The Language Perfectionist: Are You Intrigued?

By Don Hauptman

While reading the business pages of a newspaper recently, this lead caught my attention:

"Next Jump may well be the most intriguing Internet business that you've never heard of...."

No, I don't follow high-tech stocks for investment purposes. What, er... intrigued me about this sentence was the word intriguing. Is it correct?

Language stickler Theodore M. Bernstein, in his classic usage guide The Careful Writer, is adamantly negative:

"This is a use that is best avoided... Intrigue has become a fuzzy, all-purpose word to express meanings for which there are already perfectly good, precise words such as mystify, enchant, interest, pique, and excite."

Although I usually agree with Bernstein, I tend to be liberal and tolerant on this particular issue. Since his book was published in 1965, the word's meaning has become more flexible.

Consider these examples:

• "Mechanical museum intrigues York County newcomers."

• "One of the oldest carved stones ever found in the Highlands of Scotland has given experts an intriguing mystery to solve."

• "If Glee intrigues you, get ready for singing detectives."

Although intrigue once properly referred only to illicit love affairs, secret spy plots, conspiracies, and other such machinations, it's acceptable today as an alternative to fascinate and the other synonyms Bernstein lists. Moreover, it can sometimes be the best choice for the context, creating a vivid image that other words fail to convey.

Winners of 26th January 2010 Toastmasters Meeting

Best Tabletopics speaker: ATMB Dr Subhassh

Best Prepared Speech speaker: TM Harold Gomez

Best Evaluator: DTM Robert Tan

PD Toastmasters Meeting-25th January 2010

Our 'straight face' Toastmaster of the Evening, TM Chandran giving his killer jokes!
President CTM R Kala trying to avoid the Tabletopics Master's eyes so she will not be call upon.
L-R: TM Harold Gomez, TM Dharma, CTM R Kala, DTM Robert Tan and ACS Lee Kah Tor.

R-L: Treasurer CTM Yeoh Lian Geok trying to collect money from CC Vallie during on going meeting. ACB Amy Siew and ACB Donna Kat paying close attention.

The Language Perfectionist: The Confusables are Back!

By Don Hauptman

It's time once again to clarify common confusions among similar words. All of the following examples appeared in major newspapers or online articles.

"The census counts military personal and federal employees living abroad, but no other citizens."

Of course, the word wanted here is not personal but personnel.

"Cannon 2 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges holds that judges should 'act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence....'"

A cannon is a weapon. A canon is a law, rule, or principle.

"You put your brand at risk if one of your devices has an issue with the battery. What we've done is look at creating backups, duplicity in development...."

I hope that the high-tech executive quoted here meant duplication, not duplicity. The latter word means deceptiveness or deceitfulness.

"For effective learning to take place, a classroom should have a community-like environment. Students need to feel comfortable and accepted. They should not fear failure or be weary of sharing their opinions and presenting their ideas."

It's true that some students are weary, or tired. But in this case, they are wary of voicing their views -- cautious or hesitant.

Word of the Day: Sanguine

Sanguine (SANG-gwin) -- from the Latin for "blood" -- means cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident. How did blood come to mean optimistic? The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that there were four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. And they believed that an imbalance of these "humors" determined a person's personality. People with an overabundance of blood tended to have a cheerful disposition. Those with too much phlegm were phlegmatic (calm and unemotional). Those with too much yellow bile were choleric (hotheaded). And those with too much black bile were melancholic (gloomy and depressed).

Example: "Nuclear is the future for energy in this country. I'm not sanguine about solar and wind power, because they're not going to be able to add enough capacity to make up for the long-term energy shortage. But new alternative technologies will be developed. And we will be investing in them."

Word of the Day: Pragmatic

Pragmatic (prag-MAT-ik) -- from the Greek for "to do/act/perform" -- means realistic or matter-of-fact; useful in practice, not just theory.

Example: "It's easy to [use little pleasures you already have in your life as rewards to motivate yourself] once you recognize that these little pleasures are blessed gifts and you are lucky to be able to enjoy them. Be happy about that. Use them pragmatically."

Learn to Present Like Steve Jobs

Learn and see how Steve Jobs turns a typical dull, plodding presentation into a theatrical experience.

Tonight's Meeting-26th January 2010

Fellow Toast Masters and Guests,

Are you ready with your speeches?
After few busy weeks of school reopen, new resolutions,
I hope every one is settling down by now.

Waiting to see all of you for an unbelievable night
tonight.

TOE      : Chandran, TM
TTM      : Tan Soo Guan, CC
TTE      : Role open

Humour   : Role open

GE       : Kay Ku, CC
LE       : Rosa Phua, ASC
AC       : Role Open
TK       : Valentine Sia, TM

Speaker 1: Harold Gomez, TM
Speaker 2: K.T. Lee, ACS
Speaker 3: Robert Tan, DTM
Speaker 4: Capt. Khalid,ACS
Speaker 5: Sukumaran, CC

Evaluator 1: Donna Kat, ACB
Evaluator 2: Role Open
Evaluator 3: Role Open
Evaluator 4: Role Open

Kay Ku
Secretary
Port Dickson Toast Masters Club
Visit our Blog at http://Pdtmc.blogspot.com

1st Meeting 2010-Continue

Our best evaluator award winner DTM Robert Tan
Our best prepared speaker is TM Valentine Sia
Our best table topic speaker is ACS Capt Khalid.

