Monthly Archives: May 2011

Today’s Words That Work: Wonk

Wonk (WONGK) – from the Old English – refers to something that’s crooked; off-center; askew. Example (as used by Tom Carson in a NYT review of 2030: The Real Story of What Happens in America by Albert Brooks): “… this novel is unmistakably the work of a cable-news omnivore who’s been let out of his cage
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Today’s Words That Work: Supperate

To supperate (SUP-yuh-rate) – from the Latin – is to fester; to form or discharge pus from a wound or sore.
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Beware of the Natural Entropy in Customer Service

One of the first things I did upon taking on AP as a client was call his customer service line, pretending to be a customer. The phone rang eight times before it was picked up
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The Language Perfectionist: Quotation Quota

Every few years, my friend Mardy Grothe assembles a new collection of quotations. The defining characteristic of these anthologies is that all the entries share an interesting or quirky theme. His latest work, Neverisms, just published, is generating a lot of favorable attention in the media and among his many admirers, myself included.
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The Language Perfectionist: Quotation Quota

Every few years, my friend Mardy Grothe assembles a new collection of quotations. The defining characteristic of these anthologies is that all the entries share an interesting or quirky theme. His latest work, Neverisms, just published, is generating a lot of favorable attention in the media and among his many admirers, myself included.
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Today’s Words That Work: Mephitic

Mephitic (muh-FIT-ik) – from the Latin – means noxious; offensive to the smell. Example (as used by Dale Peck in The New York Times): “Over everything presides ‘a sort of mephitic fog,’ a pervasive, sulfuric stink.”
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The Only Thing That Really Matters

Why do some folks look back on their lives and say they wouldn’t change much?
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Congratulations… Now, Stop Being A Wuss

Monday, 7:55pm Reno, NV “ But it’s all right… in fact it’s a gas… ” (The Stones, “ Jumpin’ Jack Flash “) Howdy… It’s time for another orgy of graduation rites across the land… … and, in honor of it all, I am re-posting last year’s rant on the subject.  It was one of the more popular posts I’ve written, so it deserves an annual rediscovery.
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But What’s Next?

How many geniuses have you met?
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Today’s Words That Work: Minatory

Something that’s minatory (MIN-uh-tor-ee) – from the Latin – is threatening or menacing. Example (as used by George Eliot in The Mill on the Floss): “He was often observed peeping through the bars of a gate and making minatory gestures with his small forefinger while he scolded the sheep with an inarticulate burr, intended to strike
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