August/September 2004

A warm welcome to our new subscribers. Note to all readers using Windows XP: by now you probably know that Microsoft recently released its Service Pack 2 with many new security features. Among them is a safeguard against spam and possible e-borne viruses in Outlook Express. If you use OE, you may not be able to view images in the HTML version of this newsletter. But don't despair -- there's an easy way around this roadblock. Simply add me (nancys@hallmarkcom.com) to your address book and you should be all set.

Just a reminder -- you signed up to receive the newsletter, but you can easily unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom. Do you have colleagues and friends who might be interested in reading the newsletter? If so, please forward it to them and ask them to forward it to their business associates. Help spread good writing at work!

I'd really like your feedback about the newsletter. Are there any topics about which you want to know more, or specific grammar issues you'd like clarified? Just let me know

One objective of this newsletter is to remind readers that writing in the workplace shouldn't be dull, dreary or deadly. A good way to keep your writing fresh and compelling is to expand your vocabulary. Using new words is not only stimulating for you, the writer, but can also delight your readers and grab their attention.

According to the Trivial Trivia website, the vocabulary of the average person consists of 5,000 to 6,000 words. While this may seem like a lot, most of us use only a small fraction of these words every day, arguably even fewer at work.

So how can you grow your own personal word list? Actually, there are some enjoyable ways to boost your word capacity. Here are just a few (if you can think of more, please e-mail me and we'll include them in the next issue):

1. Read, read and read some more. Reading is an excellent way to become a more proficient writer, discover new words and learn how they're commonly used. Even popular fiction can be a source of knowledge. In reading Sue Grafton's "Q is for Quarry," I came across two words new to me before I even reached page 3. The first was bairn. Commonly used in Scotland, it means "child." My lifelong friend Linda (who's reading this) will probably tell me it's a word she learned at her mother's knee, because her parents are Scottish. But for me it was a discovery that sent me to my dictionary. The other word was fusty, which means musty or smelling of mildew or decay. Will I be able to use these words in my work writing? I don't know, but now that they're part of my vocabulary, I can call on them if I have the chance.

2. Go for the ups and downs. Doing crossword puzzles is a great way to get more words into your lexicon. Of course, the New York Times puzzle is the granddaddy of them all, but even the ones in your local newspaper or the in-flight magazine can be a source of new words. I confess to being addicted to the New York Times puzzle, which gets progressively harder as the week wears on. In these puzzles, you might stumble across a word you never heard before. For example, while most of us are familiar with the word systolic, I learned from doing a Times puzzle that "systoles" is a synonym for blood pressure readings, which I didn't know.

3. Subscribe to the online A Word A Day service. Anu Garg, a master wordsmith, will send a new word to your desktop each morning. In the e-mail, you'll see the meaning of the word, learn its derivation, and get a link to hear the word pronounced. Anu usually picks a theme that links each week's words, and sometimes you get to guess what the common thread is. While not all the words are ones you're apt to use in your writing at work, they're always interesting and unusual. A recent word was gulosity, which means gluttony or greediness. Use this link to sign up.

4. Invest in a word-expanding calendar. Many years ago I got a desktop word calendar as a gift. More than 15 years later, I still remember a particularly descriptive word from that calendar: harridan. It means a witchy woman, and while I doubt I'll use it in my work writing, you never know. Treat yourself to a new word every day from the Merriam-Webster dictionary people. The 2005 "365 New Words A Year Calendar" is available at Amazon.com for just $8.76. Order it here.

5. Take a dictionary break.When you need to get away from your work for a while, head for the word repository instead of the coffee pot. Open your dictionary to any page and pick one new word to learn before going back to your desk. Then when you're at your computer, create a sentence using the word to help reinforce your mastery of it. If you do this every time you take a break, your vocabulary will increase exponentially.

A Bonus Tip
6. Consider taking a nutritional supplement - really! One of the challenges of learning new words is remembering them. The herbal extract ginkgo biloba has been linked with improved memory, alertness and mental performance. Several ongoing studies are also researching its effect on Alzheimer's disease. Ginkgo works by increasing oxygen flow to the brain. I take it myself, and figure it can't hurt.

Here's another pair of words, both adjectives, that are often used as synonyms but shouldn't be. Eager means having or showing keen interest in, intense desire or impatient expectancy. It indicates that the writer is looking forward to a certain event. "I'm so eager to hear more about your promotion."

Anxious means uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter; worried. It is associated with an unwelcome or negative circumstance. "Everyone in the department is very anxious about the possible downsizing."

Be a word purist and use these terms correctly. Don't be caught writing, "We are anxious to hear about the improvements in our employee benefits." That's a subject about which you're eager to learn more, and definitely not anxious!

Wow, this pen impressed even me, technology cynic that I am. While it looks like a sleek, executive style ink pen, it's actually a USB flash drive with built-in data storage and transfer capabilities. For a marketing person on the move, it's the ultimate way to travel light. For the rest of us, a totally portable disk drive makes moving computer files mega-easy.

You can transfer any needed files, including Power Point presentations, MP3 music files and even spreadsheets, from your desktop computer to this USB device. Then when you get to your offsite location, simply plug the pen into any PC or MAC and access the information. No more lugging that 9-pound laptop anymore. I guess the bad news is that now there's no excuse for not taking your work home with you!

The DiskGO! USB Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen is available in 32MB, 128MB or 256MB capacities, and works with all Windows operating systems starting with 98, as well as with Mac OS 9.x, and with MAC OSX 10.1.5 and later. The flash drive is also available in a watch and other variations.

Learn more about the DiskGO!Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen.

If you've never seen this word teaser before, give it a try. Read this sentence:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF-
IC STUDY COMBINED WITH
THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

Now count aloud the number of F's in the sentence. Count them only once; don't go back and count them again. Then see the answer below...

There are six F's in the sentence. A person of average intelligence finds three of them. If you spotted four, you're above average. If you got five, you're VERY astute. If you spotted six, supposedly you are a genius.

There is no catch. Many people miss the word "of". Apparently, the human brain tends to see "v" instead of "f". If you didn't get all six, don't feel badly -- I didn't either the first time I tried it.

I think there's a lesson here for writers about the importance of proofing. I strongly believe in having someone else proofread what you write. When you proof something you've written yourself, your eye has become so accustomed to reading the copy that you often miss an error that a colleague can easily catch.

The 8th Annual Strategic Public Relations Conference will be held from October 5 though 7 at the The Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago. If you're responsible for anything to do with PR in your organization, you might want to check it out.

Work session topics include media relations, reputation management, business blogs, branding and more. Robert Novak, syndicated columnist and co-host of CNN's Crossfire is also scheduled to give one of the key note addresses. The conference fee is close to $1,000, so you may want to have a good rationale for going!

Get more information about the conference.