One secret to writing well is … there is no secret! There’s no substitute for simply sitting down day after day to practice the craft and learn from your mistakes. Plus, childhood mixups around word definitions can lead to some funny stories...
If an operator operates, why doesn’t a surgeon surge? The word surgeon comes from ancient Greek cheir, which means “hand,” and ergon, “work,” surgery being a kind of medical treatment done by hand, rather than the work...
spit and acquit n.— «Defendants charged with low-level drug offenses under existing statutes can have their charges dismissed if they participate in drug treatment programs or undergo court supervision. But under the district attorney’s...
hot-in-place n.— «A process known as “hot-in-place” treatment will also be used to extend the life of some city streets. Dopp described the process as a way to recycle existing road materials by heating the surface and then...
dry-needling n.— «Radiologists first applied a local anesthetic to the patients” affected heel area, and then repeatedly poked the region with a solid needle—a procedure known as dry-needling—to provoke more blood flow to the area...
bouncer n.— «It is absolutely amazing to me how badly boaters—especially liveaboards—are being discriminated against in SoCal and beyond. Even worse is the uneven treatment of those boaters port authorities have called “bouncers”—which I...