EARLY BIRDS, NIGHT OWLS, AND BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS

Are you an early bird or a night owl, or do you burn the candle at both ends?

 An early bird rises early. This originates from the proverb “the early bird catches the worm,” which means that someone who acts more promptly is more likely to be successful [1]. An early riser is also called a lark, while someone who habitually goes to bed late is known as a night owl [2] or is said to “burn the midnight oil,” recalling pre-electricity days.

People who “burn the candle at both ends” get up early and stay up late, so are generally sleep-deprived. This expression originated in France (brûler la chandelle par les deux bouts) and was translated into English in 1611. It originally referred to dissipating one’s wealth but since developed its current meaning [3]. Jack suggests that clerks and tradesmen working after dark often secured their candles horizontally in the middle and lit them at both ends. He states that although this would give them enough light to work by, they would have to work harder and faster as the candle would burn out more quickly [4].

Being unconvinced about the practicality of literally burning a candle at both ends, I tried an experiment. The candle in the following video should normally burn for around five hours. When suspended horizontally and lit at both ends, it lasted for less than six minutes. A worker using a candle in this way would have had to work extremely fast, and most of their candle would be wasted. I stopped videoing when the string caught fire. The candle was suspended over a metal surface, and appropriate fire precautions were taken.

It appears much more likely that the phrase “burn the candle at both ends” refers to burning candles at both ends of the day, rather than both ends of the candle.

Examples of use:

“The researchers also found evidence that night owls would accumulate ‘sleep debt’ during the working week and would sleep longer at weekends to compensate for this, whereas early birds had smaller differences in their sleeping patterns across the week.”

“But excessive hours are not sustainable - there are only so many times you can burn the midnight oil before your performance, decision making and wellbeing begin to suffer”

“I rediscover my teenage appetite for big nights out, but can no longer burn the candle at both ends.”


[1] “early.” In Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, edited by Ayto, John. Oxford University Press, 2009.
[2] Cresswell, Julia. “owl.” In The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. Oxford University Press, 2009.
[3] “burn the candle at both ends.” In The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, by Christine Ammer. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2013.
[4] Jack, Albert. Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day (p. 163). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.

Photo credit: 1980supra

HOT POTATO

A hot potato is a difficult issue or problem that no one is keen to deal with or discuss.

 e.g. “A second referendum on Brexit is the hot potato of British politics.”

 This phrase apparently dates from the 1800s and originates from a longer phrase, “to drop something/someone like a hot potato.” It refers to the tendency of hot potatoes to retain heat, making them likely to burn if held for too long. [1]

 e.g. “The idea was dropped like a hot potato when the City kicked up a stink.”

[1] “hot potato.” In The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, by Christine Ammer. 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2013.

Photo credit: Martin Cathrae

SAVED BY THE BELL, BUT WHICH ONE?

If you are saved by the bell, a difficult situation ends before you have to take an undesirable action.

 e.g. “‘Rain in August meant we were saved by the bell and I expect an average German crop,’ he said, adding that along with [the] U.S. crop there would be ‘sufficient market supply’ although prices would remain high.”

There are several theories regarding the origin of this phrase.

In a boxing match, the ringing of a bell to mark the end of a round can save a floored contestant [1,2]. This appears to be the most popular explanation, and the phrase is still frequently used in reports on boxing matches.

 e.g. “He beat the count only for Lomachenko to resume the assault and was soon floored a second time, making it to his feet at nine before he was saved by the bell.”

Another claim is that the phrase originates from a Horse Guard Parade in London during the Victorian era, when a guard was accused of being asleep on duty. He denied this charge and stated that he had heard Big Ben's main bell chime 13 times at midnight, rather than the expected 12. When the clock mechanism was checked, it was found that a cog was out of line, which would indeed cause Big Ben to chime 13 times rather than 12. Based on this evidence, the guard was freed and thus saved by the bell [3].

