Happy National Grammar Day

Today is National Grammar Day, a time for us to raise our grammartini glasses and clink to the beauty of a well-constructed sentence, or to eat grammar crackers and milk while toasting the same thing.

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar founded National Grammar Day officially in 2008, although we celebrated it earlier with our high school students.

In the years since, it's grown far beyond us, thanks in large part to the participation of the many bloggers listed in the link parade on the side of this site.

Oh, and Grammar Girl. Inviting her to a party is like inviting Lady Gaga, but a Lady Gaga dressed in suitably warm late-winter clothes, ready to sing the official National Grammar Day anthem.



Last year, the event became a trending topic on Twitter. Katie Couric even mentioned it in her evening broadcast, earnestly offering up bad grammar advice, the well-intentioned but fake rule cautioning people not to end a sentence with a preposition.

The irony of this runs a close second to the National Grammar Day letter signed by President George W. Bush that we received in 2008. (We nonetheless remain grateful to the thoughtful people in his office who made that happen.)

People will be chatting all day on Twitter about the holiday using the hashtag #grammarday. Feel free to join in.

Meanwhile, we will be judging Editor Mark's haiku contest, reading the stunning conclusion to John McIntyre's grammarnoir extravaganza, and of course, drinking a properly chilled grammartini.

National Grammar Day: A Haiku Contest

How can you resist
The chance to wax poetic
About sweet grammar?

If you are so moved
Go to Editor Mark's blog
The details are there.

(P.S. National Grammar Day is Friday! March 4! Wuhoo! We'll continue to punctuate as if there is a sale on exclamation points until it's all over! Sorry! We can't contain our excitement!)

Comma Chameleon and Grammar Limericks

OK, one last gasp for National Grammar Day 2010.

We offer two delights from Rob Reinalda, executive editor for Ragan Communications in Chicago. Rob goes by the handle word_czar on Twitter, if you're looking to follow new folks.

The company held a limerick contest. Here's a finalist we rather enjoyed:

I saw that my participle was dangling
My sentence thereby it was mangling
I tried not to pout
though it put into doubt
the perfection for which I was angling.

To get the whole scoop--and read the winner--check out the article here.

And for a useful story Rob wrote about the many uses of commas, check out this link. (Print the piece if you want to keep it as reference; Rob let us know these stories don't stay accessible forever.)

Speaking of commas, Barry Leiba sent along this real-life example of a missing comma:

"It is not because that mechanism is in a different document, as it should be."

Barry writes, "The problem is that it's missing a critical comma. And I bet the writer doesn't even realize that, and will wonder why his statement is misinterpreted. The comma should be after 'not'. Eats, shoots, and leaves."

National Grammar Day and Katie Couric

Wait, did she really say you can't end a sentence with a preposition? That's OK. It's the thought that counts.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

5 Simple Grammar Tips

We wrote this bit for Cozi.com, an online calendar service (which we use and love).

It's called 5 Simple Grammar Tips, and if you ever have trouble deciding between "I" and "me," this article will help.

We're thrilled that National Grammar Day is a trending topic on Twitter. There is no shame in being slightly less popular than stripper names, Justin Bieber, and "its [sic] not cool."

Happy National Grammar Day, everyone.

Follow National Grammar Day on Twitter

People are posting all day in the Twitter parade, using the #grammarday tag. If you're on Twitter, join in. If you'd just like to watch, here's the search query.

Grammar Gems for Journalists

We're subscribed to Ted Pease's WORD on Journalism, a collection of daily observations about journalism, the First Amendment, writing, mass media, and sometimes fishing.

This week Ted is writing all about grammar. We particularly like this Mark Twain quote he dug up:

“Perfect grammar—persistent, continuous, sustained—is the fourth dimension, so to speak; many have sought it, but none has found it.”

Check out The WORD.

Pulp Diction: Part 4

Here's the conclusion to John McIntyre's stirring grammar noir. We're not sure we're able to handle its sexy, sexy plot twists this early in the morning. English muffin, anyone?

Pulp Diction 4: The Dark Tower

The Amtrak from Baltimore to New York was only ninety minutes late to Penn Station, and the sun was setting as Fogarty and I crept up on AP Stylebook Headquarters.

“We’re in luck,” I whispered. “They haven’t lowered the portcullis yet.”

