Think back a few years and imagine you are sitting in your high school history classroom one day, just waiting for the bell to ring, and your teacher walks through the doorway and tells everyone in the classroom: “Class, put your books under your desk and take out a clean sheet of paper.”
I play a game on social media with my extended family members called, “Where is Mandi this week?” I post a photo, and my family competes to see who can guess it first. Read more
This photo is of one of the walls in the conference center at the #AloftSeattleRedmond. I was honored to facilitate a three-day Advanced Communications Program for a cohort of emerging leaders for one of my clients, and we all got a kick out of the creative artwork throughout the meeting area. But, can you tell what the wall is composed of? Look closely.
In fact, we’ll use this photo to introduce our #GrammarforGrownups question this week. Which word is correct?
If you [home in, hone in] on this photo, you can tell the entire wall is composed of old keyboard keys.
Scroll for the answer.
Answer: home in
If you home in on this photo, you can tell the entire wall is composed of old keyboard keys.
I have always said hone in similar situations.
I have always been wrong.
To home in means to get closer to something such as an object or a goal or the truth. Picture a homing pigeon (why haven’t I realized that before).
To hone means to sharpen something—and you don’t hone in on anything.
My son honed his test-taking skills in preparation for the ACT.
And, I’m certainly honing my vocabulary this month.
Can you think of other examples of words you have been using incorrectly without realizing it?
To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.
Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes.
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As we finish addressing our cards and stamping the envelopes, let’s wrap up our discussion of how to pluralize last names with tricky, sticky spellings. Read more
This week we’re polishing off the last of the turkey sandwiches, hanging lights, taking our decorations out of the attic—and addressing our cards. Let’s continue our discussion of how to pluralize our family names with tricky spellings. Read more
This is a popular topic this time of year, so thank you to everyone who wrote in asking some version of this question: How do I make my family’s last name plural on greeting cards? Read more
Last Wednesday we asked a series of pluralization questions regarding apostrophes and last names so we can sign off on our Christmas cards with confidence.
Quick question: With which names should you use the apostrophe? Choose the correct version. Read more
This is another example of language we can send to the Redundancy Department of Redundancy. Yet, we do hear people say:
“We completely eliminated the problem.” Read more
“Halleigh, the spelling of your name is very unique.”
“She had a very unique way of expressing frustration.”
“The author took a most unique approach to revealing the murderer at the end of the mystery novel.”
Very unique?
Most unique?
Very unique is another phrase we should send to the Redundancy Department of Redundancy. Why? Unique actually means “unlike anything else.” It’s unique. Period. It is unnecessary to modify it with words like very and most. According to its definition, you can’t have varying degrees of uniqueness. Something can’t be a little unique or a lot unique or very unique. It’s unique—just like a rainbow unicorn.
To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.
Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes.
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