A third theory relates to ‘safety coffins’. These were invented in response to stories of people being buried alive after being mistakenly declared dead, which understandably led to people fearing that this might happen to them. (This fear was named taphophobia.) Many safety coffins were fitted with a bell to allow the occupant to call for help [4], and it is suggested that these were the origin of the phrase “saved by the bell” [5]. However, it appears doubtful whether anyone was ever buried in a safety coffin, despite several designs being built and sold [6], and Wilton (2009) describes this explanation as a myth [7].

[1] “saved by the bell.” In The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by Knowles, Elizabeth, Oxford University Press, 2005.
[2] “saved by the bell.” In Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, edited by Room, Adrian and Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham. 2nd ed. Cassell, 2009.
[3] Jack, Albert. Red Herrings & White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Everyday (pp. 214–215). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
[4] Cascella, Marco. “Taphophobia and ‘Life Preserving Coffins’ in the Nineteenth Century.” History of Psychiatry 27, no. 3 (September 2016): 345–49.
[5] http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/02/09/strange-history-of-safety-coffins-from-ancient-to-modern-times/
[6] https://australianmuseum.net.au/about/history/exhibitions/death-the-last-taboo/safety-coffins/
[7] Wilton, David. Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends, Oxford University Press, 2009.

Photo credit: Brian Metcalfe

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT

To strike while the iron is hot is to take advantage of an opportunity immediately so that you have the best chance of success.

 Examples

 “Be prepared to strike while the iron is hot.”

 “Everton will be desperate to redeem themselves after their humiliating loss at Anfield, whereas Brighton will see this as a chance to strike while the iron is hot.”

 “Maybe FFA needs to strike while the iron is hot and focus on delivering more while more eyeballs than ever before are on the women’s game in Australia.”


 The phrase refers to a blacksmith shaping an iron horseshoe at the exact time that the metal was at the correct temperature and not giving it time to cool, when it would become more difficult to work with. [1]


 [1] Jack, Albert. Red Herrings & White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day

 Updated Thursday 12 March 2020

GET IT IN THE NECK

If you get it in the neck, you are severely criticised or punished.

e.g. “I do get it in the neck from everybody, from all sides. That goes with the territory.”

A Guide to American English idioms suggests that “it” in this case is a foot or fist, and that the expression refers to being kicked or hit in the neck, although the Oxford online dictionary states that this is a British phrase.

It is unclear why one would get it in the neck rather than elsewhere. The Free Dictionary suggests that this refers to execution by hanging or beheading, in which case “it” would be a rope or an axe.

CHAMPAGNE TASTE ON BEER WAGES

Someone who has expensive tastes but a low income might be described as having “champagne taste on beer wages”, since champagne is generally more expensive than beer.

 e.g. “My mother always said I had champagne taste on beer wages.”

 The phrase “living beyond one’s means” has a similar meaning, indicating that someone spends more than they can afford.

e.g. “He said that people got into debt for numerous reasons, from living beyond their means and easy credit to losing their job.”

It will be interesting to see whether another idiom appears on this theme involving avocado toast. Comments made by columnist Bernard Salt in October 2016 caused much controversy and spawned many articles (mostly tongue-in-cheek – more on that in a future post) querying whether breakfasting on avocado toast prevented young people from affording their own homes.

Photo credits: Hatem Riahi and Luca Nebuloni

SMELLING OF ROSES

If you come up/out smelling of roses, you emerge from a difficult situation with your reputation intact. The full form of this expression is “fall in the shit and come up smelling of roses,” which clarifies its origin. [1] It may be connected with someone falling in a bed of roses fertilised with manure; while the manure may smell unpleasant, the roses smell beautiful. [2] The rather vulgar beginning phrase is now normally omitted.

This idiom has particular relevance to the current COVID-19 crisis, which has brought out both the best and the worst in different people. Many people will certainly emerge from this “smelling of roses;” sadly, others will not.

e.g. “They thought they could come up smelling of roses and still win the referendum.”

Roses are used in several other idioms to indicate something beneficial.

