It’s that time of year. Whether you’re a big NCAA basketball fan or not, it seems everyone is talking about Bracketology. What is a bracket? If you’re a writer, you know that brackets are most often used to signify that words, or phrases, have been added or changed. For instance,…
In today’s business world we fill slack messages, emails, and project proposals with words like: synergy, align, and traction. To sound more “professional,” we utilize words that we think are intricate; we use “corporate speak.” But let me ask you something. How well do you think the average American can…
My morning routine is simple. I get up, get dressed, brush my teeth, and delete the 350 emails I got over night. Be honest. When was the last time you opened an email that wasn’t from your bank, boss, or best friend? Whenever a client asks me for help writing…
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Greek demigod, Prometheus, the ‘thief of fire.’ According to the legend, cunning Prometheus betrayed the gods to steal fire for humanity’s survival. And although he was punished for his audacity, Prometheus is remembered as the father of innovation, arts, and science in Greek culture. For…
There are 3,782 emojis in the Unicode Standard, according to emojipedia.org. Until approximately 10 minutes ago, I didn’t know there was an “official” standard index. I also learned, about five minutes ago, that a Senior Emoji Lexicographer writes the definitions. Yes, it’s a real, and highly valued, position. The Unicode…
Most of us wear things which provide subtle clues about our personalities. Maybe it’s a favorite band tee, or the company logo emblazoned across a polo shirt. Our preferred brand of jeans or a shirt advertising where we’ve been are also communicators of who we are as people. I got…
Go on… say it out loud! Edit. Your. Oral. Now, say it faster. I’m going for a bit of a play on words here. Editorial. Edit. Your. Oral. Cheeky? Get to the point?! An editorial is defined as a newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor that…
It’s NBA playoff time. Our favorite teams are defending, rebounding, and shooting from the paint on courts across the country, hoping to make enough buckets to head into the finals. It was widely reported in 2023 that each playoff game had an average of 5.47 million viewers, making it the…
For decades, scientists believed the average reading rate to be about 300 words per minute, twice the average speaking rate. That was, however, until a new study found that most adults read closer to 240 words in a minute. Do a word count on the most recent communication you put…