“But there’s a guard,” she said.

“Maybe you could distract that slab of brawn while I slip past.”

“Leave it to me.” She loosened two buttons on her blouse and walked up to the muscle. His head turned; I slipped past. A minute later, after a dull thud and a splash, Fogarty was beside me.

Read the rest.

National Grammar Day: the Video

You know you're a real national holiday when someone makes a video. Thanks, Grammar Girl!

It's Words Matter Week

Forgive this simile, but we're hungry.

Wrapping around National Grammar Day in the manner of a tortilla embracing delicious rice and beans, Words Matter Week is March 1-7.

The celebration is sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (we love them!), and they're inviting all of us to take part in daily blog challenges.

Here's today's:

Communication breaks down when words are misused. What is the funniest, most interesting, or worst break-down you’ve ever observed?

If you’d like to participate in the challenge, write a post on your own blog on the topic of the day, then visit the Words Matter blog to leave your post title and link in the comment section so that others can enjoy what you’ve written. Be sure to share your posts in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media!

Background: In honor of Words Matter Week, a holiday that is celebrated annually the first full week in March, the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) is hosting a Blog Challenge with a specific daily topic Monday through Friday.

Each blogger that posts a response to each day’s challenge (a total of five posts) will be entered into a drawing for a $20 gift card to Amazon.com. The winner will be announced in the next issue of The Edge, NAIWE’s e-mail newsletter. (If you don’t receive it yet, you may subscribe at the NAIWE homepage). Remember to write the post on your own blog, adding a link to this post. Return to this page and add a comment on this post, with the title of your response and a link to your post.

Check out their blog.

Our entry comes from the SPOGG archives. Really, does it get funnier than incontinence and orgasms?

We received this from Steven Chappell, Director of Student Media at Middle Tennessee State University:

My all-time favorite from a student is this gem, which came to me when she missed a test.

"Dr. Chappell,

I'm sorry I missed today's test. I wasn't feeling well. I would be glad to discuss my make-up exam with you at your earliest opportunity. I am sorry for the incontinence."

I sent this reply:

"Dear ----,

Please refer to the syllabus, which requires you to contact me in advance regarding all make-up exams, including those for illness. The next time you are sick, it is not necessary for you to be so descriptive regarding your medical problem, but you do need to contact me in advance to schedule a make-up exam."

No. 2 on my list was this lead on a story from a student, who was writing a class-assigned story on a genetic engineering lecture on campus:

"Professor of English Martha Bartter spoke about the implications of a world containing genetically modified orgasms, focusing on the language barrier that causes problems and the religious aspect."

While I think it was genetically modified organisms that were the topic of the lecture, this new topic would have been much more interesting.

In Case You Were Wondering

How to make a grammartini:

 

National Grammar Day!

We are giddy with excitement to announce the new site for National Grammar Day. Grammar Girl outdid herself.

Here's some of what you'll find:

• Fun With Grammar
• Free E-card
• Ten Grammar Myths
• Free Teaching Materials
• T-Shirts
• Photos
• A Week of Tips
• Blog Partners

National Grammar Day is Thursday, March 4. Let us know how you'll celebrate!

Pulp Diction: Parts 2 and 3

National Grammar Day fans, here are the latest two installments in John McIntyre's Pulp Diction, a bit of grammarnoir John has crafted to add a whiff of intrigue (or possibly body odor and gin) to our big day:

Part II: The Last Copy Editor

At the old Sun building on Calvert Street the front door yielded with a rusty creak. Dust lay thick on the guard’s desk, and small birds flew through broken windows. Bundled stacks of the last print edition displayed the headline: SEE US ON THE WEB.

Windows were out on the second floor, too, and scurrying and skittering sounds preceded me as I rounded the corner into the main room. Row on row of cubicles stretched out, each with a computer terminal like a headstone, each with a sad little collection of photos, figurines, long-dead plants. It was like walking the deck of the Mary Celeste.

On a bulletin board near the old copy desk, dangling from a single push pin, a yellowed memo listed a set of banned holiday cliches. The office next to the bulletin board was empty except for a Webster’s New World College Dictionary missing its cover.

A quavering voice asked, “Who’s there?”

Read on...

Part III: The Wider Web

“What happened to this place?”

I whirled around. “Fogarty! I told you to stay out.”

