Words Nerd

Word Savvy’s wɜːdz nɜːd. Likes words and technology.
We make it easy to tell your best story at work.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Loving the replies where the same abbreviation means different things in different companies ;-) #WriteItOut

[Granite Man 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @GraniteDhuine]

No one tells you when you get a job how many fucking abbreviations you’ll be forced to learn.

[Rob Drummond @RobDrummond]

Come and see @NatalieBraber talk about 'Intangible cultural heritage in the UK: Recognising language as heritage' as part of the @MCRLinguistics seminar series at @ManMetUni on 25th June. The event is hybrid, but it would be great to see people there!
https://t.co/IaOYUyiUzc

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

still working it out...

[Forrest Brazeal @forrestbrazeal]

SQL is undefeated

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Always do 12. #Writing

[George Mack @george__mack]

18 useful razors and rules:

1. Bragging Razor - If someone brags about their success or happiness, assume it’s half what they claim

If someone downplays their success or happiness, assume it’s double what they claim

2. High Agency Razor - If unsure who to work with, pick the person that has the best chances of breaking you out of a 3rd world prison.

3. The Early-Late Razor - If it's a talking point on Reddit, you might be early. If it's a talking point on LinkedIn, you're definitely late.

4. Luck Razor - If stuck with 2 equal options, pick the one that feels like it will produce the most luck later down the line.

I used this razor to go for drinks with a stranger rather than watch Netflix. In hindsight, it was the highest ROI decision I've ever made.

5. Buffett's Law - "The value of every business is 100% subject to government interest rates" - Warren Buffett

6. The 6-Figure Razor - If someone brags about "6 figures" -- assume it's closer to $100K than $900K.

7. Parent Rule - Break down the investments your parents made in you: Time, Love, Energy, and Money.

If they are still alive, aim to hit a positive ROI (or at least break even.)

8. Instagram Razor - When you see a photo of an influencer looking attractive on Instagram -- assume there are 99 worse variations of that photo you haven't seen.

They just picked the best one.

9. Narcissism Razor - If worried about people's opinions, remember they are too busy worrying about other people's opinions of them. 99% of the time you're an extra in someone else's movie

10. Everyday Razor - If you go from doing a task weekly to daily, you achieve 7 years of output in 1 year. If you apply a 1% compound interest each time, you achieve 54 years of output in 1 year.

11. Bezos Razor - If unsure what action to pick, let your 90-year-old self on death bed choose it.

12. Creativity Razor - If struggling to think creatively about a subject, transform it:

• Turn a thought into a written idea.
• A written idea into a drawing.
• A drawing into an equation.
• An equation into a conversation.

In the process of transforming it, you begin to spot new creative connections.

13. The Roman Empire Rule - Historians now recognize the Roman Empire fell in 476 - but it wasn't acknowledged by Roman society until many generations later.

If you wait for the media to inform you, you'll either be wrong or too late.

14. Physics Razor - If it doesn't deny the law of physics, then assume it's possible. Do not confuse society's current lack of knowledge -- with this knowledge being impossible to attain.

E.g. The smartphone seems impossible to someone from the 1800s -- but it was possible, they just had a lack of knowledge.

15. Skinner's Law - If procrastinating, you have 2 ways to solve it:

• Make the pain of inaction > Pain of action
• Make the pleasure of action > Pleasure of inaction

16. Network Razor - If you have 2 quality people that would benefit from an intro to one another, always do it.

Networks don't divide as you share them, they multiply.

17. Gell-Mann Razor - Assume every media article contains a % of false information.

Sandbox the article from your worldview until you've:

• Seen primary sources
• Spoken to 3 domain experts

18. Taleb's Surgeon - If presented with two equal candidates for a role, pick the one with the least amount of charisma.

The uncharismatic one has got there despite their lack of charisma. The charismatic one has got there with the aid of their charisma.

-----

Just turned 30 and these are the non-obvious rules that always produced outsized returns when following them -- and outsized downside when neglecting them.

Taken from my newsletter. Link below.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

LOVE an inspirational library!

[Hari Ramanathan @sandrokottos]

When I win the lottery I’m going to live here.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

This looks like a fantastic opportunity!

[Rob Drummond @RobDrummond]

Come and join a fantastic team of linguists at ⁦@ManMetUni⁩/⁦@MCRLinguistics⁩ as a Research Fellow (Language and Social Justice) - (7488) | Manchester Metropolitan University Careers https://t.co/hOAQ2IE3Za

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

A notice and some vaguely pink things in the #EastEnd

#EverydayWriting #WrittenIdentity #BusinessWriting #WritingCoaching #BusinessWritingForExperts #Savvy #Ideas #Inspiration #StreetArt #StreetWords #Curious

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Inspiration for this (short!) week after a brilliant #EastEnd (long!) weekend. Love these beautifully written invoices/payment slips too.

#EverydayWriting #WrittenIdentity #BusinessWriting #WritingCoaching #BusinessWritingForExperts #Savvy #Ideas #Inspiration #StreetArt #Curious

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Love this life-cycle of a language-related comment!

[Rob Drummond @RobDrummond]

The predictable early life-cycle of a language-related comment. A short thread.

1. the genuine question, from interested scientist @jimalkhalili.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Wise words.
So at this time on a Monday, coffee it is!
#MondayMotivation

[Douglas A. Boneparth @dougboneparth]

Give me coffee to change the things I can and alcohol to accept those I cannot.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Maybe its my inner PR, but what about the title, Dancing Beats Drugs for Depression?

Ah well… Time for the afternoon disco.

[Erik Hoel @erikphoel]

They buried the lede on this new study. It's not that exercise beats out SSRIs for depression treatment, but that *just* dancing has the largest effect of *any treatment* for depression.

That's kind of beautiful.

[Erik Hoel @erikphoel]

They buried the lede on this new study. It's not that exercise beats out SSRIs for depression treatment, but that *just* dancing has the largest effect of *any treatment* for depression.

That's kind of beautiful.

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

@cairbreUK @hectorzenil @algocyte @ComputerWeekly Interesting read!

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Would take any one of those job titles
#spinemanager

[Tom Gauld @tomgauld]

My latest cartoon for @GuardianBooks

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

East End violets, from when the sun was out last week.

#DHLawrence #Spring #Poetry #EastEnd #Savvy #Ideas #MondayMotivation #Inspiration

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Be our valentine? Some pink flowers to celebrate a day of love in all its forms.

#Morisot #Cezanne #Manet #Matisse #Inspiration #PinkFlowers #Pink #Savvy #Valentine

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Spent some time thinking about branding last week. Especially how to develop your brand and retain the original idea. Think Pink Floyd might have nailed it?

#EverydayWriting #WrittenIdentity #Savvy #Ideas #MondayMotivation #Inspiration #Branding #Brand #AlbumCoverDesign #Album

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

@tonythorne007 Oh yes!

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Very interesting piece!
Think business use of ‘front line’ also came from the army, in the First World War? And wasn't much appreciated by those who had actually been on the front line...

[Tony Thorne @tonythorne007]

The animal instinct that drives workers to adopt corporate jargon https://t.co/I6EkAE0ezk via @BBC_Worklife

[Words Nerd @wordsnerd]

Oooh, this looks good!

[Words&Actions @_WordsActions_]

The wait is over: a new episode of Words & Actions has dropped! It's a one-off while we are revising the Language in Business, Language at Work textbook and it is on - textbooks. Here are the show notes: