Tag Archives: language

Why the Blank Do We Cuss?

Posted on August 22, 2012 by

When I started doing Amaze-ing Words Wednesday posts, I knew that I eventually wanted to cover the topic of cussing. Why do we cuss? English is hardly the only language with its collection of the colorful and profane. In fact, … Continue reading →

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Oy! Adding a Little Yiddish to Your English

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

I am proudly one-sixteenth Jewish. For most of my life, I didn’t even know that. I think I learned of my Jewish heritage in my teens or 20s. However, I realized the other day how many Yiddish words I naturally … Continue reading →

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Tips for Talking Texan

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

It’s Amaze-ing Words Wednesday again! It’s also conference season, and many writers are busy preparing for their trip, classes, pitches, or table-dancing performance. Since we’ll have some non-Texans attending the DFW Writers’ Conference, I thought it was a good time to … Continue reading →

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Why Grammar Matters in Your Book

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

I’ve been called a Grammar Nazi, a grammar geek, a grammar freak, a grammar nut, the grammar police, and a stickler. What they say behind my back, I don’t know. I’m not that bad. I don’t critique tweets, personal emails, … Continue reading →

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Introducing Professor Punctuation

Posted on May 2, 2012 by

Welcome, Prof Punc! Today, we are welcoming a newcomer to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday. From our local college faculty, I now introduce Professor Punctuation. I’ll hand over the mic now. Thanks for coming, professor. I know, I know: I don’t look like … Continue reading →

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Neologistically Speaking

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday! Some time ago, I wondered if I could make up my own word. And then I did. New words are called neologisms (neo=new, logo=word). Neologisms are added to our language all the time. For instance, … Continue reading →

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Word Game: Similes

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

A few weeks ago, I blogged about an alphabet game I found in a book published in 1940 called The Fun Encyclopedia. My father passed this book to me, and with it another book (which my grandfather originally owned) called The Complete … Continue reading →

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The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Idioms

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday, where we enter the labyrinth of language and look for something interesting among the hedges. Today’s topic is in honor of our feline friends. I was going to do a post with idioms that included both … Continue reading →

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Miss Spelling Returns: Words that Get Confused

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

Welcome to Amaze-ing Words Wednesday. By popular demand — or simply because she asked — Miss Spelling has returned. Her insistence on making a reappearance stemmed from a nonfiction book she is reviewing. While the book itself is written well, a … Continue reading →

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The Fun Encyclopedia: Alphabet Game

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

My father recently went through his library (which is extensive). He came across a few old books he no longer wanted and offered them to me. Skimming through the pages, they looked interesting, so I carried the books home . … Continue reading →

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