THE EDITORS' WEEKLY

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Dominique Fortier

Forensique, vous connaissez?

February 23, 2016 by Dominique Fortier | 2 Comments on Forensique, vous connaissez?

L’avez-vous déjà entendu en français, ce mot? Prononcé fo-ran-zik comme cela devrait l’être? Moi non… jusqu’à ce que je le trouve un bon matin sur mon chemin à la lecture de mon quotidien local. Et je l’ai prononcé à l’anglaise dans ma tête, soit fo-renne-zik. Le monde des sciences est bourré d’anglicismes. La raison en […]

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Paul Cipywnyk

Mourning the Demise of Newsroom Copy Editors

February 16, 2016 by Paul Cipywnyk | 5 Comments on Mourning the Demise of Newsroom Copy Editors

I was fortunate to get my initial on-the-job training in journalism in the days when writers worked with desk editors, copy editors and proofreaders. At least three sets of eyes perused every story after it had been written, and sometimes four or five. Three or more brains worked on massaging and polishing copy and checking […]

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Wilf Popoff

Wasted Words: The Origins of Texting

February 9, 2016 by Wilf Popoff | 6 Comments on Wasted Words: The Origins of Texting

Is digital discourse destroying the English language along with civilization? Does texting portend doom? Let’s not be so hasty: I often read letters from the past — for example, the 19th-century correspondence of Bertrand Russell’s family.1 These aristocrats (Russell’s grandfather was twice the British prime minister) habitually took shortcuts in their numerous epistles, presumably to […]

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Victoria Neufeldt

What Do Words Really Mean?

February 2, 2016 by Victoria Neufeldt | 3 Comments on What Do Words Really Mean?

How discombobulating words can be! You feel certain about what a word means, but then are challenged by another person’s interpretation. Sometimes the discussion, or even argument, is rooted in changing social situations. For example, what does poverty mean? What did it mean 200 years ago? A dispute about words may also be philosophical: there […]

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Anna Williams General EAC

Year in Review: The Best of 2015

January 26, 2016 by Anna Williams | 1 Comment on Year in Review: The Best of 2015

The new year is well underway, and we’ve seized the opportunity to look back at how 2015 progressed on the blog. These are some of our favourite posts from the year: Wasted Words: A Compulsion to Exaggerate, by Wilf Popoff. Whatever became of understatement? In My Opinion, by Susan Glickman. There are a heck of […]

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Dwain Richardson

English Editing in Quebec: Has Quebec Caught on to Plain Language?

January 19, 2016 by Dwain Richardson | 2 Comments on English Editing in Quebec: Has Quebec Caught on to Plain Language?

“What is plain language?” you may ask. In a nutshell, plain language communicates concepts and ideas clearly, concisely and effectively. This is done by thinking about the projected target audience: the readers. When you write clearly, you avoid using jargon that only select people know. You also avoid verbiage and overly complex ideas. Contrary to […]

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Rosemary Shipton

Commission of Inquiry Reports: A Special Kind of Editing

January 12, 2016 by Rosemary Shipton | 10 Comments on Commission of Inquiry Reports: A Special Kind of Editing

Most projects we editors take on involve editing only, but if you’re in the mood for a stretch and enjoy the challenge of handling many different tasks, try editing the reports of commissions of inquiry. These commissions are appointed every now and again by the federal or one of the provincial governments to investigate and […]

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James Harbeck

Wherefore Pleaseth Archaic English?

January 5, 2016 by James Harbeck | 2 Comments on Wherefore Pleaseth Archaic English?

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.” Are these not beautiful […]

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General EAC

Happy Holidays from the Editors’ Weekly

December 18, 2015 by Anna Williams | 2 Comments on Happy Holidays from the Editors’ Weekly

Dear Readers, With the holiday season upon us, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for subscribing to the Editors’ Weekly and to wish you all the best in the new year. We’ll be taking a break from regular posting until Jan. 5, 2016. Were there any posts that stood out for you this […]

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Paul Cipywnyk

Is Editing a Deadly Profession?

December 15, 2015 by Paul Cipywnyk | 3 Comments on Is Editing a Deadly Profession?

Poison pens, ego-shattering commentary, creative assassination by a thousand edits, cut, cut, slash, slash. Oh, the horror! Well, actually, I’m here to talk about “death by sitting.” Yes, editors tend to sit a lot, and sitting has been declared the new sugar. This is not news, when you think about it. We’ve long been warned […]

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