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Sticks and Stones and Words Can Hurt

In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election cycle, prepare to hear some unsavory comments, even name-calling among candidates. Here’s a term you may not be familiar with and might hope you’re never called: lickspittle.

Lickspittle is a compound word, combining two Old English words—lick and spittle—neither particularly attractive activities. Spittle brings to mind the mixture of saliva and tobacco that cowboys are prone to hack up into (you guessed it) a spittoon. Both meanings are familiar: lick—to run the tongue over and spittle—a derivation of spit. But combine the two and you have one of many variations of a derogatory term for someone who flatters those in authority. In elementary school we knew them as a brownnosers or apple polishers. Some politicians might choose a less euphemistic term like: suckup, or sycophant, toady, lackey, or now that you know what it means—a lickspittle. The Free Dictionary calls a lickspittle a flattering or servile person. Servile—of or befitting a slave—captures the idea of someone bowing and scraping to the master. Subordinates who feel the need to flatter their superiors are in a form of bondage just as much as slaves are.

If, like me, you enjoy learning new words and how they become part of our vernacular, perhaps I’ve done you a service in introducing lickspittle to your vocabulary. On the other hand, [bctt tweet=”Christian maturity demands that we also know how and when (or whether) to use a word. #editing #writers”] As writers and editors concerned with communicating God’s truth with grace and love, lickspittle is probably not a word that should be rolling off our tongues. Words do have the power to hurt or heal, tear down or build up. Rather than identifying someone as a lickspittle, we ought to recognize the limits of their situation and lift them up instead of belittling them.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t be a “lickspittle”. #writer #amediting #editor” via=”no”]

 

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The Times They Are A-Changin’

As languages go, English is fairly young. It’s been about 1400 years since the Anglo-Saxons imported English into Great Britain. And the struggle to adapt continues because language is dynamic. The English language continues to adjust to changes in word usage and new words that make their way into the vernacular. Just this year, Merriam-Webster added 1000 new words to its dictionary.

It’s our job as writers and editors to keep abreast of such changes and accepted usages. While we may not adapt every new coinage, we need to know what is acceptable usage in the publishing world—thanks to authorities like Merriam-Webster and the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS). With the 17th edition of CMoS due out in September, here’s a heads up on three changes that are likely to have the greatest impact on your writing/editing.

  • E-mail will become email—no hyphen. This is a progression that many additions to the language make—moving from a hyphenated to closed compound. While some style guides have been rendering email as closed for some time already, when CMoS does so, it’s official.
  • Internet becomes internet—lower cased.
  • Singular they is acceptable in some cases. Although the pronoun they usually refers to a plural antecedent, CMoS acknowledges it can also refer to a singular antecedent. In cases where the gender of the antecedent is not known, the singular they is acceptable, rather than the generic he or the cumbersome he/she. Truth is, this is the way most of us speak. So, in informal writing the following is permitted:

Whoever ratted out the thieves should get an award for their honesty.

Who wants cheese on their burger?

              Keep in mind that singular they, like singular you is treated as a grammatical plural and takes a plural verb:

They have seven PhDs among them.

Their degrees are in the sciences.

Never let anyone tell you English is a staid language. Sometimes, it’s all an editor can do to keep up with the changes.

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Can You Hear It Now?

A number of grammatical faux pas can be attributed to faulty hearing. I’m not implying that any of you are going deaf, only that when we speak we tend to run our words together. Lyrics and common phrases are often misunderstood. Remember the child who thought John was Jesus’s earthly dad? What else was Round John doing at the manger? A mondegreen of the phrase “round yon virgin” from “Silent Night” sounded like Round John to his young ears.

Recently, a retired pastor posed a question to a denominational network about the best way to dispose of his sizable library. “Do you give your books away,” he asked. “Or sell them in mass?”

The wiseacre in me wanted to respond, “Hmmm, not sure how open the Catholics would be to your hawking your Protestant tomes in their service, but you could give it a go.”

My better nature realized the pastor was writing what he’d heard, when what he meant was en masse—the adverb meaning in a body or as a whole. Borrowed from the French, en masse, does literally mean in a group, but English renders it en masse. In addition, the correct pronunciation is on mass.

You’ll want to avoid this and other eggcorns—misunderstanding and therefore miswriting of common phrases—in your writing. So here are a few others to watch out for:

  • Not intensive purposes, but intents and purposes
  • Not doggy dog world, but dog eat dog world
  • Not butt naked, but buck naked
  • Not beckon call, but beck and call
  • Not road to hoe, but row to hoe

While this doesn’t technically qualify as an eggcorn, it’s not unusual to see someone write something like: “I coulda been there on time, if I woulda started earlier.” Sometimes the offense is written could of. While your ear may hear coulda or could of, the correct rendition is could have or more likely the contracted form could’ve.

Could, would, should, and must belong to the family of verbs. As auxiliary or helping verbs, they always occur in a phrase, along with other verbs. Of is a preposition, not a verb, so does not properly belong in a verb phrase with could, would or should.

Here’s to better hearing and error-free writing.

You can find more eggcorns at http://grammarist.com/mondegreens/

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Is that a Question? Or Not?

 

This may seem hard to believe, but[bctt tweet=” … not every question requires a question mark” username=””.]

How often don’t you ask a rhetorical question. One that you really don’t expect an answer to. (Like the first sentence in this paragraph.)

So when does a question need a question mark?

When you expect an answer.

Direct questions—the kind journalists ask to get a story—demand an answer. We call them the 5 (or 6) Ws: who, what, when, where, why and how.

What happened? Who was involved? When did it happen? Where? Why? How? Direct questions almost always begin with some variation of the 5 W’s. If one of them isn’t the first word in the sentence, it’s probably in there some place, like: “Well, just what are you doing in there?” or “Just who do you think you are?”

Sentences that begin with a being verb like are, is, were and the like also indicate a direction question.

Are you alone?

Do you love me?

Is this the best you can do?

All these questions demand an answer and a question mark.

Sometimes we pose indirect questions—questions that we really don’t expect an answer to.

They may be questions you’re posing to yourself:

Now, why did I come in here? (Then again, you may be looking for that answer.)

They may be relating something in the past tense:

I asked her what the problem was.

They may be rhetorical questions, like–
What’s up with that.

No one really expects an answer to a question like that. And neither do these indirect questions require question marks.

Got it?

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Beware These Confusables

 

Because spellcheck, wonderful as it may be, doesn’t catch words used improperly …

And because the English language has more than its fair share of homophones …

This month’s post alerts you to five sets of words that are prone to misuse.

Let’s start with a 3fer.

  • Imminent – eminent – immanent

The most common of the three is eminent, meaning “distinguished, of good repute.” It is commonly replaced with imminent, meaning “certain, very near.”

The arrival of the eminent professor is imminent.

Immanent is primarily a theological term. It means “inherent,” or “restricted to the mind.”

John Brown’s immanent belief in abolition motivated his attack on Harper’s Ferry.

  • Complacent – complaisant

These two adjectives with corresponding nouns (complacency, complaisance) share a Latin root, complacere, meaning to please or be pleasant. In English, however, they have morphed into different meanings. To be complacent is to be self-satisfied or so pleased with yourself that you’re smug, self-righteous, conceited.

