Better ways to write (almost) everything
Have you ever been done over by a clever little old lady? This bank president had … and the lesson he learned was that entrepreneurial skills are not merely the domain of young, thrusting Type A people.
It took the wit and deviousness of this elderly lady to bring two very senior professionals down to size in this allegedly (hmmm) true story…
I’ll bet you $25,000 that your b*lls are square.
Want some smiles from the ‘media’ that aren’t about Brexit or Donald Trump?
OK, maybe there isn’t much to laugh about in UK and USA politics right now, but let us at least try to get a smile out of something…
Given the sheer hysteria we’re experiencing in UK politics right now, plus the increasing capriciousness we ingest from politicians in the USA and elsewhere, let’s end this week with a few smiles, rather than sobs.
It has been a while since I curated the funniest of the UK’s Daily Fail’s goofs, but here are a few of my favourites that have emerged over the last couple of weeks or so. Enjoy. [Read more…]
A few written chuckles for Labor Day – to accompany our heartfelt wishes of luck to all of you threatened by the monster Hurricane Dorian and other storms this year.
Labor Day celebrates the contribution of workers to North Americans’ economy. North Americans celebrate it by not working.
A woman came home from work and ranted about her boss. She said, “I’m never going to work for that man again!”
“Why, what did he say to you?”
“You’re fired.”
I’m going to spend Labor Day putting my liver to work. [Read more…]
Do you ever jumble up your words and come up with an entertaining alternative? Pity then, for poor old Reverend Spooner, whose jumbling up of words and phrases had his students at New College, Oxford rolling in the aisles laughing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Great minds like a think (Great minds think alike)
To quote Wikikpedia:
Spoonerisms are named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this mistake.[3][4] The term “Spoonerism” was well established by 1921.
Jealous Boxin’ (Boris Johnson)
Trumbald Dump (Donald Trump)
Mawistful Tray (Theresa May) [Read more…]
Recently I tripped over an article I had saved a few years ago about conversation starters to help break the ice at business networking events. Given that a while has passed since the article was published I thought I would use its thoughts as a basis for a, er, new article on how to create a little fun with business networking conversation starters today.
“Hello. Is this your first time at this event?”
With many thanks and commiserations to the original author of this article: I would love to have credited you properly but as my admin systems are a mess, voilà. Sorry. Message me and I will make amends. Promise.
1) “Well, while we’re here, I might as well introduce myself.” Give them a dark look, then say “I was just on my way to the toilet. Shall we go and introduce ourselves there?” [Read more…]
UPDATED JULY 20, 2019. Further to our recent article about whether women should write swearwords or not, here is an updated and expanded version of some glorious, clean (well, cleanish) insults sent to me a couple of years ago by my cousin Alyson in Ottawa, Canada.
William Shakespeare, King Lear
William Shakespeare was a master of insults, as you can see from above. That full quote, said by Lear to his daughter Goneril (why does her name always make me think of a sexually transmitted disease?) goes as follows:
“Thou art a boil, A plague-sore or embossèd carbuncle, In my corrupted blood.” Gee thanks, Dad. More of Willie’s best insults below. Meanwhile…
There was the exchange between Winston Churchill & Lady Astor:
She said, “If you were my husband I’d give you poison.” He said, “If you were my wife, I’d drink it.” [Read more…]
Suzan St Maur
Here on How To Write Better, you'll learn how to improve your writing of...
*Nonfiction
*Fiction
*Poetry
*Humour
*Speeches and Talks
*Wedding Speeches
*Social Writing
*Grammar
*Business
*Marketing
*Blogging
*Social Media
*Video and Audio
*Job Search
*Training
*and much more
... in more than 1,500 articles and tutorials by some of the English language's top writing experts. Find what you need in the SEARCH box top right.
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Amazon (genuine) bestseller every Holiday Season! This little book is a firm favourite with horsey families and makes the ideal gift for anyone who loves riding. Compiled by Suzan St Maur.
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---------------------------------------------------------The no-bullsh*t guide to writing blogs that boost your brand, business and customer loyalty..."At long last, some common sense writing about how businesses can use blogging effectively." Written by Suzan St Maur.
---------------------------------------------------------"This book is by no means all encompassing, but in it author Suzan St Maur has researched and shared several hundred of the most commonly used terms. Not only do we now know what they all mean but, where appropriate, we also learn their origins – some of which are fascinating and very surprising."
---------------------------------------------------------Great little book for anyone who enjoys dining out and wants to learn the right issues to write about in reviews for Trip Advisor etc. Written by the late Sam Worthington, superb chef, restaurant critic and bon viveur...
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IT'S TODAY! TUNE IN AT 1:00 p.m. "Being eternally optimistic has helped author SuzanStMaur through some very difficult times....2 bouts of different types of #cancer and a testing relationship with her Mum. Hear how writing has shaped her life on #thepeoplesplaylist this Sunday (Dec 15th) 13:00 hrs." @BBC3CR
bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07v5wy5
Some very good points here about the importance of improving writing skills in the workplace - which leads to, amongst other benefits, improved customer service.
Want Better Writing From Employees? Start With Coaching
www.businesswritingblog.com
By Allison Horak -- Supervisors often feel their employees can’t write well. How about you? Do you spend time correcting the same mistakes repeatedly for your employees? One way to address this issue is to carve out time for coaching, especially for employees whose work involves a lot of writing.....
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