Search
Home | Healthy | Wealthy | Wise | Products | Newsletters | About Us| Contact

The Language Perfectionist: Tortuous, Torturous, Tortious

By Don Hauptman

Recently, I read an article in The New York Times about a law firm that sent a warning letter to the media about its client, an overexposed Hollywood celebrity. The report quoted the firm’s accusation of "tortuous impersonation."

Shouldn’t the education of highly paid lawyers include spelling lessons? The word these attorneys wanted is tortious.

Coincidentally, on the same day, a brief item appeared in The Wall Street Journal, adapted from its online law blog. The chairman of a huge law firm cautioned his young employees not to submit documents that contain typos or grammatical mistakes.

Here are some helpful definitions:

  • The word tortuous means winding, twisting, or convoluted, like a road.
  • The word torturous means causing pain or suffering.
  • The word tortious (pronounced "TOR-shuss") means relating to a civil wrong – that is, a tort.

How confounding is all this? My Microsoft Word Auto-Correct function just "corrected" tortious to tortuous.

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book forthcoming from AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into critiquing, consulting, training, and speaking.]

Similar Articles:

VN:F [1.6.9_936]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.6.9_936]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Sign up for our free newsletter!


:   Address:



Leave a Reply


Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

OVER 450,000 Subscribers Have!

:

Address:


What's Hot Now!


Become the Next Depression Millionaire
The only condition we ask when using the "Multiplier Effect" is that you limit your profits to $10,000 a week. We don't want the "good old boys" to get wise and change the rules again.




Making Money Online Is Not Complicated
Most Internet marketing programs sound exciting at first. But soon you are totally confused and/or overwhelmed with complex terms and strategies. But the best way to make money online is actually the simplest. People predominantly use the Internet to check their email. And you can leverage that fact to make as much as $250 per day.

Testimonials

There’s something for everyone.

ETR is a superlative and unique offering on my computer during the week. It simply has no peer at what it sets out to do. There’s something for everyone. I’ve gained wisdom, knowledge, background information, understanding, and, not the least, some badly needed business acumen.

"Your writers and contributors represent the best in their varied disciplines. Stay with it."

Richard K.



Home | Healthy Living | Wealth Creation | Success Secrets | Products | About Us | Useful Links | Contact Us | Past Issues
Meet the Experts | Meet the Staff | Speak Out Forum | Success Books | Success Stories| Vocabulary Words
Partner With Us | Join the Team | RSS | Site Map

Republish ETR's Powerful Content On Your Website Or Blog Without Charge!
Get the no-hassle details, today!

Early To Rise 245 NE 4th Ave., Suite 201, Delray Beach, FL 33483 | Phone 800-718-2269 or visit our help desk.

Content Disclaimer | Whitelist Information | Resources | RSS News Feed | Press Releases

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy.

©Copyright ETR, LLC, 2001-2009