Five of the most common mistakes in the English language
Five of the most common language mistakes get a simple explanation. Each sentence explains the difference to better illustrate the usage.
Loss is life-changing
I offer my singular condolence: Grammar
English demands that its users know more than just the meaning of a word. They also must know how it’s used. It’s not okay to slap just any words together.…
Content is king
See the scissors of the sub-editor
Where cash was once king, no-one wants to transact with hard currency, banks charge a fortune for handling the dirty lucre and it’s certainly not safe to be walking around…
Time will get you there
Debug your grammar gremlin
In my job, as sub-editor at a community newspaper, I had to reprimand a reporter for shoddy work. His report was submitted for subbing with several repeated paragraphs. When I…
Groundhog test the weather
Groundhog Day: origin of idioms
From Ricky Gervais’ production of “Afterlife” (Netflix) to a number of recent articles in the press, the term groundhog day, seems to be popping up everywhere. Not sure what it…
Content marketing needs to be part of your marketing strategy
Content marketing needs to be part of your marketing strategy. Here’s why. It’s all about the traffic Content marketing helps businesses prepare and plan for reliable and cost-effective sources of…
Imagine money on the laundry line
A new take on money laundering
Last week while editing an academic text, my hawkish eyes fell upon the phrase money laundry. The esteemed professor had made a typographical error. I smiled quietly to myself as…
Smoking gun as only evidence of crime
Is there a smoking gun in the Zondo Commission? idiom origin
While the Zondo Commission takes a deep dive into state capture, many South Africans may hope it finds the "smoking gun". And if you are South African you will know…
Black swan as a metaphor for unprecedented events
Black swan, a label for COVID-19
In much of my research for clients in the past couple of months I have often seen the term black swan. As I know swans to be white in most…
On the shoulders of giants: idiom usage
Although English is widely spoken, it’s seldom spoken well. And nowhere is this more true than in the use of idioms. People who speak English as a first language are…
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