11 Delectable Holiday Words to Celebrate LitMas Eve

Merry LitMas Eve!

If you recall, LitMas is our made-up bookish holiday to celebrate all things nerdy and word-related before the holidays. So far, we’ve given you everything from winter quotes to Christmas grammar fails, and we’ve loved every minute of it. Although we’re sad to see this nerdy holiday season come to a close, our penultimate gift will be sweet. Literally.

Because we know food is a large part of any holiday, we’ve collected some of our favorite holiday food words. As you read through this list, try to imagine a food that you could describe with each word. Or, if you’d like an extra challenge, try complimenting (or critiquing) your neighbor’s cookies, your coworker’s pie, or your mom’s Christmas dinner with these words!

1 Toothsome, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Temptingly tasty.

2 Flaky, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Easy to break into pieces.

3 Saccharine, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Sickly sweet.

4 Piquant, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Having a pleasantly spicy taste or appetizing flavor.

5 Verdant, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Lush with green foliage.

6 Treacly, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Having traits of molasses (treacle).

7 Acerbic, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Sour, bitter, or sharp.

8 Ambrosial, n.

via GIPHY

Definition: Tasty enough to be served to the gods.

9 Rich, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Full of flavor, sweetness, or fat.

10 Edulcorate, v.

via GIPHY

To make something more palatable.

11 Sapid, adj.

via GIPHY

Definition: Having a strong, great taste.

Did we miss one of your tasty Christmas word favorites? Tweet your favorites with #LitMas.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs—What’s the Difference?

A verb can be described as transitive or intransitive based on whether it requires an object to express a complete thought or not. A transitive verb is one that only makes sense if it exerts its action on an object. An intransitive verb will make sense without one. Some verbs may be used both ways.

The word transitive often makes people think of transit, which leads to the mistaken assumption that the terms transitive and intransitive are just fancy ways of describing action and nonaction. But these terms have nothing to do with whether a verb is active or not. A better word to associate when you see transitive is transfer. A transitive verb needs to transfer its action to something or someone—an object. In essence, transitive means “to affect something else.”

Once you have this concept committed to memory, spotting the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs is quite easy.

How to Identify a Transitive Verb

Transitive verbs are not just verbs that can take an object; they demand objects. Without an object to affect, the sentence that a transitive verb inhabits will not seem complete.

Please bring coffee.

In this sentence, the verb bring is transitive; its object is coffee, the thing that is being brought. Without an object of some kind, this verb cannot function.

Please bring.

Bring what, or who? The question begs itself because the meaning of bring demands it.

Here are some more examples of transitive verbs and their objects.

The girls carry water to their village.

Juan threw the ball.

Could you phone the neighbors?

I caught a cold.

She loves rainbows.

Lila conveyed the message.

Each of the verbs in these sentences have objects that complete the verbs’ actions. If the objects were taken out, the results would be illogical and questions would be raised in the mind of the reader; for example, Lila conveyed. Conveyed what?

How to Identify an Intransitive Verb

An intransitive verb is the opposite of a transitive verb: it does not require an object to act upon.

They jumped.

The dog ran.

She sang.

A light was shining.

None of these verbs require an object for the sentence to make sense, and all of them can end a sentence. Some imperative forms of verbs can even make comprehensible one-word sentences.

Run!

Sing!

A number of English verbs can only be intransitive; that is, they will never make sense paired with an object. Two examples of intransitive-only verbs are arrive and die. You can’t arrive something, and you certainly can’t die something; it is impossible for an object to follow these verbs.

Transitive or Intransitive? Some Verbs Can Be Both

Many verbs can be classified as both transitive and intransitive depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Urged by the others, she sang.

She sang the national anthem at the hockey game.

After he cleaned up, he left.

He left the gift on the table.

To decide whether the verb is being used transitively or intransitively, all you need to do is determine whether the verb has an object. Does she sing something? Does he leave something? The verb is only transitive when the answer is yes.

When in doubt, look it up. In the dictionary, verbs will be listed as transitive, intransitive, or both right under the pronunciation key, and any possible differences in meaning between the two uses will be given as well.

Phrasal Verbs and Transitivity

Phrasal verbs can also be classified as transitive or intransitive.

Cindy has decided to give up sweets while she diets.

I hope Cindy doesn’t give up.

Give up is just one of many phrasal verbs that can be transitive or intransitive. Whether give up has an object or not will alter the meaning it conveys. The first sense of give up means “to forgo something,” whereas the second sense means “to stop trying.”

