FEATURE: Misuse fades contrast between distinct words

SPOTLIGHT: EditPros and clients in the news

NET NOTES: Captivating web sites

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FEATURE: Misuse fades contrast between once-distinct words

     Although many employees dread the annual ritual of the performance appraisal, it's useful not only for evaluating accomplishments but also for identifying new functions and shifts in job responsibilities.
     The language we use, unfortunately, escapes such periodic scrutiny by nearly everyone except lexicographers, linguistic scholars, and vigilant editors. As a result of careless usage and disregard for etymology (the derivation of words), the distinctions between some words that once had vividly contrasting meanings have become dulled, and many words have been tainted by altered shades of meaning.
     Consider the word "advise," a verb that means to offer advice, to caution or to counsel someone. It's often misappropriated and used in place of the simpler but somehow less elegant verbs "inform" or "notify." You can advise your conference planner to check the parking restrictions around the site of the luncheon, but you'll want to inform him when the keynote speaker gets a parking ticket. (At that point, advice you might suggest is to pay for the ticket.)
     Although the word "aggravate" is commonly used as a synonym for the verbs "irritate," "annoy" or "anger," it really means to intensify or cause an unpleasant situation to worsen—or at the very least, to rouse someone to exasperation or anger. Aggravation can be associated with irritation, annoyance or anger in the sense that an aggravating action can intensify annoyance or anger.
     The term "dilemma" is often used to indicate a problem lacking an easy solution, but that's an imprecise use of the word. Dilemma, derived from a Greek word that means "involving two assumptions," is a situation that can be resolved only by choosing between two or more unappealing options. If you're undecided about whether to buy an electric oven or a gas oven because of uncertain energy availability and pricing, that's a dilemma. If you're trying to determine which you can better afford to operate, that's a problem of another type.
     People frequently use the word "fortuitous" to indicate a fortunate, serendipitous event—such as the fortuitous meeting between a starving but talented artist and a gallery owner on a slow-moving elevator. But the word "fortuitous" doesn't necessarily have joyful connotations. It refers to any event that occurs by accident or chance. A mustard stain on your jacket the day of a big job interview is just as much a fortuitous event as a job offer from an old friend you happen to meet at the dry cleaning shop.
     If Bill says his sister Ellen inferred to him that she wants a book for her birthday, he ought to buy a dictionary for himself while he's at the bookstore. Although it's often used to mean a hint or suggestion, an inference is a logical conclusion drawn from known factual evidence. You infer a new understanding or conclusion from something that another person says, does or implies. By mentioning that she would like to learn more about American life during the 1920s, Ellen may have implied that she wanted to begin reading instead of watching so much television, but Bill inferred that she'd like a book about the presidential administration of Calvin Coolidge.
     People wishing to sound cultured are apt to say, "I'll be with you momentarily." They may not realize they're really telling you they have very little time to spare for you. Although it's intended to mean "very soon" or "in a moment," the word "momentarily" really means "for a moment" or "for an instant."
     Another word with a similarly misunderstood shade of meaning is "presently," which many people regard as a formal, polite way of saying "now." The usage panel members for several respected dictionaries disagree, noting that "presently" traditionally means "soon" or "in a short time." Thus, you are not presently reading this article (because you already are reading it); however, you will be finished reading it presently.
     Because the word "per" can mean "by" in the sense of "by or for each," many people think it can also mean "by" in the sense of attribution, as in the statement "Gasoline prices will rise 15 percent this spring, per an article in today's newspaper." Nope, according to dictionary usage panels. Prices may rise 15 percent per gallon, according to an article in today's newspaper.
     The word "repulse" is often mistakenly regarded as interchangeable with the word "repel." Although both words mean to drive back or to drive off, traditional guidelines say that only "repel" may be used to mean causing distaste or aversion. (Think of an insect repellent.) However, the term "repulsive" is an adjective meaning "disgusting" or "causing extreme aversion."
     The term "bailout" is used to mean "to extricate from a difficult situation," such as a ship taking on water, but the term properly refers to security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of someone under arrest as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial, or to release from imprisonment by payment of money. So a reference to the financial bailout of a corporation has connotations of illicit activity.
     Sometimes an informal use of a term or phrase becomes so widespread that it replaces the original and substantially different proper meaning. "Bill of goods" had been a legitimate term for consignment of items for sale, but it's been used casually to designate a dishonest or misleading plan or promise. And that more cynical colloquial use has now supplanted all other meanings.
     Now the next time someone uses the verb aggravate incorrectly, you'll be able to help. But first make sure he isn't irritated about something else already, because you might aggravate him.