Something that is coming up roses is developing favourably.
This phrase is used in several songs, including this one from the musical “Gypsy”:

The phrase “bed of roses” is more frequently used in the negative to describe something that is (not) easy and pleasant.

e.g. “Gaga said that being famous is not the bed of roses that some may think it to be.”

[1] “smelling” In Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, edited by Ayto, John, Oxford University Press, 2009.
[2] Cresswell, Julia. "smell" In The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, Oxford University Press, 2009.

Photo credit: Andreas Lischka

Updated Thursday 26 March 2020

GOOGLE SCHOLAR AS AN EDITING TOOL

In academic research, new words are being invented at a much faster rate than dictionaries (even online ones) can keep up with, while existing words are constantly changing their function and/or meaning.

How, then, does an editor decide whether an unfamiliar word is a misspelling or a ‘valid’ word that hasn’t yet made it into the dictionary, or whether a word that the dictionary lists as a verb can now be accepted as a noun?

As an editor, I would initially consult an online dictionary. (My personal favourites are the Oxford and  Collins dictionaries.) If my chosen word isn’t in a dictionary, I search for it in Google Scholar.

Use of Google Scholar to check words/phrases is based on the number of hits; however, incorrect words and phrases frequently return a significant number of hits, so finding a word on Google Scholar does not guarantee that it is correctly spelled; clearly, many errors pass the editing process.

Provided that there is a significant number of hits, comparing one version of a word with another based on the number of hits is a reasonably reliable way to decide which version to use. Even dictionary spellings are based on which ones are most commonly used, so this is an acceptable strategy.

For example, should “photo-caged” or “photocaged” be used in a scientific paper? (Neither is in the dictionary.) The former returns 440 hits while the latter returns 3,800. I would therefore use the latter as this is most commonly used.

Google Scholar frequently suggests corrections/improvements.
e.g. A search for the phrase “our manuscript titled” returns 101 hits, while the suggested correction, “our manuscript entitled” returns 800. (Suggested corrections do not always return more hits and may be incorrect, so should be checked with a new search.)

It should be noted that this is not a fail-safe method of ensuring correct writing; sometimes, errors outnumber correct versions. Here's an example:
The phrase “No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript” returns 528 hits. Clearly, this is incorrect and “exits” should be changed to “exists”; however, the correct phrase “No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript” returns only 214 hits - less than half the number for the incorrect phrase. This technique is therefore best combined with a good knowledge of English and the subject in question.

This is based on my own editing experience. I hope it is helpful.

BY A LONG CHALK

I found this phrase while re-reading Terry Pratchett's final novel, “The Shepherd's Crown” (highly recommended). The phrase “by a long chalk” means “by far” in British English, while “not by a long chalk” means “not at all”, but why chalk?

 Apparently, the “long chalk” was the length of a line of chalk marks or tallies drawn on a blackboard, possibly for scoring during a pub game or in a classroom. If you had a much longer line of chalk marks against your name than others, you were far ahead of them. [1]


 Examples

 “I was taking the first steps on the most ambitious voyage I had ever attempted by a long chalk.”

 “The Last Hero, by the late, great Sir Terry, is not his longest book, not by a long chalk.”

 “Working on the Climate Change Act was probably the most productive six months of my life, by a long chalk.”

 “They say that old men forget, but we won’t. Not by a long chalk.” [2]


 [1] Cresswell, Julia. “chalk.” In The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, Oxford University Press, 2009.
 [2] Pratchett, Terry. The Shepherd’s Crown (Discworld Novels) (p. 317). RHCP. Kindle Edition.

 Photo credit: Stephanie Asher (Creative Commons)

 Updated Wednesday 18 March 2020

TO GRASP THE NETTLE

To grasp the nettle is to boldly tackle a problem.

  Examples


 “They have failed to grasp the nettle of reorientating the system towards climate realities.”

 “With the support and backing of Woodgate and his coaches, Fletcher has now grasped the nettle.”

 “Parliament and party leaders on all sides must now grasp the nettle.”


