Member-only story
The Orphan (Clause) and the Ante(cedent) 1
A fairy tale for grammar geeks and other social misfits
Someone who knows me well dared me to come out to the world and reveal what a closet grammar geek I am. Usually, I’m careful to ensure that my interest in the English language passes as “normal.” I taught English and ghostwrote for business executives. Doesn’t sound too terribly nerdy, does it? Few people I worked for knew that when it came to grammar, I was the original grammar geek.
However, one CFO I worked with recognized my inner geek almost immediately. He was as much a nerd about numbers as I was about grammar, and he could sniff out another perfectionist in five minutes. His mouth would form a small smile when I’d use “whom” or “lay” correctly in executive staff meetings.
For my birthday one year, he outed me. He got me a T-shirt that had these words written across the chest:
Does anal-retentive have a hyphen?
(See the answer to this question at the very end.)
Addiction to grammar
My addiction to all things grammar related was caused in part by teaching college students grammar, punctuation, writing, and public speaking early in my career — for seven years straight, 48 weeks a year, six to eight hours a day.
