word savvy
TRANSCRIPT
842019 Word Savvy
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word
USE THE RIGHT WORDEVERY TIME ALL THE TIME
NANCY RAGNO
983123 v v
842019 Word Savvy
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983107ontens introduction 1
01 avoid the no 1 mistake of todayrsquos writers 5
02 attacking the wrong-word problem 13
03 master 76 commonly confused word pairs 20
04 conquer 52 commonly misused words 138
05 purge 25 no-norsquos from your speech amp writing 149
06 use tricky singulars amp plurals with assurance 154
07 some surprising ways errors occur 162
08 how to catch wrong-word errors 166
09 talk the talk keeping abreast of buzzwords 171
answers 186
index 211
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20
03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs
Te difference between the right word and the almost right word
is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug
mdashMark Twain
983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember
which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such
as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in
alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you
to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs
bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to
consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are
about to writemdashis the wrong word
bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct
usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as
well as example sentences and quotations
bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused
so you can be on the lookout for them
bull understand what each word means and how it is used
bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words
bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you
remember the distinctions between the words
842019 Word Savvy
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22
word savvy
devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related
words and spellings and suggested visualizations
6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or
not you understand the material and will apply it when you write
Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide
considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-
viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the
experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand
itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the
puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you
be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the
distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove
learned versus what you only thought you learned
accept except
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you
meet it with courage and with the best you have to give
mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Once we accept our limits we go beyond them
mdashALBERT EINSTEIN
A life is not important except for its impact on other lives
mdashJACKIE ROBINSON
Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live
mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE
ACCEPT
v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with
EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take
out from the rest
I am pleased to accept this award
I accept the conclusions of your report
Everyone was wrong except Harry
If you except weather delays arrivals were on time
842019 Word Savvy
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23
Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs
MEMORY TRICKS
bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance
bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous
applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your
acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo
bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional
bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the
banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am
except ional rdquo
QUIZ answers on page 186
1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a
role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances
2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could
Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te
Conqueror
3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or
the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-
teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit
4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he
saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a
gunslinger that he slung a sword
5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the
preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan
Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to
the premise o the 1047297lm
acute chronic
I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute
than the pleasure o much praise
mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON
842019 Word Savvy
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138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
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139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
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149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
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word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
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151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
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171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
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176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
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177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 214
983107ontens introduction 1
01 avoid the no 1 mistake of todayrsquos writers 5
02 attacking the wrong-word problem 13
03 master 76 commonly confused word pairs 20
04 conquer 52 commonly misused words 138
