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| Volume I, Issue 1 | May 20, 2007 |
| I am a linguophile. A self-confessed word-nerd. Crossword puzzler, quoter of dictionaries, adoring fan of The Chicago Manual of Style. Working as a proofreader is pleasing to a person of my sensibilities, and I get the itch to write original work, too. Since you are reading this, I suspect you harbor the same tendencies.
Enter Word-wise. In this e-zine, I hope to satisfy our mutual interests in language and writing. Each issue will include several of these features:
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Next issue: Coming soon: Word-wise back-issue archive |
Language CornerThe Creeping Overuse of "Up"Excessive prepositions aren't uncommon among us English speakers--in fact, English is among the few languages whose speakers find it absolutely necessary to use prepositions at all--but every so often, a prepositional usage will appear that stands out as odd. Our tendency to attach "up" to verbs that don't need it is one of these instances.Sometimes up makes a real difference in how a verb functions or what it means. Consider this: Jeanne might get up in the morning then run to 7-11 to get a newspaper. The difference between their meanings, "rise" versus "acquire," is clear. This is true for other verbs as well: Tom will make an effort to arrive at work early and make up lost time; when we work demanding jobs, we work up an appetite; it would take a lot of nerve to take up skydiving. Obviously dropping the preposition would be a bad idea in these cases. But it seems lately that people meet up and switch up instead of just meeting or switching. We've become more likely to call up a friend on the phone. And we continue as in generations past to wash up, then eat up, drink up, and finish up dessert as well. This tendency to add a meaningless preposition is curious. An interviewee on the news recently, the owner of a local shop, said he started stocking a particular new product because every once in a while, it's good to "change up" his merchandise. His word choice, not the product, caught my attention. Here was an example of an up that was more than extraneous; it was wrong. Unless he was talking baseball, the man had surely meant "change," not "change up." His extra "up" had gotten him hung up. Time will tell whether this odd usage becomes even more rooted. For now, though, I wonder: am I the only one who finds it clunky to clutter up sentences with unnecessary prepositions? |
Usage Tipalright vs. all rightThough its use is becoming more and more common, alright remains incorrect. Use the correct two-word all right instead.Not-so-idle MusingsThe Satisfaction of Physical WorkI just spent two hours sweating in a blinding mid-spring sun, swatting at bloodthirsty insects, and abusing my hands and wrists. Yet I feel wonderful.Sure, it would have been far faster and more comfortable to trim hedges and clear tree branches with power tools instead of doing it manually. But would it have given me the same satisfaction? There is something incredibly fulfilling about doing a job that's physically demanding, especially for those of us who spend most of our working hours seated, staring at a computer screen. At the end of a tough job on a hot day, nothing can feel better than a cool spot of shade and a tall, cold glass of water. Just as sweet is the content of looking across the yard and seeing visible evidence of my work. Deleting spam from my inbox might be painless, but it doesn't refresh a tired spirit the way a few well-earned splinters do. Word-wise ChallengeWhich American, in his well-known fictional wise-man voice, said this about work?Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease. Many without labor, would live by their wits only, but they break for want of stock.Submit your answer by June 17, 2007. Readers who answer correctly are entered to win two complimentary hours of any level service from Admin Maven. |
| Articles written by AnnaLisa Michalski may be reprinted provided 1) reprint includes a clickable by-line linked to www.adminmaven.com; 2) article is reprinted in its entirety with no omissions, additions, or edits of any kind; and 3) this statement appears at article's end: "AnnaLisa Michalski is the writer of the e-zine Word-wise and owner of Admin Maven, a virtual assisting service."
Unless otherwise noted, all Word-wise articles are written by AnnaLisa Michalski. Admin Maven does not provide permissions for reprinting articles by guest writers. Please contact guest writers directly for permissions. |
I give you the inaugural installment of Word-wise. Enjoy!
