The Nonfiction Section

Those of us who dabble in the occasional do-it-yourself project eventually learn a few "rules of the road," so to speak. We know that you should always "Measure twice, cut once" and "If it can't be fixed with duct tape, you're not using enough duct tape." And then there's the one about the old man who explained to his grandson why he had so many tools: "If the women don't find you handsome, they'll at least find you handy."

The key to a job well done is having the right tools and knowing how to use them. To build my column, my tools are my words. It makes sense to know which ones are right for...