Complaisant, on the other hand, refers to a desire to please to the extent one might be considered a pushover.

“I’m worried that Junior is too complacent about his grades and won’t be able to get into an Ivy League school,” Mrs. Jones complained.

 The widow’s complaisance made her an easy target for scammers.

  • Descent – decent  -dissent constitute another threesome that are sometimes confused.

Use the adjective decent to describe something wholesome, in good condition, appropriate, or modest.

The newlyweds’ apartment was in a decent part of town.

Descent is a noun that refers to a downward slope or in a downward direction as well as birth or lineage.

The descent may seem like the easiest part of a mountain hike, but experts say that’s when most falls occur.

In the ancient world, the line of descent was usually to the oldest son.

Decent and descent are not true homophones because they are not pronounced the same. Decent rhymes with recent, with the accent on the first syllable. Descent and its homophone dissent are pronounced with the accent on the second syllable: di SENT.

Dissent can be a verb, meaning to disagree, or a noun, meaning to have a different opinion.

The administration seemed unprepared for the level of dissent the executive order generated. Dissenting opinions were voiced throughout the country.

  • Altar – alter

Not only do these words have distinct meanings, they are different parts of speech.

Altar is always a noun—a place or structure on which sacrifices or incense are burned in worship. Alter is a verb, meaning to change or make different. Altar may also be used figuratively to describe something of great value or that is valued at the cost of something else.

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation took place at the altar in Westminster Abbey, forever altering the life of the young woman. Some suggest she sacrificed her own desires on the altar of the monarchy.

  • Rack-wrack

Finally, if you’ve ever racked your brain over the use of rack and wrack, well, you’re not alone. Even the experts concede this a confusing and complicated word pair.

The two words have different origins and meanings. The verb rack likely comes from the Dutch and means “to stretch,” while wrack comes from the Middle English for shipwreck. As a noun, rack has multiple meanings—a set of antlers, a frame for setting up pool balls, a horse’s gait, and the one applicable for this confusing twosome: a framework for stretching used as a medieval instrument of torture. And this is where we get the sense of suffering i.e. racking your brain, rack and ruin, though you’re just as likely to see wracking your brain and wrack and ruin.

What to do? It’s nerve-racking, for sure. Some advocate dropping the use of wrack. It’s an archaic term, they argue. Others, like Merriam-Webster, acknowledge wrack/rack as alternate spellings for the same word. Isn’t it nice to know that at least in this case, there’s more than one acceptable way to spell a word?

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The Common Comma – Part 3

 

Bryan Garner, author of A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, and a raft of other books on English language usage and style, calls the comma the least emphatic punctuation mark of all. While it may not have the impact of a period or semi-colon, marks that call for a full stop or pause, the comma’s primary role is a separator. And when it comes to clarity, that’s an important role.

Garner identifies nine uses for a comma. We’ve covered

We’ll finish this series with Garner’s final five.

  • Qualifying adjectives

When more than one adjective is describing a noun, separate them with commas if both can be true of the noun.

John’s worn, red sweater won the award for the company’s annual Ugly Christmas Sweater contest.

Since John’s sweater is both worn and red, the qualifying adjectives are separated with a comma. Note the tip here. If the comma could be replaced with and, the comma is needed.

When the adjectives describe the noun in different ways, or one adjective describes the other no comma is needed.

Repainting the bright pink walls was the first item on the new homeowners to do list.

Bright modifies pink, not walls. No comma.

  • Direct vs. indirect speech

When writing dialogue, use a comma to separate direct speech from indirect speech.

“My goodness,” Marjorie exclaimed, “look how that child has grown.”

  • Participial phrase

Introductory participial phrases are set off with a comma.

Famished after their ten-mile hike, the scouts lined up early for dinner.

Waiting for the bank to open, Margaret caught up on Facebook.

No comma is needed if the sentence is inverted and the phrase immediately precedes the verb.

Facing down the monster was the prince himself.

  • Salutation

I know it’s becoming a lost art—letter writing—that is. But should you have occasion to write a note or informal letter, insert a comma after the salutation. Dear John, Dear Sally,

That’s not a bad practice to carry over into those emails you dash off, either.

  • Parts of an address

Separate the elements of an address, as well as dates, when they are run in the text.

The package was shipped to 758 Potter Street, Hamlin, Missouri, by mistake.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 3, 1776, not July 4.

Punctuation, like language itself, evolves over time. What was once a preference for more commas— “close” style, has given way to an “open” approach using fewer commas. Some have gone as far as saying, “When in doubt, leave it out.” Keep in mind that[bctt tweet=” the whole reason we use punctuation is to make our writing as clear as possible” username=””]. You’ll be on the right path if you adhere to Bryan’s nine uses.

 

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Before You Hire an Editor

 

You’ve written your masterpiece. Or at least a short story, novel, or essay you believe worthy of publication. But is it? Other than your mother, who thinks everything you write is perfect, has anyone else laid eyes on your work? Is it really submission-ready?

Writers need editors. As a freelance editor, I hope that doesn’t conjure up an image of a stern-faced, red pen-wielding person whose only purpose in life is to make yours miserable. Far from it. Would you be surprised to learn that editors face each project with as much trepidation as you do when submitting a piece for their review? Though I can’t speak for others, I know that to be true for me. [bctt tweet=”My goal is to help you make your writing say exactly what you mean in as clear and understandable language as possible.” username=””] Peter Fallon describes the relationship between writer and editor as more of a duet than a duel. It ought to be a collaborative, not adversarial relationship, intended to make your writing sing.

Assuming I’ve convinced you that you need an editor, here are three things to do before passing your work off to a professional.

  1. Format:    Standard publishing format calls for one-inch margins, 12 point font, typically Times New Roman, double-spaced with one space between sentences. Yes, if you learned to type on a typewriter, you learned to put two spaces between sentences. And habits die hard. But in the computer age with proportional fonts, just hit that space bar once after a period or other end punctuation.
  2. Spell-check:    Do run spell-check, even though it won’t catch all the errors. Spell-check won’t find homophone errors or actual words used incorrectly. But it can eliminate extra spaces, double periods, and other kinds of errors that creep in when you’re in the zone and the fingers are moving faster than the brain.
  3. Critique:   One of the best things a writer can do is seek out other writers who will honestly critique her work. Whether you join a group such as Word Weavers or search out an accountability partner who can also offer meaningful feedback, you need someone to look at your work with unbiased eyes. As a reader would. A good critique will point out the positive and negative aspects of your writing and suggest ways to clarify the language or engage the reader more effectively.

Aside from the value of the honest feedback of a critique, the camaraderie of other writers is essential for the often-lonely exercise of writing. It may be just the motivation you need to keep putting pen to paper.

These simple steps will save your editor time and frustration, save you money, and ensure the writer-editor relationship gets off to a good start. It may just be the beginning of a life-long friendship.

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The Common Comma – Part II

 

The comma is one of those punctuation marks that has an outsized impact in relationship to its size. It’s the little but mighty mark of the punctuation world.

