Month: November 2008

FirstBook.org

General

As we enter Thanksgiving week here in the USA, it is time to take stock of that for which we are grateful.

I am grateful for many things, and the ability to read would have to be near the top of my list.

There are many organizations that promote literacy, and one that is dear to my heart is First Book.

The basic concept of First Book is that a new, age-appropriate book should not be a luxury for any child.

First Book converts every $2.50 donation into a such book, an amazing feat made possible by generous support from major publishers and others.

If you are wondering why you should support First Book or any other literacy program, then please read my article “Our Future Depends on Our Literacy”.

Thank you!

“STOCKS TO BAILOUT YOUR PORTFOLIO”

Nouns, Verbs

I saw this on television.

Problem:
A noun appears where a verb should appear.

Explanation:
I saw “STOCKS TO BAILOUT YOUR PORTFOLIO” yesterday in a banner over a broadcast of the television program “Cashin’ In” on Fox News Channel.

The word “bailout” — optionally spelled with a hyphen between “bail” and “out” — is a noun and in the context of the TV banner means an instance of coming to the financial rescue.

The writer of the TV banner should have used the verb phrase “bail out” instead of the noun “bailout”.

The verb phrase “bail out” in the context of the TV banner means to relieve in a financial crisis.

In other words, “bailout” and “bail out” are not synonyms!

Solution:
“STOCKS TO BAIL OUT YOUR PORTFOLIO”

“… promising lightening quick data rates …”

Hyphens, Mispronunciations, Misspellings

I saw this two days ago in a news article about a new mobile phone.

Problems:
1. A word is misspelled.
2. A hyphen is missing.

Explanation:
The news article was about the BlackBerry Storm.

One of the Web pages in the article discussed the data-related features of the Storm.

While discussing the data technology, the article author wrote “The smart phone operates on Verizon Wireless’ 3G EV-DO Rev A. network in the U.S., promising lightening quick data rates and Internet surfing.”

First, while trying to play on the “Storm” model name, the author misspelled “lightning” as “lightening”.

I believe that this first problem relates to sloppy pronunciation of the noun “lightning”.

Second, while trying to modify “data rates” to indicate a high speed, the author failed to put a hyphen between (sic) “lightening” and “quick”.

I suspect that this second problem relates to a general decline in skill with hyphenation.

Solution:
“… promising lightning-quick data rates …”