 This phrase relates to a proverb dating back to the 16th century but is quoted as follows in the play “Juno and the Paycock”  by Seán O’Casey (first performed in 1924):
 “If you gently touch a nettle it’ll sting you for your pains; grasp it like a lad of mettle, an’ as soft as silk remains.” [1,2]
 In other words, a nettle will sting you if you touch it lightly, but not if you grasp it firmly.

 An early use of the word nettle to denote a problem is recorded in Shakespeare’s play, Henry IV, part I:
 “but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.” [3]


 [1] “grasp” In Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, edited by Ayto, John, Oxford University Press, 2009.
 [2] “If you gently touch a nettle it’ll sting you for your pains; grasp it like a lad of mettle, an’ as soft as silk remains.” in The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, edited by Simpson, John, and Jennifer Speake, Oxford University Press, 2008. 
 [3] Shakespeare, William. King Henry IV, Part 1 (p. 16). Kindle Edition.

 Photo credit: Alison Oddy (Creative Commons)

 Updated Tuesday 10 March 2020

WHY IS BOB YOUR UNCLE?

The phrase “Bob’s your uncle” indicates that something is easily done, but who is Bob, and why is he your uncle?

One theory is that this refers to Arthur James Balfour, whose uncle “Bob” was the Conservative statesman Lord Robert Salisbury. [1] In 1887, Lord Salisbury appointed his nephew the Chief Secretary for Ireland, despite widespread doubt that he was experienced enough for the post, and in 1902, Balfour succeeded his uncle as prime minister. [2,3]

Example

“Yes, it should be the simplest thing in the world – popping your cardboard, paper and plastic bottle into that box – and Bob’s your uncle.”

“Basically, you bend your knees, keep your body straight and spring up through your feet, and Bob’s your uncle.”

“May’s appeal to the public not quite Bob’s your uncle”


[1] “Bob’s your uncle” in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by Knowles, Elizabeth. Oxford University Press, 2005.
[2] “Balfour, Arthur James” In A Dictionary of Political Biography, edited by Kavanagh, Dennis, and Christopher Riches. Oxford University Press, 2014.
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/arthur-james-balfour

Photo credit: 

THE LURGY

If you have the lurgy, you are unwell with an unspecified illness.

 e.g. “Once the winter lurgy has infiltrated the family home, it takes British families on average two whole weeks before every member has caught and recovered from the symptoms.”

This term (originally spelled lurgi) first appeared in The Goon Show (Lurgi Strikes Britain, Series 5, Episode 7, first broadcast in 1954).

You can listen to this by clicking on the video.

PAY LIP SERVICE

If you pay lip service to something, you claim to support it but take no action; your support is insincere because it involves only words.

 Examples

 “It’s important that we do more than pay lip service to equal treatment of people’s cultures and histories.”

 “MPs of all parties have long paid lip service to pubs, but Parliament urgently needs to act in a meaningful way.”

 “The government pays lip service by saying creative subjects are important, but its policies demonstrate otherwise.”


 Photo credit: BarbaraALane


Updated Friday 06 March 2020

A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD CUTS BOTH WAYS

A situation or course of action described as a double-edged (or two-edged) sword has both positive and negative effects.

 Examples

 “Pupils at a school in Leeds have spoken of how the online world is a double-edged sword for children and young people.”

 “Secchi describes tourism as a double-edged sword: ‘At the beginning you earn a lot of money, but in the end it destroys the community and our own economy.’”

 “If the virus is to infiltrate the Pacific islands, residents may face heightened mortality risks due to their lower levels of immunity to outside diseases, their natural isolation forming a double-edged sword.”

 “The study shows how centralizing care, in a hub-spoke arrangement, is a two-edged sword.”


 The phrase apparently dates back to the 15th Century and was originally used to describe an argument that could both strengthen and undermine someone’s position [1].


 A literal double-edged sword, of course, cuts in two directions, and the phrase “to cut both ways” is used in a similar way to “double-edged sword”.

 e.g. “A lagging currency also cuts both ways.”


