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September 7, 2006: Issue 155

At considerable risk to our own job security, we’re going to try to explain an issue that has long confounded writers and editors: “lie” versus “lay.”

To get this one right, you need to follow two simple steps:

1. Learn the difference between “lie” and “lay” in the present tense.

“Lie” means “to rest” or “to recline.” It is an intransitive verb, which means it never takes a direct object.
The book is lying on the desk.
I need to lie down for a few minutes.
Weight the corners so the paper lies flat.

“Lay” means “to put” or “to place.” It’s a transitive verb, which means it needs a direct object.
Lay the book on the desk, please. (object: book)
She’s laying four aces on the table. (object: aces)
We need someplace to lay the blame. (object: blame)

2. Memorize these six syllables: lie-lay-lain, lay-laid-laid.

The past tense of “lie” is “lay.”
The book lay on the desk all day yesterday.

The past participle of “lie” is “lain.”
It has lain there for weeks.

See where the confusion starts? There’s overlap between the present and past tenses of these two distinct words.

The past tense of “lay” is “laid.”
I laid the book on the table this morning.

The past participle of “lay” is also “laid.”
I’ve laid it there every morning this week.

We hope this helps. And if you’re still confused, remember: You’re keeping a copy editor employed.

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August 31, 2006: Issue 154

“It got this far; it must be right.”

There’s an assumption guaranteed to cause trouble.

No matter how far along a story is—final proof, even color proof—question something that doesn’t feel right. A last-minute change might have introduced an error, or a mistake might have slipped past everyone ahead of you. There’s a reason our system calls for multiple edits, so go ahead and ask the question. It beats the heck out of asking yourself later, Why didn’t I check?

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August 24, 2006: Issue 153

Use reflexive pronouns (myself, herself, yourself) only when the pronoun matches the subject of the sentence:
correct: Ouch, I just cut myself with this crafts knife.
correct: Gina hired a contractor to strip and sand the floors, then stained them herself.
correct: Try it for yourself.
(Note that in the last example, the subject of the sentence is an understood “you.”)

“Myself” causes particular problems. It’s often substituted inexplicably for the word “me,” particularly by writers and speakers who want to sound formal.
incorrect: If you have questions, talk to Bob or myself.
correct: If you have questions, talk to Bob or me.

Remember that a reflexive pronoun can’t be the subject of a sentence.
incorrect: Aisha and myself are working on that report.
correct: Aisha and I are working on that report.

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August 17, 2006: Issue 152

You have a backside, but your house doesn’t. Neither does your sofa or that quilt you’re making. They, like all other inanimate objects, have back sides. Use the single word “backside” only when you mean “buttocks.”
incorrect: Limestone pilasters repeat on the backside of the house.
correct: Limestone pilasters repeat on the back side of the house.
correct: Get your backside in gear and finish proofreading that layout, missy!

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August 10, 2006: Issue 151

A dilemma is a choice between two unpleasant options.

When your designer says you have to decide between mahogany and Italian marble for your new floors, you’re faced with a simple choice, not a dilemma.

When you’re stranded on an uncharted island with a bunch of nasty monsters, a mysterious electromagnetic field, and a creepy band of murderers, and the murderers kidnap your son, and the only way you can get the boy back is by sending some of your fellow castaways straight into the creepy people’s trap—lose your child or sacrifice your friends—that’s a dilemma.

Open this PDF for a special illustrated version of this issue.

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August 3, 2006: Issue 150

This is our 150th issue of Style on the Go. To celebrate, we’re handing out gift certificates. As you cruise through SIMStylebook.com, watch for our “150” logos—we’ve placed three of them. Be the first person to click on one and you’ll win a $25 prop sale gift certificate. (Limit one gift certificate per person; you must be a Special Interest Media employee to win.)

Once a year is enough.

