When writing about punctuation, I always like to do a bit of research to make sure I’m not steering you wrong.  This week, I checked www.oxforddictionaries.com for the rules.  There are a lot of rules, so I chose the ones I think are most relevant.

Basically, hyphens are used to link words and parts of words, and I elaborate on that below.  But first, why was the Fox News graphic wrong?  You do not hyphenate what are known as “phrasal verbs.”  Oxford defines phrasal verbs as “verbs made up of a main verb and an adverb or preposition.”  A good example that I often see written incorrectly is “follow up.”  As a verb, you would say, “I’m writing to follow up with you on the email I sent last week.”  However, in noun form, these words are hyphenated:  “I need to get better with my follow-up emails.”  In the Fox News graphic, “fitting in” was the phrasal verb, as in “Mark Sanford is fitting in today’s GOP,” so the hyphen isn’t necessary.

Compound words

Hyphens are used in many compound words to show a combined meaning, e.g. sister-in-law, long-limbed.  You also use a hyphen to show there’s a relationship between the words that make up the compound: for example, eye-catching colors are colors that catch your eye.  Of course, since English makes no sense, you don’t need to use hyphens in every type of compound word.

Compound adjectives

Watch out! Here comes your high school grammar!  Compound adjectives are made up of a noun plus an adjective, a noun plus a participle, or an adjective plus a participle.  The Oxford Dictionary website has this handy chart:

My own two cents

I have one other rule to share with you.  Hyphens are not used when the adjective ends in “ly.”  There is an example of this at the beginning of this blog, when I referenced “newly elected South Carolina Rep. Mark Sanford.” If I said something like “highly regarded CNN anchor Anderson Cooper,” I also would not use a hyphen (but I would say that because I love my Anderson).

And now it’s time to wrap up this long-winded blog (see what I did there?).  There is so much more to talk about hyphens (control your excitement), so there’s a good chance you’ll be reading more about this handy punctuation mark soon.

The post Enjoy this Well-Written Blog appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

Ah, the comma. One of the most commonly used marks of punctuation. It’s also one of the most misused. Used to break up two clauses where a pause is needed or to separate items in a list, their mere presence or absence can completely change the meaning of a sentence. If you’re a regular Facebook, user I’m sure you’ve seen the following example:

Let’s eat grandma.    Let’s eat, grandma.

In this case, the omission of the comma is the difference between life and death, as it is in these examples:

Did the lion eat, Bill?     Did the lion eat Bill?

The man dropped, the bullet in his mouth.     The man dropped the bullet in his mouth.

How often have you seen this traffic sign:  Slow children crossing

Rather than alerting motorists to slow down because children may be crossing the road, it warns that there are “slower-than-molasses” kids ready to make their way across the street.

Professional publications are not immune to the common comma mistake. The Times once published a description of a Peter Ustinov documentary, “Highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector”. Who knew?

Tails magazine once featured television chef and talk show host Rachel Ray on its cover with the following headline: “Rachel Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.” Of course the magazine claims the headline is a fake. It’s still funny either way.

And here is one of my all-time favorites: “Stop clubbing baby seals” takes on an entirely different meaning with the addition of a comma. “Stop clubbing, baby seals.”

The main message I am trying to get across is that punctuation is a powerful thing. Please don’t get lazy and think proofreading is unnecessary. Spell check isn’t perfect and neither are you. Read and re-read everything. Got it? Party on guys! Oops! I mean Party on, guys!

The post appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

When I got home, I consulted one of my favorite sources, “The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual,” for guidance about proper usage of quotation marks.  I found that typically, we use quotation marks for these purposes:

• To signify someone is speaking.  Amy said, “You are a brilliant writer.” (No surprise there.)
• To use material from another source – you don’t want to be sued for plagiarism.
• To indicate titles.  Let me clarify this point.  The Stylebook says to put quotation marks around the titles of books, computer games (but not software), movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, TV shows, lectures, speeches, and works of art.  However, magazine titles are not put in quotation marks.  I have an older edition of the Stylebook so newer versions likely have an expanded list of titles that are put in quotes.
• To show irony, e.g., That advertised “free” lunch cost me $10!
• When using unfamiliar words, such as, I have no idea what a “terabyte” is, do you?

Of course, you can also get a quote for something.  For example, the quote I got for the brown tile I want for my living room and dining room floors is $1,000 more than the quote for the beige tile.  (But don’t worry, I am undeterred.  I will have that tile.)

