Similar Words and Fine Distinctions Proofreading and editing dilemmas When you're learning to proofread and copy-edit you will increasingly become aware of similar words which have slightly different meanings. Impractical [...]
Editor's Note You don't have to be a copy-editor or proofreader to be obsessive about words. Nor vice versa, it goes without saying. But if you've no interest at all [...]
Hedding in the Wrong Direction Think I just mentioned Hedda Gabler. Well, a number of editorial points occurred to me while watching the live transmission from the National Theatre. You [...]
Hedda * ... incurring the severest and most tomato-y punishment allowable by this court... Just saw the National Theatre's Hedda Gabler at a live screening in Devon. These [...]
Procrastination: Putting Things Off I had been going to pick a word to write about some time ago, but, you know how it is... life got in the way. What's [...]
Lavinia’s Medieval Word of the Week This week’s word is: Glose. Also glōse, gloce, gloise, glous, glos(se) and glọ̄se. What does it mean? According to the Middle English Dictionary, it means: 1. (a) [...]
Lavinia's Medieval Word of the Week This week’s word is: Clepen. What does it mean? According to the Middle English Dictionary, it means: 1. (a) To speak; call, shout; ~ out; ~ of, [...]
Lavinia's Medieval Word of the Week Swyving for Pleasure and Profit This week's word is: Swyve. What does it mean? The MED defines it as ‘(a) To have sexual intercourse, copulate; smal-swivinge [...]
An Old Feature with a New Twist On this blog, we often used to like to feature particular words that we thought might be of use to proofreaders and copy-editors. We [...]
An academic writes... It’s summer, and you’re graduating. Congradulations! (Geddit??) You worked hard* for three years, you learned all the things, and now your head is full of knowledge and [...]