I'm back! And it's Friday! Life and work have been crazy, but I'm ready to get back into the full swing of this here blog.
When I write longhand, I'm a huge fan of the ampersand. I use it liberally in almost all situations that call for the word "and."
The ampersand (&) is actually a stylized version of the Latin word et, which means "and."
This is just another example of how important Latin is to English today.
Showing posts with label knowledge is power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knowledge is power. Show all posts
Friday, September 19, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Knowledge Is Power
This week has been crazy busy. I actually had plenty more to say than my silence on this blog would lead you to believe. Anyway, I took this morning off (lovely), and am now sitting on my patio enjoying an olive and feta salad with flatbread for lunch.
This afternoon I'll be working on my first-ever print pub queries. Ever since I began freelance writing, I've only worked on web content. I'm curious about the print world, so I'm going to dive in. (Just to let you know, it's taken me two years of freelance writing to just "dive in.")
I promise not all of my Friday trivia bits will revolve around word definitions, but I love discovering new words that have to do with writing or editorial work. It tickles my funny bone.
anastrophe
Main Entry:
anas·tro·phe
Pronunciation:
\ə-ˈnas-trə-(ˌ)fē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Medieval Latin, from Greek anastrophē, literally, turning back, from anastrephein to turn back, from ana- + strephein to turn
Date:
circa 1550
: inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for rhetorical effect — compare hysteron proteron
It's interesting because I never knew there was a word for messed up syntax, and now I do!
Next time I'm reviewing a manuscript I can query the author on his or her anastrophe. Hee.
This afternoon I'll be working on my first-ever print pub queries. Ever since I began freelance writing, I've only worked on web content. I'm curious about the print world, so I'm going to dive in. (Just to let you know, it's taken me two years of freelance writing to just "dive in.")
I promise not all of my Friday trivia bits will revolve around word definitions, but I love discovering new words that have to do with writing or editorial work. It tickles my funny bone.
anastrophe
Main Entry:
anas·tro·phe
Pronunciation:
\ə-ˈnas-trə-(ˌ)fē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Medieval Latin, from Greek anastrophē, literally, turning back, from anastrephein to turn back, from ana- + strephein to turn
Date:
circa 1550
: inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for rhetorical effect — compare hysteron proteron
It's interesting because I never knew there was a word for messed up syntax, and now I do!
Next time I'm reviewing a manuscript I can query the author on his or her anastrophe. Hee.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Knowledge Is Power
When it comes to Friday afternoons, I'm typically too tired to think.
Plus, I really like useless trivia.
The final word given at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in 1999 was logorrhea. Logorrhea means "excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness."
Too bad the final word wasn't irony. Ha.
Firefox believes that logorrhea is spelled incorrectly. The suggestions include gonorrheal, gonorrheas, and gonorrhea. I don't know if I can keep using an Internet browser with such a dirty mind. Shame, Firefox! Also, I don't think I knew gonorrhea had a plural form before Firefox suggested it. How would that even work?
Plus, I really like useless trivia.
The final word given at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in 1999 was logorrhea. Logorrhea means "excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness."
Too bad the final word wasn't irony. Ha.
Firefox believes that logorrhea is spelled incorrectly. The suggestions include gonorrheal, gonorrheas, and gonorrhea. I don't know if I can keep using an Internet browser with such a dirty mind. Shame, Firefox! Also, I don't think I knew gonorrhea had a plural form before Firefox suggested it. How would that even work?
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