Spring Stumpers

by Harold Fox

Last time I left you with the following stumper from Will Shortz, the Puzzlemaster.

Take the word SURE.  If we asked you to add two pairs of doubled letters to it to make an eight-letter word, you would add P’s and S’s [sic] to make SUPPRESS.  Can you add two pairs of doubled letters to RATE to make a common eight-letter word?

The answer is ROOMMATE.  The stumper is Number 48, "ON THE DOUBLE," in Shortz’s The Puzzlemaster Presents, Volume One, Random House, 1996.

Well, that was so much fun, let’s try a few more from Mr. Shortz.

First, here is one he titles "ANIMALS BACKING UP."

Think of two animals that have names of three letters each.  Put these names side by side and read them backward, and you’ll get a common six-letter word.  What is it?  Here’s a hint: The two animal names are general names—not the ones for a particular gender or variety,

Some of you may guess, accurately, that I chose that one because of the linkage to the mention of semordnilaps in the preceding number of CAV.

Here is a second one, titled "S & S, TOO," just because.

Think of a seven-letter word that contains two S’s [sic] in a row.  Drop the S’s to get a five-letter word that means the same as the longer one.  What is it?  Hint:  The same letter of the alphabet immediately precedes and follows the S’s in the longer word.

For a third one, try this, titled "NO RHYME OR REASON."

… the words RAID and SAID end in the same three letters, but they don’t rhyme with each other.  Can you name a third, uncapitalized word that also ends in -AID that doesn’t rhyme with either of the other two?

Finally, try this extended stumper, in which Shortz is asking you for 15 pairs of semordnilaps, even though he doesn’t use that word.  He titles it "TWO WAY."

Put two letters in each pair of dashes to complete a common, uncapitalized four-lettered word that will spell another common, uncapitalized four-letter word in reverse.

     Ex.   A    –    –    T           [ABUT and TUBA]

    1.          D    –    –    W

    2.          G    –    –    T

    3.          E    –    –    L

    4.         G    –    –    F

    5.          P    –    –    G

    6.          B    –    –    D

    7.          D    –    –    A

    8.          W    –    –    F

    9.          O    –    –    E

    10.         D    –    –    L        D    –    –    L        [two answers]

    11.         T    –    –    M    T    –    –    W        [two answers]

    12.         E    –    –    T        E    –    –    T        [two answers]

I hope these stumpers from Will Shortz have entertained you and stimulated your mind.  Maybe they have even encouraged you to seek out the Puzzlemaster’s work on you own.

Until next time, send me your solutions (or suggestions or complaints or stumpers) at hfox@juno.com or 2005 Burroughs Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406.

Anagrams and Other Puzzles

by Harold Fox

Last time I left you with the following teaser from one of the websites from Richard Lederer’s list of language sites:

The letters of the phrase CORRECT ANSWERS can be rearranged to make two words, each of which names a vegetable you might find in the produce section of a supermarket. What are they?

The answer is CORN and WATERCRESS (from Puzzability: Teaser of the Week for January 5–11, 2009.  This teaser is one example of the type of word game called "anagram(s)." In other words, CORN WATERCRESS is an anagram of CORRECT ANSWERS.

 The word "anagram" comes from the Greek "anagramma," meaning "letters written anew." (Wikipedia) An anagram is the result of rearranging the letters of a word, phrase, sentence, (or even more) to form a new word, phrase, or sentence, using the same letters, each once only. Examples given by Wikipedia include the following:

orchestra = carthorse
eleven plus two = twelve plus one
a decimal point = I’m a dot in place

In the example I used for the puzzler above, CORN WATERCRESS is an anagram of the subject CORRECT ANSWERS. The construction of anagrams is a very old form of wordplay, probably dating from the classical Greeks. (Ibid.)

