"The rules of grammar are a nuisance, up with which I cannot put."

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–Winston Churchill

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5 Great Words That Don't Mean What You Think They Mean

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Bombast. Maybe it’s because it has that word bomb in it, but bombast is often misused to describe harsh, exaggerated, or over-the-top rhetoric. Actually, it refers to speech that’s pompous or pretentious. Originally, bombast was a name for the cotton padding used in clothes. So when you hear a speech with lots of padding or filler—that’s bombastic. Or, (ahem) it could describe writing that has the same qualities.   Hypocrite. We all know that a hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. Right? Well, actually, no. The word derives from the Greek word for a stage actor—someone who’s pretending to be someone else. So, if you‘re not living up to your own standards—that just means you’re human. If you’re pretending to do so—then yes, you’re a hypocrite.   Diffident. This word is sometimes used as a synonym for arrogant or aloof . Actually, it describes someone who is timid or shy ( dif -fident—the opposite of con -fident).   St...
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Why We Have a Bill of Rights

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  Here's a quiz: Until relatively recently, it was illegal to read the Bible aloud in which country? Saudi Arabia Pakistan Somalia Great Britain Of course, you knew it was a trick question. And by "relatively recently" I did mean the 16th century. But it's true—at one time you could go to jail for reading the Bible aloud—in Great Britain ! That little episode began when Henry VIII withdrew from the Roman Catholic Church and assumed his role as head of the new Church of England. It only seemed right that the new church should have its own Bible—in English. So Henry authorized a new translation which came to be known as the Great Bible. But he didn't understand what he was unleashing. Having the Scriptures in their own language aroused a spiritual curiosity in the English populace. As one historian of the time put it, "Everyone who could bought the book and and busily read it or got others to read it to them." That posed a threat to the k...
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Some Words Are Just Funny

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Dying is easy. Comedy is hard. That quote has been ascribed to nineteenth-century actor Edmund Keene, and various other sources, but its truth is borne out by the many people who have tried to be funny and bombed. A corollary is that humor writing is hard too. Making people laugh at words on a page may be one of the most daunting tasks a human can undertake—right behind parallel parking. Fortunately, there are some words that make it easy. They sound funny all by themselves. Here are a few of my favorites. What are yours? Snorkel Brouhaha Gherkin Diphthong Hornswoggle Bungee Hooligan Aardvark Platypus Kerfuffle Carbuncle Pollywog Boondoggle The list grows. And life is funnier because of it.
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