The Old Copy Editor said, “Fogarty? Mignon Fogarty? Great Fowler’s Ghost, is this Grammar Girl herself?”

“Yeah,” I said, “minus the cape and the winged boots.”

“Could I have your autograph, Ms. Fogarty? On my copy of The Grammar Devotional?”

“We’ve got more important things to do,” I said. She didn’t listen. She never listens.

“Why, certainly,” she said, whipping out a pen faster than the Earp boys slapped leather at the O.K. Corral. “But tell me, what happened to this place?”

Read on...

National Grammar Day: And So It Begins

John McIntyre, the wizard behind the words at You Don't Say, has crafted a new installment of Pulp Diction--the world's first and most gripping bit of grammarnoir.

Something to note about this year's tale: He introduces a new character, Mignon Fogarty, better known as Grammar Girl. He even calls her "pert."

This means it's time to announce the news we've been keeping to ourselves. Mignon is the official host of National Grammar Day 2010. (Insert delighted gasping sound effect here, followed by a smattering of giddy applause.)

She will be dishing up useful tips, pulling back the curtain on grammar myths, and generally delighting us March 4.

Without further ado, we give you Pulp Diction.

Pulp Diction: 15 items or trouble

You get ’em in the checkout at Safeway — harried mothers with kids clamoring for candy, bleary-eyed old guys pushing a cartload into the fifteen-items line, kids with green hair buying exotic produce. Some chat with the cashier, but nobody talks to the bag boy. Fine with me. I liked anonymity when I was a copy editor. I like it better now.

I was pushing a train of carts back toward the store when she grabbed my arm. I turned. “You,” I said. It wasn’t friendly.

“Mr. McIntyre, I really need to talk with you,” she said. Mostly, she was a pert little thing, but this time her voice trembled.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Fogarty.” That’s Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Dame, Grammar Girl, something like that. Big-time blogger, raking in big bucks from rubes who couldn’t tell the present from the preterite if it jabbed them in the keister.

“Please, it’s urgent. I’ve heard from Martha Brockenbrough.”

More female trouble. The last time I saw the Brockenbrough skirt, I was in the witness stand, and she was at the defense table, trying — not convincingly — to look innocent. I’d turned her in for a homicide. I didn’t stay for the rest of the trial, but I’d heard she copped a plea to manslaughter while the jury was still out. Now she’s in the Big House for a good long while. You know the story.

“Sister, I’ve still got nothing to say to you. How the hell did you know to look for me here, anyhow?”

Read the rest.

Good Grammar Detects Bad Spammer

Writer and editor Louise Julig celebrated National Grammar Day by explaining how she managed to avoid a phishing scheme that pretended to be iTunes.

The point, of course, is that spammers often use bad grammar. It can be a useful rip-off tip-off.

It's 'Words Matter Week'

Who knew that March was such a big month for word nerds?

In addition to National Grammar Day (which was yesterday), we have World Book Day (today); wrapping both events in a big alphabetical hug is Words Matter Week, a production of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

SPOGG will be chatting with NAIWE (and perhaps advising them on the art of acronyms and initialisms) today at 3:30 EST. To warm things up, we're posting a bit we wrote in January for Grammar Girl that felt like a good salute to the occasion.

Does it bother you when someone says, "Between you and I"?

Does your lip twitch ever so slightly when someone uses an apostrophe to make a plural?

And does a teeny-tiny part of your soul shrivel when Neil Diamond sings, "song she sang to me, song she brang to me"?

If that's the case, you are not alone--even if sometimes feels that way.

Every day, people like us see and hear errors that needn't be made: in pop songs and movie titles, in television newscasts and movie dialogues.

It's an ongoing assault to the senses, and let's face it--it can feel pretty darned depressing to those of us who care about language, who love it, and who try to use it as well as we can.

Try not to lose heart, though. While it might be stylish in certain quarters to ignore the rules of standard usage, grammar matters elsewhere.

It matters a lot.

It matters, for example, when you're applying for a job. In one survey of hiring
managers, 75 percent said it was worse for an applicant to have a spelling or grammar error on his application than for him to show up late or—get this—swear during an interview. Holy bleep!

It continues to matter when you've landed that job. Remember the fictional TV lawyer Ed? He lost his job in a Manhattan law firm because of a misplaced comma in a contract. Just in case you think this sort of thing only happens on TV, think again.

