Dear Geist,

Is it just me, or does the message on this invitation sound like an ad for a bra? It was an email from a gallery I like, hyping an upcoming show. It was informative and friendly. And it closed with “thanks for making the gallery a dynamic place that inspires and uplifts.” I got the giggles! Then I tried to pin down what I thought was a grammar glitch, but no luck. If you say it's OK as is, I'll never mention it again.

—Iona W, Spokane WA

Dear Iona,

The verbs inspire and uplift are transitive verbs: verbs that need direct objects. A teacher inspires students; a heartfelt speech uplifts our spirits. A transitive verb is incomplete without a direct object, so when it's left hanging, it's vulnerable to . . . well, unintended responses. (Intransitive verbs, such as arrive and celebrate, are clear and complete without objects. We arrived; we celebrated.)

At Geist we're open to unconventional and even experimental language, as long as it's appropriate to the context and accessible to readers. So we wouldn't necessarily insist that inspire and uplift hook up (ha ha) with objects before going out in public. But oh dear!—your invitation is a piquant example of the perils of messing with tried-and-true language conventions.

A word to the wise: before sending out any document, get it read by a colleague, or someone else knowledgeable about the subject who is seeing it for the first time.

—The Editors