Posts in category: Uncategorized

April 5, 2007: Issue 183

A reader recently expressed her disappointment in us because we described doors as blasé.

Blasé means world-weary: After three visits to Paris in the past year, she was rather blasé about our weekend in Omaha.

Even if inanimate objects could be blasé, that wasn’t the meaning we wanted. We were trying to convey that the doors were dull.

“I think that you meant to say ‘blah doors,’” our reader said. And she was right.

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February 22, 2007: Issue 178

Various procedural and administrative notes:

• Please make separate files for mastheads, rather than combining them with editor’s notes or tables of contents. A masthead can sit in the CE department for a week or more while we wait for credits from the Imaging Center, and we’d like to hold up as few pages as possible. (The exception is bookazines, which run a highly abbreviated masthead, usually combined with the TOC.) And always start fresh with a new masthead template. Don’t copy from issue to issue.

• Speaking of starting fresh, editors in the Garden and Home Design groups should always pull an updated distribution list off The Mall (under Work Session Templates) before they send out contents memos. These lists change all the time.

• Editors and copy editors: When you make a change in kerning, check with the page designer. Talk to the designer in person, or make a note on the layout and highlight it. Depending on the font, even a tiny nudge can have consequences.

• Other than folios, when you change page numbers (TOC entries, page refers in text) after final proof, ask CEs for a spot-check. You can bring us clean proofs or ask us to check on-screen.

• Always fill in dates on routing slips. CEs rely on those dates to prioritize our work. (“Hot” doesn’t help us nearly as much as “2/22.”)

Here’s your reward: Thanks for reading. Now find something much more fun.

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February 8, 2007: Issue 176

We’re eliminating pendent from our SIM vocabulary.

In the past, we’ve used pendent as an adjective and pendant as a noun, but we understand the distinction is lost on many readers. And Web 11 recognizes pendant as both an adjective and a noun.

So pendant it is, in all uses, starting now:
A handsome pendant light picks up the cobalt blue in the backsplash tile.
Barely-there recessed lights and eye-catching pendants work together in the kitchen.
If you’re looking for a gift for your CE, may we suggest a lapis pendant?

Name change: The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has changed its name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure; For the Cure is acceptable on second reference. The fund-raising runs are known as Komen Race for the Cure; Race for the Cure is acceptable on second reference.

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January 25, 2007: Issue 174

Capitalize color names that are specific to a manufacturer:
She used Spongy Moss beneath the chair rail and Hazy Sky above.

In most cases, lowercase generic color names:
Available finishes include ivory, gray, and glossy black.

When a listing is mixed, capitalize all the color names—even generic ones:
The stove is available in Fresh Pesto, Peach Salsa, Sea Salt, and Black.

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February 1, 2007: Issue 175

You immigrate to a country; you emigrate from it:
Lars and Ilsa Feddersen immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s, and five generations of their descendants have lived in this house.
Her grandparents emigrated from Japan, bringing the heirloom tansu chest that now graces her bedroom.

No more subscription calls: We’re discontinuing our subscription phone numbers, effective immediately. Our back-issue phone numbers have already been phased out, so we’ll no longer list any phone numbers to buy magazines. Continue to list Web addresses and postal addresses.

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January 11, 2007: Issue 172

When you use an acronym in text, use the full name on first reference.
correct: First prize is a trip to the American Copy Editors Society conference. ACES is known for its raucous, celebrity-studded gatherings.

When the first and second references are far apart, a shortened form of the name might work better than an acronym.
acceptable: The Iguana Fanciers Association has tips for housing your pet reptile in safety and style. … “Just remember, they’re cold-blooded,” says Theresa Bolles, president of the IFA.
preferred: The Iguana Fanciers Association has tips for housing your pet reptile in safety and style. … “Just      remember, they’re cold-blooded,” says Theresa Bolles, president of the iguana association.

In general, you don’t need to put the acronym in parentheses on first reference. If the acronym isn’t clear on its own, think twice about using it.
acceptable: The Special Interest Media (SIM) group will launch a new magazine for rocking-horse                        collectors this fall.
preferred: The Special Interest Media group will launch a new magazine for rocking-horse collectors this          fall.

Exceptions: We always use acronyms in parentheses after these terms:
• National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
• certified kitchen designer (CKD)
• certified bath designer (CBD)

Fun Web site: Find a collection of ridiculous acronyms.

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January 18, 2007: Issue 173

Here are some commonly misspelled words that evoke a moment of revelation:

• ta-da (hyphen, no h’s)
• voilà (accent, no italic)
• aha (no hyphen, one h)

Coming attractions: Check out this movie we all should see.

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January 4, 2007: Issue 171

As we start 2007, let’s talk about how we treat calendar years in text.

Set the year off with commas in a complete date (month, day, year):
She was born May 18, 1972, in Chicago.

Don’t use commas, though, when you list only month and year:
In December 2003 he got the diagnosis.

Use an apostrophe when you drop the first two digits:
A hurricane in ’03 put the home to the test.

To denote a decade, add an s—but no apostrophe:
Mirrors evoke the Hollywood glamour of the 1920s.

And when you drop the first two digits on a decade, remember that the apostrophe still belongs at the beginning:
The style gained popularity in the ’90s.

Computer tip: Some programs will try to make that apostrophe into an opening single quote. In InDesign and Microsoft Word, you can force the apostrophe with option-shift-].

Winner: The winner of our celebrity look-alike contest is Eric Liskey, for his resemblance to Tom Selleck. We’ve ordered a Detroit Tigers cap for you, Eric. Prizes also go to Heather Knowles, who nominated Eric, and to Diane Dubansky Haase and Lauren Luftman, who were very good sports about the whole thing. (Click here to see the entries.)

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December 28, 2006: Issue 170

Our gift to you? No lecture this week. Instead we offer you some diversions.

Stress relief: Pop virtual Bubble Wrap (and learn what your popping method says about your personality).

Cautionary tales: Check out the terrible mistakes other journalists have made.

Dubious advice: Having trouble making a decision? Consult the Magic 8 Ball.

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December 14, 2006: Issue 168

Look-alike has a single hyphen. It’s not look-a-like. Remember the root words look and alike; there’s no such word as a-like.

Follow-up: We asked for hints to help remember the difference between principal (money or a leader) and principle (a code or doctrine). Quite a few people suggested remembering that your school principal is your pal. And thanks to freelance CE Angela Renkoski, who suggested that PayPal can help you associate -pal with money.

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