In the National Puzzlers’ League, Merriam-Webster is the publisher
of two of our standard references. They have a lot to say online
about the many shades of meaning of “normal.” Here are a few
that caught my eye:
The normal spelling rule is “i before e, except after c.”
Oops. Sheila doesn’t follow the rule. I’m in trouble already.
It was just a normal, average day.
Who would ever say that? Get real, M-W.
Cornell researchers showed that monarch butterflies that fed on leaves
dusted with pollen from this [genetically] modified corn grew less and
had higher mortality than larvae that fed on leaves dusted with normal pollen.
— Russell Schoch
Whoa, way to go, M-W! Let’s take that extra space to tell it like it is.
Their reaction to the news was normal and expected.
Then why even bother to make a note of that? Boring.
The noise made it impossible to carry on a normal conversation.
Testy. Beginning to seem more like real (normal) life. Traffic? Cicadas?
… is your home office either your principal place of work or a place
where you meet with customers or clients in the normal course of business?
— Rosalind Resnick and Susie Archer
And what about in the abnormal course of business? Nosy question.
Challenges are a normal part of life; remind yourself of that—and keep going.
— Gabrielle Gayagoy
What would we do without our “lifestyle writers”?
Have a nice, normal, average day!