Category: Grammar and writing help

There are 148 posts.

Feeling ferly? Five alternative words for �scary�

It�s the most terrifical time of year� As you work on making yourselves look
appropriately petrifying, we�ve plundered the pages of the Historical Thesaurus of
the Oxford English Dictionary for some historical synonyms for �scary�. There are
some wonders, from fleysome to formidolous, but here are our favourites. Buggish
Buggish, meaning �causing or intended to [�]

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comma splice
Advice on the comma splice
In our latest update, the comma splice has been given its own entry in Oxford
Dictionaries. A comma splice is an instance of using a comma to link two
independent clauses (clauses that form complete sentences if standing alone), as in
the sentence: Oxford can get bitterly cold in winter, it surprises some people.
Raise [�]

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I ain�t standing for that! What is wrong with �ain�t�?

The language we use every day is littered with contractions. Shortened words like
I�m, I�ve, I�ll, don�t, won�t, and we�ve have become an accepted part of standard
English, and are seen in even the most formal writing and speech. Contractions are
as old as the English language itself. When speaking quickly, it is natural to [�]

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Auntie and aunty � which is correct?

The short answer is: they both are! Auntie and aunty are informal terms used to
describe a person�s aunt, and both spellings are acceptable in everyday language.
Our dictionary entry for these words has an informal label: this shows that a word
is mainly used in in casual conversation or writing, with friends or people [�]

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Can you Guess the Word? Part Two

It�s time for the second Guess the Word round-up! Let�s take a look back at the
videos that have kept you guessing for the last six weeks. Each of the video
definitions below illustrate the meaning of one useful, commonplace word. Simply
watch a video and see if you can guess which word the scenario [�]

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Than or then?
These two words look very similar. Than can also sound almost the same as then when
you pronounce it, because when we speak, we often say /�(?)n/ rather than /�an/.
However, than and then are completely different words with different meanings, so
if you use the wrong spelling, you might confuse people or fail to [�]

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Winston Churchill
The new �5 note: how should we be using quotation marks?
Following the Bank of England�s recent decision not to include a set of quotation
marks on the new �5 note, grammarians have been feverishly weighing in on what many
are calling a serious blunder. The original concept work for the new �5
note�replacing the old note as of 5 May�apparently enclosed the quotation �I have
[�]

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advert
Has ignoring grammar rules become the rule in advertising?
How do you feel about short snappy sentences in ad copy? Do you find them engaging?
Or irritating? And what do you think of these opening sentences? OK, I admit it.
I�m an advertising copywriter. And I can�t help writing in short sentences. Or
starting with a conjunction. Would I have written like this while [�]

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CATEGORIES
TRENDING
Words invented for existing concepts to distinguish them from something new are
known as retronyms.
What are retronyms, and why do they exist?
A WWII era poster warning soldiers not to be dopes
The history of the word �dope� and dope slang
Literally has long been a contentious issue in language.
Can �literally� mean �figuratively�?
different ways to say hello in other languages
15 ways to say �hello� across the globe
FURTHER READING
printing press letters
Mind your Ps and Qs! Words and phrases from the printing press
Paris Is Burning
The linguistic legacy of Paris is Burning

Weekly Word Watch: bomb cyclone, raw water, and gangsta

What in the Word?! To hell and back with �harlequin�

Nickel
What in the Word?! The bedeviling origins of �nickel�
Avocados
Weekly Word Watch: crossushi, cocktail avocado, and selfitis
Covfefe
The year in review: 2017�s top failed searches
Christmas presents
Unwrapping the origins of Secret Santa, Yankee Swap, and white elephant gift
exchanges
Holly berries in the snow OED
A very OED Christmas
Antifa
Antifa: a word on the rise
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