Shedding Light on More Confusables
I’m not going to kid you. Words and word usage can be confusing. Many words that originated in Latin come from the same root, but time and translation have changed their English meaning and usage.
Say What? Clearing up Confusion over Career and Careen
It’s hard to turn off my editor brain. Whether I read for information or pleasure, typos, punctuation, and usage errors seem to jump off the page. I may share the humorous typo with my Better Half and then post it on Facebook, or shudder in disgust at the lack of grammar acuity in today’s publishing world. Occasionally an error will send me to Google or Merriam-Webster to verify what I think. Is it an error? Or not?
3 Things You’d Be Surprised to Learn about Your Editor
Last weekend I attended my second PENCON - Proofreaders and Editors Network Conference. Billed as the only such conference for editors in Christian publishing, the conference is an opportunity to network and hone our editing skills. By our own admission, many editors are introverts, so you may be surprised that we’re into networking. Despite my own preference for anonymity, connecting with others who share my interest in accurate punctuation, grammar, and usage energizes me. It’s always reassuring to know that other editors struggle with the same insecurities and uncertainties that I do.
Is There an Echo in Here?
Some years ago, a discount department store ran an ad in which two similarly dressed persons appeared. The announcer—in a loud, annoying voice—called out article after article: a dress shirt from a high-priced department store compared to a similar shirt from the discount store. “It’s the same thing.” After each item—the slacks, the tie, the shoes—he repeated in the increasingly obnoxious tone, “It’s the same thing.”
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Run across something you're confused by? Drop me a line and I'll respond directly - or with a post.