Popular Grammar & Composition Posts in 2008
Friday January 2, 2009
Unlike yesterday's newspaper, old blogs can't be used to wrap fish or line the bottom of a birdcage. But they can be recycled all the same. Here's a last look at some of the more popular posts on the Grammar & Composition Blog in 2008.
- The Long Campaign to Abolish the Apostrophe
For some, the apostrophe stands (or hangs) as a small emblem of literacy, its decline a sign of eroding social values. Others would be happy to eliminate this "morbid growth in English orthography." See how several of our readers punctuated their remarks. - Barack Obama's Secret for Stirring a Crowd
Millions around the world were inspired by President-elect Obama's victory speech in early November. A few of those same people responded to our hastily composed rhetorical analysis of the speech: "Obama's secret--or one part of it, at least--is the magic number three." - Are You a SNOOT?
Back in January, novelist and essayist David Foster Wallace took his stand on the dispute between grammatical Prescriptivists and Descriptivists: "We SNOOTS know when and how to hyphenate phrasal adjectives and to keep participles from dangling, and we know that we know, and we know how very few other Americans know this stuff or even care, and we judge them accordingly." Sadly, the acclaimed author died in September at the age of 46. - Merriam-Webster Welcomes the Mondegreen
"America! America! God is Chef Boyardee!" The release of a "new words" list at Merriam-Webster gave many of us an excuse to share our favorite misheard song lyrics. - 200 Expressions That Really Tick You Off
What Expressions Tick You Off? and
At the End of the Day: 170 Expressions That Tick You Off
Yes, three shameless posts on the same irritating topic, and each one sparked a flurry of vexed replies: "Bottom line: paradigms were shifted, bars were raised, envelopes were pushed, and (at the end of the day) everybody was thinking outside the box." Absolutely!
Appearing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Grammar & Composition blog at About.com covers a variety of topics related to the English language. To keep up with our discussions in 2009, sign up for the free weekly Grammar & Composition Newsletter.
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