Posts in category: Uncategorized

July 8, 2004: Issue 77

SIM Style: Is ‘www’ still fit to print?
All Web addresses published in SIMs should begin with either “www” or “http:// .”

I know many of you are eager to drop the “www,” and I know some other publications have done so. But don’t be too quick to jump on this bandwagon: The issue is more complicated than it appears on the surface. We’ve arrived at this style after researching the technical aspects and consulting with IT. For the time being, this style provides the best service to your readers.

The computer world is still trying to figure this out. There’s actually a pretty good debate going. We will periodically evaluate this style as the technology changes, and we may at some point revise it once we’re confident reader service won’t suffer. But not yet.

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July 22, 2004: Issue 78

SIM Style: Just dial 800/SAY-WHAT?
When we publish phone numbers like 555-SILK or 555-TILE, we may think we’re helping readers by giving them a handy way to remember those numbers. If we were producing 30-second television or radio spots, that might be the case.

But our readers don’t need tricks to trigger their memories—because they don’t need to remember phone numbers at all. The numbers are printed right in front of them. Making readers hunt down the appropriate buttons on their telephone keypads can actually create frustration.

Try it out. Tell a friend to dial 800/4-KOHLER while you dial 800/456-4537 and see who connects first.

When it comes to phone numbers, make them just that—numbers.

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March 4, 2010: Issue 330

Dont let diseases or disorders define people. They are something a person has, not something a person is. Mention a disease or disorder only when its relevant to a story, and dont use it as a label.

incorrect: John, a diabetic
incorrect: an autistic child

correct: John, who has diabetes
correct: a child with autism

Avoid loaded verb phrases such as struggles with, is a victim of, or suffers from. In these cases, your best bet is plain old has.

Use similar care in writing about people who have mobility issues. Dont say, for instance, that someone is confined to a wheelchair, which is literally untrue. Instead, say the person uses a wheelchair.

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January 23, 2003: Issue 48

SIM STYLE: Where in the world is … ?
Many of the terms that show up frequently in SIM are derived from or are similar to place names. But that doesn’t mean they’re always capitalized.
Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the most common.

CAPITALIZE 
• Adirondack chair
• Brussels sprouts
• Key lime
• Persian rug
• plaster of Paris
• Provençal
• Roman shade
• Shasta daisy

LOWERCASE
• bristol board
• japan (varnish, style)
• mecca (general usage)
• paisley
• portland cement
• saltillo (tile)
• spartan (general usae)
• venetian blinds (Note: Most other “Venetian” terms are capped—”Venetian glass,” “Venetian red.”)

There are plenty more. When in doubt, check the SIM Word List first, then Webster’s 11th. If Webster’s notes “often cap,” capitalize the term accordingly.

Note: Wine and cheese names, in particular, are commonly derived from place names. You can find lists of both with proper capitalization in the Food section of the SIM Stylebook.

For more information see Issue 18.

GRAMMAR: Should I use “toward” or “towards”?
“Toward” is preferred. The same is true for other “-ward” words: backward, forward, upward, downward, etc.

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February 14, 2002: Issue 10

SIM STYLE: On nonsexist writing

Nonsexist writing is more than saying artisan instead of craftsman, or artificial instead of man-made. Avoiding more subtle sexism means avoiding making assumptions about readers.

We shouldn’t assume all readers are the same. Even if 80 percent of your readers are women, you risk alienating one-fifth of your audience if you gear a story toward women only. For our purposes in SIM, using gender-neutral terminology rarely affects the tone of a story.
INCORRECT: You and your husband
CORRECT: You and your spouse (or partner)

For more information, see Nonsexist Writing section in the SIM
Stylebook or Issue 37.

GRAMMAR: Hanging up
Which is it: “hanged” or “hung?” Unless Do It Yourself produces a “build
your own gallows in a weekend” project, we’re not likely to see hanged” in SIM. Reserve that word for executions; in all other cases, “hung” is the correct past tense of the verb hang.
INCORRECT: The children hanged the stockings with care.
CORRECT: The children hung the stockings with care.

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November 29, 2007: Issue 215

In English, a word’s pronunciation determines its indefinite article.

Words that begin with a consonant sound take the article a, regardless of the actual first letter:
a cutlet
a pillow
a historic building
a euphemism

Words that begin with a vowel sound always take the article an:
an igloo
an ornament
an homage

When a word has more than one pronunciation, go by the first one listed in Web 11.

