word savvy

14
8/4/2019 Word Savvy http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/word-savvy 1/14 word USE THE RIGHT WORD EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME NANCY RAGNO    v  v     

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Page 1: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 114

word

USE THE RIGHT WORDEVERY TIME ALL THE TIME

NANCY RAGNO

983123 v v

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 214

983107ontens introduction 1

01 avoid the no 1 mistake of todayrsquos writers 5

02 attacking the wrong-word problem 13

03 master 76 commonly confused word pairs 20

04 conquer 52 commonly misused words 138

05 purge 25 no-norsquos from your speech amp writing 149

06 use tricky singulars amp plurals with assurance 154

07 some surprising ways errors occur 162

08 how to catch wrong-word errors 166

09 talk the talk keeping abreast of buzzwords 171

answers 186

index 211

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 314

20

03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs

Te difference between the right word and the almost right word

is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug

mdashMark Twain

983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember

which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such

as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in

alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you

to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs

bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to

consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are

about to writemdashis the wrong word

bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct

usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as

well as example sentences and quotations

bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused

so you can be on the lookout for them

bull understand what each word means and how it is used

bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words

bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you

remember the distinctions between the words

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414

22

word savvy

devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related

words and spellings and suggested visualizations

6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or

not you understand the material and will apply it when you write

Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide

considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-

viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the

experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand

itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the

puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you

be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the

distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove

learned versus what you only thought you learned

accept except

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you

meet it with courage and with the best you have to give

mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Once we accept our limits we go beyond them

mdashALBERT EINSTEIN

A life is not important except for its impact on other lives

mdashJACKIE ROBINSON

Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live

mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE

ACCEPT

v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with

EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take

out from the rest

I am pleased to accept this award

I accept the conclusions of your report

Everyone was wrong except Harry

If you except weather delays arrivals were on time

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514

23

Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

MEMORY TRICKS

bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance

bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous

applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your

acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo

bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional

bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the

banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am

except ional rdquo

QUIZ answers on page 186

1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a

role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances

2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could

Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te

Conqueror

3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or

the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-

teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit

4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he

saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a

gunslinger that he slung a sword

5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the

preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan

Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to

the premise o the 1047297lm

acute chronic

I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute

than the pleasure o much praise

mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

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150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 2: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 214

983107ontens introduction 1

01 avoid the no 1 mistake of todayrsquos writers 5

02 attacking the wrong-word problem 13

03 master 76 commonly confused word pairs 20

04 conquer 52 commonly misused words 138

05 purge 25 no-norsquos from your speech amp writing 149

06 use tricky singulars amp plurals with assurance 154

07 some surprising ways errors occur 162

08 how to catch wrong-word errors 166

09 talk the talk keeping abreast of buzzwords 171

answers 186

index 211

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 314

20

03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs

Te difference between the right word and the almost right word

is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug

mdashMark Twain

983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember

which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such

as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in

alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you

to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs

bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to

consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are

about to writemdashis the wrong word

bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct

usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as

well as example sentences and quotations

bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused

so you can be on the lookout for them

bull understand what each word means and how it is used

bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words

bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you

remember the distinctions between the words

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414

22

word savvy

devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related

words and spellings and suggested visualizations

6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or

not you understand the material and will apply it when you write

Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide

considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-

viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the

experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand

itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the

puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you

be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the

distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove

learned versus what you only thought you learned

accept except

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you

meet it with courage and with the best you have to give

mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Once we accept our limits we go beyond them

mdashALBERT EINSTEIN

A life is not important except for its impact on other lives

mdashJACKIE ROBINSON

Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live

mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE

ACCEPT

v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with

EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take

out from the rest

I am pleased to accept this award

I accept the conclusions of your report

Everyone was wrong except Harry

If you except weather delays arrivals were on time

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514

23

Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

MEMORY TRICKS

bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance

bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous

applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your

acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo

bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional

bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the

banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am

except ional rdquo

QUIZ answers on page 186

1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a

role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances

2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could

Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te

Conqueror

3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or

the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-

teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit

4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he

saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a

gunslinger that he slung a sword

5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the

preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan

Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to

the premise o the 1047297lm

acute chronic

I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute

than the pleasure o much praise

mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 3: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 314

20

03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs

Te difference between the right word and the almost right word

is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug

mdashMark Twain

983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember

which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such

as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in

alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you

to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs

bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to

consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are

about to writemdashis the wrong word

bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct

usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as

well as example sentences and quotations

bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused

so you can be on the lookout for them

bull understand what each word means and how it is used

bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words

bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you

remember the distinctions between the words

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414

22

word savvy

devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related

words and spellings and suggested visualizations

6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or

not you understand the material and will apply it when you write

Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide

considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-

viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the

experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand

itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the

puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you

be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the

distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove

learned versus what you only thought you learned

accept except

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you

meet it with courage and with the best you have to give

mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Once we accept our limits we go beyond them

mdashALBERT EINSTEIN

A life is not important except for its impact on other lives

mdashJACKIE ROBINSON

Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live

mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE

ACCEPT

v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with

EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take

out from the rest

I am pleased to accept this award

I accept the conclusions of your report

Everyone was wrong except Harry

If you except weather delays arrivals were on time

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514

23

Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

MEMORY TRICKS

bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance

bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous

applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your

acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo

bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional

bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the

banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am

except ional rdquo

QUIZ answers on page 186

1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a

role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances

2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could

Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te

Conqueror

3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or

the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-

teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit

4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he

saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a

gunslinger that he slung a sword

5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the

preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan

Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to

the premise o the 1047297lm

acute chronic

I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute

than the pleasure o much praise

mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

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139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 4: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414