05 purge 25 no-norsquos from your speech amp writing 149
06 use tricky singulars amp plurals with assurance 154
07 some surprising ways errors occur 162
08 how to catch wrong-word errors 166
09 talk the talk keeping abreast of buzzwords 171
answers 186
index 211
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 314
20
03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs
Te difference between the right word and the almost right word
is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug
mdashMark Twain
983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember
which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such
as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in
alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you
to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs
bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to
consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are
about to writemdashis the wrong word
bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct
usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as
well as example sentences and quotations
bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused
so you can be on the lookout for them
bull understand what each word means and how it is used
bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words
bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you
remember the distinctions between the words
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414
22
word savvy
devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related
words and spellings and suggested visualizations
6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or
not you understand the material and will apply it when you write
Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide
considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-
viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the
experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand
itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the
puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you
be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the
distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove
learned versus what you only thought you learned
accept except
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you
meet it with courage and with the best you have to give
mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Once we accept our limits we go beyond them
mdashALBERT EINSTEIN
A life is not important except for its impact on other lives
mdashJACKIE ROBINSON
Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live
mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE
ACCEPT
v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with
EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take
out from the rest
I am pleased to accept this award
I accept the conclusions of your report
Everyone was wrong except Harry
If you except weather delays arrivals were on time
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514
23
Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs
MEMORY TRICKS
bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance
bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous
applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your
acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo
bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional
bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the
banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am
except ional rdquo
QUIZ answers on page 186
1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a
role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances
2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could
Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te
Conqueror
3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or
the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-
teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit
4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he
saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a
gunslinger that he slung a sword
5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the
preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan
Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to
the premise o the 1047297lm
acute chronic
I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute
than the pleasure o much praise
mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614
138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
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139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
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151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 314
20
03Master 76 CommonlyConfused Word Pairs
Te difference between the right word and the almost right word
is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug
mdashMark Twain
983124his chap ter is designed to enable you to learn and remember
which word is which when choosing between a troublesome pair such
as whorsquos or whose accept or except libel or slander Entries are listed in
alphabetical order and are cross-indexed Tis organization enables you
to use the chapter for a variety of purposes depending on your needs
bull Use it as a wrong-word dictionary mdasha quick reference guide to
consult whenever you suspect that the word you wrotemdashor are
about to writemdashis the wrong word
bull Use it to check on a wordrsquos meaning and for examples of correct
usage Each entry includes de1047297nitions and parts of speech as
well as example sentences and quotations
bull Use it as a self-teaching text to bull familiarize yourself with words that are frequently confused
so you can be on the lookout for them
bull understand what each word means and how it is used
bull recognize the distinctions between easily confused words
bull develop memory tricks and mnemonic devices to help you
remember the distinctions between the words
842019 Word Savvy
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22
word savvy
devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related
words and spellings and suggested visualizations
6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or
not you understand the material and will apply it when you write
Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide
considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-
viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the
experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand
itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the
puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you
be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the
distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove
learned versus what you only thought you learned
accept except
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you
meet it with courage and with the best you have to give
mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Once we accept our limits we go beyond them
mdashALBERT EINSTEIN
A life is not important except for its impact on other lives
mdashJACKIE ROBINSON
Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live
mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE
ACCEPT
v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with
EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take
out from the rest
I am pleased to accept this award
I accept the conclusions of your report
Everyone was wrong except Harry
If you except weather delays arrivals were on time
842019 Word Savvy
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23
Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs
MEMORY TRICKS
bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance
bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous
applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your
acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo
bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional
bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the
banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am
except ional rdquo
QUIZ answers on page 186
1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a
role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances
2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could
Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te
Conqueror
3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or
the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-
teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit
4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he
saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a
gunslinger that he slung a sword
5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the
preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan
Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to
the premise o the 1047297lm
acute chronic
I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute
than the pleasure o much praise
mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON
842019 Word Savvy
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138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
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139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
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149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 414
22
word savvy
devices rhymes alliterative sentences connections with related
words and spellings and suggested visualizations
6 QUIZ Te lesson ends with a self-test to help you see whether or
not you understand the material and will apply it when you write
Answers are at the back of the book Although the entries provide
considerable information to explain ldquowhich word is whichrdquo pro-
viding information is not always enough Most of us have had the
experience of reading an explanation and thinking we understand
itmdashuntil we try to apply it As the saying goes ldquoTe proof is in the
puddingrdquo Te real test comes when you sit down to write Will you
be on the alert for commonly confused words and remember the
distinctions between them Self-testing helps you see what yoursquove
learned versus what you only thought you learned
accept except
You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you
meet it with courage and with the best you have to give
mdashELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Once we accept our limits we go beyond them
mdashALBERT EINSTEIN
A life is not important except for its impact on other lives
mdashJACKIE ROBINSON
Everything has been 1047297gured out except how to live
mdashJEAN-PAUL SARTRE
ACCEPT
v 1 o receive willingly 2 o agree with to put up with
EXCEPT prep With the exception of not including v o exclude to take
out from the rest
I am pleased to accept this award
I accept the conclusions of your report
Everyone was wrong except Harry
If you except weather delays arrivals were on time
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514
23
Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs
MEMORY TRICKS
bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance
bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous
applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your
acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo
bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional
bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the
banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am
except ional rdquo
QUIZ answers on page 186
1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a
role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances
2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could
Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te
Conqueror
3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or
the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-
teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit
4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he
saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a
gunslinger that he slung a sword
5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the
preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan
Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to
the premise o the 1047297lm
acute chronic
I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute
than the pleasure o much praise
mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614
138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714
139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
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176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 514
23
Master 76 Commonly Confused Word Pairs
MEMORY TRICKS
bull CONNECTaccept rarr accept ance
bull VISUALIZE amp ALLITERATION Visualize yoursel bowing to thunderous
applause afer playing an accordion solo Tink ldquoI gladly accept your
acc laim and acc olades or my acc omplishments on the acc ordionrdquo
bull CONNECT except rarr except ion rarr except ional
bull VISUALIZE amp CONNECTVisualize yoursel beaming and wearing the
banner Except ional rdquo Tink ldquoExcept or one rare except ion I am
except ional rdquo
QUIZ answers on page 186
1 Itrsquos logical to expect that an Oscar-caliber actor would not a
role in a ridiculously bad movie under dire circumstances
2 Tus or die-hard John Wayne ans ew movie goers could
Wayne in the incongruous role o Genghis Khan in Te
Conqueror
3 Critics did not director Dick Powell rom responsibility or
the absurd Asian Western whose star would an Oscar thir-
teen years later or his role as a one-eyed US marshal in rue Grit
4 Evidently Powell was willing to Waynersquos statement that he
saw he Conqueror as a cowboy ilm and would play Khan as a
gunslinger that he slung a sword
5 or transporting the Gobi Desert to Utah or the
preposterous casting o the Duke as Genghis Khan and Susan
Hayward as a artar princess viewers might have been willing to
the premise o the 1047297lm
acute chronic
I 1047297nd the pain o a little censure even when it is unounded is more acute
than the pleasure o much praise
mdashTHOMAS JEFFERSON
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614
138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714
139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 614
138
04Conquer 52 Commonly
Misused Words
M983154983155 M983137983148983137983152983154983151983152 You will promise to forget this fellow to
illiterate [sic] him I say quite from your memory
mdashRichard Brinsley Sheridan
983105re you guilty of word misuse Most o us are rom time to time We
misuse a word when we think we know what it means but we really donrsquot
Unknowingly we use it with a mistaken meaningmdashand may continue to
do so or years Where do these mistaken meanings come rom Ofen
they come rom others When a word is commonly misused its misuse
begins to sound and look right Tus its misusage is passed on Usage
errors are easy to perpetuatemdashsomewhat like a virus
Fortunately such usage errors are easy to correct Usually all it takes
is to become aware o them In light o that the chart below explains the
real meanings o 1047297fy-two commonly misused words Acquaint yoursel
with them and you will be ahead o the gamemdashone o the ew who knows
how to use them correctly and is aware o what they really mean
ACCESS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan amount beyond what is needed an excessrdquo
INCORRECTThere is an additional charge for access baggage
Access means ldquothe right to enter or make use of a means of enter-
ing passagerdquo
CORRECTYou do not have the legal right to access those documents
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714
139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 714
139
Conquer 52 Commonly Misused Words
ADVERSE Mistakenly used to mean ldquoopposed to reluctant averserdquo
INCORRECT I am not adverse to occasional exercise
Adverse means ldquohostile to unfavorablerdquoCORRECTThe playwright was stung by the criticrsquos adverse comments The
game was postponed due to adverse weather conditions
ALIBI Mistakenly used to mean ldquoan excuserdquo
INCORRECTWhat is your alibi for being late last night
Alibi means ldquoa defense plea of having been elsewhere when an act
was committedrdquo
CORRECT
What alibi did Higgins give for where he was the night ofthe crime
ALTERCATION Mistakenly used to mean ldquoa physical fightrdquo
INCORRECTThree people were injured in the altercation that broke
out between demonstrators and onlookers
Altercation means ldquoa noisy quarrel a disputerdquo
CORRECT Our conversation was interrupted by a noisy altercation
between the waiter and a patron
AMBIVALENT Mistakenly used to mean ldquoI donrsquot care one way or anotherrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom ambivalent about which movie to see Either one is fine
Ambivalent means ldquohaving mutually conflicting thoughts or feelingsrdquo
CORRECTHis ambivalent feelings about marriage prevented him from
popping the question
ANALOGOUS Mistakenly used as a synonym for similar Analogous means ldquosimilarity
in some respects from things that are otherwise dissimilarrdquo
CORRECT The present situation is analogous to one that occurred in
the 1930s
ANXIOUS Mistakenly used to mean ldquoeagerrdquo
INCORRECT Irsquom so anxious to see my new grandson
Anxious means ldquoto be uneasy or apprehensive worriedrdquo
CORRECTSylvia grew anxious as her turn to speak drew closer
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 814
149
05Purge 25 No-Norsquos FromYour Speech amp Writing
Sir it is not so much to be lamented that Old England is
lost as that the Scotch [sic] have found it
mdashSamuel Johnson
983118o-norsquos are mistakes hey occur so ofen that in many cases they
have come to sound and look correct Itrsquos easy to use them yoursel but
donrsquot be misled Tose in the know rown on such words and phrases
because they are incorrect either grammatically or lexically (relating to
vocabulary)
No-norsquos include nonexistent words (eg alright ) incorrect idiomatic
expressions (eg could care less) incorrect idiomatic use o prepositions
(eg could of ) nonstandard usage or meanings (eg ignorant to mean
