Caryn Gootkin’s alter ego, the Pedantic Player, advises the greedy and gullible to watch out for email scammers with their too-good-to-be true messages. If you’re anything like Caryn or me, each morning your inbox contains more scam than legitimate messages. Swearing under your breath doesn’t help. Getting angry negatively affects your stress and blood pressure […] Read more
When the editor sent Caryn Gootkin a copy of the sports minister’s 25 January statement about Bafana Bafana, a plain language column practically wrote itself. Regular readers of this column will know that I am a plain language pedant. As such, I often give tips on how to write clearly and point out examples of […] Read more
Caryn Gootkin has recently encountered several reminders of the publication restrictions placed on South Africans over the years. She discusses the tyranny of censorship and satire as a valid form of political commentary, before making a shameless punt for the Big Issue. A while ago I read Patrick Flanery’s Absolution, a novel that characterises our […] Read more
Nathi Mthethwa: a big cop-out? A follow-up letter from the Pedantic Player to the Minister of Safety and Security. Undeterred by Nathi’s failure to reply to her previous letter, Caryn Gootkin’s alter ego, the Pedantic Player, challenges him about who bears the responsbility for fighting crime in South Africa. Dear Nathi You didn’t reply to my […] Read more
Caryn Gootkin marks International Plain Language Day (IPLD – 13 October) with some tips on how to put life back into your writing. Many people think plain language involves little more than using simpler words in shorter sentences. But, this is only one aspect of the style of writing the plain language movement advocates. Also, […] Read more
Caryn Gootkin is dealing with the aftermath of a burglary at her home. She is so preoccupied with security consultants and police investigations that she didn’t notice that her alter ego, the Pedantic Player, had written and submitted this column. Dear Minister Mthethwa I hope you don’t mind if I address you as Nathi. I […] Read more