Alas, my floor issues are not really the point of this blog post; correct punctuation is why we are gathered here today.  The “gym” that I referred to above really is a gym – no irony, no title, not an unfamiliar word, and not a quote from someone.  A noun is a noun is a noun – no need to dress it up with unnecessary quotation marks.  As we have told you in past blogs, you don’t have to try to be fancy to seem smart (we know you’re smart because you read our blog).  Using a lot of incorrect punctuation muddies your message, and as you know by now, it’s all about clear, concise writing.

The post Don’t Quote Me on It appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

Meredith and I first heard about Cassy, or the “creative genius” as we like to call her, and Lotus Soap about a year ago from a mutual acquaintance. Her story and her products truly excited us, so much so that I thought Meredith was on the verge of building a shrine outside of Cassy’s house to profess her love and devotion. Why all the fuss, you ask? Lotus Soap is THE place to find skin-loving, handcrafted body care, made from original recipe formulations. Everything is made with plant-based ingredients using only the finest, sustainable-sourced products. Cassy creates all of the recipes herself, so you won’t find anything like it anywhere else. Not only are the ingredients chosen for specific reasons, but the entire line is aesthetically beautiful, too. They look good and feel good. Translated: they also make great gifts!

Cassy is truly passionate about what she does, and for good reason. In 2004, she was diagnosed with skin cancer while living in Kuwait. She knew she had to do the obvious things like use sunscreen and stay out of the sun as much as possible, but she wondered if there was more she could do. Cassy’s own research led her to determine that commercial soaps and lotions with animal products, parabens, phthalates, detergents, gums and  mineral oil weren’t beneficial. But if you think rubbing petroleum products or rendered animal fat on your body is beneficial, then have at it, my friend. Just don’t stand too close to my dog.

If you still need more proof about how awesome her products are, visit her website at www.lotussoap.com and see the full line of soap, scrubs, lotions and lip balms for women, men and even babies. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Thank you for indulging me for a few minutes. I promise once you try Lotus Soap, you will be hooked. And you can sleep well in knowing that no network marketers were harmed in the manufacturing of these products.

The post Amy’s On Her Soap Box Again…Literally. appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

At the end of our stay, I decided to fill out the comment card.  I don’t often do this but I was really impressed with the resort and the service, and I wanted to let the staff know.

Last week, I received this email:

Greetings from Hualalai, Mr. and Mrs. Marmurek,

Wow!  She quoted my comment card!  That was impressive (yes, as a matter of fact, I am easily impressed).  I’m not a regular Four Seasons guest, and there’s a pretty slim chance I’ll be returning any time soon (not that I wouldn’t go this minute if I could), but you certainly wouldn’t know that from this email.

The Four Seasons email reminded me of one of the first times I shopped at Nordstrom in the early 1990s.  I bought a pair of shoes and a few days later, I got a handwritten thank you note in the mail from the sales associate who sold me the shoes.  I was amazed.  I had already had a great experience in the store, and the few minutes it took the associate to send me a note ensured I would shop there again.  I still do, and I still think Nordstrom offers some of the best customer service around.

If you’re in a business with clients – and who isn’t, really – how you act after the transaction can be just as important as how you act during the transaction.  It probably took the Four Seasons staff person about five minutes to email me, but as you can see, it made an impact.

So, to all of our clients, including you, our faithful readers, let us say a heartfelt “thank you.”   And to our fellow business owners, we offer this advice:  say thank you, and then say it again.  It works!

The post The Power of the Written Word – Customer Service Edition appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

First published in 2000, Persepolis is an autobiographical account of author Marjane Satrapi’s childhood in Iran, adolescence in France, and her eventual return to Iran. Chicago Public Schools claims the book “contains graphic language and images that are not appropriate for general use in the seventh grade curriculum,” adding that the book contains “powerful images of torture.”

I started thinking about other books that have been banned and why.

Books are usually banned to protect others, oftentimes children, from difficult information. In some cases, the adults censoring the books might feel the subject matter is inappropriate for younger children but perfectly fine for someone in high school. Some people feel that schools, libraries and governments should judge what is appropriate for kids while others believe the kids and their parents should be able to decide for themselves without having the views of others forced upon them.

So what are some books have been banned in the past? You’d be surprised.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales — For being too violent.

Little Red Riding Hood — Red gives her grandmother a bottle of wine which some feared would promote drinking.

Harriet the Spy — Believed to teach children to lie, spy, back-talk and curse.