ldquoruderdquo) and words with built-in redundancies (eg reiterate) I selected
the no-norsquos in this chapter because they are common grammatical and
lexical errors and are requently listed in style guides and usage manuals
I have listed them in a table to make them easy to access
Begin by scanning the entries on the ollowing pages to discover
which you need to study Undoubtedly you will recognize some entries
as known errors but others may give you pause ldquoIs that an error I didnrsquot
realize thatrdquo Since the list is a manageable size a brie scan will quickly
tell you what you need to learn All o the errors listed occur requently
both in speech and writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 914
150
word savvy
Be one of the few who knows your no-norsquos and refuses to use them
Show your superior word savvy Purge the following offenders from your
speech and your writing
25 NO-NOrsquoS1 ALOT Not a word Instead use two separate words a lot A lot means ldquoa
large number or amount to a great degree or extentrdquo
CORRECT A lot of people write the words a lot incorrectly as one word
2 ALRIGHT Not a word Write it as two words all right Because all right is com-
monly spoken as one word it is mistakenly written that way as well
All right means ldquovery well okay without a doubtrdquo
CORRECT After the storm we checked the property to make sure
everything was all right
3 ANY WAYS Anyways was an acceptable word in Middle English but it has out-
lived its usefulness and acceptability Avoid anyways and replace
it with anyway Anyway is an adverb and adverbs are plural Thus
it cannot end in the s-plural
Anyway means ldquoregardless in any event in any manner whatever
neverthelessrdquo
CORRECT I know I probably wonrsquot win but I intend to enter thecontest anyway
4 BEG THE
QUESTION
This expression is mistakenly used to mean ldquoraise the question or
bring up the questionrdquo
INCORRECT The fact that you never grade my excellent essays
above a C begs the question why do you grade me unfairly
To beg the question means to present as true or take for granted
a premise that needs proofmdashassuming as true what needs to be
proved (otherwise known as a ldquocircular argumentrdquo)CORRECT You beg the question by stating I grade you unfairly be-
cause I never grade your excellent essays above a C Are your essays
excellent That is the question you should be asking
5 BURSTED This is an incorrect form of the verb to burst (whose principal parts
are burst burst burst) In other words there is no such word as
bursted Use burst instead
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1014
151
INCORRECT The child winced as the balloon bursted
CORRECT The child winced as the balloon burst
6 BY THE POWER
INVESTED IN ME
The correct phrase is By the power vested in me Invested usually
refers to financial transactions Vested means ldquobestowed on con-
ferred onrdquo
INCORRECT By the power invested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
CORRECT By the power vested in me by the State of New Jersey hellip
7 COULD
CARE LESS
The correct phrase is could not care less or couldnrsquot care less
INCORRECT I could care less about ice hockey This is illogical It
means that the speaker cares about ice hockey but possibly could
care less about itCORRECT I am not at all interested in ice hockey and couldnrsquot care
less about it
8 COULD OF The correct expression is could have not could of
INCORRECT I could of danced all night
CORRECT I could have danced all night
9 DILIGENCY Not a word Instead use diligence
INCORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligency
Diligence means ldquopersistent effort long steady application to work
or studyrdquo
CORRECT He applied himself to the task with diligence
10 ESCAPE GOAT The correct word is scapegoat Its origin traces back to an ancient
rite on the Hebrew Day of Atonement when the high priest lay the
sins of the people on the head of a goat The goat was then taken
into the wilderness to carry away the sins of the people (Perhaps
the original word did mean ldquoescape goatrdquo since the goat escaped
into the wilderness and also escaped being sacrificed)
Scapegoat means a person often innocent on whom blame is
heaped or punishment inflicted for something someone else has
done In the vernacular a scapegoat is a ldquofall guyrdquo
CORRECT Although innocent he became the scapegoat because
they needed someone to blame
Purge 25 No-Norsquos From Your Speech amp Writing
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1114
171
09Talk the Talk KeepingAbreast of Buzzwords
Buzzwords and business-speak can actually be
valuable hellip I am very much in support of adding value
increasing clarity and infusing brevity into our commu-nications and dialogue Buzzwords are birthed from the
necessity of human beings to simplify the complex
mdashMike Myatt Chief Strategy Officer N2Growth
wwwn2growthcomblog
983106uzzwords keywords business-speak c orporate-speak techno-
jargon or techno-speakmdashwhatever the current colloquialisms and clicheacutes
of your workplace you need to know what they are and stay on top of
them If success is your aim you need to keep abreast of the buzzwords
in your 1047297eld Not only do you need to walk the walk you need to talk
the talk (or at the least be conversant in it)
Although buzzwords strike some as jarring irritating trivial and
trite they do have their legitimate uses and their legitimate users When
used by the uninformed to convey an impression of being on the cutting
edge they instead label the user as ignorant and pretentious But when
used by those who are savvy and know what they actually mean buzz-
words can increase the clarity precision and impact of speech or writing
Tey can capture an image or diffi cult concept in a single wordmdashldquosim-
plify the complexrdquo as Mike Myatt put it He goes on to say
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1214
176
word savvy
you are in) Te following table gives examples of keywords listed for six
different areas of interest Tey are current as of this writing and subject
