words and language Archives - Page 9 of 12

April 26, 2011 In advertising, branding, business, communication, graphic design, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Ouch.

And they paid (one wonders how much) for this?

I was in Denver last week. Went to a Rockies game. It was fun. (It was also cold. I like the Rockies, but I don’t like cold.) Anyway, we’re sitting in our seats, donning our new (and very spiffy) Rockies caps, wrapped in blankets, waiting to be wowed by Ubaldo, the newly returning post-injury star pitcher, when my vision is distracted by a bright, bigger-than-life banner across the stands. The banner is advertising something about Qwest and Century Link. That’s fine, whatever ~ I don’t really care, and I focus back on the game.

But wait.

My eyes flit back to the bigger-than-life sign. Somehow it’s demanding my attention… and I find that I do care. In fact, I care so much I’m appalled. Because there it is, a gaping grammatical error in full baseball-stadium-sized color for all the world to see.

And I think, “they paid for this”. They actually paid, big bucks, for this. Do they think it’s right? Do they not speak the language? (Oh, and by the way, these are communication companies…) Are they kidding me? Is our increasingly short attention-spanned society and the need for sound bites and quick one-two punch lines really more valuable than saying it right? Are we overriding “well spoken” for the “grab ’em fast” mentality?

Now I’ll admit that in the scheme of life, this is not a deal breaker. It’s not a catastrophe. It’s not “important”. But it definitely offends my inner nerd, my sense of language and yes, my professionalism! It’s not okay.

Note to Qwest and Century Link: Call me. (saxton studio) I can do it better, correctly, AND probably for a quite a few less dollars than your ad agency charged. : )

April 25, 2011 In art, communication, creativity, design, illustration, inspiration, words and language By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #18: Pizzazz

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Sure, sometimes we just need a nap.

But … sometimes what we really need to do to recharge is to add a little pizzazz; a little flair. A pep to your step, some get-up-and-go spirit. A dash of red, a splash of purple, a pinch of pink, a lime-green wink. A great big bunch of wildflowers set on the table, a beaming smile when you feel a frown.

Put some strut in your salad, some punch in your pasta, panache on your pizza. Break out of the mold for an hour, a day, a year…

Let some sparkle light your world, welcome splatterings of zing and zeal and zest amongst your thoughts. Work the muscle in your attitude. Dance in your kitchen. Use new words. Paint with different colors.

A touch of pizzazz is feel-good stuff. So, go ahead and surprise yourself. Go ahead and shine.

April 23, 2011 In appreciation, books & stuff, children's books, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Love a Picture Book

I love it when a friend shares something good. And this is good!

Somehow I’d missed this piece from the New York Times. Missed the whole story. Apparently, back in October (2010) the Times posted an article called “Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children”.

But kids and teachers know better, and they let the Times know it in a big, wonderful way.

Instigated by Lynne Sundstrom, a Teacher/Librarian at California’s Birch Lane Elementary School, February 2011 was designated “Love a Picture Book Month”.

The students (enrollment 600) read 4590 picture books that month, then sent a letter along with a signed, 15-foot scroll to the NY Times editor as proof that picture books not only matter, but are enjoyed and are essential for learning and development.

Bravo Ms. Sundstrom! And cheers to the Times for posting this testament to the students, families, school staff and all the fantastic picture books that make a lasting difference.

April 5, 2011 In books & stuff, children's books, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Easter Goodies

It’s almost time for fancy bonnets, colored-egg hunts and chocolate bunnies … which gave me an idea!

How about a literary treat for the young ones’ Easter Baskets? Yes! Fill it up with chocolates, and pink and yellow peeps, tie it with a bow ~ then add something that can be enjoyed long after the last bit of bunny has hopped away.

Naturally, I think the books and toy shown above would be excellent choices : ) (and you can find the links to buy them on my books page) ~ but there’s a whole world of great books out there for kids. I’m a huge (HUGE) advocate of children reading (actually, I’m big on everyone reading) … reading to them, reading with them, and when they’re able to read on their own, appreciating their joy at discovering new worlds through words and pictures.

So think about it. Slip a special book inside a child’s Easter basket this year. Really, chocolate AND books? It’s a win-win.

March 25, 2011 In words and language By Patricia Saxton

OMG! Oxford English Dictionary Gets Hip

Although it’s probably not cool to say “hip”, you know what I mean. And the Oxford English Dictionary is, apparently, now the hippest bona fide dictionary around. They’ve given themselves a literary up-do by adding the graphic symbol ♥. Yes, they did.

The ♥ symbol will go beside the word “heart”, listed as a verb meaning ‘to love’. How ’bout that. The ♥ symbol will be a WORD! Of course, I’m wondering how this will affect my scrabble game… but never mind that… because that’s not all they’ve done.

