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Sunday, May 22, 2005

In Search Of Linguistic Ex-cellence

Lately we have tried to use our modest pulpit here as a perch from which to issue small corrections to published media.

The object is not to practice one-upmanship and cry "Gotcha!", but to appeal to a future generation of scribblers to be more careful in spelling and usage.

Today's culprit is Matt Drudge, who is running a headline: Bush Extols Graduates To Embrace Values.

There is nothing wrong with extolling (i.e. praising) graduates. But one suspects that the intended word was 'Exhorts'.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This has nothing to do with being careful with spelling and usage. Matt Drudge is just an idiot and an illiterate.

Tor said...

Had he said "exhort," more than likely the masses would be thinking, "So that's how they spell 'exert.'"
Peace,
Tor