The Catcher in the Rye – Frequently removed from classrooms and school libraries because it is “unacceptable,” “obscene,” “blasphemous,” “negative,” “foul,” “filthy,” and “undermines morality.”

The Scarlet Letter — It is “sinful” and “conflicts with community values;” parents in one school district called the book “pornographic and obscene” in 1977.

To Kill A Mockingbird — It has been called a degrading, profane and racist work that “promotes white supremacy.”

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Frequent use of the word “n word” and for being “racially insensitive,” “oppressive,” and “perpetuating racism.”

Harry Potter and the Twilight series – Promotes “un-Christian magic.”

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret — Sexually offensive and amoral

The Outsiders — Contains characters from broken families and references drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse, violence and offensive language.

Of Mice and Men — One of the most frequently banned books in the U.S. because of its controversial issues and themes.

The Grapes of Wrath — Objections to profanity and sexual references. In 1973, a group of booksellers in Turkey was taken to court for “spreading propaganda.”

Moby Dick — Banned by a Texas school district for “conflicting with its community values.”

Where the Wild Things Are — Too dark and disturbing for some parents and librarians.

As you can see, the practice of book banning has been going on for quite some time. There is no doubt it will continue to live on as long as books are being written,and that’s a shame. Judy Blume, author of some of my favorite books, sums it all up quite nicely:

“Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won’t have as much censorship because we won’t have as much fear.”

Right on. Or should I say, Write On!

The post Happy Reading appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

Teamwork is the theme of this week’s blog.  As you know, we’re a small business – and I’m not just talking about our bank account.  Seriously, though, while there is a non-stop demand for our superior writing skills, we like to be able to go the extra mile for our clients, and that often involves putting together a team to accomplish everything we want to do.  We’ve reached out to graphic designers, web designers, web programmers, and social media experts, among others, to allow us to have the right people in place to get the job done.

This approach is beneficial in many ways, the most important of which is the relationships we’ve built.  We now have several experts in complementary areas who we can call when necessary, and they know they can bring us in to help, too.  This is really the essence of teamwork, because not only do we know people who can help us service our clients, these relationships also help all of us gain new clients.  We like to say that you never know who knows whom, so we work hard to establish and grow these relationships.

Another way teamwork plays a role in our company is between Amy and me.  Recently, we have (somewhat reluctantly) started doing public relations for our clients.  I’m the one with the PR background (it’s the big mouth, natch), so when these needs arise, I take on the PR role.  Amy has written far more web content than I have, so when we have these types of projects, she takes the lead.   Of course, we’re constantly communicating — brainstorming, editing, etc. – allowing us to expand what we can offer clients and do more than one thing at a time (of course we can multi-task – we’re women).

I don’t know who I’ll be rooting for in tonight’s NCAA final, but I do know one thing – teamwork will be a key factor for the team that wins.  As for SU, there’s always next year.  Go Orange!

The post Go Team! appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

Next, we move on to the “nyms,” as in synonym, homonym, capitonyms and heteronyms. I feel quite sure since our language is rich with synonyms — words with the same or similar meanings — that most everyone is familiar with them. The trick comes in knowing which words to use when. You can watch a movie or see a movie, but you can only watch TV. You can’t view either of them, despite the fact that you are a viewer when you watch either of them. Confused yet?

Homonyms are words that are spelled the same and sound the same but have different meanings. Some examples are stalk (the stem of a plant) and stalk (to pursue or approach prey) and left (the opposite of right) and left (the past tense of leave, meaning to depart.)

Perhaps a little less familiar to the majority of us are heteronyms, words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings, such as wound (an injury) and wound (the past tense of wind, not wind) or desert (an arid region with little rainfall) and desert (to leave with intending to return.)

Finally there are capitonyms which are words that share the same spelling but have different meanings when capitalized like polish (to make smooth and glossy) and Polish (people from Poland) or march (to walk in a stately manner) and March (the month that just ended.)

Are you still with me, because I’ve only scratched the surface.

Perhaps one of the hardest parts about the English language is learning the exceptions to all of its rules. In most cases, when making a word plural, it is fine to add “s” or “es.” However, throw in more than one moose, goose and fish and it’s a whole new ballgame. The same thing happens with past tense. You can cook a meal today after you cooked one yesterday. However, you can sit at the table to eat your meal but yesterday I know you did not sitted at the table and eated it. Nor did you swimmed in the pool after you ate. Unless, of course, you waited 30 minutes for your food to digest to avoid a cramp.

