Twitter Translated
Although The Awkward Adverb doesn’t have a Twitter account, we haven’t missed the buzz about the social networking platform. We recently happened upon a blog posting that gives advice about how to use Twitter strategically. Among the writer’s recommendations, she posts several sample Twitter messages. Here’s one: RT @kellyecrane Great idea: PR consultants, let’s use [...]
Healthcare Hot Air
As the United States battles over healthcare reform, all insured citizens can certainly agree on one point: They have no have idea what their policies say. Here is an excerpt from an actual policy: “The plan covering the patient as a dependent child of a person whose date of birth occurs earlier in the calendar [...]
Literally Literal
The common misuse of the word “literally” is a pet peeve of The Awkward Adverb (shared by many other people). The word is a useful tool to clarify that a potentially metaphorical phrase is indeed not metaphorical. Consider for example, “I was riding my bicycle through the park when I was yelled at by some [...]
The Truth About Seuss
In the world of classic children’s literature, Dr. Seuss holds an elevated position, but some parents disapprove of his habit of making up words—wumbus, yuzz and diffendoofer, for starters. These critics argue that children’s books should teach English, not nonsense, and they worry that their children will have difficulty distinguishing invented words from real vocabulary. [...]
