Proofreading in the gazebo: a winning strategy
Proofreading outside is trouble. Wind, rain, sun and wasps are enemies of the careful proofreader!
But what about proofreading in the gazebo? Or the conservatory? Or even the orangery? Are they safe havens for editorial skills? Yes. If you are the lucky owner of any of those you are in for many happy hours of proofreading fun.
What’s a gazebo?
Sounds Italian. Do you think it is? I imagine a romantic ornate hut in a Tuscan valley. A bottle of Soave and a set of pristine proofs.
Well, the word gazebo is English and 18th century. But it’s surely Italian! No. It comes from the verb to gaze and is a little Latin joke. Georgian classicists loved a laugh. The first person singular of the future tense of Latin verbs is sometimes formed with the suffix bo.
So gazebo means I will gaze. Just a tiny English joke. A gazebo is a place for you to gaze at the view.
What about conservatories?
Well, they’re fine too. Orangeries, those aspirational additions, are also good for proofreading.
Conservatories have more glass than orangeries and fewer oranges. The exact difference is hard to define, but an orangery will cost more! What’s in a name?
Proofreading in the gazebo: exercise caution!
Proofreading in the gazebo (or the conservatory or the orangery) may be luxurious, but don’t overdo it in the sun. If you get too hot you run the risk of sweating on the copy. This is a particular problem where glass structures are concerned. Though they may envy your lifestyle, your author won’t be impressed by the stains.
And another thing…
A conservatory or conservatoire, meaning an academy of music or the arts, is of Italian origin. A conservatorio was an orphanage or hospital where children were taught music.