english language Archives - Words by a Pro https://old.wordsbyapro.com/tag/english-language/ Fri, 20 Nov 2015 23:07:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cropped-WBP-FAVICON_7-32x32.jpg english language Archives - Words by a Pro https://old.wordsbyapro.com/tag/english-language/ 32 32 Questions for a Language Ninja: The Passion of the Manfriend https://old.wordsbyapro.com/questions-for-a-language-ninja-the-passion-of-the-manfriend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-for-a-language-ninja-the-passion-of-the-manfriend Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:57:10 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1319 Q: My 81-year-old grandma has been dating a man her own age for a few years now. They’re not planning on getting married, but they are a “couple.” How should I refer to him? “Boyfriend” just seems weird, and grandma just calls him Larry. A: The Ninja agrees that “Manfriend” has an unsavory ring to […]

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]]> Questions for a Language Ninja: Conquering Mispronunciation https://old.wordsbyapro.com/questions-for-a-language-ninja-conquering-mispronunciation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-for-a-language-ninja-conquering-mispronunciation Tue, 11 Aug 2015 18:06:51 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1278 Hello, and welcome to Questions from a Language Ninja! This is where the Ninja does her level best to answer complex linguistic queries, despite the fact that her qualifications come exclusively from her extensive experience in writing ransom notes. Let’s get started!  Q: Occasionally, I’ve found myself mispronouncing words with which I thought I had […]

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]]> Non-Verbal Communication (and an Intro to Korean Cuisine) https://old.wordsbyapro.com/non-verbal-communication-and-an-intro-to-korean-cuisine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=non-verbal-communication-and-an-intro-to-korean-cuisine https://old.wordsbyapro.com/non-verbal-communication-and-an-intro-to-korean-cuisine/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:28:38 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1254 I stared at my bowl of soup. The floating fish head stared back. As I locked eyes with the fishy compatriot that was supposed to be my dinner, the only thought in my head was: How did I get here? The short answer is that I was patronizing a restaurant in South Korea, and had […]

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]]> https://old.wordsbyapro.com/non-verbal-communication-and-an-intro-to-korean-cuisine/feed/ 26 Questions for a Language Ninja: Putting the Fun Back in Etymological Fundamentals https://old.wordsbyapro.com/questions-for-a-language-ninja-putting-the-fun-back-in-etymological-fundamentals/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-for-a-language-ninja-putting-the-fun-back-in-etymological-fundamentals Tue, 14 Jul 2015 17:19:59 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1239 Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of “Questions for a Language Ninja,” the only Q & A language usage column where nearly every response to burning linguistic queries is: “It’s all good, man,” at least when those queries arrive in the middle of an otherwise lazy summer. Let’s get started.  Q: I often hear […]

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]]> The Subjectivity of Language https://old.wordsbyapro.com/the-subjectivity-of-language/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-subjectivity-of-language Tue, 30 Jun 2015 18:46:24 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1193 As someone who’s had a passion for language since I was a child, I’ve always enjoyed the nuances of language and how different people use it in different ways. While the subjectivity of language may at times be a source of miscommunication and even frustration in our personal and professional relationships, it’s also reflective of […]

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]]> Questions for a Language Ninja: Language Redundancy https://old.wordsbyapro.com/questions-for-a-language-ninja-language-redundancy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-for-a-language-ninja-language-redundancy Tue, 23 Jun 2015 16:00:35 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1181 Welcome to the very first Language Ninja column of the summer! Let’s pour ourselves a frozen peach iced tea, relax by the pool, and start tacklin’ some rules of grammar and syntax! Q: Is “close proximity” redundant? A: A bit, yes. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the Ninja won’t go on and on at […]

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]]> The Dream of a Common Language https://old.wordsbyapro.com/the-dream-of-a-common-language/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-dream-of-a-common-language Tue, 16 Jun 2015 12:13:28 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1174 It may be a familiar trope in crime stories, but having a dead body in the trunk is a lousy selling point for an automobile. When Ford launched its ad campaign in Belgium, they wanted buyers to appreciate their excellent manufacturing and came up with the slogan “Every car has a high-quality body.” However translated […]

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]]> How to Use (and Avoid) Obscure Words https://old.wordsbyapro.com/how-to-use-and-avoid-obscure-words/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-use-and-avoid-obscure-words https://old.wordsbyapro.com/how-to-use-and-avoid-obscure-words/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2015 15:10:48 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1157 If you are someone who enjoys writing, you probably take pride in using your skill and knowledge of the language to craft a message that communicates exactly the intended point. The raw materials at your disposal—words—are not unlike those of a sculptor; some are easier to work with than others. So when you can master […]

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]]> https://old.wordsbyapro.com/how-to-use-and-avoid-obscure-words/feed/ 1 Questions for a Language Ninja: Less or Fewer? https://old.wordsbyapro.com/questions-for-a-language-ninja-less-or-fewer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=questions-for-a-language-ninja-less-or-fewer Tue, 19 May 2015 18:16:12 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1140 Q: What is the difference between “less than” and “fewer than?” A: This distinction is one of those linguistic phenomena that is more a matter of style than actual, understandable meaning. No matter which form you use, you will be understood perfectly, but that won’t stop people from calling you a moron on social media […]

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]]> The Extinction of Language and Other Light Topics https://old.wordsbyapro.com/the-extinction-of-language-and-other-light-topics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-extinction-of-language-and-other-light-topics Tue, 12 May 2015 15:10:49 +0000 https://old.wordsbyapro.com/?p=1136 When the phrase “extinction” is inevitably brought up in polite conversation, there’s a good chance that the first topics that jump into people’s minds are the declining mountain gorilla population or the sorry lack of Mexican grizzly bears in today’s wilderness. Well, those may not be the primary examples that normal people usually consider, but […]

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