By Donna M. Urlaub – donna@urlaubbowen.com

During a recent three-hour expert doctor deposition in which “degree,” “agree,”
and “disagree” figured prominently in questions, answers, and objections, it got
me thinking: Is anyone still writing “agree” and “degree” in two strokes? Worse
yet, “disagree” in three?

So I took a poll of several reporters, and, sure enough, they were. Some had
gone so far as to define the conflicting outline as “agree,” then change the word
to “degree” when appropriate.

While I understand the logic, this kind of thing causes me to examine my writing
and ask myself what words have I been tolerating/replacing/word grouping/multi-
stroking, instead of making one tiny change that is both freeing and exciting.
Like, wow! And to think I had been doing this for more years than I care to admit.

Roof/radiograph – RAOF. Now I throw a “U” in, RAOUF/roof.

(I understand “radiograph” is a rarely used word anymore, but this conflict was a
holdover from my theory in the ‘60s, and still popped up every time the dreaded
“roof” was mentioned.)

Higher/hire – HAOEUR. Drop the AO for “hire.” HIR.
Bank/bang – BANG. Throw a “U” in for “bank.” BAUNG. And tank, rank, sank.

A COUPLE OF OTHER RANDOM DISCOVERIES
If I’ve been writing comfortable K-FRBL, why am I still two-stroking
uncomfortable? Why not NUFRBL?

Which leads me to: Why am I writing EN/KOURJ, when I could write NOURJ,
IN/KREBL when I could use NERBL, IN/KORPT instead of NORPT, NORPGS? If
supplement is SPLEMT; why not SPLEL for supplemental?

So what about the degree/agree/disagree, you ask?

Degree GRE/agree GRAE/disagree SGRAE

In phrases:
I agree – IRG                                      if you agree – FURG
you agree – URG                               I don’t agree – YORG
we agree – WERG                             would you agree – WOURG
so I agree – SOIRG                           do you agree – DOURG
so you agree – SOURG                    can you agree – KURG
will you agree – LURG                     I do not agree – DOINT/GRAE