Toys for Word Nerds
03/24/08 15:14 Filed in: Writing
Buy the book on Amazon.com or just access the website when you need to settle a bar bet with an associate professor from the local college!
The book includes one of the more common errors I hear in my neighborhood:
NAUSEATED / NAUSEOUS
"Many people say, when sick to their stomachs, that they feel “nauseous” (pronounced “NOSH-uss” or “NOZH-uss”) but traditionalists insist that this word should be used to describe something that makes you want to throw up: something nauseating.
"They hear you as saying that you make people want to vomit, and it tempers their sympathy for your plight. Better to say you are “nauseated,” or simply that you feel like throwing up."
Powerful messaging: "Don't Almost Give... Give."
03/10/08 08:42 Filed in: Writing
The Ad Council is running a series of powerful Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on the topic of "Almost giving... it's the same as not giving at all."
This 30-second Quicktime movie and this 60-second audio MP3 provide proof that "less is more" when it comes to plucking heart strings and opening purse strings. The narrative is spare and the images understated, yet it's very compelling.
These PSAs are also very timely, now that we're sliding deeper into the second Dubya Recession. As individuals, we need to take personal responsibility for the compassionate care of our fellow human beings. That's especially critical now, when the government is so focused on dismantling the social safety nets.
Visit the Don't Almost Give website