If you google the word "anagram," you will find hits, in addition to the Wikipedia entry "Anagram", that let you sample this ancient amusement in a variety of ways. There are sites that will provide you with one or more anagrams for any subject you supply. One such is Internet Anagram Server, an anagram of which is "I, rearrangement server." When I asked it for anagrams of the subject "Harold Fox," it returned 36 anagrams, the most flattering of which is "Ha, Lord Fox." I invite you to sample one or more of these anagram providers for yourself, to find anagrams of your name or any other subject you choose.

If you would prefer to be a more serious player at anagrams, you can attempt "to produce anagrams that, in some way, reflect or comment on the subject," as the Wikipedia entry puts it. (Op. cit.). Note these examples from the Wikipedia entry:

George Bush = He bugs Gore
Madonna Louise Ciccone = Occasional nude income
William Shakespeare = I am a weakish speller

At whatever level you may involve yourself, anagrams can provide entertainment, distraction, challenge, or all of the above. Enjoy!

I should not leave the subject of anagrams without noting that all semordnilaps are anagrams. I have discussed semordnilaps at some length in earlier numbers of this column, but in case you did not happen to see that I shall briefly recap what that odd word means. Begin with something that is probably more familiar to you. A palindrome is a word, phrase, sentence, or number that is the same when read backward. Simple examples are "bob," "noon," "radar," "2002," and "Madam, I’m Adam." You might regard a semordnilap as the opposite of a palindrome. Instead of reading the same backward and forward, a semordnilap is a word that makes a new word when read backward. For example, a word I used a few lines above is one. "Recap," when read backward is "pacer." You may have noticed that "semordnilap" is "palindromes" read backward. I know, there is a discordance of number there, but things are rough all over. Semordnilaps are like peanuts, you can’t have just one. If you have one, you have two, by definition. I have been collecting English semordnilaps for a few years now, and I have chosen to represent them in their paired state, as in "recap – pacer." My collection now numbers an even 400, including "are – era," "fires – serif," "newer – renew," and "redrawer – rewarder." I hereby renew the offer I made in the column that dealt with semordnilaps. If you are curious and/or interested enough to request the list, I will be happy to e-mail it to you in a Word document. Just e-mail me your request to the address below.

Let’s end this episode with a stumper from Will Shortz, the Puzzlemaster. I shall provide the solution and citation of the source in the next number of "Calling All Verbivores."

Take the word SURE. If we asked you to add two pairs of doubled letters to it to make an eight-letter word, you would add P’s and S’s [sic] to make SUPPRESS. Can you add two pairs of doubled letters to RATE to make a common eight-letter word?

Until next time, send me your solutions (or suggestions or complaints or stumpers) at hfox@juno.com or 2005 Burroughs Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406.

Help needed for Tech Fest!

by Louise Tincher

STC SWO will again have a booth at Tech Fest, Feb. 13 and 14 in Dayton. Tech Fest is a program dedicated to introducing kids to science, technology, engineering, medicine and math (STEM).

The program includes hands-on, interactive exhibits staffed with volunteer professionals from societies, companies, museums, universities and other technology organizations. It will be held at the Sinclair Community College.In 2008, 2600 youths were registered during the two-day program. This program is free to all with free parking under the Ponitz Center at Sinclair.

The SWO Booth: Kids, Winners, and OREOs!

In our booth, we will display the winning entries from the STC International Publications and Online Competition. If you were at the Cedarville Conference in November, you got a chance to see the entries there, too. We will also have an activity for the kids – write up how to eat an Oreo. We will have actual Oreos on hand (along with paper and pens), and some candy to give the kids.

You Can Help…

I need two types of help:

• Volunteers to staff the booth (2 or 3 people at all times)
• A total of 5 laptops to display the winning online entries (I have two already.)

I would personally take all the laptops home between Saturday and Sunday (I would not leave them at Sinclair overnight).

Tech Fest hours are:

• Fri, Feb. 13 – set up in evening (Just one or two additional people would be nice)
• Sat, Feb. 14 – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m
• Sun, Feb. 15 – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

…And Have FUN!

