A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse
Media Watch
O&A contributor Larry Nagengast spotted this in The News Journal (correction in parens): “It was windy enough that the American flags at Rehoboth Beach were pretty much blowing perpendicular to the flag polls (poles).” Larry opines that maybe the ol’ TNJ was caught up in election year fever.
A reader reports that in an interview, WNBA star Elena Delle Donne said, “Serena Williams plays less sets than Novak Djokovic . . .” Technical foul on Elena, whose English teachers at Ursuline must be tch-tch-ing in disappointment. When speaking of plurals, use fewer.
I’m pretty sure that, on the radio commercial for Cameras, Etc., the name is pronounced “Cameras Ek-cetera.” It’s Et-cetera, of course. Common mistake.
And Word Warrior Walt Delgiorno, ever alert to Golf Channel faux pax (yes, singular and plural are spelled the same, but the former is pronounced pah, while the latter is pahz) caught commentator Brandel Chamblee referring to “hole-in-ones.” As Walt correctly noted, it’s holes-in-one. In an expression, the primary word is the one that becomes plural. You would think a golf expert, of all people, would know that.
A subhead from The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Host of reasons militate against successful prosecution of congressman.” That’s mitigate.
This Got Our Goat
Another reader heard Nancy Bell, on WDEL’s “Garden Clinic,” refer to plants that “give up the goat.” Co-host Frank Gregory tried to tell her the phrase is “give up the ghost,” but she was having none of it.
Googling “give up the goat” will lead you to a website listing a few “sayings gone wrong.” Interestingly, the first one is “try and do it,” which has been covered in “War” more than once. The correct phrase is “try to do it.” You can either try, or you can do it, but you can’t do both. You wouldn’t say “attempt (a synonym for try) and do it,” would you?
Delaware Senator Chris Coons should take note. In April, he said his staff was handling questions about tax returns, and they would “try and get those questions answered.”
Department of Redundancies Dept.
After spotting this in a News Journal story—“. . . vastly different companies share at least two things in common”—a reader notes: “‘Share’ is enough.”
Literally of the Month
One day last month WDEL led its news report with a story claiming “you literally can’t outrun the law in Boston.” Why? Because the chief of police there is a long-distance runner (We’re guessing it was a slow news day). Goodness, the chief must be exhausted from literally running down all those criminals.
Eureka! Oh, Wait
A friend called the other day, breathless with having discovered what he thought was a major gaffe by The Wall Street Journal. “A headline says candidates are homing in on the issues,” he exclaimed. “It’s honed in!” My friend, alas and of course, was wrong, and the WSJ was right. I had to ruin his “eureka!” moment by telling him that you home in on a problem, an issue, etc. (Think of a homing device on a bomb.) You hone (sharpen) your skills, the blade on your lawn mower, a knife, etc.
From the Campaign Trail
Politics aside, because he’s not one of my favorite people (or aliens), Ted Cruz gets grudging kudos for this statement: “I could not care less about Donald Trump,” thus making him perhaps the only presidential candidate (and one of the few people on earth) who gets the expression right.
The Donald, on the other hand, must stand in the corner with Elena Delle Donne for saying that Cruz has “less delegates” than he does.
Need a speaker for your organization?
Contact me for a fun power point presentation on grammar.
Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords
Seen a good (bad) one lately?
Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net
Quotation of the Month
“Jargon at its worst is partly a product of unfinished education, and if we have more of it today, one reason is that we have more half-educated people in a position to afflict the public with their words — and, as often as not, a wish to hide something.”
— Dwight Bolinger, Language: The Loaded Weapon (1980)
