The New, Delightful Use of Because

The New, Delightful Use of Because The New, Delightful Use of Because The New, Delightful Use of Because By Maeve Maddox The headline over a recent article (Nov. 19, 2013) by Megan Garber in The Atlantic announces, â€Å"English Has a New Preposition.† The subhead expresses implied approval: Linguists are recognizing the delightful evolution of the word â€Å"because.† Linguists may be recognizing the jocular elliptical use of because as a â€Å"delightful evolution,† but I have my suspicions that grammarians are less than enthusiastic. The word because is used to introduce reasons. As a subordinating conjunction, its job is to join a subordinate adverbial clause to a main clause: Mr. Wilson will not be at the awards ceremony because he has broken his leg. Because the weather is frightful, the annual homecoming parade has been cancelled. The phrase â€Å"because of† introduces a noun phrase or a gerund: Because of the lateness of the hour, we decided not to stop for coffee. Because of running late, we skipped our usual stop at the coffee shop. A previously existing elliptical use of because is often heard in conversation, as in this example from the OED entry: Why didnt you leave the bottle?’ ‘Because!’ I said shortly. I wasnt going to explain my feelings on the matter. Linguists have dubbed the â€Å"new† use of because the â€Å"because noun† or the because+noun.† The most popular speculation about its origin is that it began as a recurring joke on Saturday Night Live. Neal Whitman gives this example from SNL in an article called ‘Because as a Preposition†: If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you’ll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy. SNL fans adopted the joke with such variations as â€Å"If life gives you lemons, keep them, because, hey, free lemons.† Whitman explains the evolution from the â€Å"hey† construction to the â€Å"because noun† construction: Before the â€Å"hey,† we have a regular English sentence. After the â€Å"hey,† we have an extremely condensed and abbreviated thought, represented by just a noun phrase. The humor in the â€Å"free dummy† and â€Å"free lemons† sentences comes from the speaker’s assumption that all he or she needs to say is â€Å"free dummy† or â€Å"free lemons,† and naturally you, the listener can fill in all the rest. A free dummy? Heck, yeah, who wouldn’t want a free dummy? Doesn’t everybody want one?   He points out that in the 2000s, the â€Å"because-hey† construction became popular in Internet memes. Eventually the hey dropped out, leaving only the because. I think that long before the internet intruded into our lives, the â€Å"preposition+noun† construction could be overheard in millions of homes: Child: Can I stay up a little longer? Mother: No. Child: Why? Mother: Because. Child: Because why? Mother: Because, Bedtime! Whatever its origin, the â€Å"because+noun† is in wide use in the speech of young speakers. It certainly suits the spirit of the times, with its laconic, sarcastic, and irreverent tone. And, in these grammar-challenged times, it’s extremely useful, relieving one of the labor of completing a thought. The because+noun may become a feature of the language, but for the present, it is a nonstandard elliptical construction that doesn’t belong in formal writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101Is There a Reason â€Å"the Reason Why† Is Considered Wrong?Using "May" in a Question

Advice for Women Who Want to Become Truckers

Advice for Women Who Want to Become Truckers Everyone may tell you it’s a â€Å"man’s job,† but that’s just not true. It doesn’t have to be, anyway. And there’s such a huge demand for truck drivers now; you should absolutely take advantage of these opportunities if you’re interested and suited to them. Here are three major tips for women want to become truckers and are  trying to enter the industry.Believe in yourselfThe so-called â€Å"Confidence Gap† between men and women is well-acknowledged at this point. So many men go through the world and the workforce with this added sense of deserving what they get, particularly when they have a bit of experience or skill. Channel that. You’re probably just as qualified- if not more so- so go into the application process with that confidence. The industry will welcome you.Ask for helpYou won’t be the only woman in the trucking industry. Many brave and competent women have paved the way for you. Check in with Women in Trucking (WIT). Their website has a ton of information and resources you can rely on in your quest. You’re not alone. You have powerful allies out there just waiting to help you achieve your goals.Go where you’re most wantedYou’re going to need training. Choose a training school that has a mix of both men and women on their staff. Roadmasters Driving School is a good place to start; they’ve got several female directors running schools for them, and would be a great environment for you to study to pass your CDL (Class A Commercial Driver’s License) exam. If you chose a place that respects you, you’ll be able to take advantage of all the help that institution has to offer to help get you on your way.