Questions for a Language Ninja: Holiday Grab-Bag

Welcome once again to Language Ninja’s Q & A, where the Ninj answers burning grammatical and common usage questions. This week, we bring you a Holiday Grab-Bag of grammatical gaffes. Let’s get started!

Q: What is the difference between the terms ensure and insure? Don’t they essentially mean the same thing?

A: Eh… sort of. Not really.

Basically, the verb to ensure means to make sure/certain of. The verb to insure, on the other hand, means to provide protection against some kind of difficulty. These two definitions may seem kind of similar, but when you consider that insure is used only within the context of easing a financial or personal burden, while ensure carries no such specific good/bad implication, the distinction becomes clearer. By oiling the springs on her homemade spike traps, Gladys ensures the projectiles will easily pierce through the hearts of her victims. 

So, to sum up: you insure your home so as to ensure your financial security in the event your house is struck by a rogue bolt of lightning or a stampeding hoard of rodeo clowns.

"See what The Ninj did there?"

“See what The Ninj did there?”

Q: Why do I hear the suffix “-ness” when there doesn’t need to be the suffix “-ness?”

A: Fashion… probably. Attempt at humor… occasionally. Brain tumor… conceivably.

The “-ness” one attaches to root adjectives is meant to convert that adjective into a noun denoting a quality or state of being. For some reason, it seems to have become de rigueur to slap yards of suffixes on helpless, defenseless adjectives. Using suffixes to stretch root words to abnormal lengths gives writing an ostentatiousness that is never truly needed. Ha! See what the Ninj did there?

Yes, Language Ninja has heard that as well. It is mildly irritating when it is done unnecessarily, since it only adds a superfluous syllable and compromises efficiency and rhythm. Now, certain adjectives do require the suffix to indicate a state of being or a quality. For example, blind, good, weak, and sad are all legitimate foundations – or root words – for the “-ness” suffix. However, unbeknownst to some speakers and writers, many adjectives actually have corresponding abstract nouns. For example:

Glamorousness – Glamour

Beauteousness – Beauty

Meritedness – Merit

Skillfulness – Skill

Ostentatiousness – Ostentation

Now, all of the above suffix-laden terms are generally considered legitimate noun variations, but they are nonetheless one-to-two syllables over weight, in the Ninja’s opinion. Keep it simple, sweetie, it makes for easy readin’.

Q: Can “fun” be legitimately used as an adjective? Isn’t it a noun?

A: This is one example of the evolution of language that so many struggle against, for some reason. Yes, “fun” was born a noun. After several hundred years of use, it seems to have grown the opposable thumbs of an adjective. All of us pedants must try to survive.

Fun is classified as being an informal adjective, meaning that it is appropriate conversationally or within the parameters of certain stylebooks/guidelines, but its primary function is that of a noun. It is perfectly common to hear: “That was so fun!” “She’s a fun girl,” etc. Of course, if you hear someone say, “That trip to Wal-Mart was so fun,” then the lack of appreciation for the rules of grammar is the least of that person’s problems.

That about wraps up this latest edition of Chattin’ with the Language Ninja. Motto: Always striving to insure knowledgeableness and fun-ness. Just kidding! Ninj out.


Holly Troupe is a professional web content writer and an amateur everything else. She spends her days writing, eating, and looking for ways to incorporate the term “perfidy” into the urban vernacular.