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The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Category: Definitions

In and of Itself, Continual vs. Continuous

Posted on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, at 11:00 pm

In this week’s newsletter we’ll review two classic topics that continually draw comments from our readers. In and of Itself To many people, the phrase in and of itself sounds clunky and old-fashioned. However, when used sparingly—and correctly—it serves a purpose. Example: The weather was not, in and of itself, the cause of the traffic …

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Hyphenated Compound Words

Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, at 11:00 pm

It's enough to drive even the most exacting writers, proofers, and editors a little batty sometimes: More than one descriptive word precedes a noun, forming what we call a compound modifier. Do we need to hyphenate the words, or are they well enough left alone? What if we have two words modifying another word and all three …

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More Mangled Language and Pompous Usages to Avoid

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at 11:00 pm

This column is mostly concerned about the written word, but even so, pronunciation will inevitably enter the picture from time to time. The expressions chomping at the bit and stomping ground are both corruptions of the original champing and stamping. People find this incredible. But, for instance, consult the 1961 cult-favorite western film One-Eyed Jacks, …

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In the Zone: It’s About Time

Posted on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at 11:00 pm

We're all aware of how vital marked and measured time is to guiding and structuring our days. How then do we treat it in precise and careful writing? We offered some guidelines in our updated April 2017 article Writing Dates and Times. We'll expand on those here by delving deeper into the most recent editions of …

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Don’t End a Sentence with a Preposition—Where Did This Myth Come From?

Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at 11:00 pm

We've written a newsletter article about it (Problems with Prepositions), and in Rule 1 of Prepositions we state, "One of the undying myths of English grammar is that you may not end a sentence with a preposition." Yet, we still receive admonitions from well-meaning readers who think we've made an error when ending a sentence with a …

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So Tell Me—When Is It Correct to Use So

Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at 11:00 pm

So: It's among the shortest words in English, and use of it abounds. So, when are we going to meet up? That movie was so good. I so much want to be there. He's not feeling well, so he probably won't go to the meeting. The word has become a versatile agent for our language …

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I Can’t Not Write This

Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at 11:00 pm

Did something like this happen to you back in grade school? Some little miscreant is reprimanded by the teacher, whereupon the kid protests: "I didn't do nothin'!" And faster than you can say "teachable moment," the teacher says, "Now, Billy, you mean you didn't do anything. When you say you didn't do nothing, that means …

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More on Misspoken or Mispronounced Words and Phrases

Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, at 11:00 pm

A few weeks back we explored words and phrases that can sabotage our communication—and our perceived persuasion—by being mispronounced or misspoken. The article inspired thoughtful feedback and additional entries from readers who likewise monitor the proper use of English. What follows are two items from our current list that were questioned, as well as more …

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Misspoken or Mispronounced Words and Phrases

Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 11:00 pm

Writing serves us well in communication by providing us with a framework for arranging words into clear and thoughtful statements, including opportunities for eloquence. Applying ourselves to concise writing can also reinforce articulate speech. We are often moved or impressed by those who express themselves with precision and power. Think of the historic public addresses …

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Pronouncing the Word Blessed

Posted on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at 11:00 pm

We received a number of inquiries from readers asking about the proper pronunciation of the word blessed when used in a way that we were not aware of when our original e-newsletter on this subject was issued on August 11, 2012. In order to provide what we hope is now complete coverage of the topic, today we …

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