Tag: Slang

Grammar Bomb: I Couldn’t Care Less VS I Could Care Less

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In the UK, they couldn’t care less if you studied Yiddish humor, but in America, we could care less.

#GrammarBombEA

 

I couldn’t care less [THINK: Original UK; idiom]
I could care less [THINK: Yiddish sarcasm; idiom]

 

“When you want to colloquially express that you don’t care at all about something you might say “I couldn’t care less.” This phrase first popped up in British English at the turn of the 20th century and is still popular today. In the 1960s, a controversial American variant of this phase entered popular usage: “I could care less.””

“…“I could care less” emerged as a sarcastic variant employing Yiddish humor...mirrors the intonation of the sarcastic Yiddish-English phrase “I should be so lucky!” where the verb is stressed.”

“…In English, along with other languages, idioms are not required to follow logic, and to point out the lack of logic in one idiom and not all idioms is…illogical. …not everyone you encounter will be a lexicographer, so be aware that [some]…will cringe if you use “I could care less” in conversation.”

[read more about it on blog.dictionary.com]

Market the Author

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[by Billi Joy Carson, Senior Editor/ Editing Addict]

Editor Tip: Market the Author

If you are an author, a blogger, or a copywriter…then correct spelling, punctuation, word use, and grammar is a necessity in all areas of your writing…books, blogs, marketing, advertisements, social media, queries, submissions, letters, and emails.

Why…?

I can hear the horrified gasps, feel the eyes rolling—doubt and fear from writers everywhere. Panic in the streets.

Before you throw your hands up, and stop reading, let’s look at the WHY behind this necessity.

 

You are always marketing YOU.

 

Your books come and go, but you, the author, remain constant. You are the first line of defense when it comes to marketing yourself—which you are doing every day, every time you write…anything.

You are marketing not only to readers, but to publishers, agents, editors, and your fellow authors who would network with you. You are marketing your writing ability—yes—but you are ALSO marketing your organization capabilities, your attention to details, your desire for accuracy….

What if you don’t care about details and accuracy? Publishers do.

Publishers, editors, and agents notice. In this world of instant access, through social media and blogs, your everyday comments and posts are seen.


If an author can’t be trusted to use the right word in 140 characters, why would they trust the author with a 300-page book?

 

Agents, editors, and publishers (oh my!) have deadlines. Organization is a big part of that. Make it appear you are organized—even if you have to fake it.

Here are some excellent tools to keep close to you, always. I suggest bookmarking them, as well as storing them on your smart phones and tablets—wherever you write, post, and email.

OneLook.com

  • Dictionary compilation of over 1000 dictionaries
  • Correct spelling not needed
    • It offers options for word spelling
    • Shows several dictionaries, with links.
  • Breaks search answers into four categories
    • General
    • Business (language)
    • Computing (language)
    • Slang*
      • *Words that haven’t made it into traditional dictionaries will show up here.
      • *Caution: When writing items for publishing (versus informal social media, emails…), only use a Chicago Manual of Style approved dictionary, like Merriam-Webster.

Other dictionaries:

Thesaurus:

Grammar:

  • Grammarly.com (not CMS approved, but still a great tool)
    • Copy/paste text in box—it shows grammar errors and weaknesses
  • Guide to Grammar & Writing
    • Quick lookup for parts of speech, word use, and grammar rules

Style Guides:

 

Questions for the editor to answer next time:

[by Billi Joy Carson, Senior Editor / Editing Addict] 

 

LOL, My Bad, Ain’t Y’all Busted?

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You’re a writer. Don’t be a jargon-peddling, slang-spewing, colloquialism-bantering quibbler….because your readers just might give up on you. How do you avoid those things? Start by figuring out what they are…

Jargon (type of shorthand between a closed group): See examples.

    • Code Eight – Term that means officer needs help immediately
    • SCOTUS – Supreme Court of the United States
    • LOL – Laugh out loud
    • NPO – A patient should not take anything by mouth

Slang (casual language; playful and trendy): See an article on the why-nots.

    • My bad
    • Busted
    • Bromance
    • Supersize

Colloquialism (words that are region-specific): See the definition.

    • Reckon
    • Yonder
    • Ain’t
    • Y’all

With these now safely under your belt of understanding, your readers will thank you. Go forth, dear writer!

Colloquialism, Euphemism, and Slang-lish—Oh my!!!

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There are many different ways to write. You write to inform, or entertain. You write to display, or narrate. You write to tell a story, or to remove doubt. You write. You are the writer. The real question is—do you want to have readers? If a writer pens a word in a forest of paper, yet no one reads it—does it make an impact?
 
The pen is yours to rule upon your written words, or for us tech-gens, the keystrokes are your story’s destiny. Dumbing down your writing, does not a reader bring. As writers, what should we be on guard against when it comes to the trifecta of unfortunate authoring? Colloquialisms. Euphemisms. Slang. There is a place for them, but knowing when and where will be the difference between knowing victory and defeat.
 

What is a colloquialism?

  • Words or phrases that are not literary or  formal
  • Words or phrases that are from everyday language
    • Off the hook
    • Totally hot
    • Ripped my heart out
    • Tickled me to death

What is a euphemism?

  • Words or phrases that are chosen for their ability to make a harsh concept, milder
    • Pass away (instead of to die)
    • Turn a trick (instead of prostitution)
    • Fall off the wagon (instead of using/drinking again)
    • On the streets (instead of homeless)
    • Take out the trash (instead of murder)

What is slang?

  • Words or phrases that are more commonly used in speech, rather than in writing
  • Words or phrases that are considered very informal
    • Supersize
    • Frenemy
    • Bromance
    • Ride (referring to a vehicle)
    • My bad
When we write, and we desire to use any of the trifecta, there are a few questions that must be answered.
  • Does the colloquialism, euphemism, or slang make the writing stronger or weaker?
  • Is the wording chosen, unique to a small portion of the world, or country?
    • An example of this, is in the amazingly successful series, Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling. Her wording was understood implicitly by her audience in Britain, but when her audience in America read that Snape had done a bunk—we had to figure out the meaning by either taking in the surrounding information, and assume we had the answer, or we jumped on Google, and figured out it meant to escape, or flee.
  • How much effort are you wanting your reader to go through, in order to read your writing?
    • A pillow is nice and soft, and has its place to elicit relaxation, but a dump truck dropping three thousand pillows on you—not exactly the same result.
    • Words or phrases placed appropriately, will engage your readers.
    • Words or phrases overused, or a story under-told because of the fluffy fillers, has a negative, and potentially lasting reaction to your readers.

“Three types of commonly used casual language include slang, colloquialisms, and euphemisms. Slang is an informal nonstandard vocabulary, usually made up of arbitrarily changed words. A colloquialism is a local or regional informal dialect or expression. A euphemism substitutes an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. When our language is too casual, audiences might not be able to follow the main ideas of the speech, or they become confused or uncomfortable.”
(Cindy L. Griffin, Invitation to Public Speaking, 3rd ed. Wadsworth, Cengage, 2009) [found on grammar.about.com]

“If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation marks. To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.”(William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. Longman, 1999) [found on grammar.about.com]