guidelines for arts information contributors—saying of the day

feature description

Each day The Muse Of Language Arts offers a new saying for your amusement and edification. Use these sayings to good advantage or just have a chuckle over them.

stop!—before you proceed...

—navigation— about saying Of the Day If you haven't explored this feature already, The Muse suggests that you visit it before you submit your Saying Of The Day. To explore Electricka's feature called Saying Of The Day: click here.

How to submit your  Saying for publication

You are being asked to write and submit a saying for publication by Electricka. Your write-up should be a brief description of a single saying drawn from the field of the arts that you believe would be of interest to Electricka's visitors.

Publishing your description is a simple, 2-step procedure:

1. Read this guideline. It explains everything you need to know to prepare your saying for submission.
2. Fill out and submit an Arts Information form. It explains everything you need to know to send your arts information for publication.

—form— Submit your Saying of the day now Fill out and submit the Arts Information form. Send Electricka your saying now: click here.

Note:

• Electricka does not notify visitors of where and when to find the arts information they submit:
  • To discover if your arts information submission is published, visit the feature called Saying Of The Day and look for it there: click here.
  • Electricka publishes sayings she receives in order of receipt. Since she displays only one saying a day, it may take many days for your saying to appear. Please be patient and keep looking.

The Muse Of Language Arts is looking for sayings that fit this description:

• Interesting, serious, whimsical, funny, off-beat, cute, kinky, learned, kicky-sounding, topical, patriotic—whatever.
• Comes from your reading, a speech, radio, TV, opera, play, movie, lecture—almost anywhere.
• Heard in a conversation; something said or suggested by a friend, teacher, acquaintance, family member, famous or infamous person.
• You thought it up out of whole cloth; heard it in a dream, daydream, or while "under the knife."
• The more interesting, the better.
• The more submissions you send, the merrier.

What's a saying?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So, what's a saying? The Muse includes these kinds of expressions in her definition of a saying:

• Proverb—a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought.
• Apothegm—a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.
• Expression—a particular word, phrase, or form of words.
• Adage—a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.
• Saw—a sententious saying; maxim; proverb. Derived from the word saga, which is akin to say.
• Cliché—a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.
• Epithet—A word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality. A characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of an actual name, title, or the like. A word, phrase, or expression used invectively as a term of abuse or contempt, to express hostility or another emotion.
• Epigram—A short, witty poem expressing a single thought or observation. A concise, clever, often paradoxical statement.
• Aphorism—A succinct, memorable statement of a truth. Not every slogan is an aphorism. In fact, many slogans are not aphorisms because they do not express a truth or because they purport to express a truth but are false.
• Slogan—A saying that expresses the aims or nature of an enterprise, an organization, or a candidate for office; or it can be a motto, a phrase used repeatedly, as in advertising or promotion. A slogan may be an inscription on or attached to an object that is relevant to the object, such as a ring or charm bracelet bearing the inscription Forever or Til death us do part. It may express a principle, a goal, or an ideal.
• More sayings.

You may be able to think of more or different kinds of sayings than these, but The Muse is exhausted and will stop here.

places where you can Find sayings

The Muses are looking for sayings that have something to recommend them, something out of the ordinary or special. The best ones will be smart, witty, brilliant, snappy, intelligent, humorous, meaningful, thoughtful, or profound.

Look for sayings in these sources. If you have a source that doesn't appear here, feel free to use it anyway:

Sayings come in all shapes and sizes; they originate in all corners, nooks, and crannies. You can find a saying almost everywhere and anywhere you turn, in all languages, at places all around the world, from today's newspaper or TV program to as far back in time as recorded history will allow.

Submission requirements

The Muses are looking for sayings that have something to recommend them, something out of the ordinary or special. The best ones will be smart, witty, brilliant, snappy, intelligent, humorous, meaningful, thoughtful, or profound.

Your submission should be one of the following: 1) either a saying, or 2) a saying along with your personal opinions or other comments about the saying. Personal opinions and comments are optional. Since all sayings are matters of language, the subject of your quotation does not have to be about the language arts.

Your saying doesn't have to be about the arts or about one of Electricka's muses. The saying you submit may be:

• Original, meaning that you thought it up all by yourself.

• Thought up by others you know personally.

• Thought up by someone you don't know personally.

• Obscure or famous.

• Drawn from almost any imaginable source.

Submissions to The Saying Of The Day feature generally meet these requirements:

Saying

• Short, snappy sayings less than 50 or 100 words are especially welcome.
• Accurate.
• State the name of the saying's author(s):
  • If you don't know the name of the author, find it if you can.
  • "Anonymous" is acceptable as the author's name if the source of the saying is traditional, the author's name is lost to posterity, or if a name doesn't exist and never did.
• State source of saying if known to anyone anywhere. Could be the name of a book, poem, speech, traditional, etc.
• Links to other web sites must be approved by Electricka.
• Submitted by a visitor to Electricka's web site or by a collaboration of visitors.
• Primarily in English (foreign language names or expressions or other constructions are fine, if appropriate).
• Less than about 500 words. As short as a phrase or sentence or as long as one or two paragraphs.
• About a subject, topic, or theme of the author's own choosing. (Subjects taken from or related to the arts, Electricka's web site, and the muses are especially welcome.)
• Quotations, citations, references, videos, photos, artwork, film clips, animations, music, sound bites, etc. that are not original with the submitter must be properly credited. A picture of the author would be nice to have.
• The quotation should not contain private information or intellectual property.
• Quotation is not proprietary. One or more of the following applies:
  • Copyright or patent has expired or never existed.
  • Quotation is in the public domain; does not belong to anybody.
  • You own it because you created it.
  • You own the legal right to publish which you acquired from someone else.
  • You have oral or written permission from the owner to publish it.
• Completely finished by the author(s) when submitted. The Muse edits nothing.

optional Opinions and comments

• Primarily in English (foreign language names or expressions or other constructions are fine, if appropriate).
• Less than about 500-1000 words. As short as a phrase or sentence or as long as one or two paragraphs.
• Quotations, citations, references, photos, artwork, film clips, animations, music, sound bites, etc. that are not original with the submitter must be properly credited.
• Completely finished by the author(s) when submitted. The Muse edits nothing.

Your arts information can be accepted for publication even if it is not written especially for this feature. It does not have to be submitted by the author(s). Electricka's policies apply.

questions?

Planning to submit? Have submitted? Address questions about this feature or this guideline to AskTheMuses@Electricka.com: click here.