22

word savvy

devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related

words and spellings and suggested visualizations

6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or

not you understand the material and will apply it when you write

Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide

considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-

viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the

experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand

itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the

puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you

be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the

distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove

learned versus what you only thought you learned

accept except

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you

meet it with courage and with the best you have to give

mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Once we accept our limits we go beyond them

mdashALBERT EINSTEIN

A life is not important except for its impact on other lives

mdashJACKIE ROBINSON

Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live

mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE

ACCEPT

v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with

EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take

out from the rest

I am pleased to accept this award

I accept the conclusions of your report

Everyone was wrong except Harry

If you except weather delays arrivals were on time

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514

23

Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

MEMORY TRICKS

bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance

bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous

applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your

acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo

bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional

bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the

banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am

except ional rdquo

QUIZ answers on page 186

1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a

role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances

2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could

Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te

Conqueror

3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or

the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-

teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit

4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he

saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a

gunslinger that he slung a sword

5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the

preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan

Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to

the premise o the 1047297lm

acute chronic

I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute

than the pleasure o much praise

mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 5: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514

23

Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs

MEMORY TRICKS

bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance

bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous

applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your

acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo

bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional

bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the

banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am

except ional rdquo

QUIZ answers on page 186

1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a

role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances

2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could

Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te

Conqueror

3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or

the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-

teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit

4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he

saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a

gunslinger that he slung a sword

5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the

preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan

Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to

the premise o the 1047297lm

acute chronic

I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute

than the pleasure o much praise

mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 6: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614

138

04Conquer 52 Commonly

Misused Words

M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to

illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory

mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan

983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We

misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot

Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to

do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen

they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse

begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage

errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus

Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes

is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the

real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel

with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows

how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean

ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo

INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage

Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-

ing passagerdquo

CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 7: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714

139

Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words

ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo

INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise

Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The

game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions

ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo

INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night

Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act

was committedrdquo

CORRECT

What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime

ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo

INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke

out between demonstrators and onlookers

Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo

CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation

between the waiter and a patron

AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine

Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo

CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from

popping the question

ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity

in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo

CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in

the 1930s

ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo

INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson

Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo

CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 8: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814

149

05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing

Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is

lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it

mdashSamuel Johnson

983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they

have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but

donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases

because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to

vocabulary)

No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic

expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions

(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean

ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected

the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and

lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals

I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access

Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover

which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries

as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot

realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly

tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently

both in speech and writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 9: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914

150

word savvy

Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them

Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your

speech and your writing

25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa

large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo

CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word

2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-

monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well

All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo

CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure

everything was all right

3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-

lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace

it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus

it cannot end in the s-plural

Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever

neverthelessrdquo

CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway

4 BEG THE

QUESTION

This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or

bring up the questionrdquo

INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays

above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly

To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted

a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be

proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-

cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays

excellent That is the question you should be asking

5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts

are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as

bursted Use burst instead

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 10: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014

151

INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted

CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst

6 BY THE POWER

INVESTED IN ME

The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually

refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-

ferred onrdquo

INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip

7 COULD

CARE LESS

The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less

INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It

means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could

care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care

less about it

8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of

INCORRECT I could of danced all night

CORRECT I could have danced all night

9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence

INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency

Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work

or studyrdquo

CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence

10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient

rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the

sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken

into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps

the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped

into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)

Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is

heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has

done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo

CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because

they needed someone to blame

Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 11: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114

171

09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords

Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be

valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value

increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the

necessity of human beings to simplify the complex

mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth

wwwn2growthcomblog

983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-

jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes

of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of

them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords

in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk

the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)

Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and

trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When

used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting

edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when

used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-

words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing

Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-

plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 12: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214

176

word savvy

you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six

different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject

to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of

industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search

FIELD OF

INTEREST

KEYWORDS

MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice

brand management branding B to B marketing category man-

agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice

models data mining database marketing decisions under

uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent

variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov

chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting

time series models word-of-mouth

ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-

ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-

nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy

nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity

FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it

work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe

fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely

amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious

outstanding)

ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)

CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute

of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol

television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-

fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software

engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN

3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-

tion technologies)

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 13: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314

177

Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords

EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging

literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic

assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-

covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-

tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education

theorist critical thinking skills

BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-

mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-

tional design change management competitive market infra-

structural development investor and board relations problem-

solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications

customer retention long-range planning cost reduction

Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized

list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to

choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills

an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into

our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill

in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-

ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be

very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and

overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword

list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise

that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting

Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-

ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms

or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it

against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-

tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)

Page 14: Word Savvy

842019 Word Savvy

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414

WRITING REFERENCE

Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor

word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word

problems and catching errors in your writing

Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success

bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and

except or sight cite and site

bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand

and ambivalent really mean

bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word

bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural

of addendum

bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What

are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating

your coworkers with words that are past their prime

bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-

try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated

scanning software

No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to

recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT

Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy

words everyone should know at writersdigest

comword-savvy

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D

0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =

35313 653830 4 U

P C

E A N

W2411

F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4

0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o

0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L

0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B

0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =

781599 6330399

51400

ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5

ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9

US $1400(CAN $1799)