Drivel means nonsense. We suspect that’s what the man meant.
A few people got it right.
Others took a little dig at the goof.
The rules committee’s Lou Ann Frala reports, “He apparently said it in an email to a reporter. Someone who didn’t have presence of mind to call him on it. Or maybe the reporter and his or her editors wanted the gaffe to get out and circulate among the word nerds and the merely literate.“
The problem with an acronym is that a lot of people forget for what word it’s shorthand. UFO means “unidentified flying object.” Unidentified? There are tons of those. What the Pentagon said is there’s no evidence any of them are extraterrestrial.
Sometimes you just gotta ladle on the grammar.
Pick one. The dictionary spells it pizzeria.
We dealt with a similar sign back in May 2022. Does this mean they can accept some contactless payments? Or none?
Visibly? Ummm, no thanks.
The story was about the first integrated team. You know, the opposite. The first segregated team probably was the first team.
Items before the Assizes:
Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! On the docket:
Loyal reader and occasional contributor Dr. Baruch Kahana wrote to ask about the use of very in this sentence: “It is very true that most Americans have a wonderful zest for life.” He wondered if it’s needed, saying, “Something is true, or it’s not. No?”
Lou Ann, the Rules Committee, opined: “From the real bible, Elements of Style: ‘Very. Use this word sparingly. Where emphasis is necessary, use words strong in themselves.’”
The court therefore CONCURS with the plaintiff.
And we go to the archives for Segment 69: TV news cliche bingo. https://youtu.be/lC79wt9oHGg?si=GKepflwgDKw31mU6
Next time: Have you been Strunked?
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong" features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police:” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we can credit you properly. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
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NOTE: Eliot and Lou Ann are available for speaking engagements, and can travel. Reach us through the comments section. Just think of all of your employees getting back to work on a Monday, their heads filled with all the ways we’ve shown them to be better communicators!