to change (especially in the 1047297eld of fashion) but they are all examples of
industry-speci1047297c keywords you can 1047297nd with an Internet search
FIELD OF
INTEREST
KEYWORDS
MARKETING advance selling agency theory bayesian analysis brand choice
brand management branding B to B marketing category man-
agement channel cooperation channels of distribution choice
models data mining database marketing decisions under
uncertainty diffusion of innovations direct marketing e-com-merce econometric models Gibbs sampling methods latent
variable models market entry marketing matrixes Markvov
chain Monte Carlo methods product positioning targeting
time series models word-of-mouth
ENERGY INDUSTRY integrated company Kyoto Protocol climate change green en-
ergy environmental conservation Exxon Valdez OPEC (Orga-
nization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) renewable energy
nonrenewable natural resource recycling scarcity
FASHION chic on trend fabulous sophisticated polished make it
work chiconomics eco-fashion ethnicware fast fashion tribe
fashionista prune (to express disapproval) fierce hot lovely
amazing glamit gorgeous glamorous ferosh (fierce ferocious
outstanding)
ENGINEERING ABET (accredited engineering school) AI (artificial intelligence)
CAC or CADD (computer-aided design) CDSP (certified soft-ware development professional) convergence IEEE (Institute
of Electric and Electronics Engineers) IPTV (Internet protocol
television) LED (light emitting diode) nanotechnology PE (pro-
fessional engineer) peer review standards SWEBOK (software
engineering body of knowledge) Wi-Fi WIMAX CDMA WSN
3G amp 4 G (The latter terms starting with Wi-Fi are communica-
tion technologies)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1314
177
Talk the Talk Keeping Abreast of Buzzwords
EDUCATION child-centered age appropriate balanced reading emerging
literacy higher-order thinking brain-based learning authentic
assessment portfolio assessment multiple intelligences dis-
covery learning lifelong learning hands-on relevant collabora-
tive learning block scheduling Blue Ribbon school education
theorist critical thinking skills
BUSINESS strategic planning product positioning team-building perfor-
mance and productivity improvement new media organiza-
tional design change management competitive market infra-
structural development investor and board relations problem-
solving and decision-making project management MBA costreduction corporate vision oral and written communications
customer retention long-range planning cost reduction
Listing Your KeywordsAfer you have researched keywords or your reacutesumeacute make a prioritized
list o the keywords you will use I you are unsure o which words to
choose begin by making a list o your job-related skills since the skills
an employer is looking or will be keywords Job skills can be divided into
our main groups (1) skill in working with data and inormation (2) skill
in working with people (3) skill in working with ideas (4) skill in work-
ing with things eg computers In listing your skills and experience be
very speci1047297c Speci1047297c words will lead you to keywords Generalities and
overused description such as ldquoa people personrdquo will not be on the keyword
list Your goal is to list your job-related skills experience and expertise
that speci1047297cally apply to the 1047297eld or industry you are targeting
Remember that keywords appearing early in job postings and repeat-
ed keywords are important so give priority to these Include synonyms
or your terms as well When you have completed your list check it
against the keywords you highlighted in your 1047297rst-choice job descrip-
tion A general rule o thumb is that you should have at least 50 percent
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)
842019 Word Savvy
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullword-savvy 1414
WRITING REFERENCE
Build Your Word Know-Howmdashand Stand OutThe right words help you make a good impressionmdashsmart professional and trustworthy Poor
word choices can make coworkers teachers friends or editors think yoursquore unprofessionaluneducated or lazy Itrsquos critical that you learn the best methods for preventing wrong-word
problems and catching errors in your writing
Word Savvy teaches you simple easy ways to confidently avoid mistakes and ensure your success
bull Distinguish between confusing word pairs Whatrsquos the difference between accept and
except or sight cite and site
bull Confidently use commonly misused words What do nonplussed quay gourmand
and ambivalent really mean
bull Get rid of mistakes in your speech and writing Did you know diligency isnrsquot a word
bull Apply the rules (and exceptions) for tricky singulars and plurals Whatrsquos the plural
of addendum
bull Learn how to keep up with buzzwords and how to tell when the buzz wears off What
are the best strategies for staying on top of popular jargonmdashand avoiding irritating
your coworkers with words that are past their prime
bull Plus identify the keywords that will make your reacutesumeacute stand out What indus-
try-related words and powerful verbs will get your reacutesumeacute past the automated
scanning software
No matter what kind of writing you do in your day-to-day life Word Savvy enables you to
recognize remember and use the right wordmdashevery time
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT
Download 3 free bookmarks each with 10 savvy
words everyone should know at writersdigest
comword-savvy
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 0
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D x A c C M T M D M T A w A T E F V V B D
0 4 L U E M M D M 1 M z E z N j U z O D M 0 9 A = =
35313 653830 4 U
P C
E A N
W2411
F n L 1 0 4 0 1 2 4
0 1 J U Y r V y B Q d W J s a W N h d G l v b n M s I E l u Y y A o
0 2 S W 9 s Y S B k a X Z p c 2 l v b i k P R 3 J l Z 2 9 y e S B L
0 3 c n V l Z 2 V y A E 3 D z S o E M T A u N A I 4 M A E x B k V B
0 4 T i 0 x M w 0 5 N z g x N T k 5 N j M z M D M 5 A A = =
781599 6330399
51400
ISBN-10 1-59963-303-5
ISBN-13 978-1-59963-303-9
US $1400(CAN $1799)