The Wall Street Journal says it’s “lean in to,” not “lean into.” The newspaper explains:
“‘Lean in’ is the verb phrase that should hold together.”
Showing posts with label Synonyms?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Synonyms?. Show all posts
lean into. lean in to
finalize. finish
In The Elements of Style, Strunk and White declare that finalize is a “pompous, ambiguous verb.” They explain,
“Finalize ... is not standard; it is special, and it is a peculiarly fuzzy and silly word. Does it mean terminate, or does it mean put into final form? One can't be sure, really, what it means, and one gets the impression that the person using it doesn’t know, either, and doesn't want to know.”
In Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, Joseph Williams argues otherwise. He acknowledges that “some may think finalize still smacks too much of the bureaucratic mind, an understandable objection.” But he draws a distinction between finalize and finish:
“Never use finalize to mean finish, complete, end. Finalize does not mean what any of those other words mean. Finalize means to clean up the last details of an extended project, a specific sense captured by no other word.”
grow. expand
Even though “grow” can serve as a transitive verb (“She grows daisies”), pedants object to a phrase such as “Grow your business.” They argue, “Why not just say, ‘Expand your business’?”
Because when you “expand” it, you merely gain new customers. But when you “grow” it, you gain new customers and sell more stuff to old customers.
—Paul Stregevsky
flaunt. flout
flaunt: to make an ostentatious or defiant display of
flout: to show contempt for something
—The Wall Street Journal
onetime. one-time
onetime: former
one-time: for a single time
Thus: “The onetime chairman said the dividend omission while he was there was a one-time event.”
—Vol. 37, No. 11: Semiquincentennial [WSJ]
venomous. poisonous
“Venomous” applies to organisms that bite (or sting) to inject their toxins.
“Poisonous” applies to organisms that unload toxins when you eat them.
Since the vast majority of snake toxins are transferred by bite, most snakes are venomous, not poisonous.
“What’s the Difference Between Venomous and Poisonous?”
elder. eldest
Use elder when comparing two people.
Use eldest when comparing three or more.
Lianna always admired her elder brother.
The eldest person at the reunion will receive a plaque.
moved. touched.
Which is better?
1. Your letter moved me.
2. I was touched by your letter.
#1 is preferable, since #2 puts the focus on me, whereas #1 puts the focus where it belongs: On you!
e-newsletter. newsletter
According to Google, “newsletter” (8.4 billion results) is more common than “e-newsletter” (5.7 billion results).
Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster doesn’t even list “e-newsletter” in its standard-setting dictionary.
chance. chances.
Is it your “chance,” or your “chances”?
Here’s the answer from Colleen Newvine, the product manager of the A.P. Stylebook:
Generally plural, as is the case with “odd” vs. “odds.”
command attention. demand attention.
In writing a recent article, I couldn’t decide whether to say that something “commands” attention or “demands” attention.
In my mind, “commanding” seems more emphatic — attention must be paid!
Indeed, Merriam-Webster defines “command” as “to direct authoritatively: order,” whereas it defines “demand” as “to call for as useful or necessary.”
However, in Googling this distinction, I came across a blog post that seems to suggest the opposite: That “demanding” attention is negative; it entails interrupting someone rudely.
By contrast, according to the blogger, “commanding” attention is positive; it means you’ve drawn someone in with subtlety, without waving your hands or shouting.
Who’s right? As always, I turned to my trusty colleague Paul Stregevsky. Here’s what Paul wrote back:
Something commands attention by being attention-worthy. It’s appealing, intriguing, or both. All in a good, unfaultable way.
Usually, something demands attention by being intrusive. A flashing sign or a slogan chanted over a bullhorn come to mind.
But sometimes, something demands attention by being urgent. For example, an email message marked “URGENT.”
And sometimes, yes, something demands attention by being excellent.
Beyond the difference in their degree of good to bad, the two terms differ more fundamentally:
When we say something commands attention, we mean, “People are paying attention to it.”
When we say something demands attention, we mean, “People ought to pay attention to it.”
A third phrase comes to mind: “Attention must be paid.” We say that about something that stands out for its excellence, or perhaps for its novelty.