 [1] Seland, D. 2015, “THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD”, Quality, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 6.

 Photo credit: Rama (Creative Commons)

 Updated Monday 09 March 2020

FULLY FLEDGED

A fully-fledged bird has all its feathers and is ready to fly; however, this phrase is also used to describe other things/people that are fully established or developed.

Examples

“However, it was not until this weekend that he was established as the fully-fledged monarch due to tradition.”

“It is the first fully-fledged talks process since negotiations collapsed in February 2018.”

“More than half of the respondents (59%) used plastic cups at their water fountains and only 20% had a fully-fledged green policy in place.”


Photo credit: Smudge 9000 (Creative Commons)


Updated Tuesday 07 May 2019

DIG A HOLE FOR YOURSELF

If you dig a hole for yourself (or dig yourself into a hole), you get yourself into a difficult situation, possibly by saying or doing something unwise.

Examples

“Max continued to gamble and eventually dug himself into a hole from which he struggled to climb out.”

“They dug themselves into a hole that may be too deep to climb out of this season. ”

“‘My client dug a hole for himself and harmed others with his misconduct,’ his lawyer Joe Markson told the hearing.”


Photo credit: Amtec Photos (Creative Commons)


Updated Tuesday 03 March 2020

TODAY'S NEW WORD - ORGANOLEPTIC

Something that is organoleptic acts on or involves using the sense organs.

TODAY'S NEW WORD - KOJI

One thing I love about editing is that I'm constantly learning. Today's new word is koji. It's made by combining a cultivated mould (usually Aspergillus oryzae) with soya, rice or other foods to produce fermented foods and drinks including miso, soy sauce and sake.

DO WE NEED APOSTROPHES?

Apostrophes are mainly used in contractions and to denote possession.
(They should not be used for plurals – apostrophes used incorrectly in this context are known as grocers’ apostrophes.)

Tiger Webb argues that we should get rid of them. His main point appears to be that they contribute nothing to clarity in writing.

While it can be argued that the meanings of some possessives would be obvious without the apostrophe, this is not always the case.

David Marsh, writing in the Guardian, gives an excellent example of apostrophes being essential for clarity in the following four phrases, which differ only in the placing of their apostrophes and have completely different meanings.

The guitarist’s friend’s CD (refers to one guitarist and one friend).
The guitarist’s friends’ CD (one guitarist with more than one friend).
The guitarists’ friend’s CD (more than one guitarist; one friend).
The guitarists’ friends’ CD (more than one guitarist; their friends).

While the contraction “don’t” is not a valid word without its apostrophe, omitting apostrophes from she’ll (shell), he’ll (hell) and we’re (were), among others, would cause confusion.

Regarding Mr Webb’s suggestion that eliminating apostrophes from our language would stop grammar vigilantes from committing property damage, that would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I would also argue that while the activities of the vigilante in question might not be strictly legal, his corrections were done extremely carefully, and “property damage” is a slight exaggeration.

Sorry, Mr Webb; I disagree — let’s not get rid of the apostrophe!

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

Something that happens once in a blue moon doesn’t happen often.

 Examples

 “In my childhood, there was no ice-cream at home – we had ice-cream wafer sandwiches once in a blue moon – so seeing a Cornish ice-cream seller was the highlight of our summer holidays.”

 “While you’re not restricted from enjoying these items once in a blue moon, they should be avoided as much as possible on a daily basis.”

 “My mother had an aunt who lived in Shawlands, and maybe once in a blue moon we would get the bus into the city to visit her.”

 According to NASA, the moon can appear blue due to light scattering from particles in the air. How often this happens depends on the environmental conditions.

 Another definition of a blue moon is a second full moon in a calendar month. This happens approximately every 2.5 years.


