Least Surprising Photo Ever? Tim Rogers Lectures the Staff About Word Usage

Posted on October 30th, 2009 1:42pm by Zac Crain
Filed under Education, Media
The topic: "blond" vs. "blonde." The book: Garner's Modern American Usage, a copy of which was recently purchased for the office for just such an occasion. The pedantic person reading from it, and thus extending the conversation for far too long: Tim Rogers.

The topic: "blond" vs. "blonde." The book: Garner's Modern American Usage, a copy of which was recently purchased for the office for just such an occasion. The pedantic person reading from it, and thus extending the conversation for far too long: Tim Rogers.

13 comments

  1. As a gentleman, of course, Mr. Rogers probably prefers blondes, except in the case of His Fair (Brunette) Lady. The final “e” gives a zesty bounce to the noun, whereas we reserve the five-letter word for adjectival status. But Tim has probably already figured this out for himself.

    @ 1:54 pm on October 30, 2009

  2. could you look up draft v. draught real quick?

    @ 1:58 pm on October 30, 2009

  3. Tim must have gotten a healthy dosage of BG from yesterday’s Think! – Bryan was yesterday’s guest. What a snoot!

    @ 2:11 pm on October 30, 2009

  4. I still don’t get when to use lie and when to use lay.

    @ 2:21 pm on October 30, 2009

  5. or how about grey and gray?

    @ 2:23 pm on October 30, 2009

  6. @patentlawya: I heard the same show… and yes, he seemed a bit uptight. But such is the fate of grammar nerds.

    On a side note, the distinction is also found in the (notably less hefty) AP stylebook. IJS.

    @ 2:41 pm on October 30, 2009

  7. @fruitdog: You beat me to it!

    @ 2:45 pm on October 30, 2009

  8. @TLS: I use this trick: People have the ability to lie. Things do not.

    @ 3:02 pm on October 30, 2009

  9. Tom – so how do you insruct your dog to make himself prone?

    @ 3:15 pm on October 30, 2009

  10. @Williard Spiegelman: Tim Rogers prefers blondes; Anderson Cooper prefers blonds.

    @Tom: “Now I lay me down to sleep.” And now I’m lying here wondering how the rest of the prayer goes.

    @ 3:30 pm on October 30, 2009

  11. isn’t that the prayer where the kid dies in his sleep?

    @ 3:44 pm on October 30, 2009

  12. This is a simple AP Style question that professional reporters don’t have to spend time debating. A blonde is a female with blond hair.

    @ 5:27 pm on October 30, 2009

  13. Of course reporters don’t have to spend time debating it. They let the copy editors know their stuff and fix the mistakes.

    @ 7:51 pm on October 30, 2009

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