| Don't shoot a "bread roll"--avoid idioms that slow
understanding |
 |
 A
recent Wall Street Journal article on the challenge of
translating American sports idioms for Asian viewers reminds
us of a critical point: think about your international
audience! If you are creating a document for global readers,
keep in mind that idioms-- common phrases with meanings
different from the literal definition of the words in
them--may create an obstacle to understanding. Keep your
language straightforward.
Watch out for idioms and expressions that people in other
countries might not understand. Sports terms like "hit a home
run" or "air ball" are good examples of phrases to avoid.
Readers unfamiliar with American culture will not understand
your reference. (Curious about our headline? In Taiwanese
basketball broadcasts, air balls are referred to as "mian
bao," or bread rolls.)
Sports idioms are fairly easy to recognize and remove from
your writing. Harder to spot are other commonly used phrases
that we usually don't notice. Hearing that someone "ate crow,"
for instance, wouldn't make much sense to someone unfamiliar
with the term (or, for that matter, to someone who enjoys the
taste of crow). Likewise "break a leg" or "catch some z's."
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| Angry e-mail makes blood boil |
|
 E-mail written in an aggressive tone causes its
recipients' blood pressure to rise rapidly, according to a
study by experts at a British university. The study, reported
by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), also found that
participants' blood pressure rose when they got e-mail from a
superior.
The experts concluded that it would be "counterproductive"
for managers to write aggressive e-mails to their staff.
Evidence suggests that in the long term, high blood pressure
can be harmful to one's health. Another reason to resist the
urge to fire off an e-mail in the heat of the moment--you
could be doing more harm than you realize!
For the
full BBC News story, click here. »
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| Keep it berry brief for your readers with
handhelds |
|
 How
are recipients reading your e-mail? In today's wireless world,
your reader might be sitting at a desk with a laptop, or she
might be stealing a glance at her handheld personal digital
assistant (PDA) while walking to the next meeting. If there's
a chance your readers will get your messages on a
BlackBerry® (or similar device), you've got to be
brief.
Remember, PDAs only offer a few inches of screen for
viewing messages. Users often tell us they delete or delay
reading long messages. So get your bottom line on top--in the
subject line if possible. Increase the likelihood that your
message will be read and acted on.
Be careful with e-mail attachments, too. The latest
versions of handhelds like the BlackBerry or Sidekick can
handle Word, Excel, and PDF files, among others, but that's no
guarantee of compatability. Many PDA users say they simply
ignore or delete attachments, even if they can view
them. Play it safe and summarize the attachments in your
message. Even if your reader is sitting in front of a desktop,
they'll appreciate your saving them that much more time!
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| Grammar goofs and word wisdom |
|
Avoid the pleonasm
Pleonasm (sounds
like "PLEE-uh-naz-uhm"), is a noun:
1. The use of more
words than are necessary to express an idea. For example, "He
stood right there in that very spot."
2. A superfluous
word or expression.
Quote of Note
"As soon as you take one step up
the career ladder your effectiveness depends on your ability
to communicate your thoughts in writing and in speaking."
--Peter
Drucker
| |
| World's most irritating English phrase
revealed! |
 |
| The Plain English Campaign has conducted
a survey to determine the most annoying cliche in the English
language. The winner..."At the end of the
day." How bland!
A note about using cliches in your writing: don't!
Filling your document with tired, overused phrases doesn't
inject wit. It causes your reader to lose interest in your
words. |
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