North Dakota State University
Agriculture Communication Department

LET'S COMMUNICATE
Agriculture Communication Newsletter
March 2001, No. 63

CONTENTS

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES

WRITE THE RIGHT WORD

"My proper-speaking schoolteacher grandmother used to say that the way you talk is like the way you dress; to present your best image, you use what's appropriate for the occasion and leave the rest in the closet." Clarence Page

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An office visitor lamented wrong usage of words becoming standard because of constant misusage. (Hey, I try to steer office-visitor conversations to more important things, like college basketball, but can't always do it.) One example was "criteria" used as a singular. If there's only one of them, it's a "criterion." We also agreed that the battle (if there ever was one) over "data" is already lost. That word is used as both singular and plural indiscriminately, though it should be treated as a plural. A sign the apocalypse is upon us? I don't think so. Language (especially English, it seems) does tend to change over the years, although "There is only one criteria" really sounds illiterate to me. Maybe we can hold that one off a little longer.

***

I've discovered that there is a word for a language idiosyncracy especially common in this part of the world. The word is "litotes," pronounced (as near as I can decipher; I've never heard it spoken) lit-ah-teez. The definition in my desk dictionary: "understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in 'not a bad singer')." This is far more a spoken than a written trait, but it's definitely a North Dakota/Minnesota thing. Folks in some other parts of the English-speaking world might find it hard to understand that "Not too bad" or "Could have been worse" is high praise.

***

I heard one on the radio the other day that sounded wrong but probably wasn't. Wrong, that is. It was on a commercial spot for a local dealer handling the Coachman brand of travel trailers, something in the context of "They have lots of COACHMANS on the lot." Obviously the plural of COACHMAN should be COACHMEN, shouldn't it? In the context of people transporting Good Queen Liz from the palace to Westminster Abbey in a horse-drawn conveyance, yes. But here we are talking about more than one Coachman travel trailer. I think we have to chalk one up for the commercial writer. "Coachmans" it should be.

***

This just in! Just moments ago a colleague stuck her head in the door to tell of an actual sighting on a Web site. In response to a query about when some piece of technology would be available, the reply started, "Roomers have it ..." No comment needed.

FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES

Many offices develop their own flyers, handouts, booklets, posters and other printed materials. These in-house publications need to follow the same university guidelines Agriculture Communication uses.

* At the minimum, all materials need to include "NDSU is an equal opportunity institution." Extension materials should include the indicia. If space is limited, the shorter "County Commissions, North Dakota State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating" and "NDSU is an equal opportunity institution" may be used.

* All announcements of upcoming meetings must tell potential participants how to request physical and program access. State "Request for accommodations related to disability need to be made to (name) at (phone number) by (date--a week before the event or when preregistration is due)."

* Publications, including those available online, must include "This publication will be made available in alternative formats upon request, (phone number)."

* Extension materials should include the Extension logo and Experiment Station publications the NDSU seal. Contact Ag Com graphics if you need electronic files of these. The files may be enlarged or reduced, but make sure the proportion remains the same. NDSU logos should be a size similar to other logos and on the cover.

* And though it's not a guideline, here's a hint. Ask someone not as close to the project, maybe even in another office or subject matter, to quickly review your publication. It's amazing how something so obvious to us might not be clear to someone else. Clarity in content and design is the key in printed materials.

(Becky Koch and Agnes Vernon)

LET'S COMMUNICATE

If you have questions or comments, or would like to submit information or make a suggestion, contact:

Agriculture Communication
Attn: Becky Koch
7 Morrill Hall
Phone: 231-7875
FAX: 231-7044
e-mail: bkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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