Rightly Referring the Reference

I was asked to assist our HR / IR Department with a Management Training Workshop sort of something that they're currently hosting. The 'workshop' (and I use that term lightly) essentially comprises several 2 hour sessions with various groups of senior staff, based on a bestselling management book that our GM believes will revolutionize management systems within the company i suppose. The selected supervisors, managers et al were asked to read the book and prepare a report, which they were required to present at their scheduled session.

Now for the real point of this post. I am not going to criticize their presentation skills because I know all to well that it is not one that many possess; however I don't think it dawned on me before these sessions just how much I detest the phrase 'refer back'! *blank stare*

You would not believe how many times I heard that phrase in ONE session! "If you refer back...So we can refer back...refer back...refer back...refer back." Aaaaaaaahhh!!! And get this, I had two sessions that day, two sessions yesterday, and the two sessions carded for today...merged into one glorious, possibly 4-hour sitting of 'refer back'. If I go to jail, will you come visit me? No? Ah well...

Now my problem with this phrase, apart from the fact that 'it jes doh song nice,' is that it's one of those redundant things that people bandy about without concern or question! It falls, for me, in the same category as 'comprise of,' 'irregardless,' 'revert back,' 'reverse back' (*sings* doh back back on me, doh back back on me...err, sorry, I digress.) So you see my point...right? Yes? Please? Ok. 

Either way, I plead with you: please, please think about the Grammar (and the Grammar-conscious folks who may be present)  the next time you are tempted to 'refer back' to something. It would be greatly appreciated by the slightly OCD sticklers worldwide.

Referring back to you,

Stickler in Stilettos

Making a comeback? Maybe?

SO, since my first foray into blogging flopped miserably after a glorious first and only post, I've garnered some inspiration from a couple friends and fellow bloggers (http://whattntwomenwant.blogspot.com/, http://ckatied.blogspot.com/ and http://cometastethis.blogspot.com/) and decided to take another go at it. 


I'm currently at the office and have a project that is past it's deadline (a usual thing with me - but it seems I work best under pressure...hmm) so I don't particularly have time for a 'real' post this morning. However, I said to myself, (or maybe self said to me, the line's becoming a tad blurry lately) "self, this is why you never got past your first post - you're a terrible procrastinator. You need to do it now...if even it's a small tidbit, it's 'something' to keep your blog from the depths of the 'graveyard of poor, neglected blogs' <--- said in dramatic 'voice-over' voice.


So alas, this is my 'something', (my first after about a year or so? *sigh*) to attempt the salvation of my, though neglected, much beloved concept.


See the following post for something actually 'English-type' and related to 'The Stickler Blog' concept. 


Yours in English,
Stickler in Stilettos