Category: Queen’s English / Latin Lovers

They have always been something of an affront, those signs that say: “Penns Landing”, “Mens Room” or “Citizens Bank”.  A sign maker, perhaps unconsciously, has neglected in each case to put the apostrophe before the “s”.  We have to wonder whether the person who left… Continue reading →

A word, synecdoche, has come into our consciousness via Hollywood, as a recent movie bears it as its title. I have yet to find anyone who knew of its existence, much less its definition. First, its pronunciation: si-NEK-duh-kee. Its definition is as intriguing as its… Continue reading →

 We sometimes hear the phrase habeas corpus used in connection with criminal court cases but few people actually know what the words mean.  Historically, habeas corpus was a type of writ (court order) which required the bringing of a party or prisoner before the court… Continue reading →

From time to time we encounter words whose meanings may be surprising or elusive; some illustrations (pronunciations are in parenthesis with accented syllables in capital letters):   Akimbo (uh-KIM-boh): With hands on hips, elbows bent outward (Benito Mussolini in World War II).   Avuncular (un-VUN-kyuh-ler):… Continue reading →

For most singular nouns the possessive is found simply by adding an apostrophe and an “s”: cat’s dinner; student’s books; the Johnson’s apartment.  Where a plural noun ends in “s” to make it possessive we add an apostrophe after the “s” and nothing more: cats’… Continue reading →

Queen’s English    (Let’s Sneak This In) Is snuck a real word or should the past tense of sneak be sneaked? While sneaked is technically the correct word in the past tense and while apparently a majority of those in the know (professors, etc.) might condemn… Continue reading →

Time for Latin Lovers   Time plays an important role in both criminal and civil law, including establishing filing deadlines, forming the basis for statutes of limitation and providing the period within which contractual duties must be performed.  The Latin term ex tempore literally means… Continue reading →

Consider: “I have been able to survive with fewer calories and less advice”. Fewer and less are adjectives which refer to something diminished and are broadly synonymous, but they are not to be used interchangeably. To determine which is proper, we must look to the… Continue reading →

  Queen’s English Elmore Leonard’s Ten Rules of Writing     If you are a fan of Elmore Leonard as I am, you may enjoy this excerpt from his ten “rules” of writing; he says:    “Easy on the adverbs, exclamation points and especially hooptedoodle!     “1.   … Continue reading →

  Latin Lovers  –  Spring Edition     As a rule the judges in our civil courts generally do not act without being asked to do so, and typically a judge is asked to act either by motion or petition, either in writing or sometimes orally… Continue reading →