I was pedaling away in spin class, gasping for air during a particularly long song, when the instructor yelled, “You have fewer than three minutes to go.” Then, perhaps to distract us from the pain of those remaining minutes, she explained the difference between fewer and less. “I just learned... (Read More)
Fidel Castro held on to power longer than any other living national leader except Queen Elizabeth II.
So read a line in the Cuban leader’s recent obituary, which was enlightening for many reasons, one being its appropriate use of on and to following the verb held.
When to... (Read More)
A neighborhood hotel sent out a flyer pitching its venue as a top spot for an unforgettable holiday party: Christmas Décor including a festive Christmas Tree in each room! A complimentary Champagne Toast with mention of this flyer!
Christmas is a proper noun, so it’s always capitalized, and Champagne is... (Read More)
Not long ago, LuckyVitamin, an online store, greeted me with an email that opened with this line: From receiving products without clicking a button to shopping for everything you need in one place, we are here to simplify your lifestyle.
And that, dear reader, is a perfect example of... (Read More)
Companies—and people—like to talk about their legacies, which is understandable. Most want to make a difference and be remembered for what they did. Right now, for example, Barack Obama is thinking a lot about his presidential legacy.
Problem is legacy also refers to something that is on its way to... (Read More)
There’s nothing that can’t be improved by making it shorter. That’s what Charles Osgood said recently when he retired as host of “Sunday Morning” and reflected on his long career on the air. “Short words, short sentences, short paragraphs,” he stressed.
Copy that is shorter is typically clearer and... (Read More)
I read a lot of obituaries—both the news pieces journalists write and the paid notices, which are typically penned by the families of those who have died. While an obituary is certainly the venue to pour on the praise, more often than not people pile it on too heavily, whether... (Read More)
When food giant Mondalez dropped its doomed bid to buy chocolate giant Hershey, Irene Rosenfeld, chairman and CEO of Mondalez, wrote that her company determined there was no actionable path forward toward an agreement.
Actionable, which means capable of being acted on, can have a place in business writing—albeit... (Read More)
Next week I’m running a workshop for a client who came to me saying, “We take too long to get to the point, and in the rush of the approval process everyone starts tinkering with the copy. By the time they’re all finished, the news is at the bottom of... (Read More)
I just read an interview with James Jagger, the 30-year-old son of Mick, in which he described his habit of taking up hobbies, only to drop them a short while later. “I’m very, very flippant,” he said. That’s odd, I thought; he doesn’t seem like a wiseass, which is what... (Read More)
