Most often the word “traditional” is used when “conventional” is the proper word. In fact, the confusion of the words “conventional” and “traditional, and their subsequent misuse is so common that it wouldn't occur to most people to check a dictionary. Here are their meanings:

TRADITIONAL: the handing down of customs, beliefs, statements from generation to generation

CONVENTIONAL: conforming to accepted standards, common, ordinary rather than different or original

As you see, the two words are very different in meaning, and cannot be interchanged.

RAPPORT and REPORT have become hopelessly muddled.

REPORT is generally pronounced and used correctly. It is an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation, inquiry or mathematical figures. It is pronounced ree-PORT.

However, RAPPORT is now frequently pronounced half-way between the two words! What I’m hearing more and more often is ree-POR. Wrong!

RAPPORT is a French word, and is usually given an Anglicized French pronunciation, which means that we say the “R” the way we’d say it in “run”--your everyday American “R”. (The French have a back-in-the-throat “R” sound which is difficult for most English speakers, and we do not need to try to duplicate it.) Here in America it is pronounced rah-POOR. The “T” is silent.

Fortunately, it is only the pronunciation which is amiss. People usually use the word correctly--to mean a harmonious or sympathetic relationship or connection between people.

Favorite utterances for those people who have a strong opinion on a subject are as follows: As a matter of fact…” “In point of fact…” “The truth is…” “The fact is…” “The truth of the matter is…” Before you use these hackneyed phrases, you might consider that “truth” and “fact” are seldom that. Far more often, they are simply opinion. These phrases add unnecessary verbiage without adding substance, and they weaken rather than strengthen your point.

Favorite Little Verbosities:

“At this point in time…” Better: “At this point…” or “At this time…”

“On a daily basis…” Better: “every day”; “daily”; or that good old unambiguous word—NOW!

“Well, I mean you know” This is a meaningless phrase. Please weed it out of your language. “I mean” You mean what? If you mean something, say it! “you know” What am I supposed to know? Tell me!

Remember, Sydney J. Harris, journalist (1917-86) said, “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

Let your message shine with the clarity of sunlight!

Carole McMichaels
http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com