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Cutting Wordiness & Redundancy: Edit Like You Mean It
"It is very important to note that" — the six words your sentence doesn't need
StyleAvoiding Ambiguity: Making Sure They Get What You Mean
"I only told Mum yesterday" lands wrong — fixing sentences that mean two things at once
StyleSingular "They": Clear, Correct and Respectful
A student left their bag behind — whose "their" is it, and is it even wrong
StyleGender-Neutral Job Titles & Roles
"The firemen rushed in" — why that word snags, and what actually replaces it
StyleDisability Language: Person-First, Identity-First
"A person with autism" or "an autistic person" — the difference, and who decides
StyleAvoiding Stereotypes & Loaded Labels
"The old man was surprisingly sharp" — unpicking the label your sentence didn't mean to make
Across the PondDid England Have a Nightmare, or Have Themselves to Blame?
Roger: "England 1-2 Argentina." On paper, neutral. Then you reach for a verb, and the neutrality's gone.
The RewriteWhat Cracker Barrel's Logo U-Turn Was Really About
Okay, so — when a chain called Cracker Barrel Old Country Store retires the guy in overalls, you don't need a
Groan-Up GrammarThe Seal Was Broken
Roger: "I bought a box of animal crackers yesterday but had to take them back. The seal was broken." Ah.
Groan-Up GrammarA Rash of Good Luck
Roger: "What happens when you cross a four-leaf clover with poison ivy? You have a rash of good luck."
The Rewrite"Mistakes Were Made" — and Other Ways to Say Nothing
(A composite. The lines below aren't a quotation from anyone in particular — they're stitched from the genre, because
Well PlayedThree Words That Have Never Been Improved
"Mind the gap." You've heard it — clipped, recorded, faintly disapproving — a thousand times on the London Underground, and