A utility company in Canada had to pay an extra $2.13 million in 2006 to lease power poles because someone stuck a comma in the wrong spot.

It matters even if you have an illegal job. A bank robber once got nabbed, in part, because he spelled "money" M-U-N-Y. The bank teller realized the man was such an idiot, he could be tricked into robbing the bank across the street—where police summoned by the teller were waiting.

And get this: A woman who killed her husband and then wrote notes to the police was caught in part because of her tendency to misuse dashes and quotation marks. All police had to do was compare her regular correspondence to the anonymous taunts sent to the police and they had a powerful piece of evidence against her.

Grammar also matters if you're looking for love. Raise your hand if you'd want to go out with someone whose personal ad contains spelling and grammar errors. That's right. It's a turnoff. It's the equivalent of having spinach in your teeth, or having the zipper on your jeans undone.

Speaking of jeans, grammar and clothing have a lot in common.

Let's say you see a man in a Speedo. Are you at the beach? Let's hope so. If he's wearing a Speedo on public transportation, the man's probably a lunatic. At the very least, you don't want to sit next to him on the bus.

In just the same way, using the wrong kind of language in the wrong place can send some pretty nutty messages.

Let's say you sent your company president e-mail and you used the number 2 as shorthand for "to." Essentially, you're saying, "I don't need that raise this year after all. In fact, I might not really even need this job."

That doesn't mean you can never use shortcuts like this. Even though people who love grammar are less likely to do so, it's fine to save your thumbs when you're texting. It's all about context.

You don't wear a Speedo or other super-abbreviated forms of pants on the bus. Likewise, you don’t use really abbreviated language where it doesn't belong.
Of course, you know this already, you with your pants carefully zipped, you with your shirt covering your navel.

You know that being grammatical isn't just about following the rules like some sort of robot. It's about paying attention to context. It's using language that's most likely to be understood. It's about sending a message that will be met with respect, just as it shows respect.

So thank you for caring—and good luck out there.

National Grammar Day 2009: the Bloggers

About Grammar and Composition
Richard Nordquist is your guide to all things grammatical on About.com. He's a professor and the author of several guides for writers.

A Way with Words This public radio show, featuring Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, is a treat for people who love language--and have a grammar pet peeve or two.

Belletra
What happens when English becomes the language of the global business world? The polyglot Casey Butterfield, an editor, writes about the various things that can get lost in translation.

Bill Walsh: Blogslot
Bill Walsh is a copy editor at the Washington Post. He's also the author of Lapsing into a Comma and The Elephants of Style, two books every word lover must own. His main site is called The Slot.

Blue Pencil Editing
Editor and freelance writer Lauren Holder has a blog full of useful information and resources for editors—and people who need one.

Celebrity English
For people who like a bit of glamour with their grammar. Learn how not to speak from the sharp-eyed Dana, who keeps this blog.

Cheryl Norman: Grammar Cop
This arresting blog is for all law-abiding language lovers.

Common Sense Journalism
Journalism instructor Doug Fisher has a wonderful blog for journalists and people interested in the media; he also offers up nuggets about style that serious writers will enjoy.

Editrix
This hilarious blog is for "editors, editors at heart, and anyone else who thinks grammar is hot." We approve.

Gabrielle Edits
Gabrielle is a freelance editor, and her blog is full of useful information, advice and resources for writers, editors and freelancers.

Grammar Done Right!
Karen Reddick is the author of Grammar Done Right and this companion blog, which offers clear, common-sense grammar tips that are easy to understand.

John Sturtevant's "Say What? Start Making Sense"
Sturtevant, an expert on clear writing, runs The Writing Workshop, which offers training in effective business writing.

Loving Family, Loving Language
Here's proof that good grammar is a family-friendly pursuit.

Grammarblog: Smug is Good
This blog is fierce. It recommends stringing offender's (oops—offenders) by their gonads. It's all in good fun, though.

Grammar Girl
Oprah's favorite grammarian answers questions in a clear and lively way, and offers a popular podcast as well as an e-book and forthcoming printed guide.

Grammar Monkeys
The copy desk at the Wichita Eagle wants to prevent you from slipping on the various banana peels of language.