One place where a comma can make a big difference is in restrictive and nonrestrictive—or if you prefer—essential and nonessential clauses. Essential/restrictive clauses include necessary information that must not be set off with punctuation, such as these examples:

Jan and Perry bought the clock that chimes on the hour and half hour.

The fabric (that) Jenny needed to finish her project was backordered.

A theater that has served a small southern Missouri town for fifty years will close next month.

Nonrestrictive or nonessential clauses or phrases are set off with commas. Note how a slight change in the wording and punctuation changes the meaning of these sentences:

 The clock, which chimes on the hour and half hour, was Jan and Perry’s anniversary gift.

         Here the description (modifier) of the clock is not essential to the sentence and is set off in commas.)

The fabric, which was backordered, would not arrive before the project deadline.

The Omni Theater, which has served a small southern Missouri town for fifty years, will close next month.

       Making the clause nonrestrictive indicates that the Omni is one of several theaters in the small town. The previous sentence with its restrictive clause limits the closing to the theater that has served the town for fifty years.

Note the use of that and which. That is used for restrictive clauses, which for nonrestrictive. Nonrestrictive clauses could be eliminated without changing the basic meaning of a sentence, thus they are set off with commas.

Similar rules apply to appositives.

An appositive is a word or phrase modifying or describing a noun. A nonrestrictive appositive restates the noun or pronoun without changing the essential meaning of the sentence.

 Peggy’s husband, Robert, is a model train aficionado.

        Since Peggy has only one husband, the appositive Robert is nonessential and is set off in commas.

My brother John is five years younger than me.

I have more than one brother so it is essential to identify which one is younger. Here, John is a restrictive appositive; no comma.

Fredrick Backman’s debut novel, “A Man Called Ove,” is one of my favorite books.

An author can only have one debut novel, so either debut or the book title could be eliminated without changing the basic meaning of the sentence.

Backman’s novel A Man Called Ove has been on the New York Times Best Sellers list for more than forty weeks.

Backman’s debut novel is the only one to have been on the best seller list this long, thus the title restricts the modifier to that book and no comma is required.

Like language itself, punctuation rules are evolving—especially in the age of social media. But the publishing world still adheres to these. Aspiring authors ought to, also.

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The Common Comma

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Plenty of ink has been spilled and battles fought over the necessity and superiority of the Oxford or serial comma. After the period, the comma is the most used and misused punctuation mark. No doubt, we’ve all heard and seen that commas can kill.

A comma’s uses are myriad, and there are many rules about its usage. Whereas a period is an end punctuation mark, a comma indicates a pause or small break. We’ll start with one of the more common uses: joining clauses.

Independent clauses: Complete thoughts that stand on their own can be joined with a conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, etc.)  and a comma.

EX: The game went fifteen innings, but the Cubs lost on a fluke error.

EX: Mary couldn’t walk out of a fabric shop without at least purchasing a fat quarter, and Anne was only too happy to introduce her to every shop on the East Coast.

However, when verbs share a subject (compound predicate) they are not separated with a comma.

EX: Mary returned to the store for thread and hurried home to begin another project.

EX: The third baseman caught the fly ball and threw it to second for a double play.

A rare exception to this rule would permit a comma between the verbs if there was a possibility of misunderstanding as in the following example:

EX: Mary recognized the woman who took her parking space and giggled.

Without a comma, it’s not clear who giggled—Mary or the other woman. For clarity, insert a comma:

Mary recognized the woman who took her parking space, and giggled.

Independent clauses may also be joined with a conjunction and an adverb. In those cases, both a semi-colon and comma are used—the semi-colon before the conjunction, the comma following.

EX: The new shop carried Mary’s favorite line of fabric; however, it cost more than her meager budget allowed.

Follow the same punctuation pattern when using a transitional expression between two independent clauses, such as for example, in addition, namely.

EX: The Cubs earned a trip to the World Series for the first time since 1945; in addition, the young team has the potential for winning seasons for the next few years.

Commas are often used to set off introductory phrases. It’s not grammatically necessary to set off short introductory phrases of two or three words, but neither is it incorrect. Be aware of the publishers preferences and note these guidelines:

An introductory phrase that functions as an adverb indicating time, manner, place or degree, does not need a comma, unless the reader could be confused.

  • At noon the whistle blows.
  • On her desk are pictures of her grandchildren.
  • At his leisure Bill read the morning paper.
  • Too often the best answer is the common sense one.

Longer adverbial and other introductory phrases, however, are set off with commas.

Adverbial phrase:

EX: On the last Saturday of every month, the quilt guild holds a sewing day.

Adjective phrase modifies the subject of the independent clause:

EX: Of all the quilts at the show, Mary’s won the most ribbons.

Phrase contains a present or past participle:

EX: Coming off injured reserve, Schwarber hit a grand slam to put the Cubs ahead.

However, when a sentence begins with a gerund, a present participle that functions as a noun, it is the subject and is not separated from the verb with a comma.

EX: Designing one’s own quilt using computer software is becoming more common, even among novice quilters.

Next month we’ll look at more common uses of commas.

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Point of View (Part 2)-by Judy Hagey

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Third Person

In my last post, I explained that Point of View is one of the choices writers have when they tell a story. From whose perspective will the tale unfold? Or, whose voice will we hear as we read? Since POV relates closely to person, we identify POV using the personal pronouns associated first, second and third person. In this post, we’ll look at Third Person POV, which uses the third person personal pronouns he, she, they, etc.

Third Person Point of View is the most common in literature, and it offers a few more options or variations in how you tell the story. Which perspective you use determines how intimate or close up the reader will be. Since your goal is to engage the reader and enable him or her to suspend belief long enough to believe your story, you’ll want to choose your POV carefully.

  • Single character or Third Person Limited: The narrator tells the story from one character’s point of view. It may be the major character or a minor character. As the writer, you’ll be in that character’s head and will only be able to reveal what that person experiences and thinks.

Going back to the example of our train trip through the Colorado Rockies, the narrator could relate the story from my husband’s point of view. He would likely include details about the locomotive and the history of the railroads. He might even include some words and phrases that originated with railroading that are now part of the everyday vernacular. Because the narrator can get inside the character, he might go back to my better half’s childhood memories of waking up to a Lionel train set under the tree on Christmas morning and give us a glimpse into the emotions that being on the rails evoke for him.

The narrator could share the experience from the perspective of the engineer or conductor. Since they make the trip regularly, their point of view might include observations of changes they’ve seen in the operations of the railroad over the years, interesting passengers and situations they’ve encountered, or the lifestyle of living on the rails.

  • Multiple character: A more common choice today among authors choosing to write in third person is to tell the story from the perspective of more than one character. This approach avoids what can be tedium for the writer and boredom for the reader—both telling and hearing the story from only one perspective. Obviously, only one character will “speak” at a time, but this approach allows the reader to see the action from more than one perspective and serves as another way to draw the reader into the story. The writer’s challenge is not to confuse the reader as to whose head he is in at the moment. Making the transition from one character to another is critically important if you’re using multiple POV. Be sure, too, that the technique serves a good purpose. Does it move the plot along or only confuse the reader? Done well, multiple points of view can keep a story fresh and the reader engaged.