 Photo credit: John Sonderman (Creative Commons)


 Updated Saturday 29 February 2020

WHY PULL? - PHRASAL VERBS RELATED TO DRIVING

As a driver, you might ‘pull over’ or ‘pull in’ (stop at the side of the road), ‘pull out’ (move into the road or nearer the centre of the road) or ‘pull off’ (start driving). This is odd because the verb ‘to pull’ means to move something towards oneself and driving generally does not involve this type of action, unless you count pulling on the steering wheel.

It is suggested in a forum that such phrases date back to the time when road traffic (carts and carriages) were pulled by horses. According to Ammer (2013), ‘pull over’ dates back to the early 1900s; ‘pull in’ (with respect to reining in a horse) originated ~1600 and ‘pull out’ (with respect to departing) was first used in the 1800s [1]. As horse-drawn vehicles were not replaced by motor vehicles until about 1912, this appears to be a credible explanation. I’d love to hear alternative suggestions.

As an aside, it is interesting that while motor vehicles undoubtedly pose huge problems in terms of air pollution, horse-drawn transport also had its issues; these were summarised as the ‘Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1894’. Apparently, the Times newspaper predicted in 1894 that ‘In 50 years, every street in London will be buried under nine feet of manure.’

[1] Ammer, C. (2013). Preface. In C. Ammer, The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

MICROSOFT 'FIND' FUNCTION AS AN EDITING TOOL

The ‘Find’ tool in Microsoft Word is invaluable for editing, as it searches for a character, word or phrase and shows how many times this occurs within a manuscript. Up and down arrows (Figure 1) within the navigation panel are used to identify all the occurrences of the search subject.

 Figure 1.

As errors in manuscripts are often repeated, I use ‘Find’ to ensure that all recurring errors are identified and corrected. Additionally, I routinely use it to search for frequently occurring errors, including misuse of ‘respectively’; missing commas before ‘which’; incorrect use of hyphens, en-dashes and minus signs; double spaces and spaces before punctuation.

Left or right brackets may be omitted. When their numbers differ, I scroll through each instance of the most frequently occurring bracket to identify the missing one(s). Where right parentheses outnumber left ones, this may be because the author has used only right parentheses to label parts of figures (e.g. ‘a)’).

With hyphenated words, ‘Find’ can be used to ensure consistency by searching for occurrences of a given word pair, first hyphenated and then unhyphenated.

When editing academic papers, I scan numbered reference citations to ensure that they are cited in numerical order. When these are enclosed in square brackets, they can be easily checked by using ‘Find’ to search for a left or right square bracket. I also use ‘Find’ to search for ‘fig’, ‘table’ and ‘scheme’, where appropriate, to check that all the graphics in a paper have been cited.

Character searches are useful for checking units when editing scientific papers, e.g. to check that spaces are present/absent between the value and the unit, depending on the unit and style requirements.

I edit documents in both British and US English, which means changing spelling and grammar that is specific to US English to the British version, and vice versa.
When editing documents in British English, searching for ‘z’ can identify many US spellings, as these tend to replace the ‘ise’ at the end of British words with ‘ize’ (e.g. neutralise/neutralize). Oxford commas (which are more commonly used in US English) can be identified, if required, by searching for ‘, and’.
When editing US English manuscripts, searching for ‘our’ identifies British spellings, since US words frequently replace ‘our’ in British spellings with ‘or’; for example, behaviour (behavior), colour (color) and favour (favor). A search for ‘ise’ also identifies British English words for which US spellings replace the ending ‘ise’ in British spellings with ‘ize’. However, some words (such as comprise) retain ‘ise’ in US English.
Words related to sulphur are spelled with ‘ph’ in British spellings and ‘f’ in the US; searching for ‘sulf’ identifies US spellings while searching for ‘sulph’ identifies British ones.

These tips are based on my own editing experience. I hope they are useful.

© Linda Watson, 2018

HAVING A WORD/WORDS

If someone asks if they can have a word with you, they would like to briefly discuss something, probably using more than one word!

However, if someone wants to have words with you, expect an argument – they are probably unhappy about something you have said or done.

