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More Than an Army...
The Salvation Army stands ready to help needy people all year long. A great deal of their budget is raised during this time of year, and we figured we'd help them again this week by giving them visibility here. Click the shield to give securely to the good causes the Salvation Army supports. Thank you for your generosity!
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Random Is Good Sometimes.
It is a mixed-up week, what with being sandwiched between two major holidays, this weird, unseasonable weather in New England, and political catastrophes capturing the attention of so many election-weary people. Consequently, our words are fairly random, like the random-walk diagram shown here. Take your best shot.
1. avatar: (a) a narrow channel of water lying within a sandbank or between a sandbank and the shore; (b) an electronic image that represents and is manipulated by a computer user (as in a computer game or an online shopping site); (c) a burst of speed; (d) the operator or pilot of an aircraft and especially an airplane towing an advertising banner.
2. tuckshop: (a) a confectioner's shop; (b) slang for a plastic surgeon's office; (c) a usually low-class barroom; (d) a pawnbroker's shop.
3. mercery: (a) a candy store; (b) a shop where expensive fabrics are sold; (c) a story read or recounted to someone (as a child) at bedtime; (d) post-holiday forgiveness of credit card debts.
4. sutler: (a) a civilian provisioner to an army post often with a shop on the post; (b) an ill-mannered immature person; (c) a woman whose husband is temporarily away from her; (d) a city dweller unfamiliar with life on the range.
5. venal: (a) forgivable; (b) of, relating to, or occurring in the spring; (c) worth remembering; (d) originating in, characterized by, or associated with corrupt bribery.
6. duchy: (a) a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment; (b) the territory of a duke or duchess; (c) the possession, use, or settlement of land; (d) how to go when paying for a bill at a restaurant.
7. imprimis: (a) in the first place � used to introduce a list of items or considerations; (b) approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship; (c) an express or implied promise or contract not under seal on which an action may be brought; (d) the wording on a coin, medal, seal, or currency note.
8. necrology: (a) the systematic study of dialect; (b) a list of the recently dead; (c) a branch of medicine concerned with the kidneys; (d) the study of the conformation of the skull based on the belief that it is indicative of mental faculties and character.
9. heptathlon: (a) a 5-event athletic contest; (b) a 6-event athletic contest; (c) a 7-event athletic contest; (d) a 9-event athletic contest.
10. panache: (a) a four-wheeled carriage with a driver's seat high in front, two double seats inside facing each other, and a folding top over the back seat; (b) dash or flamboyance in style and action; (c) marked by shyness and lack of social graces; (d) an oval or oblong figure (as on ancient Egyptian monuments) enclosing a sovereign's name.
If errors in printed publications are making quality a hit-or-miss proposition for you and your firm, ProofreadNOW has the perfect stabilizer to bring order, predictability, and high quality to your day. We examine the spelling, punctuation, and clarity of your ad, proposal, Web page, brochure, coffee cup stencil (how's that for random?) or anything else in print. We're always in the groove, as steady as the sunrise.
Answers: 1:b 2:a 3:b 4:a 5:d 6:b 7:a 8:b 9:c 10:b Rate Yourself: You get locked into a sardine can.
3 to 5 correct: You get a ticket to a cheesy movie.
6 to 7 correct: You get a wink from Santa Claus.
8 to 9 correct: You get a present from a meter maid.
All 10 correct: You get five weeks in Barbados in the winter.
All prizes are imaginary.
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| Weekly Grammar Tip |
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Omitting Parts of Verbs
When compound verbs in the same sentence share a common element, that element does not need to be repeated.
We have received your letter and forwarded it to our Liverpool office. (The helping verb have is shared by the two main verbs, received and forwarded.)
We can and will achieve these goals. (The main verb achieve is shared by the two helping verbs, can and will.)
However, do not omit any element when different parts of the main verb are required.
wrong: I never have and I never will forget what you have done for me.
right: I never have forgotten and I never will forget...
wrong: We have and still are asking for an accounting of the assets.
right: We have asked and are still asking for...
And always remember: Parts is parts! (click image for more)
Source: The Gregg Reference Manual.
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| Word of the Week |
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efflorescence
Pronunciation: eff-floor-ES-sense
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin efflorescere, from ex- + florescere to begin to blossom
Date: 1626
Definition: the action or process of developing and unfolding as if coming into flower : BLOSSOMING
Example: "The list of crooked politicians is long, and the list of stupid politicians even longer. But if the criminal allegations made yesterday against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich are proven in court, rarely will a politician have combined the two qualities with such efflorescence."
- Wall Street Journal, 12/10/2008, p. A18.
Definition source: Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary.
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Copyright 2008 by ProofreadNOW.com, Inc., 447 Boston Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 USA. Published weekly (we try) by the editors at ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. and sent to customers of record and to opt-in guests. Many readers find it is best to read a portion, put it aside, then come back and read more.
Please rate this GrammarTip (10=high, 0=low):
10 - Like having all your picks win the bowl games.
8 - Like having half the day off after New Year's Day.
6 - Like finding a parking space at the mall.
4 - Like finding a parking space near the mall--across the street.
2 - Like working all day the day after New Year's Day.
0 - Like staying home and forgetting the office was open all day the day after New Year's Day...until they tracked you down.
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