The Right Word

Part 3

  by Joseph C. White

Casey Stengel often told stories about things that happened in baseball when he managed the New York Yankees many years ago. He usually added credence to his accounts by saying, “You can look it up.”   If you don’t agree with any of this, you can look it up.

“Between you and I” was a favorite comment of one of my supervisors in governmental service. We always hoped someone would remind him about objective case. But accepting constructive criticism was not one of his endearing qualities, so none of the mice volunteered to hang the bell on the cat. Now, forty years later, I never think of him without remembering his constantly making that mistake.

When kids said “Me and Tom went fishing yesterday,” our elementary school teachers made us change that to “Tom and I.” They impressed it on us so thoroughly that some of us came to believe that “me” was an offensive word to be avoided. That’s probably why we still hear “Between you and I” or “For he and I” so often.

Harbrace College Handbook, Tenth Edition, says multiple objects of prepositions take the objective case. Examples: For you and me, against him and me, to them and us. (Would anyone say “For I “? “Against he,” or “against I”? “To they,” or “to we”?)

“I couldn’t care less” means I don’t care at all. But often we hear it shortened to “I could care less,” which literally means I do care more than a little. But that rolls off of the tongue easier than the original wording, which may be why we hear it so frequently. A few seconds of objective thought should convince anyone that it conveys the wrong meaning.

“It’s” with an apostrophe means it is. “Its” with no apostrophe is possessive, like his, hers, ours, yours or theirs. “It’s a wise dog that scratches its own fleas” is an example from The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White.

“I’m nauseous” or “I feel nauseous,” is sometimes misused to mean “I feel sick.” But the dictionary defines nauseous as an adjective meaning “causing nausea or sickening.”  Clearly then, the literal meaning of “I’m nauseous” is I make others sick. “I’m nauseated” means I have nausea. A foul odor can be nauseous and cause a person to become nauseated.

“Knot” has a special meaning for air and maritime travel. It is a measure of speed, (one nautical mile per hour,) not distance. A nautical mile is one minute of arc on the planet earth, 8,076 feet. A mile is 5,280 feet, so a nautical mile is 1.1508 statute miles. [Online Conversion.com What is a knot? What is a nautical mile? This goes into detail about how the term originated.]

The usage of the word comes first and the listing in the dictionary comes later. I’m no authority, and this is intended as shared information—not dogma. Write your story the way you want it. Keep your unique voice, and follow these guidelines if you agree. Lightning won’t strike you if you make these mistakes, but you will lose credibility with some readers.

Many thanks to Joseph C. White for his series on choosing the Right Word. Joe has self-published five books and will be ninety years old in a few months. He joined the National Guard in 1938, transferred to the Army Air Corps in 1942, leaving in 1943 after earning a commission and a pilot’s wings. Later, Joe joined the U.S. Immigration Border Patrol, retiring after 21 years, holding various titles from Chief Intelligence officer to Assistant Regional Commissioner. His work may be purchased from his website, www.josephcwhite.com, and he may be reached by email at josephcwhite(at)comporium(dot)net.

What did you say?

 

Joe White is writing about choosing the right word, and I want to add a bit about spelling, grammar, and communication. Below are some examples I think will help illustrate why we need to pay attention to our written work. Whether we are writers by trade or just dabblers, what we write will be read by others.

Actual sentences from letters I have received:

from a college acceptance letter, “You’ll earn and degree and a resume in over 30 academic programs…”

another college acceptance letter, “I am sure you are ready to complete the requirements for your Batchelor’s Degree…”

From a newsletter I received, “traffic was backed up, bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see on the other side of the highway…and at a dead crawl. I zipped…” (I only added the last ellipses)

In our local paper one day, “The following potential jurors should report…Monday for Common Please court:”

Again, in our paper, a business write-up about Physical therapists and their work: “Along with the proficiency of offering that service comes incredible financial gain for the therapist themselves.”

This was in an ad that a chiropractor actually paid for. The first two sentences don’t jive: “Dr. X (I won’t use the real name) practiced chiropractic in Henderson County, NC, since 1993. The Charlotte Airport has easy access to all parts of the county.”

And in a ruling passed down from the State of SC about the corridor of shame, the General Assembly stated that, “all children in South Carolina would start school redy to learn.”

Last, but not least, is this photo of a woman holding a dog, yes, look closely. The caption doesn’t indicate the species…ah well; reality is what we perceive, right? So you know what I mean even if I don’t tell you.

