Word of the Day: Wisenheimer

I've always found this word amusing. Wisenheimer was first recorded in 1904 and was popular from 1915 to 1920. According to etymonline.com, it's derived from wise (smart) + heimer, which was extracted from common surnames heard during that era. A wisenheimer is a smart aleck, as in (with a sarcastic voice) "Great joke, Lenny. You're a real wisenheimer."

G'Day, Mates!

If you're planning to visit Australia or write a story featuring an Australian character, you might want to visit this site to learn the latest slang terms. If someone calls you a town bike or says you're spunky, you might want to know if you're being insulted or complimented! CNN has an interesting article that explores this topic.

Worn-out Words

Happy New Year!

One of the first stories I noticed on MSNBC bright and early on this first day of 2007 was this list of words and phrases considered tired and ready for retirement. Created by Lake Superior State University, this annual list notes "Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness.” Some of this year's entries include "TomKat," "truthiness," and "gone/went missing." Read the whole article and see if you agree with the choices.

To Comma or Not to Comma

In prestigious publications, and literally engraved in stone, I often have seen months and years punctuated two ways: July 2005 and July, 2005.

Who’s right?

The Associated Press Stylebook: July 2005
American Medical Association Manual of Style: July 2005
The Chicago Manual of Style: July 2005

It looks like we have a winner.

These sources also prefer that month, day, and year be set off by commas:

The events of September 11, 2001, will never be forgotten.However, Chicago accepts the above-listed alternative but prefers no internal punctuation:
The events of 11 September 2001 will never be forgotten.

Gone to the Dogs

I haven't blogged much recently because, for the second straight year, I'm serving as a judge for the Dog Writer's Association of America's writing contest. I have a 10 lb. box of materials in my study containing magazine articles, books, posters, etc. that must be read and critiqued by November 20. I'm judging articles written for special publications, color photography, and illustration this year. It's a lot of fun and I'm becoming quite an expert on training Rottweilers, grooming and bathing puppies, and pet therapy programs.

It's a(an) Honor to Witness a(an) Historical Event

Most of the time, it's clear which article to use, a or an: a before consonants, an before vowels. However, over the years, I've edited a number of manuscripts by well-educated authors who have slipped up when confronted by an H or an acronym. Here's what several reliable resources say:

Use the article a before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you). Use the article an before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (the h is silent), an NBA record (sounds like it begins with e), an 1890s celebration. (quoted from The Associated Press Stylebook; 2000)

Such forms as "an historical study" or "an union" are not idiomatic in American English. Before a pronounced h, long u (or eu), and such a word as one, the indefinite article should be a: a hotel, a historical study, a union, such a one; but an honor, an heir. (quoted from The Chicago Manual of Style, 13th ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1982: p. 168)

The article a is used before aspirate h (eg, a historic occasion) and nonvocalic y (eg, a ubiquitous organism). Abbreviations and acronyms are preceded by a or an according to the sound following (eg, a UN resolution, an HMO plan). (quoted from American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1998)

Even an MBA graduate or a history professor can get a headache and need to visit an MD when tangling with a and an!

Background and Philosophy, in Short

I'm opening this blog by penning a few words about myself and my work.

I was an avid reader as a child, progressing from children's books to the works of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Bronte sisters by 4th grade. I also was a wonderful writer during this period; my teachers told me that my ideas and stories were great, but my grammar and spelling stunk!

Sometime around high school, I stopped reading for enjoyment. Likewise, I stopped writing creatively during my freshman year. I can't tell you why; perhaps being overwhelmed by college coursework or being more interested in my social life took a toll.

During my sophomore year, I accompanied a friend to a local bookstore. While she shopped, I fidgeted, finding little to interest me. Until I saw All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. Always a sucker for animals, I bought the book on impulse and thus became reacquainted with the wonderful world of books, writing, and words. My spelling and grammar also improved during this time, thankfully!

I majored in communications and minored in English in college. After graduation, I worked for 12 years as a writer and editor at advertising agencies, magazine publishers, newspapers, and academic journals. For the past five years, I've been employed at a large university library, writing newsletters, Web content, and press releases and doing graphic design and creating Web pages. During this time, I've remained active in editing, doing freelance work for local authors of all genres.

And I still read...everything I can get my hands on! From National Geographic to the hilarious novels of Christopher Moore to Bill Clinton's My Life. I don't think anyone can be a good writer unless he/she is a good reader, and to enjoy reading and writing you must understand and love words and language. They are your tools, your friends, and your trade. Words change and evolve but yet give structure to communication. Know them, love them, and play with them.