 

  • Third Person Objective (also known as Dramatic Objective or Fly on the Wall.) Think of this as just sticking to the facts. In Third Person Objective POV the reader is not privy to the thoughts of any character, but determines what he can only from the characters’ words, actions, and facial expressions. The writer employing this POV is compelled to show, not tell as that is the only way the reader understands the character’s dilemma, thought processes, and motivation.

 

  • Third Person Omniscient – This narrator sees all and knows all. The omniscient narrator is able to convey considerable information in a short period of time because he or she is not limited to one character’s point of view. While that gives the writer considerable flexibility, few modern novels use the god-like narrator. Its drawback? It keeps the reader at a distance. We don’t really get to connect with the character(s) emotionally. And let’s be honest. Isn’t that why we’re drawn to story? Because telling stories and learning about ourselves and those around is part of the human experience. Our lives are richer when we listen to and learn from our own and others stories.

 

So chose your POV carefully. Given the myriad of devices and activities vying for contemporary readers’ attention, you’ll be well served to write in a POV that overcomes the distractions of contemporary readers and draws them in to your story.

 

 

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It’s All a Matter of Perspective

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Twice in the last year, my husband and I have made the trip from Denver to Grand Junction, Colorado. Once by car, once by train. The train trip takes twice as long, but the views are even more spectacular than the scenic I-70 route. From the train we saw mountain streams and rock formations, nearly deserted towns and remote homesteads that are not visible from the highway. We made the same trip, but the perspective was different. If we had chosen to hike even part of the journey, we would have had an even different point of view.

As writers, we make choices about how to tell a story. One of the most important is point of view. From whose perspective will we tell a tale? Like our journey across a portion of the Rocky Mountains, we have options available—each with their advantages and unique style.

You may have learned in grammar class that point of view is tied to pronoun usage—and that’s true. However, it’s more helpful to think of point of view as character. Which character is telling the story? Here are the most common approaches:

  • First person: First person narration uses the personal pronouns I, we, my, our, etc. The narrator tells the story from his or her perspective. This is a personal, intimate approach. Readers feel like they really get to know the narrator because they are inside her head. As a writer, however, it is challenging to stay in that point of view for the entire novel. The temptation is to tell rather than show what the narrator sees, feels, tastes, etc. You’ll most often find short stories, YA and literary fiction, romances and Goth written from this point of view.

If I were to write about hiking a portion of the Denver-Grand Junction train trip or rafting a section of the Colorado River I would choose first person POV. This would allow me to describe the sights, sounds, and smells I experienced and it would give the reader the most up close and personal glimpse into my experience.

Examples of authors successfully sustaining first person point of view include Harper Lee—To Kill a Mockingbird, J.D.Salinger—Catcher in the Rye, and F. Scott Fitzgerald—The Great Gatsby.

  • Second person: Very little fiction is written in second person point of view. But nonfiction and self-help books often are. Using the pronouns you and your the narrator addresses the reader or audience and draws them into the story or process. The reader becomes the protagonist, but perhaps not willingly. The narrator assumes you will see and feel things the way he or she does and that may be uncomfortable or annoying.

Second person POV would be an effective way for me to write a travel piece about our recent train trip. I could tell you the best way to make connections between the airport and train station, what to pack for an eight-hour trip, sights to look for along the way, not to mention the best strategy for securing a seat in the viewing car.

Though most readers wouldn’t consider Dr. Suess’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go a self-help book, he did succeed in writing a delightful second person POV verse that’s inspired thousands as they transition into a new season of life:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

  • Third person: The most common POV in nearly every genre is third person. There are several variations on third person, which I’ll cover in next month’s post. For now, it’s enough to know that third person POV uses the pronouns he, she, they. And this caveat: POV errors are the most frequent mistakes editors uncover.

Til next time. What POV is your current read written in?

 

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Idioms–Literary Shorthand

 

As if English with its homophones and irregular verbs weren’t confusing enough, how about those idioms? Oh sure, you and I know what’s meant when we explain past loss with “no use crying over spilt milk.” Though to be honest, haven’t there been times when shedding a few tears over a disappointing outcome really did make you feel better?

Idioms, along with similes and metaphors, hyperbole, alliteration, personification and more, are figurative expressions or literary devices that add color and creativity to our writing. English abounds with idioms–expressions in which individual words are not to be taken literally. With their origins in Scripture, folk tales and fables, and famous authors and story tellers, they can enliven your writing. But as with so many things in life, it’s a fine line between cliché and creativity. Idioms, because they are so common, often come across as trite or corny and ought to be used sparingly.

Here are some guidelines for using them well.

  • Create a Character

Since idioms are such a natural part of conversation, use them to create memorable characters in fiction writing. Add a mangled idiom (“it ain’t rocket surgery” or “brain science”) or a regional expression (“She’s so stuck up she’d drown in a rainstorm.”) to make characters colorful and memorable.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird employs a number of southern idioms or colloquialisms:

Uncle Jack Finch who yelled an annual Christmas proposal across the street to Miss Maddie was only trying to get her goat;

Miss Maudie’s acid tongue set her in contrast to Jem and Scout’s do-good neighbor Miss Stephanie Crawford, but endeared her to the children nevertheless.

Scout’s strategy for trapping her assailant Francis was to bide her time and sure as eggs he would be back.

  • Skip the clichés

Some idioms are so overused they no longer have the desired effect. Use them in unexpected ways or turn the phrase in an unexpected way and you may achieve your desired effect. You might even coin a new malapropism.

Recently, Iowa’s governor commenting about Ted Cruz’s refusal to endorse the Republican nominee for president said, “He just shot himself in his cowboy boot.” A deft way of saying he’s sabotaged his own presidential aspirations.

  • Encourage creative thinking

Idioms can be the converse of clichéd writing. They can help the reader think about something in a new, possibly clearer or more compelling way.

Instead of selling like hotcakes, you might try more popular than Pokemon Go.

Or in place of saying someone marches to the beat of a different drummer, you might describe them as a techno idiot in a social media world.

  • Remember your audience

This advice applies universally, but is an especially important reminder if your audience includes non-native English speakers. While every language has its peculiar expressions, it doesn’t take much imagination to understand how phrases such as “barking up the wrong tree,” or  “let the cat out of the bag” could leave English language learners scratching their heads in bewilderment.

 

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Confused No More

As an editor, I frequently encounter homonym errors. Someone writes whether when they intend weather. Or peek when the context calls for peak. Some are humorous. Others convey the opposite meaning of what the author intends.

I could write a post on the confused word uses I’ve corrected. But it might be more endearing if I come clean and ‘fess up to some pairs that confuse me.

Affect-Effect

This pair usually sends me to the dictionary to verify I’m using them correctly. It helps to remember that affect is a verb that means to make an impact on or cause a change.

The change in weather affected Fred’s arthritis.

Summer construction affects traffic patterns and travel times.

Effect can be used as both a noun and a verb. As a noun it means to bring about, or the result of an action. In this usage, it is usually followed by the preposition on.

The effect of divorce on children can be life-changing.

Scientists warn that the effects of climate change may be rising sea levels and greater temperature variations.

In the plural, effects, refers to belongings, possessions.

All the family’s personal effects were lost in the flood.

Used as a verb effect means to bring about, cause, or accomplish.