While we’re talking about our 150th issue, let’s clarify the word “anniversary.” While this is an issue worth celebrating, it’s not an anniversary. An anniversary is the annual date marking an event:
the 60th anniversary of D-Day
their 12th wedding anniversary
the two-year anniversary of our Web site launch

Anniversaries come around once a year. There is no such thing as a six-month anniversary or (no matter how excited you are about that new relationship) a three-week anniversary.

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July 27, 2006: Issue 149

Don’t use courtesy titles (Mr., Ms., Miss, Sir) except in direct quotations.
incorrect: Miss Mirsky had other ideas.
correct: Mirsky had other ideas.
correct: “Miss Mirsky had other ideas,” he says.

Avoid the professional title “Dr.” Instead, specify what kind of doctor the person is, and add any other information that clarifies his expertise.
correct: Juan Williams, M.D.
correct: psychiatrist David Chen
correct: Julia Patel, Ph.D., a history professor at Georgetown University

Do use the professional title “Rev.,” but only on first reference with both first and last names. For later references, use the last name only.
incorrect: Rev. Miracle
correct: Rev. Amy Miracle
correct: Miracle

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July 13, 2006: Issue 147

Always use states with city names on first reference—unless the city is on the list of stand-alone cities on SIMStylebook.com. Cities on that list can stand alone, but they don’t have to. References to these cities without state designation are generally clear and less cluttered, but if you feel the state is needed, you may include it. In reader letters, for instance, you might choose to run state names with every city for consistency. (More on reader letters next week.)

ON BHGstylebook.com: Find our list of stand-alone cities.

OSX TIP: If you’re seeing strange type on Web sites—Greek-looking symbols and odd fractions—you need to deactivate a few fonts. In FontAgent Pro, go to the Helvetica folder and deactivate Helvetica-Fraction and Helvetica-FractionBold. In the Times folder, deactivate Times-PhoneticIPA and Times-PhoneticAlternate. Web sites should be legible now.

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June 29, 2006: Issue 145

Anyone who caught the final rounds of this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee (stop snickering—some of us turned down dinner invitations to stay home and watch) saw whiz kids puzzle out seemingly impossible words by working through their origins. While we’re seldom called on to spell “weltschmerz” or “tmesis,” knowing etymology can help us avoid common errors. Here are a few examples:

foreword: As the preface to a book, the foreword is literally words that go before. The suffix “-ward,” meaning “in the direction of,” plays no part.

marshmallow: Watch what happens to a kid who’s eaten a few and you’ll realize “mellow” doesn’t belong here. Think botanically instead. These puffy confections were once made from the root of an herb called marshmallow.

memento: A little keepsake shares its root word with “memory,” not with “moment.”

minuscule: Web 11 lists “miniscule” as a variant of this word meaning “very small.” But we’re sticking with the original, which is more closely related to “minus” than to “mini.”

playwright: A “wright” is a skilled worker. Although people who craft plays are writers, they are not “playwrites” any more than people who make wheels and carts are “wheelwrites” or “cartwrites.”

sergeant: The shortened form “sarge” often throws people off, but this term for a noncommissioned officer shares its root with “serve” and “servant.”

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June 22, 2006: Issue 144

A few notes on handling the names of Web-based businesses in text:

• Use the business name as it appears on the “About Us” or “Contact Us” page or in comparable text  on the Web site. Sometimes these names include a “.com” and sometimes they don’t (MissionLiving.com, but ModernTots). Be aware that the name used in text might not match the Web site’s logo; go by the name in text.
• Cap the first letter of the business name unless a logical internal letter is capped instead (as in eBay). Although spaces are omitted in Web-based business names, cap acronyms and individual words so the name reads logically (ModernReproductions.com, FaucetDirect.com, SIMStylebook.com).
• Don’t add “www” to business names. Do, however, include “www” or “http://” in Web addresses. (FastFloors.com is the business name; www.fastfloors.com is the company’s Web address.)
• Don’t worry about giving the complete Web address unless you’re listing contact information for all businesses in the story. We don’t always list a physical address for a brick-and-mortar store, so we don’t always have to list  a Web address for a Web store.

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