Author Archives: Ingrid Tieken

Want to write like a spy?

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

It appears that even the CIA has a style guide. A secret one no less, one that got leaked moreover, according to The Guardian Online yesterday. The Guardian article tells us that the style guide includes well-known “old chestnuts”  like uninterested/disinterested, … Continue reading →

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The Fourth of July and 500 Mistakes of Daily Occurrence

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Since it is the fourth of July today, I might perhaps draw on the possibility that many people will be Googling for “Independence Day” or indeed “the fourth of July” to invoke their help in identifying a reference. I’ve already … Continue reading →

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What’s happening to punctuation?

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Going up to London for the day yesterday, we took the train to London King’s Cross. Not surprisingly (we all know what’s been happening to the apostrophe) the announcement on the train didn’t show the apostrophe. But if punctuation marks are … Continue reading →

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Advertising the Symposium in Cambridge

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken
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Hey, you guys!

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Below follows Cristina Cumpanasoiu’s second blogpost: Having originated in the U.S., the earliest instance of the noun guy in the sense of “man, fellow” according to the Oxford English Dictionary dates back to 1847 when Lord Chief Baron in Swell’s Night Guide said “I … Continue reading →

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Parasitic plants and buttons: on language imagery

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Marten van der Meulen‘s second blog post is about imagery and usage. Writing a usage guide is hard work, not in the least because the subject matter can be dry like a desert. Who but the most hardened language pundits will … Continue reading →

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Beware, the World Cup is coming

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Yes, there is futebol even on this blog! Read Jan van den Berg‘s second post, and let us have your comments, for all languages! Today, 12 June 2014 – the start of the World Cup. An exciting time for many. … Continue reading →

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Hypercorrect whom

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

It has been a recurring topic on this blog, but whom definitely seems to be on the way out. I’m in the middle of reading a pile of third-year essays, and have already come across two instances of hypercorrect whom this … Continue reading →

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The HRT a new usage problem?

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Is the so-called High Rise Terminal, HRT for short and also called Upspeak, developing into a new usage problem? Robert Ilson, in an article in The English Language Today (1985), mentions three criteria that define linguistic features as potential usage … Continue reading →

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Another Thin’ Coming

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Ingrid Tieken

Cassandra Nijon‘s second (well, really her first) blog post follows below. Many so-called “old chestnuts” boast a long history of appearance in usage guides, but it seems the most prestigious source that managed to muster some attention for the contentious expression … Continue reading →

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