Month: January 2008

“… a tool to manage the project end to end.”

Adverbs, Common English Blunders, Prepositions

I saw this in a presentation.

Problem:
A preposition is missing.

Explanation:
The presenter wanted to tell his audience about the extent to which the tool would let the tool’s users manage the project.

When I first read “a tool to manage the project end to end”, I put “project” and “end” together. I believed that the presenter meant “project’s end” when I saw “project end”. However, I then was thrown by the seemingly extraneous “to end” that followed “project end”.

As I listened to the presenter, I realized that the tool lets its users manage “the project” (not “the project end”) from the beginning of the project to the end of the project.

Another way to state this is from one end of the project to the other end of the project.

Simplifying this phrase, we get the adverbial phrase from end to end and therefore the simplest solution to the problem.

Solution:
“… a tool to manage the project from end to end.”

“Please wait for the host to be seated.”

Common English Blunders

I saw this on a sign in a restaurant.

Problem:
This imperative implies that the reader will not be served until the host is seated.

Explanation:
To appreciate the problem, let’s think a second time about this imperative.

“Please wait for some event.” is the template for this imperative, in which “the host to be seated” is “some event”.

However, the sign writer does not want simply to tell the sign reader to wait for a “the host to be seated” event. The sign reader would not know why he must wait, and waiting until the host has sat down would not make sense.

After all, a host usually stands, often greets restaurant patrons, sometimes walk the patrons to their dining tables, and continues to stand after returning to the lobby of the restaurant. In other words, patrons waiting until a host has sat down would make no sense; restaurant hosts usually stand throughout their work shifts!

Instead, the sign writer wants to tell the sign reader to wait until the restaurant host helps him instead of the sign reader seating himself at a dining table in the restaurant. The host is in charge of walking restaurant patron to dining tables; patrons may not seat themselves.

Solution:
“Please wait to be seated by the host.”

“Flammable” vs. “Inflammable” vs. “Nonflammable”

Adjectives, Common English Blunders, Outsider's Perspective

I sometimes hear “inflammable” when people mean “nonflammable”.

Problem:
The adjective “inflammable” is synonymous with the adjective “flammable”, not the adjective “nonflammable”.

Explanation:
There is a funny scene in an episode of “The Simpsons” in which Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the cartoon character whose first language is NOT English, says, “Flammable. Inflammable. I don’t understand this language.”

The primary definition of the adjective “flammable” is combustible.

The primary definition of the adjective “inflammable” is combustible.

The primary definition of the adjective “nonflammable” is not combustible.

In other words, “inflammable” is synonymous with “flammable”. The typical distinction in usage of these two adjectives is that “flammable” is usually applied to physical things (e.g., “flammable gas tank”) whereas “inflammable” is usually applied figuratively (e.g., “inflammable feelings of the dissatisfied constituents”).

The misuse of “inflammable” as a synonym for “nonflammable” apparently comes from the mistaken belief that the prefix “in” in “inflammable” means not. The correct meaning of the prefix “in” in “inflammable” is in.

A simple way to remember that “inflammable” means combustible instead of not combustible is to remember the verb from which “inflammable” is constructed: “inflame”.

Solution:
Use “nonflammable” when you’re talking about something that is not combustible. Use “flammable” or “inflammable” when you’re talking about something that is combustible. For more refined usage, use “flammable” for literal things (such as cars or boats) and “inflammable” for figurative things (such as emotions).