I could go on all day with more examples, but I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than spend it reading this blog, although it is quite entertaining and informative. I would like to end with a few more things to ponder:

Why do “fat chance” and “slim chance” mean the same thing?

Why are “stands” made for sitting?

Why is it “after dark?” Shouldn’t it be “after light?”

A “wise man” and a “wise guy” mean totally different things.

Why is “phonics” not spelled the way it sounds?

We put suits in garment bags and garments in suitcases.

“Slow down” and “slow up” mean the same thing.

How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?

How can overlook and oversee be opposites?

And in what other language can your house burn up as it burns down or does an alarm go off by going on?

Have a great week (not weak) everyone and write (not right) well!

The post If Teachers Taught, Why Didn’t Preachers Praught? appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

With this in mind, it was with great interest that I listened to KERA-FM, our local NPR station, one day last week.  At noon, Krys Boyd hosts a show called “Think.”  Her guest was Jonah Berger, the James G. Campbell Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of the new book Contagious: Why Things Catch On.  According to Professor Berger, ”Word-of-mouth makes products, ideas, and behaviors catch on. It’s more influential than advertising and far more effective.”  No rocket science there.

How does word-of-mouth spread?   You might think it’s mostly online, especially if, like me, you log onto Facebook and look up to see 40 minutes have passed – oops.  Well, Professor Berger said only seven percent of word-of-mouth is online.  The majority of  word-of-mouth happens face-to-face.  As it turns out, most of what we read and share on social media sites is us talking about our favorite subject – ourselves.   Professor Berger explains this as “informing vs. me-forming.”  He defines “me-forming” as “telling others about us.”  Brain research shows the areas of the brain that are stimulated by food and sex receive the same rewarding stimuli from sharing.  Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

While this is fascinating information, you’re probably wondering if I have point.  Trust me, I had a hard time figuring that out myself.  The point is that if you like something, tell other people.  When you’re on the phone, at lunch, at work, and even on social media sites, become an advocate for your favorite products and companies.  If you’re a business owner, turn happy customers into advocates.  How?  Provide great service, treat them well, and, in the words of the immortal Mary Kay Ash, “Pretend everyone you meet has a sign around their neck that says ‘Make me feel important.’”  And here’s a bonus for business owners:  people get an emotional reward from this type of word-of-mouth called “social currency.”  “Social currency” is what we earn when we share things that make us look good to others.  So go ahead and share the love because really, don’t we all want to look good to others, even just a little bit?

The post Share the Love appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.

What Exactly is an Oxymoron?

This question has been plaguing you for years, hasn’t it? An oxymoron is a literary figure of speech that combines contradictory terms, such as jumbo shrimp.  “Oxymoron” is the singular form and “oxymora” is the plural form, not “oxymorons” despite what the latter half of the word might think. It is said to have come from the Greek elements, oxy, meaning “sharp” or “pointed” and moros meaning “dull” or “foolish.”

People use the oxymoron for many reasons including dramatic effect, entertainment and even humor.

The Perfect Example.

Do you want to see some examples? Since I know the answer is a resounding “YES!” here is a list of some of my favorites:

Found missing

The Great Depression

A little too much

Expect the unexpected

Modern history

Civil war

Natural additives

Old news

Blank expression

Nothing much

Only choice

Same difference

Still life

Guest host

All alone

Don’t do

Half full

Minor catastrophe

Larger half

Pretty ugly

Act naturally

Unbiased opinion

You’ll notice that I did not include the arguably humorous examples of honest politician, military intelligence, silent women or Microsoft Works. I would argue that these are not humorous, except maybe the last one.

I Can’t Believe They Said That.

Finally, no discussion of oxymora would be complete (since I know you have had many in your lifetime) without some examples attributed do specific authors.

“No one goes to that restaurant anymore. It’s always too crowded.”

Yogi Berra

“We have to believe in free will. We’ve got no choice.”

Isaac Bashevis Singer

“He hadn’t a single redeeming vice.”

Oscar Wilde

If You Won’t Leave Me Alone, I’ll Find Someone Else Who Will.

Delbert and Glen song title

“Be a student of change. It is the only thing that is constant.”

Lim Pei

I hope this blog has helped you understand the often misunderstood oxymoron. Was it clear as mud or are you clearly confused?

The post A Word to the Wise…I Mean Moron appeared first on Hot Flash Communications.