Monthly Archives: March 2012

In my work I sometimes get involved in developing taglines. But one of the most successful ever came out of a volunteer involvement. I was on the board of Meals on Wheels, and we were looking for a way to … Continue reading →

My mother died a number of years ago, but she still helps to edit my writing. When I write, my goal is to be clear. I want to make life as easy as possible for my reader. There are times … Continue reading →

As someone who often works from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., I was intrigued by a recent online post about the ineffectiveness of long hours. The author, who was referring to an article that had originally appeared in Salon, wrote, … Continue reading →

Recently I received what felt like a snarky email. I had asked someone to review and approve an article. The five-word response, “I will do it tonight,” sounded like the person was a bit ticked off. Then I saw the … Continue reading →

Why don’t people pay attention to how they compose their e-mails? Funny, as e-mail takes over the telephone as the preferred business communication channel, I’m finding that the quality of e-mails is declining. It’s not just an issue of grammar … Continue reading →

One of our principles for good writing is “write like you talk, only better.” We think that written language, to be clear, should sound a lot like spoken language. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. When people talk, … Continue reading →

From time to time I’m asked by a client to take an existing draft of something and “jazz it up” or even more unnerving, “wordsmith” it. I suspect they mean to sprinkle in some adjectives, include some chic incomplete sentences, … Continue reading →

How does a giant internet clothing company get to be called Lands’ End? Even though I’m getting used to seeing it on the label of my clothes, it still bothers me. Lands’ End originally sold sailing equipment and clothes; hence … Continue reading →

Polonius: What do you read, my lord? Hamlet: Words, words, words. Polonius: What is the matter, my lord? Hamlet: Between who? Polonius: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Hamlet: Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here … Continue reading →

It’s a great song and everything, but the lyric, “I just want to lay with you,” contains one of my pet peeve grammar mistakes. Normally I’m not one of those grammar fanatics who loves to throw around arcane terms and … Continue reading →