I really got an earful when I worked for Norris, my old boss who liked spouting off almost as much as he liked to be left alone. He was such a snob, and when I showed him my portfolio, one of his very few comments was, "Well, you write reasonably well." Looking back, that was a nice compliment from him, and I went on to become his first writer-on-staff for long enough to receive lectures on hundreds of topics, including form. Like how to behave in front of Passport Control (no jokes!) and Englishmen (behave). Also: Why you shouldn't ski in Michigan (it's not really skiing -- go to the Rockies or Switzerland, for God's sake); the difference between a filet and a fillet (fish, beef); and -- this via his wife -- what amazing things a good shoemaker can do ("you'd be surprised"). Norris used to sit in his office with his feet propped up on his desk, doing the NYT crossword in ink...Montblanc fountain. He turned me on to Fowler's and instilled in me a further love & obsession for the right word at the right time. It's like a hobby. And I do mean "like." As much of a pain in the ass (not asp) he could be, I did learn a few things from him.
There's a new book out that I highly recommend if you strive to use the right word at the right time. If you're into the English language, you will enjoy it. Common Errors in English Usage by Paul Brians. He'll set you straight on:
-that/which
-card shark/cardsharp
-gamut/gauntlet
-assume/presume
-leery/wary/weary
and the big one:
-lay/lie
I have to look them up every time, damn it.
Norris might be decrepid by now (but dressed in fine woolens), but they both were always behind me (Norris for the most part). I salute them for their encouragement and teachings, and say to you: read this book.
5 comments:
How interesting, Lisa. I also like writing but I have to tell you that after nine years of Dutch, I sometimes struggle to find the right word and question my own spelling. Terrible! The sentence structure of Dutch is SO different that sometimes I read a sentence I wrote in English and realize that what I wrote was actually Dutch!
The year after I got here I took a three month seminar on journalism at the Utecht School of Journalism (Hoogeschool voor de Journalistiek) and I had my own column in a the newsletter for the International Women's Club Utrecht. So much fun, but now I feel much safer writing in Dutch! Got to work on that!
Paola
PS: Still have a Jersey accent though!
Lisa - you do write really well. My problem with knowing the rules is noticing when they are broken; I find that some spelling mistakes get under my skin, almost, when marking my students' work (loose instead of lose; principal instead of principle, and so on) but I am more relaxed about that versus which and so on. One mistake I make a lot in speech is to say 'I' when I mean 'me': eg 'he told X and I...' which should obviously be me. A colleague keeps correcting me so I am trying to stop that habit now!
I like reading the kind of book that you have recommended - I will look it up.
I love talking about this topic, it's very interesting. I wish I'd had the opportunity to take Latin. Paola, I went to school for Journalism & used to write for a small paper, so had that particular style ingrained. It's very impressive how you've not only learned Dutch, but are attending university, and working at such an advanced level.
Katherine, you write very well & are a thoughtful communicator. I enjoy reading your blog. Troy & I were just talking last night about how often we see "loose" for "lose." This book also highlights various spelling differences, like "discreet/discrete."
Great post, Lisa!
Regarding Latin, I thought you might like to hear a little exchange that took place around here a couple of years ago:
H; Y'know, Mommy, in 8th grade,
Latin is optional.
Me: NOT in our family!
After two solid years of I-hate-Latin-and-I hate-YOU-for-making-me-take-it, he admits that I was right!
I love Paul Brians! Have you visited his Web site? I visit regularly since going back to Uni.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/index.html
Lea xo
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