics of the early aughts to steep you in nostalgia and help you remember a time before you had to worry about essay deadlines and internship applications.
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Between the grammatical corrections and point deductions, Madame Lacascade always managed to squeeze in an “excellent sentence” or a coveted “très bien.” Through her own indisputable passion, she instilled in me not only a love of French but one of language itself.
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I have no recollection of when I started speaking Russian; it just happened. But I moved to California when I was 3 years old and lost the Russian language in the pursuit of learning English. So while I can’t remember learning the first time, I do remember the second time around.
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There are even more ways to talk about sex than ways to have sex. Here’s a quick and dirty linguistic breakdown of a few creative sexual euphemisms from literature and film.
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