The new administrator wasted no time in effecting his own policies and procedures.

Lower interest rates effected stronger home sales.

If you remember that affect is a verb and effect a noun, you’ll be correct in most common usages.

Elicit – Illicit

I don’t recall the precise sentence, but its purpose was to encourage a response. What I actually wrote invited the reader to do something illegal. I had written illicit when I should have used elicit.

Elicit is a transitive verb meaning to draw out or bring forth. It requires a direct object.

Melanie’s antics elicited a reluctant smile from her grandmother.

Smile is the direct object of the verb elicited. Melanie’s actions drew a smile out of grandma.

Elicit also carries the meaning of bringing something hidden to light.

Brandon’s counseling sessions elicited his fear of failure.

Talking confidentially to someone can be a healthy way to discover and overcome such fears.

Illicit, on the other hand, is an adjective meaning illegal or unlawful. You will often see it used to describe the illegal use of drugs or sex. Dictionary.com also includes a second meaning: “disapproved or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.” That may explain the frequent pairing with drugs and sex.

Compliment – complement

Only one vowel separates the spelling of these two, but that simple letter changes the meaning considerably.

I pay someone a compliment when I tell them their hair (or shoes, or dress) look good on them.

Although the Oxford English Dictionary suggests a compliment usually includes some hypocrisy, Merriam Webster defines a compliment as a formal expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration.

A compliment can also be an expression of good wishes or regards.

Give my compliments to your parents.

The adjective, complimentary, means a gift or gratuity.

The new president gave a complimentary paperweight to each guest at the inauguration.

A complement, however, is something (or someone) that completes or makes whole.

Allison’s pink scarf complements her green dress and red hair.

With the vice president’s arrival, the full complement of PTA officers was in attendance.

These three sets of homonyms hardly comprise the full complement of commonly confused homonyms, but I hope the effect of this post elicits greater understanding.

 

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Mind Those Apostrophes

When editors are asked to name their pet peeves, misuse of apostrophes ranks at or near the top of their list. The apostrophe, more than any other punctuation mark, is likely to be overused.

The Chicago of Manual of Style names only three primary uses for an apostrophe:

  • to show possession

Most singular (regular) nouns show possession by adding an apostrophe + s: horse’s mouth; company’s policy; Jamie’s daughter. An apostrophe is a less cumbersome way to show possession than the prepositional phrase the mouth belonging to the horse.

The possessive of most plural nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe after the s: girls’ toys, books’ pages, clocks’ batteries. However, in the case of nouns that do not add an s to form their plural, e.g. man – men, woman – women, child – children – the possessive is formed the same way as singular nouns: apostrophe + s.

In the case of nouns that end in s, the 16th (latest) edition of CMOS comes down on the side of apostrophe + s, thus Des Moines’s mayor attended the conference; Descartes’s thesis was included in the syllabus are the proper renderings.

  • to indicate missing letters

Use an apostrophe to indicate missing letters. Common contractions are the combination of a pronoun and verb apostropheplaquesuch as we are – we’re; he/she is – he’s/she’s; they have – they’ve and be-verbs and most of the auxiliary verbs when followed by not: are not – aren’t; was not – wasn’t; have not – haven’t.

(It takes all my restraint, not to insert an apostrophe in this plaque hanging in my son and daughter-in-law’s home. In this case, family harmony trumps punctuation.)

  • and, to form the plurals of lower case letters.

Here, Chicago opts for a visual rather than a grammatical choice. In phrases like, “Mind your p’s and q’s,” apostrophes are used simply for ease in reading. But note that “dos and don’ts” rates only the apostrophe for the contraction don’t.

Don’t use an apostrophe in these situations:

  • to form the plural of a family name. We went along with the Smiths to the beach.
  • in possessive pronouns: hers, his, theirs, its, yours, etc.
  • when capital letters are used as words. Capital Bank’s IRAs are earning a higher interest rate than First Federal’s.
  • numerals are used as nouns. The hits from the 1990s continue to attract listeners. (No apostrophe in 1990s.)
  • abbreviations are plural. Fred and Edna cashed in their CDs to fund their retirement expenses.
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When 2 + 2 Still Don’t = 4

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of plurals (see 2 + 2 Doesn’t Always = 4), let’s look at some more exceptions to the rules of pluralization.

For some reason, proper nouns or names often trip folks up. There’s no need, really. The plurals of proper names, including family names that end in s follow the same rules as regular nouns: add s or es.

  • A month of Sundays
  • The two Germanys reunited in the 1990s.
  • All the Johnnys and Marys raised their hands.

The same pluralization rules apply to family names as to regular nouns – add s, or in the case of proper nouns/names that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh, add es:

  • The Kennedys aspired to public service.
  • The Browns vacationed in Hawaii.
  • The Joneses live on Pleasant Avenue.
  • The Martinezes have four children.

BUT nicknamed geographical terms:

  • Rocky Mountains becomes the Rockies
  • Smokey Mountains becomes the Smokies

You will often see proper names pluralized with an apostrophe s, but don’t you try it. Adding an apostrophe makes nouns possessive, not plural.

We should also talk about letters, numerals, and abbreviations as well as common phrases used as nouns. If you follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Sweetie), you will be right 99 percent of the time:

  • Add an s to abbreviations such as CDs, JPEGs, IRAs, and FAQs

BUT when lower case letters are forming plurals, use an apostrophe (only to aid comprehension).

  • Mind your p’s and q’s
  • Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
  • Add an s to numerals, including years or decades such as: 7s, 1990s, 1000s

Some hyphenated words or phrases are not nouns, but can be used as nouns; these form a plural by adding s.

  • Ifs, ands, or buts
  • Thank-yous
  • Twos and threes
  • Dos and don’ts

And finally, those lovely words we’ve adopted from the classical Latin and Greek. Although these plurals may not come naturally to most English speakers, they do follow a pattern.

Greek

Singular ending

Plural ending

on (criterion, phenomenon)

a (criteria, phenomena)

ma (stigma)

mata (stigmata)

 

Latin

Singular endings

Plural endings

a (alumna, larva)

ae (alumni, larvae)

us (fungus, radius)

ii (fungii, radii)

um (datum, memorandum)

a (data, memoranda)

is (basis, thesis)

es (bases, theses)

x (matrix)

ce (matrice)

And when all else fails, do what I do. Refer to the dictionary. You do keep one handy, don’t you?

 

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2 + 2 Doesn’t Always Equal 4

Students of English learn quickly that to every rule, there is an exception; sometimes the exception is the rule. That appears to be the case when forming plurals.

Most nouns form their plural by adding s or es:

  • toys
  • books
  • blocks
  • cups
  • cars

Words that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh add es (as well as another syllable) to form their plurals.

  • boxes
  • houses
  • hunches
  • wishes
  • whizzes (note the double z)

Things get a little more complicated with words that end in f or o. Words that end in f usually form the plural by turning the f to v and adding es:

  • wife  – wives
  • knife – knives
  • half – halves
  • shelf – shelves

BUT here are a couple of exceptions:

  • roof – roofs
  • safe – safes (so as not to be confused with the present tense of the verb save).