Contest Monday

Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

“Each entry must consist of a single sentence

but you may submit as many entries as you wish…”

contest accepts submissions daily

official deadline is April 15

Details @ http://bit.ly/8Wg0D4

(SCROLL WAY DOWN)

 

Jack L. Chalker Young Writers’ Contest

sponsored by Baltimore Sci/Fi Society

open to students 14-18 yrs

deadline May 2010

Details @ http://bit.ly/5fYN0O

 

Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize

sponsored by New York State Historical Association

Deadline is January 20th each year

no application needed/ no fees

“send two unbound copies…”

Details @ http://bit.ly/884yiZ

 

Worth Repeating:

 

Random House, Inc.

Creative Writing Competition

for NYC Public High School Seniors

Poetry/spoken word

Fiction

Drama

Personal essay/memoir

Graphic novel

Four 1^st place winners = $10K!

Details @ http://bit.ly/7SJquf

 

Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant $1K

for unpub’d author under 30

born or lived in Ohio

Details @ http://bit.ly/6RffNh

 

The Right Word

Part 2

  by Joseph C. White

“The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”          —Mark Twain

The dictionary says, “Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition, but the two-word form ‘a while’ may be preceded by a preposition. In writing, each of the following forms is acceptable: stay awhile (awhile is an adverb modifying the verb stay;) or stay for a while, (in this example, while is a noun—a period of time—as in “for a day” or “for a week.”

“Awhile (one word) means ‘for a while,’(three words.) A while (two words) means ‘a while’ (two words.) So saying ‘for awhile’ is the same as saying ‘for for a while.’” The Elephants of Style, Bill Walsh, page 55.

While can also be a verb: “While away the evening hours.”

Which or that—they are not interchangeable. Use which to introduce a non-restrictive subordinate clause that follows the noun, and use that to introduce a restrictive subordinate clause. 

Example:

“The Porter Paint Store is located at 966 West Main Street, which is one block from the University.” [The additional information is non restrictive because it is not needed to fully identify the location. Therefore, use which preceded by a comma. It is not the word itself that requires the comma. The non-restrictive clause that follows the noun requires the comma and requires the use of the pronoun which rather than that. The comma is needed even if the wrong pronoun is used by mistake.

Now consider another example: “It is the main Street that is in said town and not the Main Street that is in another said town.” [The two subordinate clauses are restrictive. You need the additional information to identify the Main Street you are talking about. Therefore, use that and no comma.]

Of course if you are talking about a person, you would normally use who as the pronoun (or whom if the objective case is indicated.) But regardless of whether you use which, that, who, or whom, the same rule would apply as to whether a comma would precede the pronoun. The comma depends entirely on whether the following subordinate clause is restrictive or non-restrictive. Using the wrong pronoun does not change the punctuation.

A few additional misuses that come to mind:

Gall/Gaul: Gall means Brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence. Gaul is the ancient name for what is now France and Belgium.

Imply/Infer: Imply means “to suggest.” Infer means “To draw a conclusion.”

Liable/Likely: Liable means “responsible,” Likely means “probable.”

Precede/Proceed: Precede means “to come before.” Proceed means “to go forward.”

Prophecy/Prophesy: a prophecy is a noun meaning “a prediction of something to come.” Prophesy is a verb meaning “to make predictions.”

Sensual/Sensuous: Sensual means “Gratifying to the physical senses (usually associated with sexual pleasure). Sensuous means “pleasing to the senses,” (usually associated with art, music, and nature).

The English language evolves over time. Some new words, coined to fill a perceived need, become standard after many years. Some words and phrases now out of favor may be accepted eventually. The usage of the word comes first and the listing in the dictionary comes later. More on this topic next time.

Joseph C. White joins us for an ongoing look at commonly misused words. Joe has self-published five books and will be ninety years old in a few months. He joined the National Guard in 1938, transferred to the Army Air Corps in 1942, leaving in 1943 after earning a commission and a pilot’s wings. Later, Joe joined the U.S. Immigration Border Patrol, retiring after 21 years, holding various titles from Chief Intelligence officer to Assistant Regional Commissioner. His work may be purchased from his website, www.josephcwhite.com, and he may be reached by email at josephcwhite(at)comporium(dot)net.

Another Contest

Encounter with an Angel

sponsored by Daily Lit

“In exactly 50 words, tell a story of an encounter with an angel.”

Deadline 12/31/09

Details http://bit.ly/7Q1pB9

 

Research

Cat approved research, not on my desk…read more

ALL NEW CONTESTS

JUST DISCOVERED HURRY!

Submissions Deadline: December 8, 2009

Retro Spec: Tales of Fantasy and Nostalgia

anthology of speculative flash fiction, short stories, and poetry

Details @ http://bit.ly/7HAl9A

 

SFReader’s Short Story 8th Annual Contest!
open to submissions from 12/1 – 12/31, 2009

“SFReader also offers free web pages for writers and fans of speculative fiction.”

