Posts in category: Uncategorized

February 12, 2009: Issue 277

The U.S. Congress has given you four more months to get ready for the change to digital television. But here in SIM, the switch to our new schedule database is rolling along on schedule. Old production and publishing spreadsheets have already gone the way of analog TV signals, and more documents will soon follow.

Beginning with fiscal 2010 (that’s anything that goes on sale July 1 or later), tracking documents, routing slips, and MIC job jacket forms will all be generated from the database. You will not be able to do your job without learning to use the database. No legislative body is going to step in and change that.

All staffers should have met with a CE to learn to use the database and create these new documents. If you haven’t, or if you need a refresher, let one of us know immediately. Freelance editors and designers will need to use the database, too. Talk to your primary staff contact about getting access.

The 15 minutes you invest in learning to use this system will save you hours in the coming year. We promise.

The guy who started it all: Anyone who’s already using the database knows how much it streamlines our work. For that we can thank Dan Johnson, who has been innovative and responsive beyond belief in setting up this technology. We’re awarding Dan a Special Achievement Eebie for his efforts.

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February 19, 2009: Issue 278 

Alex Rodriguez admits he used steroids. Christian Bale admits his tirade was out of line. Barack Obama admits he “screwed up” some Cabinet picks.

These examples show why the word admit often carries a negative connotation, suggesting wrongdoing or a reluctance to acknowledge facts. Be careful of admit in situations where it might imply a value judgment:
She admits she has high blood pressure.
He admits he has struggled with depression.
They admit they looked for bargains.

In all these cases, if attribution is necessary at all, acknowledge or just plain say is a better choice.
She has high blood pressure.
He acknowledges he has struggled with depression.
They say they looked for bargains.

When admit is the right word, it doesn’t need the preposition to before a gerund:
I admit going on too long on this topic.

In memoriam: Blossom Dearie died February 7. Obituaries in The New York Times and The Des Moines Register outlined her career as a jazz singer. But neither mentioned the reason anyone who was a child in the 1970s will instantly recognize her voice: She sang “Unpack Your Adjectives” for Schoolhouse Rock.

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December 31, 2008: Issue 271

When you break into a chorus of Auld Lang Syne at midnight, you probably won’t be worried about how to spell this old Scottish phrase.

But next time you write it, avoid the common mistake of throwing an aposotrophe-s (or s-apostrophe) at the end of lang. This error arises from the belief that auld lang syne translates to old times’ sake. The phrase actually means old long ago.

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Issue 273 January 15, 2009

Speaking of our friend The Count, we’d all do well to emulate him whenever we run across a number.

If we promise seven tips or 11 slides or 23 pages, count them. Do this at every stage, whether you’re looking at a video, a Web page, or a print layout. Don’t assume the number is right just because it’s already been through editing and copy editing. Things change. With a shift in layout, “Our Five Favorite Fabrics” can quickly become six or four.

Ditto for page numbers. Issue maps change as ad close nears, and internal page references should be checked along with folios.

Instead of counting sheep: We could all use a little soul-soothing right now. Try this.

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 January 22, 2009: Issue 274 

“Nearly 6 inches of snow fell on the city today. Expect 4 more inches of the white stuff overnight.”

We cringe when weather forecasters talk this way—not just because we hate shoveling. We also hate convoluted terms where a simple one will do.

Don’t be afraid to repeat words. There’s no good synonym for “snow” in English, so it’s best to say the word again.

This concept is especially important in writing for the Web. No one is likely to do a Google search for “orange orb” or “fenestration.” Say “pumpkin” or “window” as many times as you need to.

Another thing not to fear: Don’t worry if your masthead isn’t back to you by your Meredith Imaging Center date. We hold mastheads until we get desktop operator and color quality analyst credits from the MIC. As long as your masthead is with CEs by deadline, you’re fine.

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December 23, 2008: Issue 270

Dear Style on the Go:

     I’ll be having Christmas dinner with my extended family, none of whom have strong grammar skills. My uncle, for instance, has a habit of misusing “hopefully.” His wife does the same with “literally.” My cousins say “I feel so badly about that.” And my great-grandmother starts every other sentence with “just between you and I.” When I try, gently, to help them improve their language, these relatives act as if I’ve insulted them. My younger sister says holiday gatherings aren’t the time for English lessons. When is it proper to correct someone’s speech?

     Signed,
Rudimentary Grammar Matters to Me

Dear Rude:
It is proper to correct someone’s speech when he turns to you and asks “Did I say that right?” Otherwise, have a bite of figgy pudding and hold your tongue. Happy holidays.

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December 18, 2008: Issue 269

The word help, ironically, rarely helps your writing. More often, it weakens verbs and should be deleted.

acceptable: Frosted glass helps protect privacy.
preferred: Frosted glass protects privacy.

acceptable: A sugar substitute helps cut the calories in your morning coffee.
preferred: A sugar substitute cuts the calories in your morning coffee.

Hold onto help only when deleting it compromises accuracy.

correct: Jim helped plant the garden that was named best in the city in 2008.
incorrect: Jim planted the garden that was named best in the city in 2008.

Speaking of helping, check out a video from Free to Be You and Me.

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November 25, 2008: Issue 266

Thanksgiving owes its status as a national holiday in large part to the efforts of a magazine editor.

Sara Josepha Hale ran Godey’s Lady’s Book from 1837 to 1877, and in its pages she campaigned to make the last Thursday in November, already recognized by many individual states, “the grand Thanksgiving holiday of our nation.” In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made it official.

“Let us consecrate the day to benevolence of action, by sending good gifts to the poor, and doing those deeds of charity that will, for one day, make every American home the place of plenty and of rejoicing,“ Hale wrote in an editor’s letter. “These seasons of refreshing are of inestimable advantage to the popular heart; and if rightly managed, will greatly aid and strengthen public harmony of feeling.”

National what day? If your team were to lead the push for a new holiday, what would it be? E-mail us, and we’ll share our favorite ideas.

Winners: As of last week, we have more than 100 users in the new production database. When we hit that milestone, we drew five users’ names at random. Billie Wade, Mary-Beth Rouse, Dan Bishop, Sharon Marturello, and Gene Rauch each win a free lunch in the cafeteria. Watch for new features in the database to make your job easier—and more chances to win prizes. If you need help logging in, talk to a CE.

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December 4, 2008: Issue 267

Use gold to describe something made of at least 14-karat gold. Otherwise say golden.

a gold necklace
a golden damask drapery

To gild something is to cover it with a thin layer of gold or something resembling gold. The preferred past participle is gilded (not gilt).
a gilded picture frame

Gilt is the material laid on an item to gild it.
lettered in 14-karat gilt

Gold leaf is an extremely thin sheet of gold, usually used for gilding.

Literature lesson: To gild the lily means to unnecessarily adorn something that is already beautiful. The metaphor has its roots in William Shakepeare’s King John, but it’s a condensation of the original. Here’s what Shakespeare wrote:

Therefore, to be possess’d with double pomp,
To guard a title that was rich before,
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
To throw a perfume on the violet,
To smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish,
Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

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October 23, 2008: Issue 261 

Be sure to congratulate your colleagues on two great finishes in last Sunday’s IMT Des Moines Marathon. Gary Thompson ran the full marathon in a personal best time of 4:22:09. New mom Megan Boettcher made an impressive return to running, completing the half marathon in 2:14:38.

But before you dash off those e-mails, check this list of properly spelled interjections:

hooray

woo-hoo

yahoo

yippee

Earn your own accolade: A prize goes to the first person who comes to my cubicle and sings me the “Interjections” song from Schoolhouse Rock.

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