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cedara asked us “What’s the meaning and origin of the real McCoy?” Let’s see if we can provide an answer, with some assistance from the characters of Star Trek.( Who’s the real McCoy? )
randi2204cedara asked us “What’s the meaning and origin of the real McCoy?” Let’s see if we can provide an answer, with some assistance from the characters of Star Trek.( Who’s the real McCoy? )
randi2204Today’s Say What? is all about gifts. Well, it’s about horses, too, but mostly, it’s the gifts. Some of the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean will help us out as we take a look at beware Greeks bearing gifts and don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
( Gifts all around! )
( Gifts all around! )
randi2204Welcome to another edition of Say What?. Today is all about influence—the influence others have over us, particularly when we’re young, and that we have over our own futures. Let us discuss the sayings “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” and “the boy is the father to the man.”
( Dawn and Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are helping us out. )
( Dawn and Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are helping us out. )
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randi2204Today we’re going to take a look at three words that, because of similar spellings, may often be confusing to differentiate. Let’s jump right in and talk about indignation, ignition, and indigestion, with a little help from our friends in the original series of Star Trek.
( I’ve got so much indignation that my indigestion has ignited. )
( I’ve got so much indignation that my indigestion has ignited. )
randi2204Today’s Say What? has gone to the dogs … literally. The sayings we’ll be discussing today feature humanity’s favorite canines in all their proverbial glory, with a little assistance from the characters of Justified.
( It’s not all bark, bark, bark… )
( It’s not all bark, bark, bark… )
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Commonly confused words: supple vs. subtle
Monday, 4 November 2013 18:38randi2204The two words on today’s agenda may look a bit alike at first glance, but they don’t have much in common at all. Supple and subtle are what we’ll be discussing today, with some help from the Magnificent Seven.
( This cut is as supple and subtle as a ton of bricks )
( This cut is as supple and subtle as a ton of bricks )
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Blast from the Past: Run-on Sentences
Friday, 6 September 2013 20:39randi2204whymzycal has done a fabulous job explaining run-on sentences and how to fix them here, but let’s have a quick review.( We'll be assisted by Castle and Beckett from Castle. )
Friday Funnies - Seven Bar Jokes
Friday, 2 August 2013 18:20randi2204We've all heard those jokes, where someone (or something) walks into a bar, right? Rejoice, grammar mavens! Now we have some jokes of our own!
For some quick refreshers on the errors in the comic above (and maybe how to fix them), take a journey down memory lane with these links:
For some quick refreshers on the errors in the comic above (and maybe how to fix them), take a journey down memory lane with these links:
- Comma splices, which are a form of run-on sentence.
- Dangling modifiers
- Question marks
- Quotation marks
- Verbs
- Passive voice
randi2204Today weâve got a trio of words that sound alike; two of them even have similar meanings to add to the confusion. Weâll also take a look at the present participle forms for a couple of them, since they also sound alike. Get ready for wreak vs. wreck vs. reek, with a side order of wreaking and reeking.
( With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
( With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
randi2204Today’s Say What? discusses a couple of sayings that, at the root, are all about power and control—wanting it, having it and using it. Our friends from The Avengers will help us take a look at better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven and power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
( Read on, gentle reader … )
( Read on, gentle reader … )
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Blast from the Past: Past vs. Passed
Friday, 22 March 2013 07:55randi2204[Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] has done a marvelously thorough job detailing the different uses of past and passed here. Let’s just hit a few of the high points for a refresher, with some help from the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
randi2204In today’s Say What?, it’s all about perception. We’ll be taking a look at two very familiar sayings that talk about how we’re seen by those around us, with some assistance from the characters of Sherlock.
( Maybe it's the glitter that makes you blind )
( Maybe it's the glitter that makes you blind )
randi2204Today’s edition of Say What? takes a closer look at a couple of proverbs that warn us… to take a closer look and reconsider some of our preconceived notions. Let us discuss "The pen is mightier than the sword" and "There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle."
( Swords and fiddles supplied by the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
( Swords and fiddles supplied by the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer )
Answer: Another thing/think coming?
Monday, 5 November 2012 18:19randi2204carodee asks “Which option in this sentence is correct: ‘if you think ___, you’ve got another thing/think coming.’?”An interesting question! ( Let's take a look at it with some help from Buffy and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bill Cosby. )
Answer: writhing vs. withering
Tuesday, 18 September 2012 17:49randi2204Today’s answer involves a couple of words that are commonly confused in fanfic (particularly in those stories involving sexy-times). Let us take a look at writhing and withering with assistance from our friends in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
( They've got the same letters, just in a different order! )
( They've got the same letters, just in a different order! )
Foul-Mouth Friday: Shakespearean Profanities
Friday, 24 August 2012 18:25randi2204This episode of “Foul-Mouth Fridays” is going to touch on historical cursing, focusing on the time of the Bard.
( A lot of Shakespeare and God behind the cut )
( A lot of Shakespeare and God behind the cut )
randi2204In today’s installment of Say What?, let’s take a look at a couple of proverbs that talk a little about what one has and what one wants, with some help from the folks on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Magnificent Seven.
( The grass is always greener under the cut )
( The grass is always greener under the cut )
randi2204Anonymous asked, “What is the origin of and correct punctuation for the phrase ‘crow’s-feet?’”
( With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Magnificent Seven: )
( With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Magnificent Seven: )
