Language Corner
Rotary Club
Old phone terms hang on
By Merrill Perlman Feb 22, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Some words outlast the things they were coined to accompany, simply because there’s no good alternative. When you write an... More
Indescribable
‘Nondescript’ says more than ‘plain’
By Merrill Perlman Feb 14, 2011 at 11:58 AM
Bob Kamman of Arizona writes: “Am I the only one who has noticed the increasing use of the adjective ‘nondescript,’... More
Snow Job
Just what constitutes a “record”?
By Merrill Perlman Feb 8, 2011 at 12:36 PM
The snowstorm that hit much of the United States last week was one for the books. In Chicago, the 20.2... More
Overnight Sensation
A wordier term for dusk to dawn
By Merrill Perlman Jan 31, 2011 at 04:03 PM
The weather outside was frightful, and so was the advisory from the National Weather Service. Not known for their literary... More
The Fast Lain
Figuring out ‘lay’ and ‘lie’
By Merrill Perlman Jan 24, 2011 at 02:49 PM
It’s no “lie”: Many people get “lay” and “lie” wrong a lot. So let’s “lay” down the rules. The best... More
The Frugal Writer
Why use several words when one will do?
By Merrill Perlman Jan 19, 2011 at 01:31 PM
At some points in time, people engaged in the profession of journalism tend to learn to acquire the negatively associative... More
Duty Double
When nouns and verbs collide
By Merrill Perlman Jan 10, 2011 at 02:58 PM
Headlines are supposed to grab a reader’s attention and provide a fast synopsis of an article for a busy reader.... More
Whoa, Nelly!
On “reigning in” misspellings and misusage
By Merrill Perlman Jan 8, 2011 at 07:16 PM
ew Auditor Will Take Reigns in 2011" was the headline. Another article about money said that the "government refuses to... More
Two-Faced
Beginning January with Janus words
By Merrill Perlman Jan 4, 2011 at 02:15 PM
Welcome to January, the two-faced month. On the one hand, it’s the start of the new year, a time to... More
Just One of Those Things
Choosing between singular and plural
By Merrill Perlman Dec 20, 2010 at 01:29 PM
Be the hit of your holiday party! Amaze your friends! Impress your family! Be one of those people who uses... More
Spellbound
Different spellings, different words
By Merrill Perlman Dec 13, 2010 at 12:15 PM
Much has been written about the dangers of using spelling checkers without brain in gear. Spelling checkers won’t tell you... More
Grainy Picture
‘Granularity’ and other business jargon
By Merrill Perlman Dec 6, 2010 at 12:47 PM
For a number of years, some attendees of jargon-heavy business meetings have played “Buzzword Bingo”: Someone prints out cards with... More
A Matter of Taste
On “gourmet,” “gourmand,” and loving food
By Merrill Perlman Dec 1, 2010 at 04:17 PM
When a word takes on unwanted connotations, people seeking a replacement often settle on something close, thinking, perhaps, that the... More
Never the More
Replacing a word in a quotation can lead to trouble
By Merrill Perlman Nov 29, 2010 at 02:40 PM
What happens when a public official misspeaks? Should a news outlet edit the quotation, paraphrase it, or just leave it... More
Degrees of Rejection
‘Refudiate’ may have a use after all
By Merrill Perlman Nov 22, 2010 at 11:31 AM
The “words of the year” lists are beginning to appear, and we’re generally going to ignore them, since those words... 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”
In one tweet
Luke Russert is the Golden Boy of DC
And it drives young journalists crazy
It’s official: We never need to worry about the future of journalism again!
The NYT shows us why
Why does Florida produce so much weird news? Experts explain
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.