On a scale of 1 to 100, where 100 is perfectly safe/benign/positive, I would rank the three phrases as follows:
95: Attention must be paid.
80: Commands attention.
50: Demands attentions. (Too many meanings, too many connotations to use reliably.)
Usually, something demands attention by being intrusive. A flashing sign or a slogan chanted over a bullhorn come to mind.
But sometimes, something demands attention by being urgent. For example, an email message marked “URGENT.”
And sometimes, yes, something demands attention by being excellent.
Beyond the difference in their degree of good to bad, the two terms differ more fundamentally:
When we say something commands attention, we mean, “People are paying attention to it.”
When we say something demands attention, we mean, “People ought to pay attention to it.”
A third phrase comes to mind: “Attention must be paid.” We say that about something that stands out for its excellence, or perhaps for its novelty.
On a scale of 1 to 100, where 100 is perfectly safe/benign/positive, I would rank the three phrases as follows:
95: Attention must be paid.
80: Commands attention.
50: Demands attentions. (Too many meanings, too many connotations to use reliably.)
timetable. timeline. time frame.
In my proposals, I include a section called either “timeline” or “timetable.” This section identifies how long the project at hand will take. Pretty standard stuff.
The problem: Neither “timeline ”nor “timetable” seems to mean precisely what I just said — that I can accomplish this project within, say, 3-6 weeks. Here are the definitions of these words from Merriam-Webster:
timeline: a schedule of events and procedures
timetable: a schedule showing a planned order or sequence
I suppose “duration” would be the technically correct word, but it doesn’t sound right. If I wanted to be conversational, I could call the section, “How Long?”
Yet after a little Googling, I was reminded of “time frame,” which means “a period of time especially with respect to some action or project.”
That’s the mot juste!
Going forward, my proposals will no longer mention “timelines” or “timetables.” Instead, they’ll cite “time frames.”
“Me,” or “I”?
Which is correct?
1. Join Daria and me for lunch.
2. Join Daria and I for lunch.
#1 is correct.
How do I know? Because if I omit the other person (“Daria and”), then #2 (“Join I for”) makes no sense. By contrast, #1 (“Join me for”) is perfectly grammatical.
burglary. robbery
Do you know the difference between a “robbery” and a “burglary”?
Both are acts of thefts, but they’re not interchangeable.
In a “robbery,” something is taken from another person.
In a “burglary,” someone enters a building or other space.
So, you can rob your neighbor, but you can only burglarize his house.
fewer. less.
I’m stealing this excellent answer from Grammarly:
What’s the difference between fewer and less?
Can you count the items? Use fewer.
Otherwise, use less.
Thus:
1. We interview fewer than 20 applicants per year.
2. I have less time to read this year than I’d like.
a half dozen. half a dozen
Here’s a question I posed this morning to Paul Stregevsky:
Q: Which phrase do you prefer?
1. a half dozen
2. half a dozen
For what it’s worth, “a half dozen” returns 1,580,000,000 results, while “half a dozen” returns 204,000,000.
A: Garner's Modern English partly supports Google::
Half a dozen and a half dozen. For this noun phrase, either half a dozen or a half dozen is good form. The predominant form in print sources has always been half a dozen.
So: To follow tradition, use half a dozen. To embrace the vernacular present and the printed future, use a half dozen.
continuous. continual
I'm reprinting the below blog post from the Magic Show, a subscription-based website from my good friend and colleague Mike Long. The Magic Show provides daily tips and inspiration about how to perfect your writing.
“Continuous” means “without ceasing.”
“Continual” means “stopping and starting” or “regularly.”
You’ve been breathing continuously since you were born. You’ve been complaining about your college loans continually since 2007.
On a hot day in July, your air conditioner runs continuously, but the bill for the electricity arrives continually, and all summer long.
Politics provides continuous embarrassment. Political campaigns, mercifully, evoke such a feeling only continually.
Will knowing this distinction make a big difference in your writing? Not much — by itself. But as you accumulate this kind of thing, your writing will become more confident and precise, and therefore more persuasive.
The best reason to learn this stuff? It improves not just the way you write. It sharpens the way you think.
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