Words ending in o also present challenges. (Just ask Dan Quayle). Some add es, others only s

  • hero – heroes
  • potato – potatoes (This is the one that tripped up Vice President Quayle)
  • echo – echoes

BUT

  • ego – egos
  • portfolio – portfolios

The best thing to do with these regularly irregular plural forms is to consult the dictionary. And even then, be aware that some words have two acceptable plural forms with corresponding and distinct meanings.

The plural of staff—staffs—means a group of people. But the plural of the musical notation staff is staves.

Mediums are people with paranormal powers; media are artistic materials.

And what about hyphenated compound nouns like daughter-in-law and babe-in-arms? The answer is pretty simple. Add s to the noun portion of the compound: daughters-in-law, babes-in-arms.

Solid compounds are considered regular nouns and take an s: cupfuls, spoonfuls, handfuls, teaspoonfuls

Open compounds like attorney general also add s to the key noun: attorneys general.

The general rule—regardless of whether the compound noun is hyphenated, two words or closed—is to make the principle word plural. Another way to think of it is to pluralize the element that is subject to change in number.

Next month I’ll tackle some of the other exceptional ways to make plurals: including proper nouns, abbreviations and initialisms, and everybody’s favorite—English words adopted from the classical languages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How’s Your Posture?

listening1One of the occupational hazards of the writing-editing life is back and/or neck pain as a result of poor posture. We’re often sitting, hunched over a computer for long periods of time. Without our chair, desk, and computer properly aligned we’re prone to periodic discomfort or chronic pain. Not to mention eye strain if we forget to follow the 20-20-20- practice: [bctt tweet=”every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something at least 20 feet away.”]

Impaired mental posture also takes its toll. Writer’s block, fear, and procrastination all conspire to keep us from proper mental alignment and inhibit our productivity. Some of these misalignments can be corrected by developing our technical skills–brushing up on grammar, sentence structure, etc., But even successful writers battle mental misalignment from time to time.

And then there’s our spiritual posture. What’s our stance before our heavenly Father, the source of our creative desires and energy? I confess that mine ranges from a careless slouch—casually acknowledging God from afar as a friendly grandfather who will show up when I signal him, to a self-righteous erectness attempting to balance all the demands of life atop my own head and shoulders and expecting a “well done” for my independence and self-sufficiency.

[bctt tweet=”God desires an intimate relationship with us and that requires a certain posture”]. He may get my attention in dramatic fashion, but he’s just as likely to speak to me in a still small voice. The ability to hear that voice requires a certain posture. It’s a wise teacher who lowers her voice get the classes’ attention. It’s a far more effective way to get students to listen than trying to speak above their noise. Students may even need to lean in and turn an ear in the direction of the teacher’s voice to be sure they hear. They need to set aside distractions and focus on the teacher.

As I open God’s Word and quiet myself in my prayer room, I need to lean in in anticipation and expectation. I need to keep my eyes wide open to the ways he is already at work in the world and in my life. And I need to adopt a heart posture of humble submission, leaning in expectantly to hear from the Teacher. It’s a divine posture adjustment and it’s essential to a well aligned life.  How’s your posture?

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Are You Editing? or Editorializing?

Every writer needs an editor or at least a proofreader. Even experienced writers benefit from another pair of eyes reviewing what they have written before it goes to press.

According to Beth Hill at The Editor’s Blog, [bctt tweet=”An editor polishes and refines, he directs the focus of the story or article or movie along a particular course. “]He cuts out what doesn’t fit, what is nonessential to the purpose of the story. He enhances the major points, drawing attention to places where the audience should focus.”

In the newsroom, the editor is especially influential in directing what stories take top billing or which ones are below the fold or relegated to page six. The leanings of a newspaper or television station are evident by these decisions. The myth of an unbiased editor is just that—a myth.

On the editorial pages the publisher/editor may legitimately voice his/her opinion on local, national, or world affairs. But editorializing—expressing opinions within a factual news piece is unacceptable journalism.

On a recent get away to western Colorado, we discovered a local paper that engaged in a bit of editorializing in, of all sections, the local crime blotter. The results provided great hilarity over our morning coffee.

Under the heading, Busted in the Butte, (gotta love that!) we chuckled over these entries. (Note editorial comments in italics.)

A report was filed for a stolen license plate. Only one plate was taken, so the thief must have only needed the one.

  • Follow-up was done on a suspect who had pled guilty in in a bad check case and wasn’t paying the money back as agreed. His next stop could quite possibly be in front of a judge.

Even when the writer is not editorializing, he/she has a sense of humor that goes beyond “just the facts, Maam.”

  • A bike versus vehicle accident occurred near the Nordic Center. An investigation is ongoing, but regardless of the outcome, a bicyclist never “wins” in a collision with a vehicle.
  • A Marshal did a welfare check via text with an overdue female whose family was concerned about her whereabouts. She responded to the text and contacted her family.

I’m still wondering if the female in question was just late coming home, or pregnant and past her due date. And don’t you love a diligent marshal who employs the latest technology rather than old-fashioned footwork to solve a crime? (That’s me editorializing.)

And my favorite:

  • It was determined that a 911 hang-up with yelling in the background was not a case of domestic violence, but the case of a doggy that was in deep doo-doo because of his deep doo-doo in the house.

You know it’s a small town when these are the items that populate the crime blotter. And you have to appreciate the editor who permits this kind of editorializing. But don’t you try it.

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Look Back to Move Ahead

A few days before the deadline for this blog I had some time to begin thinking about the next year and the goals I would set for myself as a writer in 2016. Naturally, I looked at the goals I’d set for 2015 as a starting point. True confessions, here. I didn’t do great at achieving the goals I’d set for myself last year.

Oh, I can rationalize that personally last year held more drama and transition than I could have foreseen. Job loss and a major move count for something, don’t they? Who wouldn’t have abandoned some goals in the face of that kind of upheaval.

Yet, honesty compels me to acknowledge that one of the primary reasons I didn’t meet more of my goals is fear. I know I’m not alone as a writer in struggling with fear. I’ve read enough other writers’ blogs and published authors to know that all of us who aspire to put ourselves out there in print for the world to see cringe at the prospect of being misunderstood, ridiculed, or both. It’s much easier for me to wield an editor’s pen than to submit my own prose to others probing, critical eyes.

I could continue to berate myself for not blogging regularly, not attempting to submit more articles for publication, or not joining the professional editor’s group I’ve considered joining for three years, but still haven’t invested the funds. It may be more helpful, however, to recall the small steps I’ve taken in the last year:

  • I took the Goodreads Book Challenge and set a modest goal of reading 15 books in 2015. By early summer I had reached that number. By year’s end I’d read more than 30.
  • Included in those 30 reads of 2015 are a few that took me outside my usual nonfiction genre of history, biography-memoir, spirituality. I dipped a toe into horror with Stephen King’s The Shining and magic realism with Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child. Though reading outside my usual interests wasn’t a goal I’d specifically set for myself, I claim it as a small step of progress in expanding my awareness of what constitutes good writing—an essential element in being a good writer.
  • Connecting with other writers was at the top of my list when making the adjustment to our new home. I’m grateful to have found A3 this year, as well as a local chapter of Word Weavers, a Christian critique group.  The friendship and sounding board these writers provide are a sweet blessing on my journey.
  • I submitted two pieces for publication in 2015; one was accepted. That’s an acceptance rate I can live with. The challenge in the year ahead is to be a bit more productive than that.

