E.G. vs. I.E.

Even I’m guilty of confusing these two. So I decided to find out once and for all what the deal is. Here’s what I discovered…

E.g. = exempli gratia. It means “for example.” Use it when introducing an example.

I like vegetables, e.g., artichokes and carrots.

In this case I’m providing a few examples of the vegetables that I like. The nice thing about using “e.g.” is that it’s not a definitive list of examples, it’s a sampling.

I.e. = id est. It means “that is.” Use it when you’re about to clarify something.

I like fruits, i.e., plums and pomegranates. 

Here I’m clarifying the only two fruits I like and introduce or announce my clarification by using “i.e.” When it comes to “i.e.” there is no sampling, the list is definitive.

May vs. Can

I can’t forget fellow classmates raising their hands and asking the teacher, “Can I go to the bathroom?” To which the teacher would always reply, “I don’t know, can you?” I now find myself using the same response when asked similar questions. Soon you will be too.

Can refers to the possibility of something.

May refers to the permissibility. 

Can you go to the bathroom? Yes, most living things can and do. May you be excused from your current activity to use the restroom? That depends, you’ll have to ask the person running the show. 

Oftentimes we don’t realize how awesome language is and how much it has evolved. We simply take it for granted. My eyes were opened when, in undergraduate school, I took a class that required me to read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales…in Middle English. You know, that language that hasn’t been used since the 15th century? Yes, that one. It’s okay if you aren’t quite sure what I’m talking about. It is a dead language after all. Here’s a picture from my own hard copy and complete with my very own my scribblings:

The language is actually very melodic. I’ve found a great reading of the prologue that you can listen to by clicking here. 

I wasn’t just graded on learning the story, but also on reading it aloud, so CliffNotes was out of the question. But looking back on it now, I’m glad to have gone through the experience. It’s also why I appreciate authors like Jeffrey Kacirk who wrote The Word Museum. 

In it Kacirk takes a look at some of the most remarkable English words that have been forgotten. He sets up his book like a dictionary of extinct words and phrases. Here are some of my favorites:

Aquabob: An icicle.

Witworm: One who feeds on or likes wit.

Soul-case: The body.

Every year we add new words to the dictionary. For every new word, an old classic is forgotten. Fortunately there are folks out there like Kacirk and myself who refuse to forget.

That said, this witworm’s soul-case is beat on this last day of summer. Tomorrow brings the first day of fall and puts us one step closer to aquabob season. =)

dictionaryofobscuresorrows:

n. the unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat, whose tenuous muscular throbbing feels less like a metronome than a nervous ditty your heart is tapping to itself, the kind that people compulsively hum or sing while walking in complete darkness, as if to casually remind the outside world, I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.

Photo credit: stephaniefusco.com

There is so much confusion over commas. I just can’t take it anymore. There is more than one type of comma, but for now I’m just going after the serial comma (also known as the Oxford or Harvard comma). It’s something I battle every day!

The serial comma appears before the final conjunction in a list. Now don’t freak out just because I said “conjunction.” Conjunctions are simply words that join two or more words, clauses or phrases. In this case I’m referring to “coordinating conjunctions” and there are only about seven of them (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). 

But I digress…back to the serial comma…

Example: I like to eat cherries, apples, and pears. 

“And” is the final conjunction. The serial comma appears immediately after “apples.” If that sentence came across my desk I would remove the serial comma without hesitation. I don’t like them one bit. One of the writers I work with is the exact opposite - he thinks they’re the cat’s meow. Fortunately (as well as unfortunately) there is no real rule as far as when to use these little buggers. 

Even though there are no real guidelines regarding the serial comma, my co-worker and I have come to an agreement. We only use serial commas in sentences where not having them would cause confusion. 

Example: My favorite oatmeal flavors are strawberry, apple and peaches and cream.

Now if you aren’t familiar with oatmeal flavors you might think that “apples and peaches and cream” is a flavor. Or maybe I’m referring to four different flavors? Is “cream” a flavor of oatmeal? Will we ever know?! But with a serial comma, things are a little different: My favorite oatmeal flavors are strawberry, apple, and peaches and cream. I now allow the serial comma, but only when it clarifies the sentence.

So why did my co-worker and I have a disagreement? The answer is pretty simple: Unlike my co-worker, I started writing and editing for news publications where space is uber important. Subtract five serial commas and that’s an extra word you otherwise wouldn’t have. The point is, neither of us are wrong. Writing varies from field to field. 

“Speaking personally, you can have my gun, but you’ll take my book when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the binding.” 

- Stephen King