THE EDITORS' WEEKLY

Filed under:

James Harbeck

Who Let That Word Into the Dictionary? | Linguistics, Frankly

August 18, 2015 by James Harbeck | 1 Comment on Who Let That Word Into the Dictionary? | Linguistics, Frankly

Every so often, Oxford or Merriam-Webster will release a list of words recently added to one of their dictionaries, and many people become grouchy at what they see as awful — or even fake — intrusions that have somehow been bootlegged into the hallowed halls of the official lexicon. You may even agree that they […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Sara Peacock

Editing Goes Global: A British Perspective

August 11, 2015 by Sara Peacock | 1 Comment on Editing Goes Global: A British Perspective

I still vividly remember my first experience of an editorial conference. I came away with a very strong sense of belonging and of being part of a community. I probably learned some useful facts or techniques, but more importantly I was able to have discussions with colleagues and make strong connections with a number of […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Melva McLean

It’s Our Turn at the Box Office

August 4, 2015 by Melva McLean | 2 Comments on It’s Our Turn at the Box Office

It’s called Genius, and it stars Colin Firth, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. Due for release just before Christmas (and award season), the film, touted as “the bio-pic of the year,” is about a book editor.  Yup. You read that correctly. An editor. Colin Firth plays Charles Scribner’s Sons fiction editor Maxwell Perkins in a […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Dominique Fortier

Ah non! pas encore des « coupures »!

July 28, 2015 by Dominique Fortier | Leave a Comment

Sous l’influence de l’anglais cut, on emploie très souvent le mot « coupure » dans les domaines administratif et financier. On parlera ainsi de coupures budgétaires, de coupures de budget ou de coupures de postes. Or les sens français de coupure, contrairement à celui de coupe, ne correspondent pas à la notion évoquée dans ce genre de […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Dwain Richardson

English Editing in Quebec: What’s Translatable, What’s Not?

July 21, 2015 by Dwain Richardson | 7 Comments on English Editing in Quebec: What’s Translatable, What’s Not?

If any of you copywrite, edit or translate for federal clients, you’ll know that most department, agency, union and attraction names have official translations. Department of National Defence Canadian Media Guild Canadian Museum of History National Gallery of Canada National Arts Centre Citizenship and Immigration Canada Royal Canadian Mounted Police ministère de la Défense nationale […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Victoria Neufeldt

We’re All Looking for Style

July 14, 2015 by Victoria Neufeldt | 8 Comments on We’re All Looking for Style

What is style in writing? Writers — and their editors, of course — must think about this, but not everyone agrees on what is appropriate. A writer of non-fiction, for example, probably aims for an unobtrusive style in which the language — the words and phrases, the syntax and grammar — takes second place to the content. […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Wilf Popoff

Wasted Words: How Language Sometimes Evolves

July 7, 2015 by Wilf Popoff | 5 Comments on Wasted Words: How Language Sometimes Evolves

I’m aware of the organic nature of living languages and their need to adapt. If I forget, a glimpse of Chaucer brings me up short. His poetry shows just how much a language can change in six centuries. The remarkable capacity of English to absorb fresh concepts and to express new ideas and technology enables […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

Facts and Fiction: Grammar Vampires and True Crime

June 30, 2015 by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter | 3 Comments on Facts and Fiction: Grammar Vampires and True Crime

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed By Karen Elizabeth Gordon. Pantheon Books, 1984, 1993.  Wild, wacky, inventive grammar guide continues to educate and amuse The opportunity to review the new edition (1993) of Karen Elizabeth Gordon’s The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Virginia Durksen

The Inner Editor: Friends, Readers, Editors

June 23, 2015 by Virginia Durksen | 4 Comments on The Inner Editor: Friends, Readers, Editors

Being an editor is easy compared to being a friend. Confusing the two is a sure path to flawed editing and fraught friendships. So what should you do if a friend or family member asks for your opinion of their latest novel? Or — a more daunting and delicate task — to read the stack […]

Read more »

Tagged

Filed under:

Frances Peck

What’s That There, Then? More Cape Breton English

June 16, 2015 by Frances Peck | 23 Comments on What’s That There, Then? More Cape Breton English

We take a lot for granted when we’re kids. Maybe most things. Growing up in Cape Breton in the 1970s and 1980s, enforced post-structuralist studies and a career of editorial skepticism still years away, I barely gave terminology a thought. Things had names. You might not always understand them (like boonabrayed), but you didn’t question […]

Read more »

Tagged