Toxic Cosmetics!

By James B. LaValle, RPh, MS, ND, CCN

Would you knowingly go out and buy mercury or lead and put it on your skin? No. You are certainly smarter than that. But the important word here is "knowingly " - because, believe it or not, there are still cosmetics and skin care products out there in the marketplace that are made with toxic ingredients. Fortunately, one website is pointing out the offenders so you can keep yourself safe.

A recent report published by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research organization in Washington, DC, identifies these products on their sister website, SafeCosmetics.org. (Who knew that some companies put mercury in their mascara?)

We tend to forget that the skin is the largest organ of the body. Your skin literally drinks in what you put on it. So before you buy any cosmetics or skin care products, check the SafeCosmetics website.

The Language Perfectionist: Less Full Than Some

By Don Hauptman

Consider these two examples, selected from thousands that an Internet search turned up:

• "Although he received fulsome praise from his later colleagues and former students for leading an excellent clinical service..."

• "You will find within these pages a sharing of views, ideas, perceptions, and experiences, which deserve fulsome praise for the quality of the contributions."

Because fulsome sounds like "full," it's commonly used in the sense of abundant, copious, generous, lavish. The word is so often paired with praise that people repeat the expression "fulsome praise" without understanding what it means.

In reality, fulsome has negative meanings: gross, loathsome, odious, offensive, repulsive. The expression "fulsome praise" means praise that is cloying, excessive, fawning, insincere.

Of course, situations do exist where praise deserves this modifier. But that's not what most writers and speakers who use it intend. Ironically, what they believe to be a compliment is really an insult.

As in so many cases, some dictionaries and other language authorities defend the positive meaning of fulsome. Originally, the word did mean full or abundant. But times, and the word's meaning, have changed. In any case, writers should always strive to achieve clarity, avoid ambiguity, and preclude the possibility that a reader will misunderstand.

Finally, here's another reason to steer clear of the expression "fulsome praise": It's overused and cliched. Whether you wish to convey a positive or a negative evaluation of praise - or of anything else - you can choose from a variety of other words, such as those listed above.

[Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was a direct-response copywriter. He is author of the wordplay books Cruel and Unusual Puns and Acronymania , and is now writing a new book that also blends language and humor.]

It's Fun to Know: Shanghai's Mega-Metro System

With a population of 20 million, Shanghai is one of the largest cities in the world. In an effort keep pace with the needs of a growing number of commuters, the city's metro rail system is expanding. Plans call for 316 miles of rail to be in place by 2012. That's enough to connect Philadelphia to Boston, and three times the length of Chicago's "L." The estimated total cost is $11.7 billion.

(Source: Wired and Shanghai Daily )

Word to the Wise: Cum

"Cum" (KUM) is Latin for "with." It is often used to mean "combined with."

Example (as used by Bob Granleese in The Guardian ): "Pretty soon, we're digging up the lunch, washing it off at a stand pipe, and heading for the shed-cum-kitchen, where the two burners are quickly pressed into working overtime."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2346, 05-03-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.