A San Diego, California, listener has observed that some advertising slogans that omit the part of speech known as an article, such as Get iPhone 14 Pro or Do what’s best for Baby. The phrasing is intentional. Advertising often relies on a...
Some proper names could also function as verbs. For starters, there’s Grant, Bob, Josh, Mark, Chip, and Sue. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “First Names That Also Work As Verbs” Grant, you and I have a lot in common, but one thing...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski is puzzling over words containing hidden proper names. For example, John just ordered a piece of jewelry for his wife to wear around her neck. What three-letter dude is hiding inside that word? This is part of a complete...
Don’t capitalize names of seasons unless they’re part of a proper noun, such as Summer Olympics or Spring Formal. Unlike the names of months and days of the week, seasons aren’t eponymous, meaning they don’t derive from proper names. This is part of...
Why do we turn proper nouns, like JC Penney or Kroger, into possessives, as in, Penny’s or Kroger’s? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Plural Business Names” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Debbie from Indianapolis...