Here a fail, there a fail, everywhere a fail, fail

It’s been a busy week for me as I prepare for my Provençal adventure, and it has been a busy week for this blog’s eagle-eyed contributors. Apparently, it has been a tough week for those who write for public view. For example, Max found a syntax mistake made by a WTOC Web writer. “[This] has [...]

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I am posting?

I have been woefully slack at creating new content for this blog. I apologize. I’m overwhelmed with possible topics: My doctoral hooding ceremony, for which my chair wore jeans and paint-covered sandals The AEJMC conference I am attending that is making me feel like a James Franco-style slacker The fact that tapas places don’t seem [...]

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Save the children

No. 7, “Why my children will be scarred for life,” tied for second place with No. 8, “The time I was sentenced to church,” in the Choose your own adventure race. Today I feel the need to address that topic. (Eventually, I’ll tell the church story also.) So here goes: Why my children will be [...]

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No. 4 for the win

Well, I’m surprised. No. 4, “My latest food crushes,” won the “Choose your own adventure” race. No. 7, “Why my children will be scarred for life,” and No. 8, “The time I was sentenced to church,” tied for second. As you wish. I can still attack a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, but I’ve moved [...]

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Choose your own adventure

Writer’s block. Dissertation stress. The lure of my pollinated backyard. Whatever the reason, it is quite sad that I have had nothing to say here since the Rattlesnake Roundup. (Maybe that said it all.) So you get to choose a topic: How to recognize and use rhetorical devices Common grammar mistakes and how to avoid [...]

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Dreaming of past tense and pronunciation

The following tweet and resulting class discussion prompted today’s post: The discussion concerned the use of “dreamt.” Should he have used “dreamed” instead? Both are correct, but “dreamed” is standard American, while “dreamt” is a British thing. So #Ross can use “dreamt” without raising an eyebrow, along with “regards,” “towards,” “spilt” and “learnt.” Americans drop [...]

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Rednecks, Cheetos and Glenn Beck

I love that WordPress lets me know how people find my blog via search engines. For example: My posts about the annual Redneck Games, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and rhetorical devices get the most visitors from search engines. Interesting. I talked to Trish yesterday about following up our Redneck Games extravaganza with the annual Claxton Rattlesnake [...]

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Festival of frights

Just in time for Christmas, I offer you this gift of poorly executed signage. Happy holidays!

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Object of my (dis)affection

Why is it so hard for people to know when to use “I” and “me” in a sentence? I think it is easy. It is easy for me. Subject vs. object. I blame Bryan Adams, Lady Gaga, and, yes, even Stevie Wonder. People hear songs with pronouns used incorrectly and must think, “Well, if Stevie [...]

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Apostrophe catastrophe

Loyal reader Tom requested — nay, commanded — that I return to the topic of grammar. Here’s his full note: As you wish, Tom. How about a grammar subset? Let’s talk about apostrophes, as they seem to be the bane of the existence of many. Apostrophes have two major jobs: They show possession or they [...]

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