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Articles by Merrill Perlman | Email the Author
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Alternating between alternatives
By Merrill Perlman Jul 3, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Cities that have hard winters have no “alternative” and must repair roads in the summer. And when they do, they... More
Par for the course
Putting golf terms in context
By Merrill Perlman Jun 25, 2012 at 03:00 PM
Let’s say you’ve just arrived from another planet, with a mastery of English, but little exposure to the popular sport... More
Digging in
The etymology of a “clawback”
By Merrill Perlman Jun 19, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“Jamie Dimon: JPMorgan Will Likely Claw Back Pay From Responsible Executives,” the headline said. Dimon, JPMorgan’s chief executive, was telling... More
Out of range
Everything from 1 to z
By Merrill Perlman Jun 11, 2012 at 03:02 PM
We love to “range.” When describing a new shopping mall, for example, an article might say: “It has everything from... More
Empty pockets
A phrase with several meanings
By Merrill Perlman Jun 5, 2012 at 06:50 AM
Max Crittenden posted on Language Corner’s Facebook page: I’m seeing some peculiar usage (misuse, to my mind) of the phrase... More
Language Corner
Basis Points
By Merrill Perlman May 31, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“On a case-by-case basis.” “On a regular basis.” “On an urgent basis.” Each of those base expressions, from The Associated... More
That’s that, part two
Keeping a reader on the right path
By Merrill Perlman May 30, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Last week we talked about the use of “that” after a verb of speech, like “said,” “acknowledged,” etc. This week,... More
That’s that, part one
A word used too often, or not enough
By Merrill Perlman May 22, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“President Obama said Wednesday he would go to Europe.” Is Wednesday the day he is going to Europe? Or the... More
Logue jam
A catalog of dialogues
By Merrill Perlman May 16, 2012 at 06:50 AM
“Catalogue” can also be spelled “catalog.” “Dialogue” can also be spelled “dialog.” But “monologue” is rarely spelled “monolog.” The Americans... More
No fun
Noun? Verb? Yes. Adjective? Well …
By Merrill Perlman May 9, 2012 at 12:00 PM
The journalism professor was not having much “fun” explaining things to her feature-writing students: “I know so fun is wrong... More
Organically Grown
The DNA of new words
By Merrill Perlman May 1, 2012 at 10:49 AM
Language evolves. New words and concepts show up and catch on—“app,” “smartphone,” “podcast”—or die from disuse or dysfunction—“Y2K,” “newsreel,” “rad.”... More
Climate Change
Weathering a climax
By Merrill Perlman Apr 23, 2012 at 12:57 PM
An extension of a federal highway program passed the House recently, over the objections of some Democrats. “Even as they... More
Viva La Difference
Comparatively speaking
By Merrill Perlman Apr 17, 2012 at 04:27 PM
Am I “different than” you? Or “different from ” you? And does it matter? “Different than is often considered inferior... More
Locution, Locution, Locution
Fewer words take up less real estate
By Merrill Perlman Apr 9, 2012 at 03:54 PM
The Internet offers writers unlimited space and so, for many, their writing expands expansively. Readers, however, have limited attention spans.... More
Flat Out
Writers are “prone” to use the more familiar word
By Merrill Perlman Apr 4, 2012 at 06:00 AM
The gunman was “lying prone on his stomach.” He could have just been “prone,” and the writer could have saved... More
Not Just Desserts
How “junket” became a bad word
By Merrill Perlman Apr 2, 2012 at 01:29 PM
The good times were back on Wall Street, the news report said. Executives of a banking firm were staying at... More
Madison Square Gardening
Time to plant some “seeds”
By Merrill Perlman Mar 26, 2012 at 01:13 PM
It’s spring, and a young man’s fancy turns to … seeds. “Seeding” is a way of creating a tournament “draw”... More
Beggars Can Be Choosers
Questioning the questions
By Merrill Perlman Mar 19, 2012 at 03:03 PM
Every so often it’s important to revisit an issue, to clarify or modify it, depending on the circumstances. It “begs... More
Jibe Talking
Confusion over jibe, jive, gibe, and gybe
By Merrill Perlman Mar 12, 2012 at 11:59 AM
“Alas, poore Yorick,” Shakespeare wrote. “Where be your gibes now?” Or, depending on your edition of Hamlet, perhaps he wrote... More
@#?
How to quote e-mail, tweets, and such
By Merrill Perlman Mar 5, 2012 at 01:04 PM
BREAKING: Palm Beach Sheriffs Office tells @SusanCandiotti that the bomb squad is investigating a suspicious pkg near #Rush #Limbaugh home... More
Woman’s work - The twisted reality of an Italian freelancer in Syria
Sourcing Trayvon Martin ‘photos’ from stormfront - Not a good idea, Business Insider
Elizabeth Warren, the antidote to CNBC - The senator schools the talking heads on bank regulation
Art Laffer + PR blitz = press failure - The media types up the retail lobby’s propaganda
Reuters’s global warming about-face - A survey shows the newswire ran 50 percent fewer stories on climate change after hiring a “skeptic”
Barack Obama: ‘those old times aren’t coming back’
“It used to be there were local newspapers everywhere. If you wanted to be a journalist, you could really make a good living working for your hometown paper”
The Guardian’s editor opens up on Reddit
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, answered questions in an Ask Me Anything
The (almost) lost speech of Justice Anthony Kennedy
How his insightful remarks about the Constitution inadvertently make the case for a Supreme Court “media pool”
Fox News sues TVEyes for copyright infringement
Says subscription service sells access to its content without permission nor compensation
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
ACEsTooHigh.com – Reporting on the science, education, and policy surrounding childhood trauma
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
