The Word Guy from Creators SyndicateCreators Syndicate is an international syndication company that represents cartoonists and columnists of the highest caliber.Death, Be Not Ungrammatical for 05282008- May 28, 2008 As most of you know, I cherish verbal bloopers — the sillier the better. But whenever someone sends me a mistake that appeared in an obituary, I don't use it in my column. The notion of ridiculing a verbal error in such a context seems heartless, especially when such tributes are often composed in haste by grieving people. And, besides, I believe in ghosts. But, because many ... Updated: Wed May 28, 2008http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/rob-kyff-word-guy/death-be-not-ungrammatical.html Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Avatar for 05212008- May 21, 2008 The word "avatar" seems to be, well, the avatar of trendy writers these days. Most commonly, it refers to a god-like hero. Writes political columnist David Ignatius, for instance, "To understand why Obama needs tougher scrutiny now, we need only recall his political avatar, President John F. Kennedy." The popularity of "avatar" has undoubtedly been boosted i ... Updated: Wed May 21, 2008http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/rob-kyff-word-guy/twinkle-twinkle-little-avatar.html Jekyll Words Play 'Hyde' and Seek for 05142008- May 14, 2008 A mom going out shopping leaves a note for her teenage son: "Please make sure the door is fast, then dust the tables and trim the Christmas tree." She returns to find the door hinges glistening with oil, the tables covered with thicker dust and the tree pruned to half its original size. Ah, the paradoxes of English! Even the simplest words can have two opposite meanings. " ... Updated: Wed May 14, 2008http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/rob-kyff-word-guy/jekyll-words-play-hyde-and-seek.ht... |