I’ve staffed the booth before, and I loved it! If you like talking to kids, or if you’d like to talk about tech communication to them and their parents, then please come! It’s designed to be FUN, for us and for them! And this year we have Oreos! Yum, yum!

One suggestion – if you?re a grandparent/aunt/uncle/neighbor, see if you can get your grandkids/nieces/nephews/neighbors to come with their parent during your volunteer shift. I bet they will have a BLAST. When you’re done at our booth, you can then enjoy the fest with them.

So Sign Up Now

Please contact Jean Fudge if you can volunteer for ANY amount of time: 513-477-7873 (Jean’s cell phone) or jaf529@earthlink.net. Web sites for Tech Fest, and directions, are:

• http://www.ascdayton.org/TechFest2009/
• directions http://www.ascdayton.org/TechFest2009/directions.htm

by Harold Fox

Longer term readers^[1] of "Calling All Verbivores"(CAV) are certainly acquainted with Richard Lederer. He is the person who coined the word "verbivore," and he is one of my heroes, so I sometimes refer to him in CAV. He is the author of Anguished English, Crazy English, More Anguished English, and A Man of My Words, among many others. He is also the proprietor of the website, Richard Lederer’s Verbivore. On the most recent visit there, I found that his most recent book is Presidential Trivia: the Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles, and Firsts of our American Presidents, published in 2008 by Gibbs Smith. I have recommended his website in more than one preceding number of CAV. You may consider this another such recommendation.Richard Lederer’s Verbivore has an extensive listing of language sites on the Internet. I want to call a few of them to your attention. Perhaps you would find one or more of those interesting and entertaining. Their order of appearance is not intended to be a ranking.

The first one is Etymologic: The Toughest Word Game on the Web. This site presents you with the challenge of identifying the etymology of words in multiple choice format. You receive an immediate "right" or "wrong" and the correct answer if your response was wrong. Then the game confronts you with the next word. It also displays a running score of correct answers. In my first try I got half of the words right. My next effort was more successful, but I’m demanding a recount.

Next consider Word Spy: The Word Lover’s Guide to New Words. This site lists new words or phrases with a definition and a paragraph that describes the usage. The following is an example of one such listing:

shovel-ready
adj. Relating to a construction site or project that can be used or started right away. Also: shovel ready.
Nearly every economist who spoke here agreed that a dollar invested in, say, a new transit system or in bridge repair is spent and respent more efficiently than a dollar that comes to a household in a tax cut. A bigger percentage of the latter is saved, they said. There was concern, however, that the nation lacked enough ‘shovel ready‘ projects that could be ramped up quickly, generating jobs.
—Louis Uchitelle, " Economists Warm to Government Spending but Debate Its Form," The New York Times, January 7, 2009

Another site listed by Lederer is Ask A Linguist  (sic.) Its self-description is this:

Ask A Linguist is designed to be a place where anyone interested in language or linguistics can ask a question and get the response of a panel of professional linguists.

LINGUIST List members are professional, academic linguists with a variety of particular interests, from whose number come 33 (at the time of this writing) who volunteer to respond to the questions submitted. The names of these volunteers are displayed with the institutional identification of each. Questions or topics are displayed as links, with the name of the asker and the date of the submission. Each topic (link) is followed by a list of links to the responses from the panel, each link identified by the name of the respondent and the date of the response. For example, at this time two responses appearing sequentially are these:

"’bl’ as a root for words relating to speech?"  – Bill Wertheim (Jan-14-2009)
         and
"The role of linguistics in the world" – Alexis Nava Teodoro (Jan-08-2009)

Each of these is, at this time, followed by a list of six respondent links.

A final example, for now, is worthless word for the day   Today’s listing, at this time, is the following:

today’s wwftd is…the worthless word for the day is: cacozelia [Gk kakozelia: unhappy imitation; affectation]/kako ZEEL i a/ studied affectation in diction or style, as in a speech filled with pedantic latinisms and inkhorn terms (not to be confused with lalochezia?)

This site mixes just plain fun with opportunities for learning. Enjoy both!

Let me leave you with a teaser from one of the Lederer list of language sites, which I will not identify until I supply the answer in the next number of CAV.

The letters of the phrase CORRECT ANSWERS can be rearranged to make two words, each of which names a vegetable you might find in the produce section of a supermarket. What are they?

*If you want to know where you fit in the list of "long term readers," consider that this number of CAV happens to be #50. Thanks for your attention.

Until next time, send me your solutions (or suggestions or complaints or stumpers) at hfox@juno.com or 2005 Burroughs Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406.

Welcome to CAV!

by Harold Fox

Welcome to Between the Lines for this new program year. I know, this is not the first issue, but it is the first in which my column appears, so I want to extend the welcome on this, my first opportunity this year. For any readers who are new to "Calling All Verbivores," (CAV), let me just say that it is a recurring column that has to do with the wonder of words and language.  If you share my fascination with that subject, you are a verbivore, and this column is produced for you.

In the preceding number of CAV I posed the following puzzler:

What common English word is 9(sic.) letters long, and each time you remove a letter from it, it still remains an English word … from 9(sic.) letters all the way down to a single remaining letter? (WordRiddle video) 

The solution appears below, but try it for yourself before peeking.

Do you like lists?

Generally, I like lists. Occasionally, previous numbers of CAV have referred to lists.  For example, I have reported or referred to lists of neologisms, lists of "words of the year" from various sources, lists of examples of gag-inducing business jargon, lists of semordnilaps, and so on.  Therefore, when two lists having to do with words came into view since my previous number of CAV appeared, I marked them as fodder for a column.  As I considered ways to begin this number of CAV I was thinking of all the lists we encounter.  I don’t mean the bulleted or numbered lists that are so important to the documentation that we do professionally.  Those are utilitarian, very important items in our communication toolbox.  I mean, rather, such lists as the Ten Best ____, or 100 Best ____, or 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.  

Indeed, if you reflect for a moment you will recognize that we encounter myriad lists.  Among familiar ones, the New York Times list of best-selling books is one of the oldest.  The "Top Ten List" of David Letterman’s "Late Night Show" would seem to be a strong contender for the most frequent topic of water cooler conversation.  If you are a fan, you might already know that the Letterman lists are archived on the "Late Night Show" website, A site titled "Lists of Bests" includes the list of 1000 greatest films.  Another item on that list of bests is "Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason."  As of the date of my reading, it contained 2559 titles.  Indeed, Google reports "about 407,093 items" for the search on "Books on or of lists."

[That sound you heard was a slap on the hand to get me back on track!]

Perhaps you can agree that we seem to be swimming in a sea of lists.  Just to heighten your awareness of that environment I now point you to the two mentioned below.

The first one appeared in AARP Bulletin, October 2008:  "What Are They Talking About?  50 Words That Kids Think You Don’t Know" by Betsy Towner. I won’t give you the whole 50, but a few examples may be sufficient incentive for you to follow up for yourself in the online-archived article.  The items are listed under 11 headings: online, text message decoder, fashion, love, friends, music, actions, affirmations, descriptions, britishisms and the end.

ONLINE
    wikidemia: a term paper that was researched entirely on Wikipedia.org
FASHION
    tramp stamp: a tattoo on a woman’s lower back, designed for viewing between low-riding jeans and short T-shirts
    scooby doos: good shoes
LOVE
    boo: boyfriend or girlfriend
    cupcaking: engaging in a public display of affection
FRIENDS
    frenemy: a friend enemy; someone close to you who often hurts your feelings
    nOOb: a newcomer, especially one in online gaming.  Also noob, newb, or newbie
ACTIONS
    floss: to show off your wealth, often in a car
    rock: to manifest greatness
AFFIRMATIONS
    foshizzle:  certainly
THE END
    badonkadonk: an attractive derrière

 How many of those terms did you know?

 The other list is from the BBC News online magazine.  The magazine asked readers for their favorite words.  Overwhelmed by nominations, they published a list of 50 of the entries under the title "50 of your favourite words."(sic.) ()
The following are selected from the list of 50, citing the nominator of each, along with at least a portion of the nominator’s accompanying comment and the ordinal number of the word in the list:

2.    Poodle-faker – a young man too much given to taking tea with ladies.  Jane, Pembroke
5.    Spanghew – to cause (esp. a toad or frog) to fly into the air off the end of a stick. …Michael Everson, Ireland
6.    Scrimshanker – one who accepts neither responsibility nor work.  Maurice De Ville, Chesterfield
8.    Tmesis – to break one word with another.  For example: dis-bloomin-graceful, un-flippin-believable. … Colin Rogers, Maidenhead, Berks
9.    …quidnunc – which means one who gossips … Katie, Hickory Hills, IL, USA
12. …urt – Urt is almost onomatopoeic, since an urt is a "leftover bit."
      Eric McConnachie, Clear Lake, Ontario, CANADA
16. Petrichor – the sweet smell of rain on dry earth  Natalie, Glasgow
28.    … kakistocracy … The government of a state by the worst citizens.  A very useful word!  Helen Collins, London, England
36.    Borborygmus – the rumbling sound that comes from an empty stomach  Rupam, Ashburn, VA USA
45. Tattterdemalion – a person with tattered clothing or of unkempt
      appearance.  … I know several people who could have this word attributed to them… Graham, Luton, England

Those are some of my favorites of the "favourites."(sic.)  Take a look for yourself if you are curious about the 50.

Here is the promised solution to the puzzler repeated above:

The word is STARTLING.  First remove L to leave STARTING.  Then remove T to leave STARING.  Next remove A to leave STRING.  Then remove R to leave STING.  Next remove T to leave SING.  Then remove G to leave SIN.  Next remove S to leave IN.  Finally, remove N to leave I.

Until next time, send me your solutions (or suggestions or complaints or stumpers) at hfox@juno.com or 2005 Burroughs Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406.

SWO-STC and the 3 Rs

by Louise Tincher

When Judy told me one of the themes for this month’s newsletter—The Three Rs—I thought “Reading, Writing and Arithmetic”? Why do we need that here?

"No," she said, “Rest, Relaxation and Renewal”—three things we all need that are very important for busy professionals at a busy time of year." Judy was right on track as usual.

You’ll have to forgive me, as incoming president for the 2008-2009 program year, I have found it all a little crazy-making. After one year as chapter president, Judy signed up for her second year as newsletter editor, so you’ll understand if I questioned her wisdom (or sanity).

Actually most of the SWO-STC chapter leaders this year are repeat offenders. We have seven Administrative Council returnees (myself, Jean Fudge, Judy Harper, Mindy Hoffbauer, Sylvia Miller, Karen Rokich and Thea Teich), five past chapter presidents (Jean Fudge, Judy Harper, Mindy Hoffbauer, Sylvia Miller, and Thea Teich) and one past president of STC International (Thea Teich). So why do we do this? We talked about that at one of our Administrative Council meetings.

Why are we active STC members? As we talked, our reasons fell into several categories:
•    Camaraderie
•    Education and training opportunities
•    Insights into the local job market
•    Mentoring
•    Networking contacts
•    Professional development
In other words, we do it for the benefits. We get benefits from actively participating in our chapter.

This year I have challenged the council to share these benefits with our members by telling their personal stories, as well as by mentoring and training new chapter leaders. I am also challenging you—our members—to reap those benefits for yourselves. Tell us why you joined STC and what you want from the organization. Call, email (president@stc-swo.org), stop by and chat at a meeting. SWO-STC offers you a wealth of professional knowledge and resources. Use them!

We will do our best to help you actively meet your needs. Notice that I used the word “active”? You will get the most value from your membership by actively participating in STC. That means attending meetings and seminars, as well as taking on volunteer duties, to build your professional network and skills. Some days it is a lot like work, but it pays dividends in career and personal development.

So how does SWO-STC tie in to the three Rs? Well, I can’t promise you much rest, but I can promise you lots of relaxation and renewal. At SWO-STC you’ll find friends who understand the challenges you face at work, mentors to guide your professional growth, and a roadmap to STC International resources. Last but not least, you’ll find like-minded people who actually laugh at your jokes. I don’t know about you, but some days I need that.

Because It’s Spring

by Judith Harper

It’s that time of year again! Late-winter crocus opened for early-spring masses of brilliant daffodils. The stage is set for glorious tulips and majestic irises to make their appearance. Who wants to sit in front of a LCD screen and crank out page after page (or even screen after screen) of documentation? Such an indoor, pale and sickly 98-pound weakling kind of word…

We, however, are technical communicators. Talented. Disciplined. Creative. Focused. Whether we are writers, editors, information architects, usability experts, user interface designers, artists, or instructional designers, we are responsible for better living through communication.

• We create instructions that sparkle with clarity.
• We turn complex and confusing process descriptions into model paragraphs of lucid, easy-to-understand and even interesting explanation.
• We make customers happier with their products, employees more productive with their tools, and technical marketers more persuasive, period.

Let’s make this last month of spring the time of year when we think about why we do what we do and focus on ways to do it better.

Question of the Month

• What have you done recently that made life better for your employer, for a client, or for yourself? (The focus is on activities and accomplishments related to technical communication, but if you have an inspiring life story to tell, we’ll take it!)

Share your answers via the comments section of this article.

What’s In This Issue?

• The May meeting
  This month we’re recognizing the SWO community’s volunteers and taking a look at one of the area’s largest employers of technical writers – O’Neil and Associates. Join us at their state-of-the-art facility for free pizza and lots of good networking.
• Calling All Verbivores
  For a quick look into the mind of an experienced technical communicator, check out this column written by Harold Fox. It’s a treasure trove for word lovers.
• Past Meeting Topics
  For those of you who missed the last two meetings, find out what went on in March and April.
• Chapter and Society News
  Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in Southwestern Ohio and at the international level:
  • SWO Member Profile
  • Society Election Results
  • High School Competition Winner
  • Don’t Miss the Technical Summit

See you at the May meeting!

Meet Dr. Mardy

by Harold Fox

The puzzler posed to you in the preceding number of "Calling All Verbivores" (CAV) is this, from Will Shortz,

What familiar phrase meaning “is realistic” consists of two words that are exactly the same except for their fourth letters?  The length of these two words is for you to determine.

The solution is “faces facts.”  (Number 140 in The Puzzlemaster Presents, Volume 2, Random House, 2003.)

In my recent number of CAV that dealt with One-Letter Words: a Dictionary, I wrote that that was only the second time that CAV had been devoted to a single book.  Actually, that was a misstatement.  I forgot the CAV devoted entirely to The Devil’s Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce, the first.  The second CAV to deal with a single book was an extended review of Oxymoronica (HarperCollins, 2004), by Dr. Mardy Grothe.  That, however, was not the first time that Dr. Mardy, as he calls himself, was mentioned in CAV.  I had previously written about chiasmus, referring primarily to his website, www.chiasmus.com, but also mentioning his book, Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You (Penguin Books, 1999), the title of which is an example of chiasmus.  Dr. Mardy gently and graciously corrected a misstatement I made and asked if I would review his forthcoming book, Oxymoronica.

I thought this a good time to tell you something about what Dr. Mardy has been up to since the publication of Oxymoronica.  Let’s start with an ongoing project that began before that publication date.  Dr. Mardy has a weekly newsletter, "Dr. Mardy’s Quotes Of The Week" (DMQW), dealing with the literary devices that are the subjects of his books.  The sub-title for each week’s number of DMQW is the following:  "A Weekly Celebration of Great Quotes in History (And the History Behind the Quotes)."  That newsletter is available by subscription by sending a blank message to drmardy-on@mail-list.com or from his website, about which you will be reading more below.  Also, Dr. Mardy has an additional book in print.  This one is Viva la Repartee (HarperCollins, 2005) in which he quotes the following definition of repartee: 

Repartee is something we think of two hours too late.
- Mark Twain 

He has also written a fourth book, I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like, due for publication in August 2008.