If we refuse to learn about transitivity, the Grammar Police will blow up our building.

When the Grammar Police confronted her about her verbs, she blew up.

The first sense of to blow up means to explode, whereas the second sense means “to express rage.”

Transitive or intransitive is just one of the many classifications a verb can have. Perhaps you will be inspired to read about more about the fascinating qualities of verbs.

Laying vs. Lying (Lay vs. Lie)–What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between lay and lie?

You lie down, but you lay something down. Lie does not require a direct object. Lay requires a direct object. The same rule applies to laying and lying (not lieing—beware of spelling). The past tense of lay is laid, but be careful with the past tense of lie—there are two options. We’ll dive into them later.

When to Use Lay

To lay is to set (or otherwise place) something in a resting position. Here are a few examples of lay in a sentence.

I don’t like to lay my purse on the floor.

The dogs always lay their toys next to their water bowls.

How to Use Lie

A lie is an untruth. However, it’s the verb form of lie that people find difficult to distinguish from lay. The verb lie means to tell a falsehood. Here’s an example of lie in a sentence:

Sometimes children lie to get out of trouble.

If to tell an untruth were the only meaning of lie, using these two words properly would be less of a challenge. However, lie can also mean to recline or to rest in a flat position. Notice this example:

The fat cat likes to lie in the sun.

How to Remember the Difference between Lay and Lie

(pLAce) and (recLIne)

This mnemonic should help you remember that lay, which begins with the letters L-A, has a long A sound like its definition: to place. On the other hand, lie, which starts with the letters L-I, has a long I sound like its definition: to recline.

How Should I Use Lay vs. Lie?

Knowing what the words mean doesn’t mean you necessarily know how to use lay and lie. Again, here are a few rules to help you. In the present tense, you often use a direct object with lay. However, lie can’t take a direct object. Look back at the examples again to see these rules in play.

There’s still one more thing you need to know. When you are talking about reclining, the past tense of lie is lay! Here’s an example.

Yesterday, he lay down to sleep at ten o’clock. Tonight, he won’t lie down until midnight.[/example]

Laying Vs. Lying

Beware of spelling! The present participle of lie is not lieing. The I becomes a Y: lying. Here is a mnemonic from the website Primility to help you tell laying and lying apart:

“If you tell an untruth it is a lie, not a lay; and if you are in the process of telling an untruth you are lying and not laying.”

The delivery boy took pleasure in gingerly laying each newspaper on the stoop.

I can always tell when my friend is lying because she bites her lip.

I spend rainy days lying on my couch.

Don’t leave dirty clothes lying around the house.

The past tense of lie (as in, to tell an untruth) is lied. As you can see, the past tense of lie is lay, but the past tense of lay is laid, which is a recipe for confusion! To remember that laid (as opposed to lain) is the past tense of lay, just memorize this phrase:

Use a D when there is a direct object. Because you need a direct object only with lay, you will know that the past tense is laid.

Examples

I would like to lie next to him in the dark and watch him breathe and watch him sleep and wonder what he’s dreaming about and not get an inferiority complex if the dreams aren’t about me.

Rachel Cohn, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits.

George Orwell, Animal Farm

Did the examples help you figure out the difference between lay and lie? If you have mastered this commonly confused pair, try your hand at loose vs. lose and entitled vs. titled.

Typos: Should You Forgive or Forget?

Typos–we all hate them–but are some typos more unforgivable than others? That depends largely on what you are writing and for what audience. Below are several typo scenarios ranging from green light (no problem, speed on ahead) to yellow (caution) to red light (zero, and I do mean zero, typos allowed). A good general rule of thumb is the wider the audience and more formal the setting, the less “allowable” the typos.

First draft/stream of consciousness phase of creative writing: Few things shut down the creative impulse more quickly than trying to correct as you go. Writing and editing are two different processes so let those fingers fly when the muse comes calling. Backspacing to fix typographical errors puts the brakes on inspiration as your inner critic takes the wheel. Move in one direction–forward. Do give a quick glance back at the end of your creative spurt to add in words that your fingers skipped the first time but that may be essential to making sense of your work later. Then, set the work aside and come back after a day or so to refine and polish.

Text messages: We are all “all thumbs” when it comes to text messaging. Typos and odd auto-corrects are acceptable, particularly when the recipient is your BFF or SO. As long as the message’s core meaning–such as what time the movie starts or which dinner ingredients need to be picked up on the way home–is understandable, it’s all good. Even the most OCD of grammar mavens typically do not sweat a transposed letter pair or an absent apostrophe in such instant communications.

