I was out with a group of communications professionals and one asked a question about one of my past ventures. I comment about how the business model had retarded any real business growth on a product that, at the time, was uniquely positioned for success. Faces recoiled at the word. Retarded. It took me a…
Tag Archive: language
Evolving Language
As I was reading this article about how half of the world’s languages are in danger of dying out, I started thinking about just how much the English language has changed and evolved, a language spoken by nearly half a billion people every day. I’m not talking about the changes since Shakespeare’s time, with phrases…
6 Grammar Mistakes
I realize that as an editor I am paid to catch errors in client work, but there are some fundamental issues in many clients’ writing that need to be addressed. While I can review and edit that corporate brochure or web copy, there are countless other documents and emails that contain errors that make me…
Stranger in a Strange Land
I have always made it a point to be nice to tourists, and hope that others would extend the same courtesy to me. This isn’t always the case. I recently had an experience where I didn’t speak the language, and the natives quickly lost patience. The other day, I was forced by circumstance to meet…