Monthly Archives: November 2011

Is it “pour over” or “pore over”?

Posted on November 29, 2011 by

Nancy pours over her Klingon textbook the night before the big test. Nancy pores over her Klingon textbook the night before the big test. This is an idiom that confuses many. So which is correct? Pour over or pore over? … Continue reading →

Posted in copy editing, semantics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Spreading the thanks

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

In the U.S., this is the week when we try to forget about, say, a crumbling economy, a rabid unemployment rate, cities in upheaval with police officers beating the skulls of protesters, two wars we can’t afford, and other realities, … Continue reading →

Posted in copy editing, grammar, in the news | Tagged | 1 Comment

How to say “turkey” across the globe

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

It’s that time of year again—a sad day for turkeys, but a gut-busting good time for human carnivores. Happy Thanksgiving, Grammar Party readers. To celebrate the holiday, I’ve collected translations of the word turkey from around the world. Wouldn’t it … Continue reading →

Posted in foreign language, in the news | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

“If I were you” and other subjunctive stumpers

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

Lesson: using were in the past subjunctive mood Subjunctive is difficult even for most native English speakers, mainly because it’s not a tense; it’s a mood. Past, present, future—those are tenses. We use them to tell what happened at a … Continue reading →

Posted in copy editing, grammar | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

who vs. whom

Posted on November 15, 2011 by

A few weeks ago, I was listening to an episode of my very favorite podcast, A Way With Words. (Seriously, if you’re a word nerd, you need to check this out.) A woman called in to the show to share … Continue reading →

Posted in copy editing, grammar | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments