Author: Kirk

“… net net effect …”

Adjectives, Nouns

I heard this a few times on a conference call recently.

Problem:
I do not know why two “net” adjectives are needed, and I suspect that many other people don’t know, either.

Explanation:
The speaker was explaining the effect of an action.

It has become popular in American English to say “net effect” instead of just “effect”.

I understand modifying the noun “effect” with the adjective “net”; it means something like final result.

I do not understand modifying the phrase “net effect” with yet another instance of the adjective “net”.

Given this lack of understanding — and I’m sure that I am not the only one — it doesn’t make sense to have two instances of the adjective “net” in a row, unless one is absolutely certain that everyone in the audience understands that distinction.

Solution:
“… net effect …”

“The DVD is due on next Sunday.”

Adverbs, Nouns, Prepositions

I heard this at Blockbuster Video over the weekend.

Problem:
The phrase “on next Sunday” did not sound right.

Explanation:
My wife and I were renting a DVD at a local Blockbuster Video store last Saturday evening.

Blockbuster has a seven-day return policy.

I was expecting the Blockbuster sales clerk to say one of the following:

  • “The DVD is due on Sunday, June 29.”
  • “The DVD is due next Sunday.”

So when I heard her say, “The DVD is due on next Sunday,” I was taken aback and began to wonder why “on next Sunday” was incorrect.

Here is what I realized:

  • The clerk wanted to say when the DVD was due.
  • Saying when is equivalent to modifying the verb “due” with an adverb or adverbial phrase.
  • “Sunday” is a noun.
  • One can combine the preposition “on” with the noun “Sunday” to get an adverbial phrase that says when.
  • The phrase “next Sunday” is already an adverbial phrase because it says when.
  • Therefore, it is a mistake to combine the preposition “on” with the adverbial phrase “next Sunday” in an attempt to get an adverbial phrase.

Solution:
“The DVD is due next Sunday.”

Lessons Learned from George Carlin

General

I saw the news yesterday that comedian George Carlin died Sunday evening.

Carlin’s death made me question why he was and is one of my all-time favorite comedians.

The answer is the communication lessons that I learned from Carlin.

Lesson Number 1: Be willing to question everything, especially when it comes to language.

Carlin’s legendary ability to play with the English language was, and continues to be, an inspiration to me.

For example, one of his popular jokes was: Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?

The more easily that one can question this or that about language, the better that one becomes at communication, in my opinion.

Lesson Number 2: Profanity is punctuation only when used in moderation.

Carlin was famous for “the seven words” that still cannot be said today on broadcast television.

But, if you looked more deeply into it, you know that Carlin saw profanity as punctuation for expressing one’s passion about something.

Those comedians who take profanity overboard in their acts don’t seem to understand this lesson.

Excessive profanity in a comedian’s performance is analogous to ending sentences with lots of exclamation marks!!!!!

In other words, profanity used excessively distracts from one’s message, and profanity tends to get duller with overuse.

Lesson Number 3: One can find humor in anything.

This has to be one of the best lessons for a happy life.

For helping one to find humor in anything, I highly recommend George Carlin’s book Brain Droppings.

Carlin excelled at turning language inside out, upside down, and backward. Finding humor in anything requires that ability.

So my prescription for a happy life would include honing one’s ability to play with language.