This web site is all about writing and writing well. To accomplish this, we need a command of the English language and the ability to distinguish between real and fake words.
Fake words, whether colloquialisms or slang, have a way of creeping into our vernacular. Some become recognized in time as real words and others fade from use. Social media and the Internet have a way of spreading fake words at lightning speed, so we need to be vigilant to protect the language.
Each week we present a short article with one real and one questionable word. These are always family friendly and can be shared with the younger crowd to help them build word power over time.
These two words do not naturally sit together. One likes to stretch out and show off. The other barely moves. They are not opposites, just far apart in personality. Still, they meet in a strange middle ground, the moment when complicated thought finally stops trying so hard and settles into
I confess that these two words are new to me and not on the tip of my tongue. It is like knowing two things but not knowing there was a single word to describe each. Brontide and cockalorum are good words to know, especially when you want to get a
Some imaginary words exist purely to make life more entertaining. Automagically and pandelerium are two of those pretend words. They give us a playful way to describe the strange little moods that drift through an ordinary day. We have used pandelerium once before, explaining the difference between it and pandemonium,
These two words, nudiustertian and preferment, are uncommon, but not completely obscure. Of the two, nudiustertian is closer to obscurity. But it is a handy word to know, and dropping it in conversation is always good for a few puzzled looks Nudiustertian Nudiustertian (noo-dee-uhs-TUR-shun), is an adjective that places an
At first, hangdog does not sound like it could be anything but a slang term. But if someone said you had a hangdog appearance, or
We would put the word “axiomatic” in that never-never-land of embarrassment where you have heard the word, know it is real, and probably do not
Synesthesia is not a word that will be on everyone’s short list of words to know, but it is helpful to understand. Synesthesia is a
Onomatopoeia is a word that is new to me, but not to my wife. For some reason she learned it in middle school, and it
Kerfuffle probably originates in Scotland and started out simply as “Fuffle” meaning “to muss” or to throw something into confusion. It is often associated with
It is obvious that both fewer and lesser are real words. It is the improper use of the two that we want to discuss. For
A nickname is defined as a humorous or familiar name given to a person either by others or one a person gives themselves. Often the
We never seem to run out of examples of seemingly well-educated people on television butchering the English language. Our latest revelation came on a morning
Disaggregates at first seemed to us to be one of those made-up words that noodles its way into our lexicon, but we were wrong. This
If you ever hear someone use the word or term “unthaw” you know they are either speaking in haste or out of ignorance. At best
In our last post we explained what a portmanteau (port-man-toe) is, a mashed-up pair of words to make a new, sometimes fake word or colloquialism.
Likely you know what a portmanteau (port-man-toe) is, you just do not have any idea that you should call it a portmanteau. It is French
From time-to-time I have used the word bumfuzzled with our grandchildren in a humorous way assuming it was a colloquialism and not a real word.
We seem to live in a world now where novel words appear from thin air. Some of these words stay around and eventually make the
If you have ever watched old pirate movies the word “skullduggery” conjures up visions of Long John Silver, Captain Hook, and Black Beard come to
We had the opportunity to tour a new, and almost unique, structure right down the road from our home. The building represents a new trend
Having lived in the South all our lives we have to confess that we do not know the ubiquity of the non-word doohickey. This is
Growing up an adverb (a verb modifier) often used, actually misused, was “irregardless.” When used, it was often placed in a sentence to emphasize that
In our modern world where words seem to just appear out of thin air, we have one to consider, and another to understand in a
A fun analysis of the words Chortle and Mansplaining. One word is real and the other is mistaken for real.
If you grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s there are two words that you and everyone else recalls. Both are long and complicated. We