People often try too hard to be grammatically correct and end up making a hash of it.
Read More
The expression send good money after bad dates back to the 1660s, so it has quite a track record in English.
Read More
Maybe we can remember that dangers ensue whereas medications ensure good health. We need a helpful mnemonic.
Read More
I was listening to a news report on a tinny that capsized in ‘precarious waters’ and snapped to attention as I considered this strange use of precarious. Strange to me, but, as I discover, perfectly normal in today’s English.
Read More
Rhubarb, minuscule and restaurateur are three words singled out by the Editor of the BuzzFeed Style Guide as representing different stages of the spelling battlefront.
Read More
The caption of this newspaper article plays with the notion that for most of us singularity or plurality of nouns is a matter of interpretation.
Read More
A friend alerted me to an interesting backformation – decept from deception, as in The voters have been decepted.
Read More
Like many other politicians, Dutton needed to ventilate his thoughts.
Read More
This is truly a long row to hoe.
Read More
The political analyst on the radio grabbed my attention by commenting that he was feeling ambiguous about the election in Zimbabwe.
Read More
English has a few words and phrases which are vague indicators of number.
Read More
Perhaps we have all got a little bit tired of everyone feeling so terribly humbled.
Read More
I was surprised to read in the ABC Online News that Trump saw himself as a leader who was bringing errant nations in NATO to heal.
Read More
The confusion between flaunt and flout is widespread, and sadly not helped by etymology.
Read More
It would be good if we could keep toll and toil from becoming entangled but there are signs of growing confusion.
Read More
Perhaps we could all give up having journeys in favour of just enjoying life!
Read More
I don’t think that cynical and sardonic have the same meaning.
Read More
Have you noticed the endearing/enduring confusion?
Read More
I was surprised by the use of eyewatering to describe a huge amount of money.
Read More
I was struck by the idiom school French, offered as a description of the kind of French that many people have in Australia.
Read More