They’ve also added:

OMG: expressing astonishment, excitement, embarrassment, etc.: ‘oh my God!’ (just in case you were living under a rock and didn’t actually know…)

Dotbomb: an internet company which has become bankrupt or ceased to operate; a failed or unsuccessful dotcom (alrighty then …)

Ego-surfing: the practice of searching on the Internet for mentions of one’s own name or the name of one’s business, website, etc. (I’ve never done this… but if I do, I’ll know what to call it.)

LOL: (please tell me you know this one.) (hint: it’s not “Little Old Lady”.)

Muffin top: a roll of flesh which hangs visibly over a person’s (especially a woman’s) tight-fitting waistband (seriously?)

Scrunchy: a wrinkled appearance (and I thought it was a hair tie thingy.)

Singledom: single people (how clever?)

Storming: great, excellent, marvelous (right on.)

Tasty: violent, good at fighting (this is not appetizing.)

Wags: wives and girlfriends of professional football players

Yuck factor: a feeling of horror, revulsion, or disgust generated by an idea, action or situation (okay, but wouldn’t this be more like Valley Girl speak?)

This is all so, like, I dunno, like, okay, so like … okay OMG, like I don’t know whether I should be ROFL, LMAO or SMDH.

Or maybe I’ll just pretend it never happened. “Whatever.”

If you want to read more about this titillating detour from respectable linguistics, here’s a great article by Christian Tappe from the Washington Examiner. As Mr. Tappe says, “The Oxford English Dictionary’s new entries are all like totally bloggable.” ……. ♥

March 7, 2011 In art, creativity, design, illustration, imagination, inspiration, words and language By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #11: "Practical"

Measuring, cutting, hammering, nailing. Planning each step. Following through. Useful logic. …There’s a rhythm, and a rhyme, in being practical.

Sure, sometimes we want to throw caution to the wind and go full throttle on instinct, or feel the thrill of standing on the edge. We need to dream dreams. And everyone should dance in the rain at least a few times in life.

But when it gets right down to the nuts and bolts of living, it wouldn’t be very practical to, oh, let’s say, wash the dishes while jumping on a pogo-stick, or fix a hole in the roof with scotch tape. A book doesn’t get written just by thinking about it; food doesn’t cook itself… etc!

So three cheers to the predictable, marvelous dullness of being practical. Three cheers for methods to madness, for light bulbs with proper wattage, and sensible shoes in a bramble patch.

Applause for practical thinking ~ a practically perfect tool!

February 25, 2011 In books & stuff, communication, words and language, writing By Patricia Saxton

Author Margaret Atwood's Keynote: "The Publisher's Pie"

Admittedly, I’ve only read one of MARGARET Atwood’s novels ~ but that one book (The Handmaid’s Tale) earned my lasting respect and admiration.

So when I learned that she’d given a keynote talk at New York City’s TOC conference (Tools of Change for Publishing), I was all ears.

Invigorated with her hand-drawings and delightful wit, it’s a rather insightful listen for all writers, authors and publishers (or those contemplating the same) during these curious, unsettled times in the world of books.

PS: And now I’ll be adding more of her books to my future reading list!

February 25, 2011 In art, typography, words and language By Patricia Saxton

12 Handwriting Fonts

Along with grungy typefaces, “handwriting” fonts are popular these days. They can add just the right spot of personality ~ but they can just as quickly lose their “natural” appeal when over applied. Much like the “12 cool fonts” I posted a while back, handwriting fonts should be used with discretion.

By the way, free downloadable handwritten and grungy fonts are sprouting like weeds, and as we all know, some weeds are just plants nobody else wants. Doesn’t mean they’re bad ~ in fact, some of them are terrific! Three places I’ve had some luck are dafont.com, fontspace.com and urbanfonts.com. Thanks and “nice job!” to those type designers sharing their works.

A word of caution: “Free” doesn’t guarantee they’ll work, and can sometimes bring trouble, too. Not all fonts get along with both Mac and PC, so check compatibility before you download. And, as with any freeware, if your computer starts to squeal shortly after loading something new, it’s wise to get rid of that latest freebie sooner than later.

February 21, 2011 In art, communication, design, words and language By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #9: "Punctuation"

Punctuation is a really good thing. Without the unsung little darlings of writing and grammar ~ those wonderful marks that emphasize, clarify and organize our words ~ thoughts would run on in an emotionless void, something like this:

Guess what Jimmy won an Olympic medal today were so excited we were all jumping up and down please have Aunt Jane call Jimmy he will like that today he is tired tomorrow will be better okay we hope youre well

Not to mention; using. them (incorrectly) leads? to not ~ ! making sense” :…

So, embrace those practical characters! Discover their charm. Use them with finesse and diligence. Because proper punctuation makes life a less chaotic, more positive, place.