Bloggy McBlog

Farther Versus Further

Use farther to describe a distance (literal or figurative) that is longer than another or others. He ran farther than all his competitors. The Voyager probes have travelled farther than all other man-made objects.

Use further to desribe a distance that extends past a specific point. He ran further than the finish line. The Voyager probes have travelled further than the orbit of Pluto.

Prefer farthest over furthest.

Pedantic? Yes.

UK Placenames

Worcestershire

Say, WOOST-a-sheer.

Leicester

Say, LEST-er.

Norwich

Say, NOR-itch.

Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Say, SIRE-n-SES-ter, GLOST-a-sheer.

Beaulieu, Hampshire

Say, BYEW-ly, HAMP-sheer.

Magdalen College, Oxford

Say, MAWD-lin…

Edinburgh

Say, EDD-in-BUR-a.

Glasgow

Say, GLAZ-go.

Kirkcaldy

Say, Ker-CAW-dy.

Affect Versus Effect

Affect as a verb:

You affect someone with your actions. You affect a foreign accent.

Affect as a noun:

Your affect changes in response to changes in your circumstances.

Effect as a verb:

You effect change with your actions.

Effect as a noun:

Your actions have an effect on others. The actions of others have an effect on you.

Must you be so formal?

Look at you, throwing around the anonymous third person to seem erudite. One does what one can. One must put up barriers to keep one’s self intact. One makes shepherd’s pie from minced lamb. One makes cottage pie from minced beef.

Why oh why can’t you use the anonymous second person? You do what you can. You must put up barriers to keep yourself intact. You make shepherd’s pie from minced lamb. You make cottage pie from minced beef.