by Jackie Liu Learning a second language is a challenge for most people, and eloquence in the language sometimes seems impossible, especially if it's English. Jackie Liu explains this feeling, but also shares his realization that one doesn't need to use "posh" words to sound sophisticated; the secret lies in how they are arranged. Photo … Continue reading The Words Are Ordinary. The Arrangement Is Royal.
Category: language
From the Archives: Plain Language Resistance: Is “Plain” the Problem?
by Tracey Anderson This week, the three blogs of Editors Canada are cross-posting favourite articles from the archives of a different blog. Yesterday West Coast Editor featured Priya Murmu’s article on time management for editors (a BoldFace original), and tomorrow you can have a look over at The Editor’s Weekly for a feature from the … Continue reading From the Archives: Plain Language Resistance: Is “Plain” the Problem?
Editing Across English Variants: Parallels and Polarities
by Priya Murmu Editing content across English variants can be a daunting task. You scratch your head while staring at the screen, pondering whether the word should be spelled dialogue or dialog, dreamt or dreamed, or whether the period should fall inside or outside of the quotation marks. Then, you spend quite some time browsing … Continue reading Editing Across English Variants: Parallels and Polarities
On Italicizing Non-English Words
by Natalia Iwanek Over the past decade, there has been ongoing debate about the use of italics as a style choice for non-English words or phrases that may not be familiar to – what is often considered – the monolingual audience of the North American English-language writing, editing, and publishing industries. This is of particular … Continue reading On Italicizing Non-English Words
English Usage: Variants, Dictionaries, and Editorial Judgement
by Keith Goddard Every Friday when I pick up pizza from my local Toronto pizza chain, I see a sign that tells me it’s fine to park in their parking lot whilst I’m in their restaurant. Whilst? Sounds quaint, but that’s not proper Canadian English, eh? My dictionaries label it as British, and Garner’s Modern English Usage, fourth edition (Garner … Continue reading English Usage: Variants, Dictionaries, and Editorial Judgement
Book Review: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
by Indu Singh In the first chapter of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, the author poses a challenge to his readers: go a week without writing any of the words out of a list of what he considers pointless adverbs, including very, rather, really, quite, just, so, surely, of course, … Continue reading Book Review: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
Book Review: Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples by Gregory Younging
by Indu Singh Exactly one year ago today, members of Editors Toronto had the privilege of hearing Gregory Younging speak about his recently published style guide, Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples, at a regular monthly Editors Toronto program meeting. The standing-room-only program was one of our most … Continue reading Book Review: Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples by Gregory Younging
How to manage translation and still have fun
by Alana Chalmers “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This is one of those inspirational, yet anonymous, quotes that makes you want to hunt down that person and dump a pile of work on their desk. Or their beach towel. Because they probably have … Continue reading How to manage translation and still have fun