In the case of large numbers, assume that a reader will use the shortest possible pronunciation. For instance, treat 1,800 as “eighteen hundred,” not “one thousand eight hundred”:
an 1,800-square-foot house

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January 31, 2002: Issue 8

SIM STYLE: Fee, fi, faux, fum
The French word “faux,” meaning “false,” shows up in nearly every SIM at one time or another. But when used without the necessary qualifiers, it can convey unintended meanings. To say an item features a “faux finish,” for example, means the finish itself isn’t real. Always specify the material emulated, and you’ll avoid this faux pas.
incorrect: The mantel’s faux finish lends an air of elegance.
correct: The mantel’s faux-marble finish lends an air of elegance.

GRAMMAR: Terrible twos
“Couple” can be singular or plural, depending on usage and what sounds most natural. Just don’t mix and match. In each given situation, pick one and be consistent.
incorrect: The couple enjoys [singular] the new space; they [plural] say the style suits them.
correct: The couple enjoy [plural] the new space; they [plural] say the style suits them.

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June 13, 2002: Issue 26

SIM STYLE: Do I use a comma or a slash to separate a photographer’s name from the studio name on credits?
Both. It is usually not SIM style to include both the photographer and the studio name, but there are some exceptions. In those cases some use a comma, and some use a slash. But they are not interchangeable. Follow the style on the credits list.
 correct: Steve Hall, Hedrich-Blessing
For more information, see the Credits section in the SIM Stylebook, or Issues 12, 20, 63.

GRAMMAR: Is passive voice always wrong?
No. It’s true that using active voice usually keeps writing peppier, but that doesn’t mean the passive need always be avoided. The passive voice is sometimes a better choice if the person or thing doing the action can be inferred or is not of interest.
passive: Slate tiles were laid on the diagonal for visual interest.
active: Workers laid slate tiles on the diagonal for visual interest.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of emphasis. In the following sentence, rewriting to the active voice would take the focus off the subject, the pendants.
passive: The strikingly angular pendent lights were designed by an unknown French artisan.
active: An unknown French artisan designed the strikingly angular pendent lights.

Then, of course, there’s this classic example:
passive: The suspect was arrested at a local market.
active: Officer Lopez arrested the suspect at a local market.
Which matters more to you? The arrest, or who made it?

The bottom line: Stick with the active voice in most cases. But if it just doesn’t sound quite right, think about what you’re really telling the reader. If you’re struggling to make a sentence active, and the passive voice just sounds more natural, it’s probably the better choice.

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February 24, 2005: Issue 80

SIM Style: Use! With! Caution!
Contrary to popular belief, copy editors do not strike every exclamation point they see. We do, however, believe exclamation points are like fine perfumes: Used sparingly, they draw attention. But overused, they turn people off, and fast. Before you use an exclamation point, ask yourself, Is this statement worth yelling across the room? And never use more than one exclamation point at a time.

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March 28, 2002: Issue 16

SIM STYLE & GRAMMAR: When do I hyphenate multiple adjectives before a noun?
Anytime two or more adjectives modifying a noun are intended to work together as a single unit, called a compound modifier, hyphenate them. (Note: Occasionally, the compound modifier falls after a verb, usually “to be.”)
correct: the arch-top windows
correct: old-fashioned wainscoting
 correct: The kitchen was finally up-to-date.

But be careful. Multiple adjectives before a noun don’t always constitute a compound modifier. Sometimes, one of those adjectives is actually working independently with the noun, and adding a hyphen would change the meaning. (Note: If there’s a chance a reader may not understand the intended meaning, it’s probably best to rewrite the sentence for clarity.) Check out these examples:
• The new homeowner orientation is Saturday. (The orientation is new, intended for homeowners.)
• The new-homeowner orientation is Saturday. (The orientation is intended for new homeowners.)

SIM style recognizes some compound modifiers as well-known phrases that require no hyphenation. You’ll find a partial list in the Hyphens section in the SIM Stylebook, but others may be a judgment call.
correct: a glass block wall
correct: the folk art collection

One final point: Keep an eye out for modifiers that end in “ly.” They are generally adverbs and not hyphenated.
incorrect: the expertly-decorated showhouse
correct: the expertly decorated showhouse

For more information, see Hyphens section in the SIM Stylebook.

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