[bctt tweet=”Setting goals is essential to realizing our hopes and aspirations.”] Michael Hyatt says they are a prerequisite to happiness and offers five principles for goal setting. To these I would add, [bctt tweet=”…celebrate small accomplishments. For small successes are a great antidote to fear.”]

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Making a Point–Indirectly

Death_to_stock_photography_weekend_work (10 of 10)

Let’s categorize these three figures of speech as “substitutions.” We’re going to explore three devices that make a point indirectly, but no less effectively.

You may be familiar with allusion (not to be confused with illusion). It’s a brief, indirect reference to something or someone—usually a character or event from history or literature, or has some cultural significance. Whatever is alluded to must be familiar enough to the reader that they understand its importance. Note the qualities or characteristics conveyed in these allusions:

Regardless of where people fall on the political spectrum, most agree that Donald Trump brings a Midas touch to most of his endeavors.

Midas touch is a reference to the mythological King Midas; everything he touched turned to gold.

The town fathers were concerned that without adult supervision and additional regulations the proposed concert would become another Woodstock.

Woodstock, a three-day rock concert held near Woodstock, New York in 1969, is considered the nexus of the countercultural generation.

Despite her Ivy League education and silk-stocking upbringing, public speaking proved to be the ingénue’s Achille’s heel.

The sentence offers a trifecta of allusion: Ivy League is a reference to elite, East Coast colleges (Yale, Harvard, etc); silk-stocking upbringing refers to the wealthy region of a locale; Achille’s heel is another mythological reference. This one to a person’s point of weakness or vulnerability.

A closely related figure of speech is the eponym—a word that derives from another person’s name based on some characteristic or historic contribution. [bctt tweet=”Our English language is full of [eponyms] and often we don’t even realize we’re using one.”] Consider: we use

  • Webster in place of dictionary because Noah Webster is regarded as the inspiration behind the earliest comprehensive lexicon;
  • valentine refers to one’s sweetheart or the greeting cards exchanged on February 14 in observance of Saint Valentine and the celebration of romantic love;
  • sandwich was the culinary concoction of the Earl of Sandwich;
  • and quixotic is a reference to impractical idealists in the manner of Don Quixote’s Cervantes.

Because eponyms are only useful when they refer to a famous person/event, they tend to be clichés. But used sparingly, and creatively, they can add the right touch to poetry or prose.

While [bctt tweet=”an eponym draws on a person’s name, an epithet uses an adjective or adjective phrase that draws on a key characteristic of the subject/noun.”]

Historically, epithets were attached to a ruler to describe their character. They gave us Richard the Lionhearted and Catherine the Great. Over time, epithets were used to distinguish one individual from another. And as human nature is wont to do, the distinguishing characteristic was not necessarily a positive one. Hence these colorful epithets: Hallbjorn Half-Troll, Ulf the Squinter, Hjorleif the Womanizer, and Ketil Flat-Nose.

But when the adjective modifies a noun in an atypical way it can be refreshingly effective. Don’t these epithets create memorable images?

  • sagging house;
  • a dancing mountain stream,
  • a politician’s flabby rhetoric.

And isn’t that our goal in our writing—to communicate clearly and memorably?

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If I’ve Said It Once…

To paraphrase that wise king Solomon, “There’s a time and place for everything.” For writers, that includes repetition, despite the oft-heard advice to avoid needless repetition. Just to be clear, there’s a difference between repetition and redundancy. Redundancy is needless repetition; it serves no point. [bctt tweet=”Repetition, well placed and appropriately used, provides emphasis, creates emotion, strengthens your writing and makes it memorable.”]

Several literary devices employ a specific type of repetition. Although their names may not be familiar to you (they weren’t to me), it’s quite possible you’ve encountered the technique in your reading and probably used it in your writing.

Anadiplosis is Latin for “repetition of an initial word.” Repeating the last word of a clause or phrase near the beginning of the next is anadiplosis. These verses from the apostle Peter’s second letter illustrate:

“……… you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love” (II Peter 1:5 – 7).

The repetition emphasizes and reinforces the writer’s point. In this case, Peter is showing how these spiritual disciplines are connected. It’s not possible to produce one fruit of the Spirit without the others following.

And for a less sublime, but equally effective use of anadiplosis, you need look no further than DirectTV’s 2012 ad touting the disastrous results for those who opt out of their cable TV service:

“When your cable company keeps you on hold, you get angry. When you get angry, you go blow off steam. When you go blow off steam, accidents happen. When accidents happen, you get an eye patch. When you get an eye patch, people think you’re tough. When people think you’re tough, people want to see how tough. And when people want to see how tough, you wake up in a roadside ditch. Don’t wake up in a roadside ditch: Get rid of cable and upgrade to DIRECTV”

Anaphora, a literary device with roots in the psalms, is the repetition of the first word or words in a series of successive phrases. This device is useful for building to a climax and achieving an emotional effect. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an example of accomplishing just that. One classical scholar has compared anaphora to “a series of hammer blows in which the repetition of the word both connects and reinforces the successive thoughts.”

Sara Thebarge uses anaphora effectively in a recent blog about working in a missionary hospital in Africa.

“I cried because my heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones.  I cried because I’m spent — I don’t feel well, and after being up on my feet working all day, I feel even worse.  I cried because so much has gone into building and running this hospital, and yet some days, it doesn’t seem to matter.”

Notice how repeating “I cried” becomes so much more than a physical act, but reveals Sara’s heart.

Antistrophe (also called epistrophe) is the exact opposite of anaphora. Here the repetition occurs at the end of each successive clause, phrase, or sentence.

If you’ve ever been called to witness at a trial you’ve recited an antistrophe when you promised “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” This may be a case where having heard that oath so often it no longer carries the weight it once did. But repeating a word or series of words at the end of a construction is good way to emphasize a point. It also has the effect making a statement more memorable.

Abraham Lincoln, a great rhetorician as well as revered president, used both anaphora and antistrophe effectively in the Gettysburg Address.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate — we cannot consecrate — we cannot hallow — this ground.

And

…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

It bears repeating, well-placed, well-used repetition is persuasive. Like any good thing, overdone it loses its impact.

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To Join or Not to Join – That’s the Rhetorical Device

Last month I introduced the concept of rhetorical devices. We started with a couple familiar devices that students of English would know if they’d been paying attention in school—metaphor, simile, and analogy. So much for the basics. Let’s explore a few literary tools whose names are far less well known, but that you’ve likely seen or used. You probably just didn’t know they had a specific name or function.Death_to_stock_photography_weekend_work (10 of 10)

Asyndeton

You may spot the technique in these sentences:

·         We came, we saw, we conquered.

·         The fair goers spent the day eating, walking, resting, riding, laughing.

·         God is relentless, personal, intensely private.

You probably notice that none of these sentences uses a conjunction (joiner) in a series of words or phrases. That’s asyndeton—omitting the conjunction in series to give a particular effect.[bctt tweet=” …asyndeton … steps up the pacing or rhythm and gives the sentence a punch, a more precise and concise meaning. #writer #writerslife”] It helps to convey a sense of spontaneity, immediacy, incompleteness.

