Diving into grammar
Use dived for the past tense of dive when writing.
“I dived from the high board.”
Dove is a bird, not the past tense of dive!
(We say skydived. We never say skydove.)
Highway billboards. Think plain and simple.
I just returned from a road trip across South Dakota on the Interstate which reminded me of how poorly highway billboards are designed.
Highway billboard customers listen up! At 75 MPH, I only have several seconds to read your billboard. So why do you try to say so much?
There was one that said “Crabby Waitresses… don’t work here,” or something like that. That is a catchy phrase but I have no idea of what else was on the billboard because reading that took all the time I had.
If you are desiging a highway billboard, keep it simple. Use a simple background so the words don’t get lost. Use a large simple font because I don’t have time to figure out a script font. Use very few words.
Ways only refers to multiple paths
way or ways
way never ends with an s when referring to distance
“He has a way to go before he gets there.”
“It is a long way from here.”
noway or noways
noway never ends with an s
Are you waiting on or waiting for?
wait on is what a server does in a restaurant
wait for means to await until an event happens
These can make you appear either smart or old
Here are a couple of words that are not commonly used:
hitherto means up to now
henceforth means from now on
From which side of the pond is your English?
disoriented is used in the USA
disorientated is used in the UK
They both mean having lost one’s direction.
Saturday, in the park…
Saturday, not Saterday
It comes from Saturn Day.
There is no “w” in this magic trick term
Voilà, not wallah
It is a French term that literally means, “see there.”
It is used to suggest an appearance, as if by magic.
So you always thought Jerry rigged it?
jury rigged, not jerry rigged
According to Wikepedia:
Jury rigging refers to makeshift repairs or temporary contrivances, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand. Originally a nautical term, on sailing ships a jury rig is a replacement mast and yards improvised in case of damage or loss of the original mast.
So, it has nothing to do with either a jury or someone named Jerry.