One of the best things about being a copy editor is the teensy, ridiculous stuff that gets you and your coworkers going at work. For instance, my former colleagues in Colorado and I used to laugh hysterically about the use of IMPACTED as a verb.
While 'impacted' can mean "changed or moved," according to M-W's dictionary, we found the visual of someone being IMPACTED by an event to be nothing short of hilarious.
A wisdom tooth is impacted, we'd say. YOU are not.
If you were 'impacted' by the movie, we visualized, a film would physically pick you up and ram itself into you. Not pretty, but pretty funny. Because you would be impacted by it.
My coffee has kicked in, in case you couldn't tell. Sorry.
November 20, 2009
SOLD!...to the person with the best grammar!
I've been seeing a lot of "auctioned off."
Do we need off?
Because we know what auctioning is.
Something like "The items were auctioned at a benefit" suffices, no?
Do we need off?
Because we know what auctioning is.
Something like "The items were auctioned at a benefit" suffices, no?
November 12, 2009
October 22, 2009
Custodians revolt!
This is for Wallace.
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There are four copies of this letter in our ladies' office restroom right now — one for each stall. The first stall boasts a copy-edited version, complete with penciled-in semicolons! It wasn't me, but whoever did that is awesome.
For the record, the bathroom is pretty gross. Come on, ladies! Pick up your ish!
.jpg)
There are four copies of this letter in our ladies' office restroom right now — one for each stall. The first stall boasts a copy-edited version, complete with penciled-in semicolons! It wasn't me, but whoever did that is awesome.
For the record, the bathroom is pretty gross. Come on, ladies! Pick up your ish!
September 24, 2009
September 23, 2009
"A total of"
This is a phrase that can usually be eliminated. If you own (a total of) four pairs of shoes, it is assumed you mean that to be the total number.
Now, I can see how someone might quibble with this, seeing as how "Rick owns 1 acre of land" is factual even if Rick owns 50,000 acres of land...but how often does someone say that?
Now, I can see how someone might quibble with this, seeing as how "Rick owns 1 acre of land" is factual even if Rick owns 50,000 acres of land...but how often does someone say that?
September 16, 2009
NO!
People are hyphenating everything these days.
"It ranks number one in celebrity men’s brands for the four-weeks tracked."
No! Four-weeks? No. All I have to say is no.
"It ranks number one in celebrity men’s brands for the four-weeks tracked."
No! Four-weeks? No. All I have to say is no.
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