The Nitpicker’s Nook is a monthly collection of language-related articles, interviews, and blog posts from around the Web. If you read something that would make a good addition, email your suggestion to [email protected].
By Emily Chau
- Canada doesn’t have its own dictionary, since the final edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary was published 10 years ago, so who is speaking up for Canadian English? (Globe and Mail)
- Peter Midgley won the Editors’ Association of Canada’s Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence for his work on The Last Temptation of Bond, the award-winning poetry book by Kimmy Beach. Have a quick look at his conversation with Adrienne Montgomerie. (Copyediting.com)
- Do you go away during summer to a cabin, or to a cottage? Do you drink soft drinks, or do you drink pop? Read this article on variations in Canadian English and see how our tongues are tied by geography — know your regional identity. (Metro News)
- A brand new tool for all editors and Canadians! The Centre for Equitable Library Access, a new national, non-profit organization, is now providing reading materials in formats such as Braille, audio, and e-text. Canadians with print disabilities can now enjoy access to over 230,000 books, magazines, and newspapers! (Language Portal of Canada)
- Camilla Gibb, the award-winning author of Mouthing the Words and The Beauty of Humanity Movement, recalls the toughest criticism an editor ever gave her. Check out this article to see how it transformed her writing. (CBC Books)
- Do you have a word for every odour? Here’s a neat article on results taken from The Brief Smell Identification Test, which shows that in at least one language — Jahai, which is spoken by certain Malaysian groups — words for smells are far more precise than those used by English speakers. (Discover Magazine)
- Canadianisms, drawn from Aboriginal culture (inuksuk), and from alternate Canadian spellings (favourite with a u), are finally appearing in The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary with its first major update in nearly a decade. More than 5,000 new words are included in the 5th edition of the dictionary, which is published by Merriam Webster. Scrabble, anyone? (National Post)
- Is there a market for proofreading outside your country of origin? Is location an issue? Louise Harnby, an American editor, gives us her thoughts on international work. (An American Editor)
Emily Chau is a mid-level public relations practitioner in Toronto. She is also a web experimenter and passionate about volunteering.
This article was copy edited by Sabrina Rauscher.
BoldFace 