He begins each number of DMQW with a biographical puzzler.  Here is an example from a recent number:
On March17, 1993, this actress died of congestive heart failure at age 92.  At her death, she was described as "The First Lady of the American Theater."  In a career that lasted a full eighty years, she was the first member of her profession to win an Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Oscar.  In her 1990 autobiography "My Life in Three Acts" she wrote: "If you rest, you rust."  Who is this woman?  (DMQW, March 16–22, 2008)
The answer is "Helen Hayes."

Another regular feature of DMQW is a section titled "This Week’s Thoughts for Chief Philosophical Officers."  The following are two examples from a recent number (DMQW, March 2–8, 2008):

Life loves to be taken by the lapel
and told, "I am with you kid.  Let’s go!"
Maya Angelou

and

Life is like a play; it’s not the length
but the excellence of the acting that matters.
Seneca

Another recurring section is "This Week in History."  In this section, Dr. Mardy gives thumbnail sketches of a few notable persons connected with dates within the week in question.  For each, the sketch is followed by examples of notable remarks from the subject.  For example, in DMQW, March 16–22, 2008 one of the notables’ entries is the following:
On March 21, 1905, Phyllis McGinley was born in Ontario Oregon.  In the 1920s, she began writing for "The New Yorker," the "Atlantic," and other magazines, developing a reputation for witty light verse.  In 1961, she won the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for "Times Three: Selected Verse from Three Decades."  She also wrote "Sixpence in Her Shoe," a popular book of  autobiographical essays about being a wife in the suburbs, and a series of juvenile books.  In her essays and verse she used a wide variety of literary devices to explore aspects of human existence:

A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.

A bit of trash now and then is good for the severest reader. It provides the necessary roughage in the literary diet."

Nothing fails like success; nothing is so defeated as yesterday’s triumphant Cause.

Sticks and stones are hard on bones.
Aimed with angry art,
Words can sting like anything,
But silence breaks the heart."

Another feature of DMQW is the "Subscriber Quote of the Week" in which Dr. Mardy presents an example of a contribution from one of DMQW’s subscribers.  In DMQW, March 9–15, 2008, the offering came from a subscriber named Dan Piette, who submitted the following:

It is better to sleep in a bed and dream of the beach
than sleep on the beach and dream of a bed.

DMQW also includes "Dr. Mardy’s Thought of the Week."  The number for March 9–15 has this example:

Great political oratory results when the speeches of famous figures contain famous figures of speech.

If you would like to receive a weekly dose of these sorts of quotations, send a blank message to drmardy-on@mail-list.com, as I wrote above or subscribe from Dr. Mardy’s website, www.drmardy.com.  He has subsumed his earlier website on chiasmus into the new one.  In it he has sections devoted to the four main types of linguistic devices covered in his four books (including the one due for publication this August), chiasmus, oxymoronica, repartee, and metaphor.  The section for metaphor will be initiated this summer.  The home page of the site presents two "Quotations of the Day," one from Dr. Mardy and the other from a selected notable figure.  The site also includes links to radio interviews of him and a section titled "Dr. Mardy’s Aphorisms."

I recommend Dr. Mardy’s books, his website, and his weekly newsletter.  They provide us with a multifarious and nutritional body of material sure to stimulate, entertain, and sustain a wide variety of verbivores.

Until next time, send me your solutions (or suggestions or complaints or stumpers) at hfox@juno.com or 2005 Burroughs Drive, Dayton, Ohio 45406.

The Evolution of a Technical Writer

by Karen Rokich

Ron May did not set out to become a technical writer. His position, he says, "essentially fell into his lap."

