Category: Queen’s English / Latin Lovers

    One of the most common failings is the redundant phrase, i.e., using words in a single phrase which have duplicate meanings.  Public speakers may do it for the sake of emphasis, but more often the bet is they think that the use of… Continue reading →

The abuse of the verb “to lay” is common: An officer to his troops: “Lay low!” To a randy dog: “Lay down!” On a hot day: “We were just laying around.” Sorry. All should have used the verb “to lie” in its proper tense, as… Continue reading →

Corpus delicti: Prosecutor Hamilton Burger (Perry Mason’s arch-foe) needed this to bring charges against the usually innocent (after Perry’s assistance) defendant in the classic 1950’s serial. So, what is it? Literally, “the body of the crime” – either a corpse in a murder case or… Continue reading →

It probably comes to us from the Old West, the drawling cow-puncher, sidling up to the innocent maiden: “Ma’am, you look real pretty tonight.” Somehow a syllable, “ly”, fell by the wayside and seems irretrievably gone! One more bit of syntax erosion.To be technical, “real”… Continue reading →

What, which, and who are often used interchangeably, but each has its special meaning, and they are not synonymous when used at the beginning of clauses in complex sentences.Where a clause is “restrictive”, or necessary, to the meaning of a sentence and refers to a… Continue reading →

At the conclusion of a civil trial (a car accident case, for example) the jury finds for the injured pedestrian against the driver of the car which hit her. The defense lawyer jumps up and asks for a judgment non obstante veredicto. What does the… Continue reading →

Someone has estimated that the comma may be used as much as all other forms of punctuation combined. Far too many times a better word is misused.Fear of the unknown (i.e., when and when not to use it) leads many to insert the comma injudiciously… Continue reading →

The use or non-use of a comma is important in sentences containing more than one clause.A clause is a group of words expressing a thought and having a subject and a predicate (a verb relating to the subject): “He (subject) ran (predicate) to the store.”An… Continue reading →

Caveat Emptor – let the buyer beware! This famous maxim has been part of our common law (taken from the English, who adopted it from Roman law) going back to colonial days. Until recently, with the advent of consumer protection legislation and a general shift… Continue reading →

In a recent trip to London, I discovered that Latin phrases are more prevalent in Great Britain, especially in connection with matters of royalty. It seems many of the buildings occupied by the royal family (including Buckingham Palace) have the letters “ER” displayed prominently, as… Continue reading →