Wendy Hollands - Professional writer

25/01/2020

This is the mug for me!
What would yours say?

14/01/2020

Not only the most powerful word in the English language, but one that has simplified learning English for both native speakers and non-native speakers.

The most commonly-used word in English might only have three letters – but it packs a punch.

04/11/2019

Cambridge Dictionary has released its word of the year — upcycling. It's not a new word, nor concept, but it's made it to the top regardless. Here's why:

https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2019/11/04/cambridge-dictionarys-word-of-the-year-2019/

Our Word of the Year 2019 is . . . upcycling. This word was chosen based on the Word of the Day that resonated most strongly with fans on the Cambridge Dictionary Instagram account, …

07/09/2019

At least French rarely has alternative regional spellings, unlike English:
• colour/color;
• customise/customize;
• programme/program;
• catalogue/catalog;
• centre/center;..and plenty of others.

Spelling of the word 'colour' in the United States (2014)

22/08/2019

Predictive text is everywhere — in Gmail, mobile phones and many other systems — and it's changing our habits.



http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190812-how-ai-powered-predictive-text-affects-your-brain

Artificial intelligence can now predict what we want to type, making it quicker write messages to friends, colleagues and family, but do we risk losing something in the process?

19/08/2019

It burns my eyes.

https://www.lefrancophoney.com/do-not-stair/

Places driven by tourism invest in translations for guides and pamphlets, yet their efforts can be shot down with one very visible sign that makes no sense — like the one shown here.

19/08/2019

08/06/2019

English words can be as tough as some French words.

27/02/2019

All in a day's work.

Afghan walking is described as a nomadic style of walking touted as ‘meditative walking’ with certain similarities to some yoga techniques. Not all experiences are the same!

30/01/2019

I find the alphabet is truly fascinating. Is it just me?

Matt Baker of Useful Charts creates helpful visual guides that condense hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of years of history into streamlined flowcharts. His poster Evolution of the Alphabet looks at nearly 3,800 years of the alphabet's evolution, tracing it from Egyptian hieroglyphs (c. 1750 BCE)

10/10/2018

I'm in my hometown of Melbourne at the moment, and enjoying the Victoria State Library, where an exhibition on the history of books is about to start. Printing presses, ancient books made of stone, and much more!

https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/explore-collections-theme/history-book

!

29/06/2018

One of my clients did a talk last night about machine learning (a form of artificial intelligence). I'm not sure if the challenge for me was in the technical concepts or the fact that it was all in French!

“Top night last night opening the doors to during an artificial intelligence conference at . Were you there? Get in touch if you'd like the slides. ”

16/06/2018

The Great Saint Bernard pass (where the dogs come from) is snowy this year. It opened in early June and the roadside snow is already collapsing in places. If you live nearby, now is the time to visit!

05/06/2018

There, their, they're. It all becomes crystal clear.
https://wokesloth.com/clever-illustrations-of-the-same-words/lindsey/

Learn the difference between "There," "Their," and "They're," PEOPLE.

01/06/2018

Do you speak a second language? If so, you have some work advantages you might not have realised.

Working in another language can be awkward and challenging, but it has a surprising number of positive side effects.

15/04/2018

One of the things that drew me to technical writing was learning new scientific information. I don't get to write about the moon, but this video is the perfect example of how visual prompts can make learning so much clearer. Interesting and beautiful too. https://youtu.be/nr5Pj6GQL2o

Take a virtual tour of the Moon in all-new 4K resolution, thanks to data provided by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. As the visualization mov...

26/03/2018

Very happy to have helped relaunch the DuckStore Productions cycling tours website. I worked on the words and the rest of the team worked on the awesome photos (and now I want to go on a cycling tour!)

http://duckstore-productions.com

We offer unique cycling experiences in France, Italy and the USA. Client delight is our passion, and the only success metric that matters to us.

23/03/2018

I made a joke in a dream this week and it was hilariously funny — in my dream. I'm pretty sure I'd be let down if my dream had been recorded and played back to me. Yet many say their best ideas arrive in dreams.

Would you want to relive your dreams if science gives you the chance?


http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2018/03/21/recording-dreams-scientists/

We spend roughly one-third of our lives sleeping, in a dream. What if we could watch those dreams in the morning, or share them with friends?

18/03/2018

It was lovely to finally ski with Kate from MadDogSki yesterday, after writing for her for many years! Fresh snow, lunch thanks to Skiweekender, and an evening watching a freestyle event in town.

09/03/2018

It's always nice when one of my articles makes it into a newsletter that lands in my inbox. Thanks MadDogSki and Les 2 Alpes for the opportunity to see the Mad Snow Race!

maddogski.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/7111326199DE23EA2540EF23F30FEDED

16/02/2018

A comma is an expensive thing — when it isn't used. Where do you stand on the Oxford comma (the comma before 'and' in a list of items, for example)?

And state lawmakers have dispensed with commas altogether in the relevant provision of the law.

20/01/2018

One of the benefits about being a writer is the 'research'. On assignment for MadDogSki in Les 2 Alpes.

30/12/2017

Tartiflette (pronounced "tar-ty-flet") has no English translation. If you want to taste it, do what the French do - Google the recipe. Here it is in English (along with the dish's history) if you want to try making it.

Tartiflette has been listed as Google's top recipe search for France. So what is tartiflette and is the rest of the world going to jump on the bandwagon?

13/12/2017

Are you really choosing your dishes?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20171120-the-secret-tricks-hidden-inside-restaurant-menus

Great thought and effort go into creating restaurant menus – and there are some very powerful psychological tricks employed to make you choose.

12/12/2017

Number 13 is my guilty accident.

New research has revealed the 30 most commonly misused phrases in the UK. Known as eggcorns, the bizarre phrases often carry entirely different – and often hilariously nonsensical – meanings. Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care surveyed 2,000 British adults and found that 35 per cent of them used ...

07/12/2017

One of the most satisfying aspects of translation is fixing those major word differences, like this one. No, it's not air freshener after your friend has overindulged in the local sausage. "Fart" in French means "ski wax".
My client, SnowUniverse.com, takes their English site seriously enough to ensure their text is translated by an expert in English to avoid things like accidentally spraying ski wax on your smelly friend!

01/12/2017

Wait for owner to place a loose curl of paper on tail. Attack tail. Repeat.

This is George, 'the outdoor cat' enjoying my couch.

21/11/2017

Interesting! Do you use these texting standards without realising?

Emoticons, irregular spellings and exclamation points in text messages aren't sloppy or a sign that written language is going down the tubes—these "textisms" help convey meaning and intent in the absence of spoken conversation, according to newly published research from Binghamton University, State…

18/11/2017

Just some new lambs bouncing in the snow here in the French Alps.

12/11/2017

Creepy or fascinating?