Thu, 24 Sep 2026 12:36:11 EDT
Bier Versus Beer
- Bier
- The noun bier originally named a wooden frame for carrying a load. Bier and the verb to bear ultimately derive from a Proto-Indo-European root *bher-, which means to carry. The modern sense of a framework to carry a corpse or a coffin supersedes the original sense in the middle ages.
- Beer
- The noun beer names a fermented drink made from malted grain, usually barley, hops, and water. The preferred English name for the beverage was ale until the 16th century. Ale now names a particular style of beer. The origin of beer is a matter of speculation. Beer may derive from the Latin verb bibere, which means to drink.
Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:54:17 EDT
Consider This Sentence
The following sentence occurs in The Globe and Mail on Apple News. “The federal government plans to kick off Monday’s return of parliamentary sittings with the introduction of major legislation aimed at accelerating project approvals and updating Canada’s labour laws.”
“…plans to kick off Monday’s return of parliamentary sittings,” is unnecessarily verbose. The participle hurts my eyes.
“…major legislation aimed at accelerating…and updating,” is verbose. The qualification major is unnecessary. If it’s federal legislation, it’s major legislation. The two participles hurt my soul.
My rewite: “When parliament sits on Monday, the federal government will introduce legislation to accelerate project approvals and to update Canada’s labour law.”
Sat, 19 Sep 2026 17:32:45 EDT
Who’s Versus Whose
- Who’s…
- …is a contraction of who is or who has. “Who’s going to eat all this poutine?” “Who’s seen the movie?”
- Whose…
- …is possessive. “Whose poutine is this?” “He’s the boy whose poutine you ate.”