TypoSuction

02/02/2025

Despite the subject matter of this post, I'm just saddened by the pesky typo that distracts from the message.

Can y'all find it?

02/01/2025

While I love the sentiment—and applaud the artistic expression—I'd simply like to see complete punctuation accompany the piece. Other than that, well done indeed!

01/31/2025

To revisit add on to the previous post, here's a pretty good example of why discerning if "The Grammys" is singular or plural can be confusing:

In the first instance, the issue is bypassed by adding "ceremony," which clearly makes "The Grammys" singular. No problem.

However, in the second instance, even though the inference is, in fact, the ceremony itself [i.e., it's referring to the Grammy Awards (celebration, presentation, show), so according to most user manuals, it should still be singular.

Now to be fair, the general rule re: names of music bands follows a different logic, which can be confusing when dealing with awards shows (e.g., Grammys, Academy Awards, Emmys):

1) The Rolling Stones ARE planning to tour.
2) Coldplay IS coming to town.

With band names, the general rule is to treat plural band names in the plural, while treating singular band names singularly. Between bands and awards shows, it's easy to conflate the rules. But the good news is that there are reliable resources that will guide you in either direction.

So what's an editor/writer to do? Pick your rule(s) and be consistent. If you have an exception (and who does't?), also add that to your style guide. And, of course, if you want to honor the source's preference(s), visit the official website and mirror the treatment. (Of course, even official websites need good copyeditors, so caution yourselves accordingly.)

Enjoy watching the upcoming Grammys, which IS scheduled to air Sunday, February 2, at 5pm PT.

01/30/2025

Okay, this is a frustrating one because depending on where you turn, you’ll get a different answer.

The overall rule to follow is whether the treatment is in reference to the institution itself (i.e., The Recording Academy), which would be singular; or to the actual awards (i.e., “the Grammys”), which are plural.

(Note: People also use “The Grammys” to refer to the institution, making it singular.)

So in the article below, it should read "boasts," not "boast," because it's a reference to the awards presentation, not the actual awards.

Here are some more examples:

• The Grammy Awards is airing tonight.
• The Grammys is my favorite awards show.
• The Grammy Awards presentation has been canceled.
• The Awards show turns musicians into stars.

But…

• The Grammy Awards are the highest honor in the music industry.
• The Grammy Awards were redesigned this year.
• The Awards weigh more than you’d think.

Also…

• I love watching all the Grammys presentations.
• I love watching the Grammy Awards presentation.

01/29/2025

If you find yourself struggling with how to properly use the wonderful comma in your writing, consider enrolling in one (or more) of Mignon C. Fogarty's LinkedIn learning courses. Ms. Fogarty (aka Grammar Girl) offers a nonjudgmental approach to help you get into the habit of correctly using commas. (And much, much more!)

You'll be surprised what you learn. I was!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/grammargirl_linkedinlearning-activity-7290077659873562625-Ju93?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

01/29/2025

I say no meaning is lost if "minor" OR "children" is removed: Minors *are* children; and children *are* minors.

Redundancy weakens and diminishes one's writing. 😃

One could argue, I suppose, that the intention of the writer is to highlight the children are young. So say "young children," even though this still hints at redundancy. Infants, toddlers, youngsters, pre-teens, "tweens," teens, and young adults could ostensibly suffice.

What do y'all think? Redundant or acceptable as is?

01/28/2025

Does this seem inconsistent, especially considering either "cancelled" or "cancelation" could have been used to eliminate the seemingly incongruous treatment?

Well, it's not just a matter of British orthography (which generally speaking prefers doubling the "L") vs. American orthography (which typically prefers a single "L"); it depends on how the word is *pronounced.*

For example, if the emphasis is on the first syllable (e.g., CAN- cel), the American spelling should be with one "L." If the part closest to the suffix is emphasized (e.g., can-cel-A-tion), American spelling recommends a double-"L". (This explains why Merriam-Webster prefers "cancellation" over "cancelation," despite the general rule mentioned in the second paragraph.)

In short, the article below may not seem consistent, but it's consistent with the rules of American orthography.

For a closer look at the British treatment of "cancel," see:

https://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2006/07/double-ls.html

01/27/2025

Typo or style choice? Who here would use closing punctuation in a headline, even when a complete sentence precedes it?

ANSWER: It's AP style to exclude the closing period in all headlines, even when a complete sentence with closing punctuation precedes it. This rule also applies to subheads.

01/26/2025

If you're going to challenge your audience's intelligence, make sure you're dealing with the right crowd: The Brannock Device is a measuring instrument invented by Charles F. Brannock for determining a person's shoe size.

Thanks, Laura Egley Taylor, for your insightful catch!

BTW, aside from the unforgivable typo, what did y'all score? I knew a whopping 4 out of 20. Not too shabby! 🤣

01/25/2025

01/24/2025

While, yes, people can possess more than one passport, I maintain "passport holders" can convey either single- or multiple-passport holders, or both. (Note: spell-check is useless here, although a grammar checker, like the hugely impressive , would flag this in a heartbeat.)

01/22/2025

As much as I'm loathe to criticize anything related to my all-time favorite play(s), I can't help but think the intended copy should be "… two-part play." The second part of "Angels" (Peristroika) is not a two-part play—it's the second standalone part—so logically it itself does not have a "part one." Part one is the standalone "Millennium Approaches."

I'm still going to watch it, though! 😀

01/19/2025

Now how the heck am I supposed to choose the correct answer if the options aren't complete? Most? Least? Good grief! (Again, no spell-checker is going to catch this.)

01/18/2025

"Has." "None" is the singular subject here, not the prepositional phrase ("… of those dates…").

01/13/2025

Thanks to the brand-spanking new additions to the Oxford English Dictionary, we content providers can feel more confident using "brand spanking new" in our writing, as well as adding "content creator" to our résumés! See the complete list of newly added OED words below. It's like the holidays all over again!

https://www.oed.com/information/updates/december-2024/new-word-entries/

01/12/2025

AI-generated content is actually GOOD for editors…

Like many editors, I've become increasingly suspicious (paranoid?) of how my role in the editorial landscape is going to play out with the advent and evolving reliance on AI-generated content. Yet after having read Alaura Weaver's insightful article—one that highlights why editors and AI are perfect bed partners so long as the traditional goals of proper editing are kept in mind—I feel more confident than ever that my role is indispensable.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7284019872634740738/

And for a lively exchange of ideas about the article's take on this highly relevant topic, listen to the podcast by Curt Robbins & Associates Technical Writing Agency:

https://lnkd.in/g_u4_sgu

01/09/2025

It's perhaps my only sense of empowerment, but it's the first step toward omniscience.