Tag Archives: semantics

What decimate really means

Posted on December 21, 2012 by

If you are reading this from your underground doomsday bunker, I thank you for taking the time from your end-of-the-world preparations to read my humble blog. Yes, today is the day some people decided the ancient Mayans predicted would be … Continue reading →

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180? 360? Where are we again?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by

Sometimes people use the terms 180 degrees and 360 degrees to explain situations in a person’s life. This comes from the idea of a circle, which has 360 degrees. However, it is a common error to use 360 degrees when … Continue reading →

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

trooper vs. trouper

Posted on October 3, 2012 by

What a trooper! Does this phrase look correct to you? It’s okay if it does because using trooper instead of the correct word is a very common mix up. In the phrase above, you should use trouper instead of trooper. A … Continue reading →

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Gifting: a rant

Posted on August 8, 2012 by

Just so we’re clear, this post is a rant. I understand that verbing nouns is not going to go away. But one in particular is stuck in my craw. I finished editing a book yesterday—not a bad book. I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in semantics | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

nadir vs. zenith

Posted on June 8, 2012 by

nadir: 1. the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer; 2. the lowest point —Merriam-Webster zenith: 1. the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and … Continue reading →

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