Category: Queen’s English / Latin Lovers

Latin phrases pervade legal writing to the point where we use them so commonly they seem like part of the English language. A good example of this is the phrase ab initio, which means “from the beginning” or “from the inception.” For example: “Because it… Continue reading →

Due process is one of the cornerstones of American jurisprudence, and the concept is rooted in the basic notion of fairness. In the context of a court proceeding, due process generally requires that all parties be given advance notice of a hearing or trial and… Continue reading →

Of all the abused verbs in English, to lie (as in recline) is near or at the top of the list. It is improper to say “I am going to lay down” or “Yesterday he laid on the hammock.”; and yet it seems that more… Continue reading →

Words: Rich, round, buttery, flavor length, texture fatness, attractive, generous, intense, full-fruited, some suppleness, body, silkiness, taste generosity, fresh, clean, slightly buttery, big, chewy, substantial, green, meaty, mouth-filling, long finish, aroma of oatmeal, burly, some funk, integrated, short, flamboyant, with all the stuffing, unvarnished, lingering… Continue reading →

Have you any idea who a “second cousin, once removed” is?  I am indebted to a friend, Bill Liberi; as a result of his curiosity and research, I think I now understand.  Let’s see if I can pass it on. The definition of a first… Continue reading →

People sometimes confuse bring and take and use one when the other is appropriate. Not New Yorkers; among those whom I know, they are consistent; they always reverse them! No need to go to war with a whole city, especially the country’s largest, but it… Continue reading →

Most punctuation is used to separate words or thoughts; not so with the hyphen and, to a lesser extent, the slash. They are used to join words where they might otherwise be either separate or “closed” (i.e., joined to form a single word). The rules… Continue reading →

Like doctors and other professionals, attorneys are licensed by the various states to practice within the state’s borders. A doctor licensed in New Jersey generally cannot practice in Pennsylvania unless also licensed here. The same goes for attorneys. Sometimes a court in one state will… Continue reading →

Lynne Truss has written a book on punctuation that has been at the top of the best sellers’ lists in England for nearly two years, and in the couple of months since its introduction here in March 2004, it has been meteoric on our lists.For… Continue reading →

The phrase per stirpes seems to appear in almost every will ever written and has provoked countless questions about its meaning.Literally, the term means “by the roots.” A better understanding of the term can be gained by contrasting it with the term per capita.If you… Continue reading →