Misused Words and Unintended Meaning

For some people the greatest challenge to becoming a good writer is avoiding common, conversational phrases that have been warped over the years to the point that most people misuse them. Because every word must serve a specific purpose for the writer, misusing phrases can cause serious problems whether it be damaging his credibility or confusing the reader.

The same is true in speech. Take Rick Perry as an example. On January 7th Perry took part in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Debate and explained that he is in favor of maintaining a significant presence in Iraq because once American troops leave Iran will move in "literally at the speed of light."

"Literally" is one of the most often misused words these days, and it signals that a given fact is not the product of

exaggeration, but a true reflection of reality. In Perry's case, he seems to be suggesting that Mister Scott has been hard at work prepping the Starship Enterprise for a trip to Baghdad.

Regardless of your political stance, a simple mistake like this one serves to hurt his reputation, and perhaps even suggest he lacks the necessary intelligence to serve as President of the United States. All this because of one word.

To help you avoid any Perry-like mistake I've compiled a list of misused words and their corresponding correct uses (or replacements) as well as a few common phrases that communicate something very different than what is intended.

Alot vs a lot -

This is a troublesome because a "lot" is actually a unit of measure. It has, however, largely been accepted as meaning "a significant number," but it is important to remember that the correct spelling consists of two words: a lot.

"I looked at him for a minute, then said 'I think it's time to go.'" -

What this is supposed to mean is "I looked at him for a few seconds." Remember, words have specific meaning and something that may be seen as common in conversation may not translate correctly in to writing. Imagine someone staring at you a a full 60 seconds without saying a word. "I looked at him for a minute" takes on a whole new meaning.

"I knew there were a ton of topics we had to discuss" -

A ton is equivalent to 2000 pounds. This is a problem because it can be misleading ("I have a ton of apples here!"), but as in the case listed above, it just plain doesn't make sense that he had "a ton of topics to discuss" because a "topic" doesn't weigh anything.

Capacious vs. Capricious -

These are two words that are often confused, if not misused, because they look and sound very similarly. The first means "having great capacity to hold something," while the second means: "one who has a tendency of giving in to whims." As you can imagine, confusing these terms could cause problems.

"Lo! and behold" vs. "Low and behold"

This one is my personal favorite. People don't say "Lo!" much these days, which explains why many write "low" instead. But if you think about the meaning of this phrase (which I translate roughly as "Hey! Take a look at this!") the word "low" has no place at all. The word "Lo!" however is an exclamation used to draw attention to something, while "behold" means "take a look."

The Death Star is now ultimate power in the universe -

Much like "a ton," an incorrect definition of "ultimate" has been widely accepted. Most people (including the writers for Star Wars) use it describe something that is "the best" or "most powerful." However, the word actually means "the last" of something. For instance it would be correct to say "The 7th season of Gilmore Girls was the ultimate season" because there were only seven seasons produced.

Towards and Anyways should not contain an "s" -

I'm not really sure how these mistakes came in to being, but a great many people place an "s" at the end of both "toward" and "anyway."

I hope these suggestions help you become a more informed writer and speaker. What kind of misused words have you heard or read?

Tailoring a Resume: Part 1

In what is sure to be the first of many installments, this post will explore a few ways of tailoring a resume to a specific job. Writing a resume to fit a given job will do wonders in helping you reach the interview stage of the hiring process. Indeed, one of the worst things a person can do it submit a resume that isn't designed with the job in question in mind.

The best place to begin is the job description and position requirements. The following job description has been placed next to a general (though not necessarily complete) resume. Try to identify key qualifications on the job description, and where they could be placed in the resume. (Click on the image to enlarge).

Usually an applicant won't meet each and every qualification listed. For instance, in this case the announcement calls for an applicant to have four years experience in a similar position. However, he does have an advanced degree, which the announcement does not call for, and he does have over one year of experience in a position that is directly related. In this case, the key is to meet or exceed as many of the qualifications as is possible.

Additionally, the positions the applicant has held each have some connection to the job description and requirements. Without stating this directly, though, the person reading the resume will have no way of knowing this! Take a look at the following examples where key requirements have been circled, and key resume additions have been highlighted. (Click on the image to enlarge).

The sections circled in red represent qualifications the applicant can touch on, and more beefed up version of the resume is on the right, with particularly useful additions highlighted in yellow.

Some of the notes made on each entry would not be necessary or appropriate for certain jobs, such as experience with financial management software, or serving as the company's main contact with an outside entity. These do, however, relate to central tasks of the would-be employee. It is precisely because having experience with something like financial management software is essential to this position and not necessarily others that a general resume should never be submitted when applying for a job.

More tailoring suggestions to come!

The Laundromat Writer