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• The Slang Patrol

  3109 readersEnlivening otherwise dry or somber topics, from Wall Street to Pakistan, is an admirable goal. But tossing in slang or colloquial expressions, a faddish buzzword or some hip lingo from a bygone era is seldom the best solution. Many colloquialisms are almost by definition clichés as well, so they can lower the tone without necessarily

• The Slang Patrol

  116 readersEnlivening otherwise dry or somber topics, from Wall Street to Pakistan, is an admirable goal. But tossing in slang or colloquial expressions, a faddish buzzword or some hip lingo from a bygone era is seldom the best solution. Many colloquialisms are almost by definition clichés as well, so they can lower the tone without necessarily

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  Interview with Tom Roy, author of ‘Released’

  1460 readersTom Roy is the President and Founder of UPI. After a very brief time in the S.F. Giants organization, Tom went on to a career in radio, taking his first job in West Virginia. Shortly after that he felt the call of God to pursue a college degree and enrolled at Grace College in Winona Lake,

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  Hate Week #1: The Not-So-Cunning Linguist

  1026 readersYou know what's awesome about foreign travel? Foreigners! And all their funny foreign accents! Some of them are so cute, others menacing, others musically sharp or flat. And to an author of fiction, apparently so often irresistible.What could be more fun than to write dialogue as if it were being spoken by some wacky foreigner!

• Bunting and Bunting

  2435 readersThe word "bunting" can mean a type of bird, a colorful banner, a baseball play, or a chubby baby.Like this article? Then you'll love our book: 100 Writing Mistakes to Avoid. It lists 100 common spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage mistakes. You can buy it today with a 50% discount! Original Post: Bunting and Bunting

• Buzzword Patrol

  790 readersI've grumbled before about the faddish use of "reference" as a verb. And I'm prepared to keep grumbling, since we keep doing it.

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  3 Simple Rules for Writing Effective Metaphors

  1990 readersWeb writers whose job is to turn out 50 – 100 articles in a few days often forget to have fun with the nuances of language. I’m not condemning those who write for those clients or in that style. Keyword writing is simply another form of the craft. Web writing is straightforward; similes and metaphors don’t

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  Sportscaster Len Berman Authors His Fourth Children’s Book

  1149 readersFormer WNBC weeknight sportscaster Len Berman recently released his fourth publication, The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. He held his most famous job for two decades. His expertise in sports equips him with the necessary knowledge to author children's books on the subject. Berman's first kidlit publication, And Nobody Got Hurt!: The World's Weirdest,

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  Order my book ‘Hot for Words’

  3182 readersMy book is out! Yeah!!!!  Published through Harper Collins. It’s chock full of word and phrase origins, and includes 80+ pics of me to go along with the origins! It’s actually a really fun book to read! You can take a peek inside the book here. You can get a copy at the following retailers (in alphabetical order): Amazon

• In Writing, Tone Is the Author’s Attitude

  11288 readersIn written composition, tone is often defined as what the author (rather than the reader) feels about the subject. (What the reader feels about it, by contrast, is referred to as the mood.) Tone is also sometimes confused with voice, which can be explained as the author’s personality expressed in writing. Tone is established when