Posts in category: Style on the Go archive

October 2, 2008: Issue 258

The words I and me often cause confusion when they’re paired with other nouns. When they’re part of a subject, we can usually figure things out.

correct: Cloris and I danced a spectacular fox-trot, but the judges weren’t kind.

Proper usage doesn’t come so naturally when these words are the object of a verb or preposition. To many people, me sounds incorrect in these constructions, even though it’s absolutely right

incorrect: Between waltzes, Misty gave Maksim and I some volleyball tips.
correct: Between waltzes, Misty gave Maksim and me some volleyball tips.

incorrect: I think Rocco’s a little wooden, but let’s keep that between you and I.
correct: I think Rocco’s a little wooden, but let’s keep that between you and me.

Hint: If you’re not sure, try dropping the other noun from the sentence. You’ll see that “I danced” or “gave me some volleyball tips” is the obvious choice.

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September 11, 2008: Issue 255

Let’s be sensitive about how we describe families that come together through adoption. First, ask yourself whether that information is relevant. Many times the answer is no; it’s sufficient to say a person or a couple has one or two or seven children without delving into the family’s origins.

Sometimes, though, this information does matter. Maybe we’re writing about a hereditary medical issue. Or maybe the timeline doesn’t make sense unless you explain that the middle child was 8 years old when she joined the family. In these cases, here are some guidelines:

•    Use adopt as a verb, not an adjective: “The Trujillos adopted Hannah in 1998 and Tristan in 1999.” This is an action the parent or parents took, not a label to place on the child. Avoid constructions such as “the Trujillos’ two adopted children” or “Hannah’s adoptive family.”

•    Never refer to children born to a parent or parents as their real, natural, or own children. When you must make this distinction (and again, ask yourself whether it’s relevant), use the word biological.

•    If you need to specify a child’s birth country, do it without using an ethnic or national label. Say “their daughter, who was born in China” instead of “their Chinese daughter.”

•    Avoid saying that biological parents “gave up” or “abandoned” their baby. “Placed for adoption” is a less emotionally loaded term.

When generally addressing parents, remember that families are created in all kinds of ways. Avoid exclusive language such as “Remember when you brought your newborn home from the hospital.“ Instead try “Remember the first time you held your child.”

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September 4, 2008: Issue 254

Now that we know the composition of the ticket, it’s the GOP’s turn for some style lessons.

While we have questions about Sarah Palin’s child-naming choices (Track? Trig?), that’s not really a grammar issue. Instead we’ll address her repeated use of impact as a verb, especially when she talks about drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:

•     “It will impact, in a positive sense, the price of fuel eventually.”

•     “Nowhere more than Alaska—Alaskans—would be impacted by development in ANWR.”

•     “We can have a small footprint, and not adversely impact the land, the wildlife, that’s part of Alaska.”

Impact as a verb is best left to discussions of teeth. The better choice here would be affect.

Our John McCain tidbit comes with a disclaimer: Although this story has been reported by sources we consider credible, we were not able to verify it ourselves. There was Internet buzz earlier this year over a pen for sale on McCain’s Web site that read “Student’s for McCain.” As of last week, the pen pictured there was apostrophe-free.

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August 14, 2008: Issue 251

“Make the most of everyday.”

That was the advice we found recently on a Dove chocolate wrapper. It’s a nice sentiment, but it should have read “Make the most of every day.”

The single word everyday is an adjective meaning ordinary or routine:
Stam chocolate is no everyday candy.

In all other uses, every day is two words:
Eating a little dark chocolate every day can be beneficial.
A chocolate vitamin chew starts every day on a delicious note.

Winners: Shannon Vance and Karman Hotchkiss are the winners of our 250th issue trivia contest. Shannon wins a prop sale gift certificate worth 250 dimes. Karman wins a goodie bag full of 250 office supplies. Find answers to the trivia quiz.

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August 21, 2008: Issue 252

Watch out for terms that, because of their history, aren’t appropriate for wordplay. Here are some we’ve caught in heds and lead-ins.

