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Ask an Editor: Teaching Engineers, Content Editing, and Typos
Why is my supervisor asking me to teach the other engineers how to write? It’s a compliment! I’m guessing your supervisor recognizes you’re an effective communicator and that your touch translates to quality. Still curious? There’s no reason you can’t ask your supervisor to explain why your style works. When it comes to teaching, though,…
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Ask An Editor: Kitty, Catty, Cater?
Kitty-corner/catty-corner. I know it’s regional. But a story I edited a few nights ago had cater-corner. Which is best? First, a disclaimer: I am neither a linguist nor a lexicographer—I’m just an editor who likes to understand where words come from and how best to use them. The short answer about kitty-cornered, cater-cornered, and catty-cornered…
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BuzzFeed, Editing Peeves, and Split Infinitives
What—editors have grammar and style peeves? You must be shocked. Emmy Favilla from BuzzFeed asked ACES2015 attendees to write down their editing peeves as they relate to grammar or usage and used them to create a whiteboard post. As you may suspect, she had an eager audience. Even I made it on there. I’ve got…
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Grammar Day 2015
On March 4, word nerds, grammar gurus, and language artists collectively brandish their red pens to celebrate National Grammar Day. But I get a little nervous when self-described sticklers and grammar police make finding typos and rule breakers their singular cause—the goal almost always seems to embarrass, not aid. And yet, I’ve cheered grammatical goofs.…
