Connie Fisher, Author at BusinessWritingBlog

A graphic with an angry man on the phone and the words "Riled Up"

Common Expressions

Common Idioms – All Riled Up

All Riled Up Definition: Extremely annoyed, vexed, or hyperactive. The Origin of All Riled Up The phrase comes from the verb roil, which first appeared in the 1500s. The word rile appeared in the 1800s and reflected a change in spelling and pronunciation from roil, even though the definition… continue reading

The words "at all costs" overlaid over a graphic of a book, a highlighted and glasses

Common Expressions

Using the Idioms At All Costs And At Any Cost

The idioms “at all costs” and “at any cost” are interchangeable The acceptable way to spell “at all costs” is in the plural form (with an ‘s’ at the end) “At all costs” and “at any cost” are two versions of the exact same idiom.… continue reading

Certainty vs. Certitude written over a graphic of a book shelf

Similar Words

Certainty vs. Certitude. Is There a Difference?

What’s the difference between certainty vs. certitude? I suspected that they’re interchangeable, but it turns out that they have a subtle but substantial difference in definition—of that, I am certain. Certainty and certitude, share a root word: the Latin term certus, meaning “fixed” or “settled.” Certainty originally meant “pledge” or “surety,” and… continue reading

A graphic with the words Patient and Patience

Do You “Have Patience” or Should You “Be Patient”?

Patience is the ability to tolerate a long wait calmly or deal with irritating situations without frustration. Many of the world’s most distinguished thinkers have highlighted the importance of patience. For Aristotle, patience was bitter, but its fruit was sweet. For Tolstoy, it was one… continue reading

Similar Words

Imbed or Embed?

All the English language’s mystifying, vague, and even contradictory quirks are a large part of what makes it interesting. These peculiarities can make it frustrating sometimes or delightful and challenging if you embrace the right mindset. Still, we can agree that cutting through the confusion… continue reading

Punctuation Pointers

Using A Comma In Front Of “While”

You should not use a comma in front of while when you mean “during the same time.” You should use a comma in front of while when you mean “whereas” or “although.” When the word while is used as a conjunction, it has two meanings. One meaning is related to time.… continue reading

Ambience vs. Ambiance: Which is Right?

Ambience is a character and mood of a place. Ambiance is an alternative spelling of the same word. When reading articles onilne, you’ll find ambiance—spelled with an -ance—like in the title of this new story: Top restaurant performers in September won guest affection with ‘ambiance’ – Nation’s Restaurant News… continue reading

What Is?

Do You Know What IDK Means?

Idk is one of those terms that someone who is not too Internet-savvy might need some help interpreting. Idk is an abbreviation of the expression I don’t know. Idk is most frequently used in casual communication, such as text messaging. There aren’t any formal rules about the capitalization of… continue reading

All About the Gerund Phrase

Gerunds A gerund is a verbal ending with -ing and functions as a noun. The word verbal tells us that a gerund, like the other two types of verbals, is based on a verb, thus expressing action or a state of being. Yet, since a… continue reading

title graphic with definitions of transitive and intransitive verbs

Grammar and Usage

What Is The Difference Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs?

Transitive or intransitive can describe a verb as based on whether it requires an object to express a complete thought or not. Transitive verbs only make sense if they exert their action on an object. Intransitive verbs will make sense without one. And some verbs can be used in both ways. The… continue reading