Details @ http://bit.ly/8NtGCH

 

The Dark Moon Anthology Scary Poetry Contest

“Poems of Monsters, Mayhem and Madness: Poetry To Keep You Awake At Night!”

Contest Deadline: July 1, 2010.

Details @ http://bit.ly/6Wc6nd

 

War of the Worlds: Front Lines Anthology

Published by Northern Frights Publishing

Submission deadline: December 31, 2009

“We love Horror and Science Fiction especially,

but we’re open to anything of quality.”

Details @ http://bit.ly/6Irkn4

 

You Don’t Say

December/January 2010 photo contest

sponsored by Birds and Blooms

Details @ http://bit.ly/7LoGj9

 

Permanent Vacation: Living and Working in Our National Parks

Bona Fide Books is “seeking literary essays

about your experience working in our national parks,

from Denali to the Everglades, Yellowstone to Yosemite.”

Due by January 5th, 2010

Details @ http://bit.ly/6wn8qc

 

Queer in the Last Frontier

also @ Bona Fide Books: seeks “a diversity of experience,

from the newly arrived to the old-timer who has seen it all.”

February 5th, 2010

Details @ http://bit.ly/7foiff

I’m on my soapbox, again: reasons to purchase…

As an avid reader, I have to be careful not to overload my arms with books when I visit the bookstore. Top on my purchase list for December is EAT THIS NOT THAT (I’m still deciding which one, the supermarket guide, the best & worst, or restaurant survival guide) by David Zinczenko. Others are yet to be determined. Last month, I purchased FORD COUNTY by John Grisham, Debbie Macomber’s ANGELS AT CHRISTMAS, and Dan Brown’s THE LOST SYMBOL, along with some research books. I am midway through the first two and finished with the last one. I share this information for a couple reasons. Mainly, to say I support purchasing books, but I also read to stay current in the market. Although I do not review books, I read with a very critical eye, noting voice, setting, character traits and other important story elements. Often I will make an outline of a book I find particularly interesting, a method I use to study other writers’ works. I share this because I believe reading really does make me a better writer. With the gift-giving season approaching, may I suggest you give yourself a gift? Or suggest to others what books you might have on your MUST READ list. Not only will you enjoy reading, but you will be supporting the very industry you are a part of. (Did you think I would suggest purchasing a book for a friend or a child in your life? If you are a writer, you probably already give books as gifts…here’s the pitch for that) And if I can be so bold, why not pass along that book when you are through reading it to someone who is unable to purchase a book. Paper books really are gifts that keep on giving. Now go out and buy yourself a book!

Writing Advice

The Right Word

by Joseph C. White

Learn a new word each week and use it in your everyday conversation, and soon your friends will wonder who the hell you think you are.

This was inspired by 100 Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses, (Houghton Mifflin Company published by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionary). It includes a few examples from the book, together with additional information from the dictionary and from the Internet:

Discreet (ending in eet) means ‘prudent in speech and behavior: He told me the news but asked me to be discreet about it. ‘The related word discrete (ending in ete) means ’separate, distinct: The summer science program consists of four discrete units.’ Because they are pronounced the same way, discreet(eet) and discrete(ete) are sometimes confused in print.

Inflammable means the same as flammable. The ‘in’ is an intensifier and doesn’t mean not. For clarity’s sake, use flammable to give a warning and nonflammable to refer to the inability to catch on fire.

“This coffee will compliment your meal” introduced a commercial on television a few years ago. It featured a talking coffee bean praising the crisp salad, the tender T-bone steak, and the sweet cherries-jubilee dessert. Someone misused compliment (with an i), meaning to praise, instead of using the right word, complement (with an e), meaning to complete, make whole, or bring to perfection. 

Enormity means the quality of passing all moral bounds; excessive wickedness or outrageousness— a monstrous offense or evil; an outrage. Enormousness means great size, immensity.

Further means additional. Farther indicates a greater distance. (If you want to do further study you will have to go to college, even though it’s farther away from home.)

—more to come next week

 

Joseph C. White joins us for an ongoing look at commonly misused words. Joe has self-published five books and will be ninety years old in a few months. He joined the National Guard in 1938, transferred to the Army Air Corps in 1942, leaving in 1943 after earning a commission and a pilot’s wings. Later, Joe joined the U.S. Immigration Border Patrol, retiring after 21 years, holding various titles from Chief Intelligence officer to Assistant Regional Commissioner.

Joe’s work may be purchased from his website, http://www.josephcwhite.com/

and he may be reached by email at josephcwhite(at)comporium(dot)net.

New Contest

Poor Mojo’s Almanac(k) sponsoring

The 33-and-a-⅓ Contest

Topic “The Best Recipe You’d Never Guess.”

Rant & Recipe required

No entry fee, due before 12/31/09

Details @ http://bit.ly/5eCQFs