Notice how leaving out the conjunction and in the third sentence, God is relentless, personal, intensely private, gives the feeling that the sentence is not complete, that there is more to God than these three attributes—a wholly appropriate feeling when writing about God.

Asyndeton comes from Latin and Greek, syndeton meaning connected; the prefix a renders it unconnected or without conjunctions. An asyndeton can be used in a series of words, phrases or sentences, or between sentences and clauses.

Conversely, polysyndeton is the repetition of a conjunction. While it is structurally the opposite of asyndeton it has a similar effect of multiplying, growing energy, and building up.

·         Armed with diapers and bottles and formula and blankets, the new parents left the hospital.

You get the sense that these folks are embarking on a monumental task, don’t you?

Polysyndeton is most effective when used with three or four elements. Notice the strength piling on the ands gives to Spencer Tracy’s pro-evolution argument in the 1960 movie, Inherit the Wind:

“Can’t you understand? That if you take a law like evolution and you make it a crime to teach it in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools? And tomorrow you may make it a crime to read about it. And soon you may ban books and newspapers. And then you may turn Catholic against Protestant, and Protestant against Protestant, and try to foist your own religion upon the mind of man. If you can do one, you can do the other. Because fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy, and needs feeding.”

[bctt tweet=”Both asyndenton and polysyndeton are useful tools in giving greater power to your words, establishing a rhythm that creates a feeling of rising action, giving the impression there’s more that could be said. #authors #writing”] But leave it to a truly inspired writer to skillfully shift from polysyndeton to asyndeton.

Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him (Isaiah 24:1-2 KJV).

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Life is Like…

Rhetorical questions don’t require (or deserve) an answer. Do they?

But how about those rhetorical devices—those figures of speech that bring our writing to life. They are the spice of the English language that engage readers, tickle the taste buds of their imagination, and persuade.

Over my next few posts I’ll be covering the familiar and not-so-familiar rhetorical devices that pepper good writing. There’s even a few that you’ve probably encountered, but didn’t recognize as rhetorical devices and very likely are not familiar with their names.

Comparison is a favorite rhetorical device and it comes in at least three forms:

·         Simile compares one object to another. It generally uses like or as. Like for noun comparisons; as for verb comparisons.

Gramma’s hands shook like a fluttering leaf as she opened the long-awaited package. (noun hands compared to noun leaf)

A smile spread across her face as slowly as honey dripping from a jar. (verb spread compared to dripping)

 ·         Analogy is a useful way to compare a difficult or abstract concept with something more familiar or concrete. Simile and analogy may overlap, but a simile is generally more creative, used primarily for emphasis or effect. Analogy fills a more functional role, often explaining an abstract concept in concrete terms, and thus is often more extended.

Forest Gump’s analogy comparing life to a box of chocolates gives us a great visual for a complex concept. Who hasn’t surveyed a Whitman’s sampler, studied the inside cover to determine which foil-covered confection satisfies their sweet tooth only to discover that what you thought was a chocolate covered caramel was really a chocolate covered cherry. Yeah, life is like that. You can’t always tell how something is going to turn out by appearances.

·         Metaphor compares two different things by stating that something is something else—without the use of like or as. Often you can spot a metaphor by the to be verb.

 The late summer thunderstorm was a snarling, angry dog, grabbing its victims in its teeth, shaking them violently before losing interest and moving on to the next county.

 Or this line from Shakespeare: The eyes are the window of the soul.
The Bard uses familiar objects—eyes and windows—to say that the eyes are to the soul as windows are to a house. I see what’s really inside a person—their feelings, passion—when I look into their eyes.

You see what these comparisons are doing? They are giving the reader a visual, playing into their imagination. And giving your reader fresh imagery or a new perspective makes your writing more memorable and persuasive.

A word or two of caution. Be careful about overusing these figures of speech or mixing metaphors. I think you’ll get the point from these illustrations, drawn supposedly from actual student papers.

She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just
before it throws up.

Her pants fit her like a glove, well, maybe more like a mitten, actually. (This one also should be a warning to avoid clichés.)

She was a couch potato in the gravy boat of life, flopping dejectedly on the sofa. –

 Here’s a tip: if a metaphor makes you snort, you should probably reconsider and rewrite.

You can find more humorous figures of speech at: https://writingenglish.wordpress.com/2006/09/12/the-25-funniest-analogies-collected-by-high-school-english-teachers/

Categories
Write Justified

5 Words That Spellcheck Won’t Catch

Thanks to computer technology you no longer need to be a great speller to be a writer. If you want to be a published writer and you’re relying on spell check to make your prose error-free, don’t. The Spelling & Grammar function in Word is indispensable as a first check on typos and grammar, but it takes a human knowledgeable in the quirks of the English language to catch these homonyms.

Complement-compliment: This is an easy pair to confuse since they both have a rather positive meaning. They are not interchangeable, however. Use compliment when you’re telling your mother-in-law how great that hat looks on her. You might even tell her it complements her eyes. Here’s the difference: to compliment is to praise or offer a positive comment. Use complement when something or someone completes or makes perfect.

Joe’s baritone is the perfect complement to Alice’s soprano. They make lovely music together.

OR      The coral-colored ribbon complements your auburn hair.

Bear-bare: The errors I see are not so much with these root words, as knowing to which a suffix may be added. Hint: only one. So it might be helpful to review the meanings of the root words. Although Merriam-Webster identifies six distinct meanings of bare, they all convey the sense of emptiness, lack, uncovered, lacking clothing, scant. Bear has assorted noun and verb meanings. The meaning that seems to cause difficulty for adding the suffix able, is to endure or carry the weight of something.

Jennifer has quite a load to bear right now with a sick child, a laid-off husband, and obstinate parents.

With the right attitude and encouragement, however, her load may be bearable. But never bareable.

Past-passed: Passed is the past and past participle form of pass. It is almost always a verb. (The exceptions are so rare, I’m not going to confuse you with those.) Past, however, can be used as noun (a previous time), adjective (gone by), adverb (to pass by or go beyond), or preposition (beyond the age for or of, later than, after).

In the past, (noun) many folks passed (verb) time in face-to-face conversation with their neighbors. Now, they rush past (adverb) one another in a mad dash to get home and past (adverb) the next level of CandyCrush.

Waste-waist: I don’t want to waste a lot of time on this pair. Suffice to say, use waist to refer to the midsection, midriff, midpoint. Waste has multiple meanings and uses: to consume or spend uselessly; to become physically worn, lose strength; left over, unconsumed products. If you’re going to worry about one of these, it should probably be over wasted time, not your waist line.

Peak-peek-pique: And finally, my favorite personal pet peeve. It seems many writers know the meaning of the verb pique, to arouse one’s interest, but apparently not its unique spelling. It’s often written as peak which means top or summit (mountain peak) or peek which means to glance or glimpse (take a peek at what’s behind the curtain). Pique can also be used as a noun meaning feeling of irritation, resentment as in wounded pride. If you want to send an editor into a fit of pique, pay attention to your peaks and peeks.

And don’t rely on spell check.