OLD SCHOOL TIE

The phrase “old school tie” refers to group loyalty and attitudes associated with wearing the tie of a particular public school.

 Examples

 “The shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, said: ‘The old boys’ network and the old school tie still hold back talented and hard-working people from less privileged backgrounds.’”

 “In a nation long divided along the lines of the old school tie, this debate goes to the heart of what kind of country Britain wants to be.”

 “Education charity Future First is running a programme at The City Academy in Homerton Row to help schools and colleges develop ‘old school tie’ networks.”

 Photo Credit: Azri (Creative Commons)

 Updated Monday 03 March 2020

THE BOTTOM LINE

Taken literally, the bottom line is an accounting term denoting the final total in an account sheet.

 e.g. “It may be a few years until self-generated energy is making a real difference to the bottom line of UK companies, but even a small shift will help with making businesses more efficient and, of course, just a little bit more environmentally friendly.”

 It is also used figuratively to mean the most important consideration in a situation or decision.

 Examples

 “The bottom line is that a new rail service through Hawick and the Scottish Borders will go a long way towards solving many of the economic and social challenges faced by the region.”

 “The UK may seek to develop such ties elsewhere, but the bottom line is that our mutual relationship is irreplaceable.”


 Care should be taken when using this term in financial contexts as it may be unclear whether it is being used literally or figuratively [1].


 [1] “bottom line” in Fowler’s Concise Dictionary of Modern English Usage, edited by Butterfield, Jeremy. Oxford University Press, 2016.

 Photo credit: Kit Carruthers (Creative Commons)


 Updated Saturday 29 February 2020

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

The phrase “no strings attached” means that something is offered without conditions.

This is believed to be associated with marionettes (string puppets) of 14th and 15th century France, which were controlled via strings by a puppeteer [1,2].

Examples

“All skill levels are welcome and can join in the fun with no strings attached.”

“Instead, the UK Government should enter into separate talks about returning the sculptures to Athens as a no-strings-attached gift.”

“In 2017, Finland became the first European country to test a government-backed unconditional basic income, which gave people a regular stipend with no strings attached.”

Photo credit: Jim McDougall (Creative Commons)

[1] Valeri R. Helterbran, Exploring Idioms: A Critical-thinking Resource for Grades 4–8
[2] “No strings attached” in Brewer’s Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, edited by Adrian Room and Ebenezer Cobham Brewer. 2nd ed. Cassell, 2009.

Updated Monday 24 February 2020

(NOT) MY CUP OF TEA

If something is not your cup of tea, you don’t like or are not interested in it.

 Examples

 “I love getting my hands dirty and something always told me that pottery would be my cup of tea.”

 “One day, when employees came to work, the big plastic containers for water were gone. They were replaced by glass carafes and mugs with a fitting sign: ‘Plastic is not my cup of tea.’”

 “Muddy-coloured leaves (such as those found on that abhorrent shrub Physocarpus Diabolo) are not my cup of tea.”


 The phrase reflects the British obsession with tea. It was initially used in its positive form from the 1800s, while the negative form became popular in the early 1900s. [1]

 It is featured in the song “Getting to Know You” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The King and I”.

  Photo credit: Carol (Creative Commons)
  [1] Valeri R. Helterbran, Exploring Idioms: A Critical-thinking Resource for Grades 4–8



  Updated Saturday 22 February 2020

WORD COUNT REDUCTION

Good academic writing should be concise. Many academic journals specify word counts for different types of papers. Particularly, abstracts are frequently restricted to 150–250 words. This post offers a few tips for reducing your word count without losing content.

Nouns can often be used as adjectives (see earlier post); however, be aware that a few journals forbid this. (Check the author guidelines/instructions for your chosen journal.)

Words and phrases that contribute no information to the text (sometimes called filler words) can be deleted. These include:
actually;
etc.;
and so on;
indeed;
in order to (change to "to");
is located in (remove "located");
it was found that;
some;
the existence of.