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SPOTLIGHT: EditPros and clients in the news

California dairy industry sets national precedent
     The first wave of dairies to gain "best practices in environmental protection" status were awarded certificates during a ceremony at the California Capitol in December. The 10 California dairies that were honored had completed all phases of the California Dairy Quality Assurance (CDQA) Environmental Stewardship program. The CDQA program was established through the involvement of the California Dairy Research Foundation, an EditPros client.
     The dairies receiving certificates were the Charles Ahlem Ranch in Turlock; Alderson Dairy in Gerber; Bancrest Dairy Inc. in Ferndale; Bartelink Dairy in Escalon; Bucher Dairy in Healdsburg; Flamingo Dairy in Corona; Walter Stornetta Ranch in Point Arena; Gary Bordessa Dairy in Valley Ford; Sietse Tollenaar Dairy in Wheatland; and Double Diamond Dairy and Ranch in El Nido.
     "This is a proud moment for the California dairy industry," said Chuck Ahlem, Hilmar dairyman and chairman of the CDQA program. "This voluntary program has provided us with the opportunity to bring our care for the environment to a higher level. With it, consumers can feel confident that we are continuing our goal to produce wholesome and nutritious dairy products in concert with a healthy environment." Ahlem noted that the program assists dairy farmers in making meaningful decisions about dairy management and interpreting the complex rules and regulations that govern their operations.
     Alexis Strauss, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water division in San Francisco, said the program's success to certify dairy producers is an unprecedented accomplishment for the nation's dairy industry.
     "These dairies are investing time and effort to show that environmental stewardship and dairy production can indeed go hand in hand," Strauss said. "California's environment will continue to benefit as we get more and more dairies to complete this compliance program."
     The CDQA Environmental Stewardship Program has provided voluntary training to about 1,400 dairy farmers and their employees. Formed in 1997, the program includes three components: Environmental Stewardship, Food Safety, and Animal Health and Welfare. Certified dairies attend six hours of UC Cooperative Extension courses that cover water regulations, facility evaluation, manure management and storm water pollution prevention plans. Each dairy producer evaluates their specific farm conditions and prepares an environmental stewardship farm management plan tailored to their facility. Following completion of the short-course series and farm management plan, dairies must then pass a rigorous on-farm evaluation by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to become certified. Currently, on-farm evaluations are being funded by a substantial grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will cover certification of up to 1,000 dairy facilities.
     The CDQA is supported by dairy industry leadership, including the Alliance of Western Milk Producers, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Manufacturing Milk Advisory Board, California Milk Advisory Board, Milk Producers Council, and Western United Dairymen. Government agencies and academic organizations partnering with the environmental certification program include the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Resources Agency, the Department of Fish and Game, Region 9 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of California, Davis, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency.
     For more information on the CDQA program, visit http://www.cdqa.org, send e-mail to Michael Payne or call him at (530) 752-7507.

Employee training: EditPros to teach "Business Writing Brush-up" classes
     EditPros partners Jeff March and Marti Smiley Childs, who have taught periodic writing and editing classes by request during the past few years, will soon begin offering on-site "Business Writing Brush-up" sessions for Northern California employers. The three-hour sessions, conducted at your workplace, can help increase your organization's efficiency and credibility through improvements in writing skills. EditPros will continue to provide writing and editing services.
     The class sessions are intended for people throughout your organization who rely on and initiate written communication—members of your clerical staff, accounting and payroll departments, inventory and shipping operations, the sales and marketing team, supervisors and managers, production workers and estimators, and others.
     The "Business Writing Brush-up" program, conducted by EditPros partners Jeff March and Marti Childs, is designed to help the members of your organization avoid common, costly errors that can cause misunderstandings. Learn techniques of crisp, concise writing and sentence structure strategies that you can use to communicate more clearly and persuasively.
     Watch for the special introductory discount offer in next month's newsletter!

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Net Notes: Captivating
Internet resources

Foundations on Line
http://www.foundations.org/
     Whether you're a philanthropy officer for a corporation or a member of a community organization or non-profit enterprise seeking funding, you'll find this Web site a valuable resource. The site includes a directory of charitable grant-making organizations on the Internet, including corporate, private and community foundations. You'll also find links to fund-raising consultants, attorneys specializing in nonprofit charitable organizations, and even to venture capitalists and other sources of funding. Site maintained by the Northern California Community Foundation Inc.

Price's List of Lists
http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~gprice/listof.htm
     Do you need to know the nation's top 60 dairy companies, right now? Or the nation's best cities for business or the 50 most powerful women in American business? Or America's top exporters or the country's 1,000 largest law firms? This site provides links to all of that information and more. Information compiled by Gary Price of the Gelman Library at George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and Ashburn, VA.

"American Memory" from the Library of Congress
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ammemhome.html
     The Library of Congress has placed much of its vast repository of historical documents, maps, art works and photographs in JPEG and high-resolution TIFF image formats, audio clips in RealAudio, MP3 and WaveForm formats, motion pictures in MPEG format, and other materials on the Internet for public viewing and downloading. Define your search by geographic or chronological parameters, or by subject, including agriculture, education, geography, history, business, literature, sports, religion, political science, law, technology and applied sciences. Materials encompass classic advertisements, sheet music, Native American culture, southern Appalachian music, 19th-century periodicals and more.

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