Thank you President for giving away the prizes.

1st Toastmasters Meeting for Year 2010

Our President, R Kala opening the first meeting for 2010.
TM Dharma, CTM R Kala, DTM Robert Tan and ACS Capt Khalid listening intensely to ATMB Dr Subhassh (not in picture) speaking during table topic session. Bottom left hand corner is our guest Dr Praba.
Our Table Topics Master, ACB Amy Siew

The Language Perfectionist: What's Due and Proper

By Don Hauptman

I found the following sentences online. Can you spot what's wrong with them?

"NYC's 'Sidewalk Santas' sidelined due to economy."

"When is school closed due to weather?"

"[Basketball's Utah] Jazz star Deron Williams had to leave his team on a road trip to return to Salt Lake City due to a family illness."

Properly, the phrase due to should be used only in the sense of "attributable to" or "caused by." For example, this sentence is correct: "Low crop yields in Africa are not due to climate change but rather farmers failing to exploit opportunities in wetter years...."

But in the three bulleted examples above, the meaning is owing to or because of. In such cases, one of these phrases should be used instead of due to.

Confused? It all has to do with parts of speech, and the explanation can be complicated. But if you're ever in doubt, here's a simple test: Substitute the word attributable for due. Is the sentence still grammatical? If so, due is okay. If not, use owing to or, less formally, because of.

Some language gurus contend that due to is awkward and clumsy, even when it's used correctly. They recommend avoiding the phrase entirely. I'll give them their due!

Quotes You Can Use in Your Speeches

I have found some wonderful quotes that you may find useful to use in your speeches.

"If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their Life, than it means they had never tried a new thing in their Life." Albert Einstein

"Three sentences for getting success: Know more than other; Work more than other; Expect less than other." William Shakespeare

"If we cannot love the person whom we see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?" Mother Teresa

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself" Leo Tolstoy

1st Port Dickson Toastmasters' Meeting for 2010

Happy New Year !

Have you set your 2010 resolutions?

Have you plan for your 2010 goals?

How many speeches do you planned to give in 2010?

Time wait for nobody! Our first meeting of 2010 falls on the 12th Jan .

Here are the roles players for 12th of Jan,

TOE : Indra, CC
TTM : Amy Siew,CC
TTE : R.Kala,CTM
Humour : Vacant
GE : GT Singam,ACB
LE : Yeoh Lian Geok,CL
AC : Dr.Subhassh,ACS
TK : Vacant

Speaker 1: Valentine Sia, TM #6
Speaker 2: Robert Tan , DTM #6
Speaker 3: Lee Kah Tor, ACS
Speaker 4: Harold Gomez, TM

Kay Ku
Secretary
Port Dickson Toast Masters Club

More Photos of Last Meeting of 2009

Port Dickson Toastmasters club held its last meeting for year on 22nd Dec 2009 at Sg Ujong Club in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month.Our President CTM R Kala inspiring all members to aim for the ultimate President's Distinguished Club Award for term 2009/2010.

DTM Robert, ACS Lee Kah Tor and Santa ATMB Tan Lai Hock concentrating on their roles
Our very distinguish CC Zulkarnain giving his evaluation
TM Indra and daughter Dr Anuradha

Last Meeting of 2009-Speaking With Photos

Santarina TM Indra and TM Chandran enjoying the Christmas atmosphere.

President CTM R Kala and CC Zulkarnain looking happy after a nice meal of mee mamak and chicken wings.
ACS Lee Kah Tor and ACB GT Singam enjoying their food.
ATMB Dr Subhassh and CC Tan Soo Guan; brothers in toastmastering.

The Language Perfectionist: The Cohort Retort

By Don Hauptman

From a U.S. Department of Justice news release:

"The following morning, when the first employee of the day entered the bank,Smith and his cohort, armed with handguns, confronted the employee and demanded money contained in the bank's vault."

It's common for an individual, especially one engaged in unsavory activities, to be described as a cohort of someone else. In this sense, the word is intended to mean an associate, companion, or accomplice.

But the proper meaning of cohort is a group that shares a demographic characteristic: "Great Depression cohort" or "Generation X cohort," for example. Sociologists and statisticians frequently use such terms in their studies. It's also correct to say "a cohort of Stanford faculty members" or to use the word in reference to any other distinctive group.

Notes Bryan Garner, in his useful style guide Garner's Modern American Usage: "This newer meaning [companion] has remained a rather informal one for this respectable word, which in formal writing should retain its older sense."

But remember that even in informal contexts, as applied to an individual, cohort has acquired a pejorative connotation. No one ever says, "I'm headed for the big game with my best cohort."

Last Meeting of PD Toastmasters 22nd Dec 2009

For those who cannot make it to the last meeting of 2009, look at all the goodies that you miss.... DTM Robert Tan is very happy because he is getting his Christmas present from Santa Claus ATMB Tan Lai Hock

Santarinas ACB Amy Siew and CTM Yeoh Lian Geok, taking a break after a hard day's work

Santarinas CTM Magaret, ACS Rosa Phua, CC Kay Ku and TM Valentine Sia all looking beautiful in different hats

Yum, Yum. Cakes baked by TM Indra

Extra chicken wings to celebrate end of decade!