In 1983, at the nexus of the IBM Personal Computer revolution in corporate America, Ron graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Information Systems. His first job was in the newly established field of corporate PC and software training.

The printed courseware used by his employer was initially developed in-house by the training staff. When maintenance and ongoing development requirements for the existing courseware became a burden, the company acted to alleviate the strain by creating a new position in courseware development. Ron moved into this position, spending most of his time as a courseware developer, although he was still used sparingly as a trainer. Courseware development was his first exposure to the technical writing profession.

After several years in this position, Ron accepted a new position with Accu-Med Services, a small software company that needed a technical writer to develop a reference manual for their software product.

About the time he completed the reference manual, which he refers to as a huge project, Accu-Med was acquired by Omnicare, a large corporation based in Covington, KY. Ron soon found himself in a corporate IS Department with the title of Technical Writer. His company is still referred to as Accu-Med Services and is a division of Omnicare.

Since his Accu-Med supervisor introduced him to STC and asked him to become a member, Ron has attended all STC annual conferences, from 1999 through last year’s Technical Summit in Minneapolis. Recently, he has begun attending local SWO-STC meetings.

At Accu-Med, Ron maintains documentation for multiple software products like online help and printed reference manuals. Since 2003, he has been developing and maintaining computer-based training and Flash-based software demonstrations to enhance the company’s software documentation suite.

In his free time, Ron enjoys motorcycles, Ford Mustang cars, learning to play classical guitar, amateur radio (a.k.a. "ham radio"), and fishing.

Learning: The Never Ending Journey

by Jean Fudge

When the editor told me that one of the topics for this month’s issue is ongoing learning, I had no doubt I could write on that topic. You see, OTJT (On The Job Training) are my initials, and Flexibility is my middle name.

Gone are the days when learning in your teen years would serve you all your life. Heck, when I was in college, the pc hadn’t been invented yet. My computer programming class involved punch cards! (Yes, we had wheels and fire …)

I’d hate to see where I’d be if I had not been curious, enthusiastic, and a little paranoid about what would happen if I didn’t learn new skills. My career has evolved through …seven (??!!) career changes or major platform shifts:

1. My formal training is in journalism and interdisciplinary studies.
2. Training for my tech writing career came on the job. I had been hired as a secretary, but I told them I’d be very bored if I just typed and filed!
3. The next career was as a multimedia writer and integration editor. A former Apple employee was joining another entrepreneur in setting up online tours of colleges – back in the mid Nineties. It was to be CD based, but the internet changed those plans …
4. After that, I went back to tech writing, but this time I had to learn how to use a PC instead of a Mac. Thank goodness, my cubicle mate was very kind and helpful! During that stint, I also learned how to do Online Help and web authoring.
5. Next, I got a job as a trainer. This fit very well with my personality and background. I was always the "go to" person whenever anyone had a problem or didn’t understand how to do something. I figured this was a formalization of what I was already doing.
6. After that, I became a member of the pc tech support team. Again, this was something I was already doing for my fellow workers. Granted, I had a lot of details and procedures to learn, but it fit well with my personality and experience.
7. Currently, I am helping to implementing electronic medical records at a hospital system in Dayton. I help build code and help support staff while they use it for the first time. I also help in lots of behind-the-scenes tasks, like making sure they have enough computers … making sure they are installed and working properly …

The list above doesn’t begin to address all the software I learned, and all the custom systems I learned to use at each job. The special, proprietary systems they sell or use behind the scenes …So … I’m a walking, talking, typing advertisement for ongoing learning. I truly, truly enjoy learning the new stuff, and HELPING OTHERS to learn it, too. Who knows what the future holds, but I’m game to give whatever it is a try!

A final thought: at bottom of her emails, a friend of mine includes a quote from Alvin Toffler, author of the book "Future Shock." I remember my mom read that book in the Seventies. It was on the best seller list, and everybody was abuzz with his predictions. Today, his quote does not sound futuristic or far out. It just sounds accurate. The quote is:

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."– Alvin Toffler

‘Nuff said!