Tween a rock and a hard place

Nine-year-old Noah Cyrus? Had anyone actually heard of her until a tidal wave of righteous indignation engulfed the recent launch of her clothing range?
Miley Cyrus’ (of Hannah Montana fame) kid sister and her parents allegedly signalled clear clothing line intent at a Halloween party last year when Noah appeared decked out in a black lace-up [...]

Writing in clear English: top ten tips

Want to write clearly, right from the start? Then you need to plan, write and edit in equal measure. Here are Clear Ink’s top tips for getting your message across.  www.clearink.ie
Writing and speaking are tools for communicating a message. That’s it. Yet so many things – jargon, legalese, academic-speak, overly formal or informal language, too [...]

Tainted language

Old fashioned legalese isn¹t just frustrating to read, it can also lead to some pretty serious misgivings on the part of the people it is meant to serve. Surely it¹s time plain English made its way into our legal and
political system.

Frustrated customer speaks out

Dear Strong Language,
No one understands me! What can I do? I’m a good customer, really I am, but sometimes when my bank, solicitor and other service providers contact me, I feel like they’re talking another language.
My post-box is jammed with letters that say things like: “I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 1, 2008. [...]

Welfare as tragi-farce

Friday, July 13, 2007

Scene: A social welfare office in Ballythisis- progress. Ten staffed customer-service hatches line the far wall. The first person in the queue, a very nervous, bald, middle-aged man, looks down at his wet, scuffed shoes.

Behind a shiny glass partition, two Government ministers sit back-to-back to ensure a full view of the cash [...]

‘Generation Text’ and the skills gap

The Irish Times Business This Week, May 4th 2007
Businesses have identified a significant deficit among employees and are struggling to remedy it, writes Margaret E.Ward
Bertie is trying to tell me something. Every time I walk along a street or drive my car, his gaze follows me from those election posters. At home, Bertie the Bus [...]

Paying for jargon

If you remember the first time you received pocket money, or had a warm coin pressed into your palm by a relative, you’ll remember the thrill of spending it, writes Margaret E. WardIf, like me, you blew it all on sweets down the corner shop, you may also remember the tummy ache that followed. That [...]

Paying for jargon

If you remember the first time you received pocket money, or had a warm coin pressed into your palm by a relative, you’ll remember the thrill of spending it.