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Words with charisma
Everyone has their stable of favourite words. Which of yours hit the sweet spot of delight? Here are a few that blow my hair back: LUCIDITY (as in a profound “AHA” moment), VOLUMINOUS (hair which I have not) and SAGACITY (wisdom / good judgment) – which my thinning pate proclaims to celebrate. … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Uncategorized, Words
Tagged charismatic words, loan words, neologisms, onomatopoeia
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How to spark ideas?
Many of the world’s greatest minds have been stimulated by “walking meditation”. An outwardly aimless, impromptu stroll around a garden or park is an inspirational excursion accessible to most. Set out with the intention of freeing the mind to invite an upwelling of … Continue reading
Homophonophobia
Well, I don’t really have a fear of homophones: My pet peeve is their incorrect usage. These are words that have the same pronunciation, but are spelt differently and have different meanings. The sentence context and syllabic stress should make the correct choice of word obvious, but, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Words
Tagged homographs, homonyms, homophones, Muphry's Law
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The secret under my desk…
Here’s a nifty idea that I can recommend for writers. Under my desk there’s a suspended box (compartment) made up by my carpenter with the following dimensions: 30cm x 30cm. It’s 20cm deep and houses the reference books I work with most. … Continue reading
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What’s in a name?
Generating names for a product, brand or company is part of the copywriter’s repertoire. With the dotcom explosion having monopolised nearly all names and permutations thereof, wordsmiths have resorted to semantic associations, creating hybridised names as a creative way out of this impasse. … Continue reading
Posted in Language Use, Letters, Phonemes, Sound Symbolism, Words
Tagged phonosemantics
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A little alliteration goes a long way
As a literary tool, alliteration is best used with restraint in copywriting. Yet there’s something curiously satisying about its corniness when proliferated. My favourite example is an excerpt from the dystopian thriller “V for Vendetta”, cleverly scripted by Hilary Henkin: Introductory monologue of … Continue reading
Make your passion work for you
My deadline today was to write a blog post, after running the gauntlet of copywriting deadlines. So I’ve permitted myself the luxury of resorting to a short cut without sacrificing any value, by sharing some quotable quotes… After all, it was … Continue reading
Something to cut out…
I like to look at esoteric aspects of language and sometimes be flippant with tongue-in-cheek musings – as per my previous posts. But today, let’s be practical. In George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language”, he listed five rules for effective writing. … Continue reading
How couth are you?
“I’m suitably unamused.” Words such as “uncanny” or “unkempt” are rather Victorian, yet familiar. Why, then, do we seldom hear their positive expression? Let’s encourage the couth pursuit of proclaiming their less-accustomed use, as a kempt contribution to the English language… … … Continue reading
Brainwave or Orwellian funk?
From The Sunday Times, London, May 30, 2011 Quote: SCIENTISTS have found a way to “mind read”, peering into the deepest recesses of the brain to watch words forming as people think and speak. Using networks of electrodes implanted into … Continue reading
