Gleanings

   GLEANINGS of an Itinerant Speller. "Tow the line." To pull on a rope means nothing in the context of "behave yourself." What's wanted is "toe the line."

   SPELLCHECK WON'T HELP. "Staunch the loss" doesn't do it because "staunch" means "strong" or "upstanding." The writer wanted "stanch," which means "to stop."

   NOT HERE, EITHER -- "Lose" is a verb. "Loose" can also be a verb, but it's not the same as "lose." You can lose (misplace) your money, and loose (release) the dogs to hunt down a miscreant. Meanwhile, "loose" can be a descriptor, meaning "not tight."

   THINK ABOUT IT. "Perish forbid" also means nothing. Try "heaven forbid" or "perish the thought."

   RULE NUMBER ONE: Get the name right. It's Wynton, not Winton Marsalis, the jazz trumpeter.

   You say you want logic in language?
    In the New York dialect, "Fuhgedaboudit!"