• final solution: Nazi Germany’s euphemism for genocide

• separate but equal: a phrase once used to justify racially segregated schools

• jungle fever: a pejorative term for interracial relationships

• China syndrome: the title of a movie about a nuclear meltdown

These writers meant no harm; they simply weren’t aware of the associations. If you don’t know the origin of a term, run it through Google before you use it.

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July 17, 2008: Issue 248

There’s no need for a colon between a preposition and its object, even when the object is a phone number or a Web address.

incorrect: Call our grammar hotline at: 800/472-6626.
correct: Call our grammar hotline at 800/472-6626.

incorrect: Find more great style tips at: SIMStylebook.com.
correct: Find more great style tips at SIMStylebook.com.

Winners: We couldn’t break the tie. They both refused to budge from scissors. So we’re declaring Lacey Howard and Elizabeth Tisinger cochampions of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Each wins a commemorative snow globe.

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July 24, 2008: Issue 249

When you use comparative suffixes, be sure you’re setting up an actual comparison.
If you write a brighter, cleaner look, ask yourself: brighter and cleaner than what?

incorrect: When you shop for kitchen cabinets, consider mahogany. Its rich grain creates a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere.

correct: When you shop for kitchen cabinets, consider mahogany. Its rich grain creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

correct: When you shop for kitchen cabinets, consider mahogany. Its rich grain creates a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere than maple or sycamore.

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June 26, 2008: Issue 245

Gum. Hypodermic needles. Toilet paper. Mastheads. Postal ID statements.

Some things should never, ever be reused. Gum, needles, and TP need no explanation. But here’s the deal with mastheads and postal IDs.

They might look the same from issue to issue, but this language changes, and often. If you copy an old masthead, there’s a good chance you’ll get your boss’s boss’s boss’s name or title wrong. While that might be a poor political move, it’s nothing compared to running afoul of postal inspectors.

If you get your postal ID statement wrong, the Postal Service can demand that we reprint the magazine. We’ve had a couple of close calls in the past six months, and the inspectors won’t let it slide again.

Here are the basic rules:
1. Always start with a clean masthead template (ask a CE if you don’t know where to find it) or fresh postal ID language (it’s at BHGStylebook.com/Tools & Resources/Administrative). This goes for every title, including reprints.
2. Don’t work too far ahead. Masthead templates change every four to six weeks, so this is a case where it’s better to wait until a week or so before your Imaging Center date.

If you have any questions, please ask a CE. We’d much rather spend a few minutes explaining the process than spend hours and hours telling Steve Lacy or the U.S. Postal Service why we messed up.

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July 3, 2008: Issue 246

Don’t force your readers to do math. Make ratios as accessible as you can by reducing fractions or converting them to percentages.

awkward: 40 in 2,000 cardiac patients
preferred: 1 in 50 cardiac patients
preferred: 2 percent of cardiac patients

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July 10, 2008: Issue 247

Stylebook cuts red book.
Red book covers heavy book.
Heavy book smashes all others.

When you look up a spelling, start at SIMStylebook.com. Check the main word list first, but don’t forget the specialized word lists in the garden, food, and crafts sections.

If your word isn’t there, go to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Eleventh Edition. That’s the one with the red cover. When an entry includes multiple spellings, the first one listed is preferred.

Still no luck? Try Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (unabridged). That’s the back-breaking volume. We have copies in the CE department.

If you still haven’t found the word, you’re dealing with a new coinage or an obscure term. You might want to substitute another word or phrase. Otherwise it’s time for the Oxford English Dictionary or a Web search.

Case study: When we tried to find the spelling of another name for the rock-paper-scissors game, dictionaries were no help. Google turned up rochambeau, roshambo, and ro-sham-bo. Rochambeau got the most hits, but many of those were references to an 18th-century French count. Roshambo came in a solid second, and besides, that’s how the World RPS Society spells it. So we’ll go with that.

Yes, they really exist: Check out the World RPS Society (“Serving the needs of decision makers since 1918”).

Contest: Rock, paper, or scissors? E-mail us by 5 p.m. Friday, and your entries will battle it out for a prize.

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