May Newsletter
Discover more from Better Communication
May Newsletter
Home In On 'Hone'; 'Percentages: Do The Maths'; and 'Public Speaking … Who, Me?'
Hello everyone
Hope you enjoy the May edition of Better Communication.
This month's Better Business feature introduces one of my writing projects: Public Speaking ... Who, Me? – a book of tips that will increase your skill and confidence when you have to speak to an audience, particularly in the business context.
Best regards
Janette
Homing In On 'Hone'
I read this sentence in a recent article:
(The newspaper’s) reporting honed in on a set of emails....
It should be ‘homed in’, of course.
This probably isn’t a mistake you make. What’s interesting, though, is the misleading information you might find if you look up the correct usage of ‘honed’ and ‘homed in’.
To home in
To ‘home in’ means to find a home, as a homing pigeon does, or a target, as a homing missile might. The verb is used to talk about narrowing the field, focusing on or concentrating attention on something.
Merriam-Webster (online), however, claims ‘to hone in’ is an acceptable alternative.
It begins by using a reasonably valid argument in support: that usage can, over time, change the meaning of words. It cites examples, dating from 1965. That’s not very convincing. People have confused language elements for a lot longer than that.
It goes on to claim that the usage might have resulted from the ‘m’ in ‘home’ sounding like an ‘n’. That’s weak reasoning. It’s a mistake, not a valid reason for change.
Even worse, though, is the claim that the usage might result from an interpretation of ‘hone in’ meaning ‘to emphasise a point’ or ‘sharpen the focus' on something. This would then make it appropriate to apply to examples such as ‘a set of emails’, as in the quotation above.
There’s one major problem with that. It isn’t what ‘hone’ means.
To hone
‘To hone’ is to refine to smoothness, as in:
He honed the knife blade to ensure a smooth cut.
Honing doesn’t involve sharpening a point; honing smooths the flat surface of the metal to sharpen and enhance the cutting power of the edge of the blade.
Most of us would be familiar with the expression ‘honing your skills’. That makes perfect sense. You smooth and sharpen your advantages to ‘give you the edge’.
I can’t see how the image could work as a replacement for ‘homing in on’ something. It totally misses the point.
Percentages: Do The Maths
These exchanges probably sound very familiar :
Sam: Are you sure you want to go?
Jo: Yep. Totally... 110%
Mal: Is this a really committed relationship?
Toni: Absolutely... 5,000%
A mathematical impossibility – in both cases.
It’s also a valid language concern.
Follow the link to read more.
Public Speaking … Who, Me?
Public speaking is a massive challenge. For many people, it’s the single most difficult and most terrifying thing they are ever asked to do.
You might be preparing for a business presentation or a tough job interview. Even worse, perhaps, you have to make a speech. You have to speak to a group and it’s something you just can’t get out of. So how will you deal with it?
Follow the link for some useful tips on Matter, Method and Manner.
