Editors and the History of English
The history of English – beginnings English is spoken by well over a billion people. It is the most successful language in the world. But why? How did it start? [...]
EDITOR’S CALL – IMPRACTICAL OR IMPRACTICABLE
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 [...]
PONDERING ON EDITORS
Editors’s Obsessions As a copy-editor and proofreader, the first judgement I make about a new acquaintance is whether or not they use the apostrophe correctly. This marks me out as [...]
EDITORS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
And Proofreaders Too... His first book was different from his second. My answers are different to yours. This exam is different than the one in the Spring. Copy-editors and proofreaders worry far too much about these [...]
CAPTIOUS COPY-EDITORS AND PROOFREADERS
Pernickety Point-Scorers How to Edit and Proofread Badly At Chapterhouse we have been teaching students to copy-edit and proofread since the days when you saw your own GP, had your own [...]
SPELLINGS FOR EDITORS AND PROOFREADERS
No one is an impeccable speller. Proofreaders and copy-editors are no exception. We all have weak spots; there are some rogue words which seem designed to to catch us out. [...]
DILETTANTE
Diletante? Dillettante? Dilletante? Dilettante? Yes! Well, having settled the spelling, what does it mean? It comes from dilettare which means to delight. So you might imagine it's a positive word. But no. Or certainly not according [...]
EDITORS’ RULES
And Proofreaders' Rules Editors, like me, hate rules. We want authors to be free to use language creatively; we want English to live a little, get out more, be vibrant. [...]
HASHTAG – NEW WORDS FOR OLD
Hashtag Learn to Copy-edit Hashtag Learn to Proofread We all know what a hashtag looks like, but no one could have guessed that the word hashtag would be Oxford University [...]
CRIME AND THE PROOFREADER
Avoidance and Evasion Copy-editors and Proofreaders must get it right In the seemingly endless run up to the general election, the topic of tax, more particularly the non-payment of tax, [...]