In Finland, the term pilkunviilaaja applies to someone who given to hairsplitting. This word for someone who’s “persnickety” literally means “comma-polisher” or “comma-filer.” The Finnish word pilkun means “of a comma” and viilaaja means “someone...
On Twitter, @HerbertStyles ponders what it would be like if all the punctuation marks went to a party. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Punctuation Party” You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use...
Writing advice from Mark Twain, who was not a fan of adjectives. In The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson, he says, “As to the adjective, when in doubt, strike it out.” He also wrote a letter with clever, useful advice that still holds true for the...
If you’re in the three-comma club, you’re a billionaire–a reference to the number of commas needed to separate all those zeroes in your net worth. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “The Three Comma Club” This term was new to me. You...
What do readers of The New Yorker complain about most when they write letters to the editor? Those two dots above vowels in words like cooperate and reelect. The diaeresis, as those marks are known, has remained in use at the magazine ever since the...
Would you rather write in a language with no punctuation or without the use of similes or metaphors? Grant and Martha agree that texting has proven our ability to get a point across without periods or commas. On the other hand, sometimes an idea...