NewsBlues mrsbgrammar Page 94
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Mrs. Bluezette's Grammar Guide
moot/mute, median/medium
A GM in North Dakota makes a request Mrs. B is glad to fulfill:
"...perhaps you could squeeze in a lesson about `moot' versus
`mute.' I can't believe how often I hear people say, `it is a
MUTE point' (especially inexperienced reporters)!"
Holly Steuart
KFYR-TV
"Moot," as in "moot point," means "irrelevant."
(It used to mean "debatable.")
v
Whether we have a set of keys or key cards is a MOOT point.
But remember, there is NO such thing as a "mute" point.
"Mute" means unwilling or unable to speak.
It's that button on your remote that kills the audio.
And there is no such thing as a "medium" strip on the highway.
The grassy divider between lanes is the MEDIAN (NOT median
"strip").
But the concrete barrier between two roadways is called a MEDIAN
DIVIDER.
A "medium" is a clairvoyant.
v
Mrs. B prides herself on being a MEDIUM.
In her crystal ball she sees a newscast with the most amazing
improvement in usage and grammar.
And that makes Mrs. B very happy.
