CONTENTS FEATURE: Some words may not mean what you think they do GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn up to $500 FEATURE: Some words may not mean what you think they do      One morning in February, two newspapers in neighboring cities each printed articles about the death of comedic actor Al Lewis, who had played "Grandpa" on The Munsters television series. Although the obituaries were nearly identical, one unintentionally sullied Lewis' reputation by using just one word improperly.      One paper reported that in addition to his acting, he had achieved renown as a basketball talent scout. The other paper instead said he had achieved "notoriety" as a talent scout—thereby inadvertently and incorrectly asserting that he had somehow performed that function dishonorably.      The writer or editor who chose the word "notoriety" doesn't understand its meaning. It connotes fame gained as the result of committing evil or unlawful acts, or for other unfavorable reasons. Gangsters and political tyrants are properly described as "notorious." The term "renown," in contrast, signifies honor and acclaim.      "Notoriety" is among terms that people commonly and unknowingly misuse. Here are some other often misunderstood words that require deliberate and cautious use. actionable: This term is often carelessly used in reference to tasks that can be assigned for people to complete. That use is incorrect. "Actionable" is a term that has a very specific meaning involving legal proceedings. It's an adjective that refers to a deed or condition that is subject to a lawsuit or judicial process. catholic: When lowercased, the adjective "catholic" has no religious connotations; it means "comprehensive" or "universal," typically in reference to sympathies, tastes or interests. The word "catholic" is derived from the Greek adjective "katholikos," which means "universal" or "general." It ultimately came into use in reference to the universal Christian church, the ancient undivided Christian Church and the Roman Catholic Church. caveat: A union representative who told a business executive "the contract offer will be acceptable with one caveat—an additional paid holiday on Jimmy Hoffa's birthday"—doesn't understand what "caveat" means. A caveat is not a condition or exception. "Caveat," which is Latin for "let him beware," is a warning or a pointed explanation to prevent possible misinterpretation. (The phrase "caveat emptor" means "let the buyer beware" in Latin.) The noun "caveat" also has a specific legal meaning in reference to a notice to postpone judicial proceedings. compendium: People sometimes use this term as a synonym for a treatise or other exhaustive, voluminous study. That's incorrect. A compendium is a concise summary, abridgement or abstract of a longer work. conflagration: A bystander described a fistfight between two bar patrons as a "conflagration." He meant "confrontation" because although two hotheads were involved, no flames erupted. A "conflagration" is a large fire. disinterested: Although the adjective "disinterested" means "impartial" or "free from selfish motive," people mistakenly use it when they mean "uninterested"—aloof or lacking interest. A judge or referee at a competition should be disinterested; a yawning spectator is uninterested. effort: The noun "effort" is frequently used as a synonym for "accomplishment," even though it has a distinctly different meaning. An "effort" is merely an exertion of power or an attempt, without regard to whether or not success is achieved. To emphasize success, use "attainment" or "accomplishment." enervate: Although the verbs "energize" and "enervate" may appear to be synonymous, they are opposite in meaning. "Energize" and "invigorate" both refer to increasing energy, but "enervate" means to deprive of vitality, strength or energy. explicit: Various works of poetry, motion pictures, artwork and song lyrics have been condemned as "explicit," but this adjective is not restricted to references to nudity or sexuality. In its principal sense, "explicit" means clear, unambiguous or precise, as in "explicit instructions." Use of the adjective "explicit" alone, rather than "sexually explicit," to warn about bawdy lyrics is anything but explicit. electrocution: Numerous fan publications and Web sites report that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was electrocuted when he touched an ungrounded microphone during a concert performance in Sacramento in December 1965. Although a severe electric shock knocked him unconscious, he was quickly revived. Electrocution is death resulting from an electric charge. penultimate: This adjective does not mean the last in a series, nor does it mean the "best possible result." It means the next-to-last position. Plain old "ultimate" means "the last in a progression or series." And "antepenultimate" is the position before the next-to-last spot. plethora: The noun "plethora" is commonly mistaken to be a benign equivalent of "multitude." The term "plethora" refers to a medical condition characterized by a dangerous pooling of excess blood. The generic noun derived from it means an undesirable overabundance. A business can have, for example, a plethora of customer complaints, but an increase in profitable business should not be attributed to a "plethora of new customers."      We encourage creative, expressive writing as a means of engaging readers—with one caveat: consult a dictionary to make sure you're using words properly. GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions 1. Juliana F. wrote:      "How do I know where I should put the adverb 'maybe'?" The grammar coach replies:      Because adverbs can be used to modify entire phrases or sentences as well as individual verbs or adjectives, careful placement is essential to avoid potential misunderstanding. Any modifier should be placed as close as possible—preferably adjacent—to the word or phrase it is intended to modify.      Without clarification, a sentence that begins with "maybe" can be ambiguous. For example, the statement "maybe Woody should make that decision tomorrow" could suggest the existence of a dilemma either about WHO should make the decision (Woody or Robin), or it could involve uncertainty about WHICH DAY to decide (today or tomorrow). Is "maybe" modifying "Woody" or "tomorrow"? That determination is difficult to make conclusively from the example.      However, placement of "maybe" next to the word it's intended to modify cannot always be done smoothly; results are sometimes awkward. In this case, if doubt is being cast about the day on which to leave, saying "I should leave maybe tomorrow" sounds awkward. A more practical remedy can be achieved by adding a clarifying phrase: "Maybe Woody should make that decision tomorrow RATHER THAN TODAY." Doing so clearly identifies the day as the matter under consideration. If the sentence is intended to portray uncertainty about who should make the decision, ambiguity about that also can be rectified by inserting a phrase: "Maybe Woody, RATHER THAN ROBIN, should make that decision tomorrow." 2. Christine Pavon wrote:      "What would be the correct way to write a salutation in a business letter to a female that uses two last names (no dash). For example, if the person goes by the name of Ms. Mary Smith Jones, would the salutation read 'Dear Ms. Smith Jones' or 'Dear Ms. Jones'?" The grammar coach replies:      A hyphenated last name should be retained as a unified surname in a salutation. Thus, a letter to Patricia Smith-Jones should begin with the salutation "Dear Ms. Smith-Jones."      Lack of hyphenation creates uncertainty, however. In many cases, a woman who upon marriage chooses to retain her birth surname as a middle name while adopting the surname of her husband may wish to be addressed accordingly. So if Patricia Smith (who is married to Paul Jones and uses the name Patricia Smith Jones) regards Jones alone as her surname, the salutation "Dear Ms. Jones" would be appropriate.      But lack of hyphenation does not necessarily relegate the first of two surnames to "middle name" status. Theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, for example, regards his surname as "Lloyd Webber," despite lack of hyphenation. In addition, surname conventions vary substantially among cultures and nationalities, creating questions not only when writing letters, but also when indexing or alphabetizing for other purposes.      The best practice is to ask for the individual's preference or consult a reliable roster of names alphabetized by last names. If neither is possible, avoid potential offense by including the recipient's full name in the salutation: "Dear Patricia Smith Jones."      Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help—at no charge, just for the sport of it. FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn a finder's fee of up to $500      Do you know of a friend or colleague whose office can benefit from EditPros services? If you do, EditPros may reward you with a "finder's fee" of up to $500.      EditPros, established in 1993, performs writing, editing, proofreading and publication management services for newsletters, brochures, Web sites, annual reports, research studies, business proposals and other informational and marketing materials. Our office is in Davis, Calif., between Sacramento and San Francisco.      Our clients include educational institutions, private corporations, health-care organizations, trade associations, scientific research institutions, Web site developers and government agencies. We have worked with some of them for more than 10 years.      If you recommend our services to a friend or business colleague, and that introduction leads to an assignment for EditPros, we will award you a "finder's fee" equaling 10 percent of the amount we earn on the first assignment for the new client, up to a maximum finder's fee of $500. Naturally, the finder's fee is applicable only to clients for which we have not worked previously.      This offer will remain in effect until further notice. YOUR TURN: Ask the "grammar coach" or subscribe      We invite you to submit your questions to the "grammar coach," and we welcome you to subscribe to this monthly newsletter—which we'll send to your e-mail address at no charge. We respond to all "grammar coach" questions personally, but delays may occur because we must place top priority on assignments from our clients. We appreciate your patience and your interest.      You also can change your e-mail subscription address. For an address change, please indicate your existing AND your new e-mail address. Thank you. OUR PRIVACY POLICY for e-mail newsletter subscribers:      We do not use any commercial e-mail lists or automated mass-mailing programs, and we do not allow access to the list by anyone else for any reason. Our subscriber list is maintained by hand, and it is not for sale. We are protective of confidentiality because many of our readers are also clients of ours. Any accompanying advertising is placed by Yahoo.com in exchange for our use of the e-mail server to distribute this newsletter.