This is a special "holy crap it's been a month edition," so instead of the usual three or four good links, I've got a whole pile.

Arrant Pedantry - Arrant Pedantry
In this eponymous post over at Arrant Pedantry, an editor and would-be linguist offers up a good take on the grammar nazi problem.

Basic Instructions - How to Correct Someone
I love this comic in general, but this strip struck a chord with me. All the proofreaders here at the office have it up in their cubes now.

Ben and Alice - Esperanto memo: Race not to swift
Ben and Alice is yet more proof that good blogging need not come at the expense of good writing. In this post, Ben touches on both artificial languages and alternate keyboard configurations.

Futility Closet - Simple Enough
A marvellous example of spelling ingenuity: "the following bill was sent to a gentleman..."

Language Log - X, call your office
Zimmer traces the "X, call your office" snowclone back to its (interesting!) origin.

MTA - Crying Foul Wolf with the HTML Strikethrough Element
This post at Mother Tongue Annoyances has an interesting flavor of prescriptivism to it. However, I'm inclined to agree with Tim's argument that the strikethrough element has been abused in too many fake corrections.

Motivated Grammar
This blog won me over instantly: the subtitle is "Prescriptivism Must Die!" and there's a whole series of posts on how to use the apostrophe! It's also far more articulate on these subjects than I am. via Bradshaw of the Future.

New York Post - I'm Just Saying
A convincing diatribe against the argumentative use of just, as in "you just don't understand."

Online Etymology Dictionary
Essential: this is the first place I go to check an etymology. Yes, even before I go to Bartleby.

Wikipedia - E-Prime
E-Prime is a modified form of English that lacks all forms of the verb be. In E-Prime, passive voice and it's/its confusion are impossible. It's prescriptivism on a trapeze!

Labels: links