Message boards: Many of us frequent Internet message boards and frequently see typos. However, there are message boards, and then there are message boards. Making a few typos in a long-winded commentary to fellow racing fans about what Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Daytona 500 victory means for Junior Nation is understandable. However, what if you are a student in an online college course? You do not have to be perfect, but it is strongly encouraged that you practice professional communication skills when posting to a more “official” board. Now suppose you are on staff at the National Institutes of Health. You are answering a question that a member of the public has posted about N1H3 and you keep calling it N1H5. The reader will get confused, and you will lose credibility, at least on the board, as a public health authority.

Anything scheduled for publication: Any writing that you plan to publish should always be carefully reviewed, preferably by at least two proficient proofreaders. A company’s quarterly report, for instance, will likely be thoroughly read by shareholders. Any errors in wording, or worse, numbers, can cause shareholders to lose confidence in the company. Published fiction, whether it is an e-book or “dead tree” edition, should have zero typographical errors. Readers want to immerse themselves in your imaginary world. They find typos to be jarring. It disrupts their enjoyment by pulling their focus out of your story and to the mere mechanics of the written text.

Presentations: Perhaps the most glaring type of typo is the one that sneaks into a key bullet point on a slide show presentation. This is especially true if you are presenting a sales pitch to a potential client or you are an expert in your field trying to convince an audience to take your side on a particular issue. Such a typo not only distracts the audience from your message, but it tells your audience that you are sloppy and ill-prepared.

To sum up, weed out all typographical errors in your formal and set-to-publish manuscript with extreme prejudice. Know, however, that typos are accepted in the messy process of creativity as well as within instant, informal communication.

5 Best Children’s Books of All Time

Every child grows up with a certain book that resonates with him or her, but there are some books that have a reached a level of such popularity that they become staples in the childhoods of people everywhere. Reading is an important experience as a kid; it fuels the imagination and implants moral suggestions for how to deal with the world from a young age. That makes children’s books powerfully suggestive and entirely important in the life of a child.

Take a look at this list of some of the all-time best children’s books and reminisce about some of your old favorites.

Charlotte’s Web

Readers cherished E.B White for his elegant style and the beautiful creations of different, interesting characters that mirrored real themes of life without frightening away children. Charlotte’s Web is about an altruistic spider that befriends a pig and saves his life through the friendship. This book tip-toes around the themes of mortality without being overtly terrifying or too complex for a child to understand. Those are just a couple reasons why Charlotte’s Web remains one of the greatest children’s books of all time.

The Giving Tree

The works of Shel Silverstein are commonly a child’s introduction to poetry. Silverstein’s poetry is captivating and real. His illustrations are realistic and detailed, yet they maintain a playfully animated style that keeps them fun and engaging. The Giving Tree is about a tree that gives a child everything it has until that child is a man and the tree is no longer a tree. The themes in this children’s book stretch from the simple — like kindness — to the more complex — like man’s relation to nature — making it an excellent choice for any child.

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

It’s safe to say that there is no way that any essential list of children’s books would be complete without at least one Dr. Seuss creation. In fact, it’s quite a difficult task to choose just one out of the impressive body of work Mr. Geisel put out in his lifetime. Oh, the Places You’ll Go is a heartfelt, inspirational story that reinforces for children the concept of limitless human potential. It’s hard to read this book and not feel that anything is possible.

The Giver

The science-fiction novel by Lois Lowry paints a dystopian image that removes emotion, free will, and all sense of empathy from the human equation in order to show how important these virtues are in life. It implores children to hold onto emotions and to remember the importance of history. The themes in the book encourage children to embrace and appreciate life.

Where the Wild Things Are

There are many ways to try to Where the Wild Things Are; however, perhaps the best way to think of it is as a traditional coming-of-age narrative that flips everything on its ear. This monstrous, imaginative adventure takes an excellent look at the anger of a child and puts a unique perspective on it. This book has been significant in the lives of children worldwide for many years, and based on the craftmanship of the book, it will likely remain so for many years to come.

Stories will always be important in the lives of people because they grant a point of reference that’s outside of our day-to-day situations; they essentially test-drive the emotions and morality of children in a safe but significant way. Plus, they offer thrills beyond the ordinary.

What special books do you fondly remember from your childhood?