Grammar Police
Patricia Harrelson and Keiti Pierce are the grammar police, and while they won't actually arrest you, you will find their blog to be an arresting blend of humor and education. Just don't send them...emails. That word is a pet peeve over at the cop shop.

JProf
Aspiring journalists can get news and tips for better writing and editing at this site, managed by journalism professor and author James Glen Stovall.

Mighty Red Pen
This blog, developed by a professional writer and editor, is a treasure trove of amusing errors.

My Point Exactly
Lisa Pampuch, a journalist in Santa Clara County, writes about current events, language, and other interesting things on her blog.

Mrs. Write, Word Therapist
A professional writer and editor keeps this blog, where she expresses her love of grammar, punctuation, and correct word use.

National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
National Grammar Day is smack in the middle of Words Matter Week, which features teleseminars, book giveaways, and discussions about the way words affect us.

Newsroom 101
Learn how journalists write at Newsroom 101, which has more than 1,650 free exercises in Associated Press Style, which governs most newspapers.

One Step Forward
A writer and budding novelist blogs about grammar.

Pam Nelson's Triangle Grammar Guide
Pam Nelson will celebrate her birthday on National Grammar Day, so we are pleased to feature her online grammar class, which she gives at the Web site of the News & Observer, a North Carolina newspaper.

Sharon Eliza Nichols: Thank You Ma'am
The several hundred thousand members of her Facebook Group (I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar) can't be wrong.

Ted's Word
For word geeks and journalism junkies, this blog by journalism professor Ted Pease offers a delightful word of the day culled from the pages of newspapers and magazines.

The Editor's Desk
Andy Bechtel teaches writing and journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He's especially interested in the meaning of words, and how they can be most ethically used in news reporting.

The English Blog
Jeffrey Hill is an English teacher in France. This is his blog, meant to assist students learning English as a second language.

The Truth About Grammar
Two intrepid word lovers have declared war on errors.

The Syntax Sisters
United by blood and a love of grammar, this pair of sisters blogs about language and grammar using examples of real-world errors.

Words at Work
Pam Robinson examines language issues with language and the media.

Writing Forward
Writing Forward is a fun, supportive blog where writers can gather to get creative writing tips and ideas. Featured topics include fiction and poetry writing, grammar, and literary news. The site also features writing exercises and prompts to provide writers with new challenges and inspiration.

You Don't Say
John McIntyre keeps this blog at the Baltimore Sun, where he works as assistant managing editor. He focuses on grammar in print, and officially doesn't care about misspellings and other errors in e-mail, speech, or on restaurant menus. Write to him without fear!

Comfort in Trying Economic Times

On this National Grammar Day Eve, when the country is watching the stock market collapse and jobs evaporate in startling numbers, we look to none other than Wal-Mart for comfort, because they're selling "stationary" right next to the party supplies.

Even though it might look like everything good is going away (certainly all the parties have), a little scrap of stability is there in black and white. Thank you, Wal-Mart. And thanks to Karen S. for the photographic proof.*

Now if only we knew where the stationery was...we'd really like to send a thank-you note.

*Yes, we know it looks like "Stationap." This is not a word. And while we would pay money for a nap (preferably not at a station of any sort), it's not something that Wal-Mart is selling. Not yet, anyway.

A Bachelor's Degree in Bad Writing

Karen sends this in, somewhat sheepishly:

First, I'm embarrassed that I clicked on the story about The Bachelor's "most shocking rose ceremony ever," but I did, and then I hit this:

Fast forward six weeks later to the After the Rose special, and Mesnick admits that the "chemistry is completely different," with he and Rycroft [we'd use a comma here, too] and [he] dumps her. Then, he asks initial reject Malaney out [we'd put the "out" after the "at"] and she accepts.

At a minimum, this should read "with him and Rycroft."

Is this just our own pet peeve, or does anyone else hate it when the term "chemistry" appears in connection with romance? We studied chemistry in high school. It was completely unromantic, often smelly, and occasionally led to fingertip burns. Let's come up with a new cliche after National Grammar Day, okay?

And Karen, you should never be embarrassed about enjoying pop culture. It's such a delicious diversion--and even more, a rich source of bad grammar for those of us who track such things.

Grammarnoir, The Final Chapter

... in which John McIntyre solves a crime and sends us to...well, you're just going to have to read it to find out.