Phrases can often be replaced with a single word or a shorter phrase (shown in brackets); for instance,
a lot of (many);
as a result (consequently);
at the same time (simultaneously);
a variety of (various);
carried out (performed or conducted);
has/have been (can sometimes be replaced with was/were);
in addition (additionally);
in general (generally);
in length (long);
in particular (particularly);
in the case of (for);
is still (remains);
need(s) to (must);
on the basis of (based on);
on the other hand (however);
point of view (viewpoint);
take place (occur).

Where the word "again" follows a verb, it can sometimes be deleted and the verb preceded with re-; e.g. "modified again" can be replaced with "remodified".

The words "colour" or "coloured" are unnecessary if the colour is specified; e.g. "blue crystals" rather than "blue-coloured crystals".

Where the word "not" precedes an adjective, both words can sometimes be replaced with a single word; e.g. "unnecessary" rather than "not necessary".

I hope this is helpful. The above points are based on my own editing experience.

NOSY PARKER

A nosy parker is someone who is too inquisitive (nosy).

 Examples

 “Because I am a nosy parker, I’ve been interested in understanding conspiracy theories for a decade – long before it became academically trendy.”

 “The organisation, which started operating in the UK in the 1980s, says it is not about being a nosy parker, and points out that tackling terrorism, modern slavery, child sexual exploitation, knife crime and online scamming of the elderly and vulnerable are top of the agenda (along with household burglary).”

 “It is not known how the exotic-looking bird had found himself on the M6 in Staffordshire but it could be that the green-feathered nosy parker may have lost his way along the Midlands’ myriad of motorways.”


 Why parker? It is suggested that this name was first given to someone who spied on courting couples in Hyde Park (London). It is also linked to Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1504–75), who had a reputation for prying into other people’s business [1].


 Photo credit: Geoffrey Gilmour-Taylor (Creative Commons)
 [1] “Nose” in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by Susie Dent. 19th ed. Chambers Harrap, 2012.


 Updated Saturday 22 February 2020

HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY

The phrase “higgledy-piggledy” describes confusion or disorder.

 Examples

 “Bask in the beauty of England's largest (and arguably most spectacular) National Park on this rail trip to the Lake District. Cruise along Lake Windermere and then head to the higgledy-piggledy village of Hawkshead, which is full of picturesque medieval cottages.”

 “Tokyo is a more jumbled city than most rich ones, but current zoning laws ensure that it is not quite as higgledy-piggledy as, say, Houston.”

 “Jenners, for all its winding staircases and higgledy-piggledy layout, had all the appeal of Emile Zola’s The Ladies Paradise – a wonderful novel on the rise of department store retail.”


 This phrase is thought to originate from a 16th century rhyming jingle related to the irregular herding of pigs [1].


 [1] Knowles, Elizabeth. “higgledy-piggledy.” In The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press, 2005.

 Photo credit: Steve Sawyer (Creative Commons)


 Updated Friday 21 February 2020

ACADEMIC WRITING: USING NOUNS AS ADJECTIVES

When a noun is used as an adjective, it should (almost) always be singular, e.g. "metal-modified" rather than "metals-modified" and "electrode-based" rather than "electrodes-based".


Exceptions are:

• materials science – Although the Oxford Dictionary includes both "material science" and "materials science", the latter is more commonly used in scientific writing.
• use of "data" and "media" as adjectives, e.g. "data acquisition" and "media company". [1]
• clothes (clothes hanger), sports (sports bag), customs (customs office), accounts (accounts book), arms (arms store) [2]

If you are unsure whether a plural or singular noun should be used as an adjective, you can use Google Scholar to check this. For example, a search for "nanoparticle arrays" gives 26,000 results, while a search for "nanoparticles arrays" gives 1,200.

Using nouns as adjectives can improve the flow of your writing and also reduces the word count; for instance, "reaction product" (2 words) is more concise than "product of the reaction" (4 words).

It should be noted, however, that some publishers do not like nouns to be used as adjectives [3], so it is best to consult the author guidelines for your chosen journal before writing your paper.