They Got “Comprise” Backwards

These folks certainly aren’t dummies, but they’re guilty of a pretentiousism, using a fancier word than necessary, and in this case, the word is also incorrect. First the sentence:

Each of those 200-odd collisions generated enough energy to make two charm-flavored quarks, which weigh more than the lightweight quarks that comprise protons, but less than the gigantic “beauty” quarks that are LHCb’s main quarry..

https://www.quantamagazine.org/impossible-particle-discovery-adds-key-piece-to-the-strong-force-puzzle-20210927

• The sentence should have “compose,” which starts with the parts that then make a whole thing. They could even have said “…that make protons.”
• “Comprise” starts with the whole thing, then mentions its parts. The early United States comprised 13 colonies.

At least they didn’t write “comprised of.” Gack.

Here’s a picture that goes with the article:

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English is rather inconsistent when it comes to idioms. Last two panels.

I admit, this is an old joke. The correct answer, though, is to be consistent by saying just “tuna sandwich.”

Here’s the comic. Panel 1:

Using adjectives to modify verbs is common, so I didn’t notice this until a commenter pointed it out. She should have said “…heal more slowly.” After all, she teaches English.

Um, same mistake in panel 3.

One of my cardinal rules in writing is to be clear. Among many other things, this means to be careful about the order you list things. Look at the second sentence in this passage:

After all, it would be foolhardy and probably dangerous to make repairs to your car while driving it. That’s why you stop the motor and take it to a mechanic.

https://aeon.co/essays/a-quantitative-theory-unlocks-the-mysteries-of-why-we-sleep

How would you get it to the mechanic after you stop the motor? How about writing “take it to a mechanic and stop the motor”? Or maybe “…stop the motor after you take it to the mechanic.”

The quote in the essay is perfectly grammatical, but putting the items in order removes a touch of ambiguity. You don’t have to count on the reader figuring out what you meant.

(You know the joke about the heart surgeon telling the mechanic that he repairs his engines while they are still going, right?)

Use “if” when you set a condition for something; use “whether” when you give someone a choice. “Whether” implies “or not.” So when recruiters say “tell me if you’re interested,” you don’t have to reply if you aren’t interested. If they say “Tell me whether you’re interested,” they want you to actually tell them yes or no.

These kids understand this.

‘Nuff said.