Okay, the saying “24/7” is not technically a word, but it still qualifies as a [tag]Notword [/tag]since it has become both uniquitous and meaningless.  To wit: During the local morning sports talk radio program, a listener called in and told the host how great he was because he talked about football “24/7.”

Now, what exactly did he mean?  I seriously doubt any living being does anything contiuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except breathe and live.  If he meant “solely,” “a lot,” or “mostly,” Mr. Listener should’ve said that, but we’ve become so inured to bad and sloppy English that Notwords can replace and obfuscate clear English usages.

I say for the next 24 hours, try not to use Notwords.  If not, then stay away from sports radio at least.  You may pick up more bad habits.

 

In preparation for the 2008 Olympics being hosted there, [tag]Beijing[/tag] officials have decided to eradicate bad English translations from public venues, including "Deformed Man" for handicapped restrooms and "Show Mercy to the Slender Grass," reports the Wall Street Journal.

For the next eight months, teams of linguistic monitors will scour the city’s nooks and crannies to eradicate bad English usages. (Can they come here next?)

Meanwhile, the site Engrish.com continues to run all manner of English flub-ups in pictorial display from all over Asia. It’s a fun read/view.

What American Accent Do I Have?

Am I Gooder at Grammar?

I’ve added a second personally written article to my English Resources section, this one dealing with how to focus your writing with a good [tag]thesis statement[/tag].  I’ll be following this up soon with tips on how to use the thesis statement to fill the body of your body in an organized and coherent (and persuasive) fashion.

I’ve added my first personally written article to my new section, English Resources, which is entitled “[tag]The Kitchen Sink Approach to Writing[/tag].”  I’ll be following this up with articles on thesis statements, topic sentences and the five-paragraph paradigm before moving into more creative types of writing.  Enjoy!