Posts in category: Uncategorized

February 6, 2003: Issue 49

SIM STYLE: Word List Spotlight: C
Do you know SIM style on these 10 commonly misused words?
• cabinetmaker (one word)
• cast off (v), cast-off (adj), castoff (n)
• catchall (one word)
• ceramic disk (not disc)
• chaise longue (not lounge) For more information see Issue 6.
• chiminea (note spelling)
• cleanup (n, adj), clean up (v)
• Colonial (capitalize)
• counter space (two words)
• crisscross (one word)

GRAMMAR: This may be basic, but what’s the difference between a phrase and a clause?
Understanding phrases and clauses is, in fact, one of the basic points of English grammar. But it often is a confusing one. Authors Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald suggest thinking of phrases and clauses as the building blocks of all sentences.

A phrase is a group of related words that lacks both a subject and a predicate, whereas a clause does contain a subject and a predicate. Recognizing the different types of phrases and clauses will not only help you avoid common language mishaps (such as sentence fragments and misplaced modifiers), it will help you add variety and better flow to your writing.

This week, we’ll take a closer look at the two basic types of phrases. Next time, we’ll delve deeper into clauses. A prepositional phrase (a preposition followed by its object) is easy to identify.
• Guests always gather IN THE KITCHEN.
• They use the dining area only FOR FORMAL DINNERS.
A verbal phrase can be trickier. It contains a form of a verb (a gerund, infinitive, or participle) that’s not really functioning as a verb, along with an object or other related material. A verbal phrase generally acts as a noun, adverb, or adjective within a sentence.
• KEEPING THE PROJECT ON BUDGET was the designer’s top goal. (The gerund phrase acts as a noun, the subject of the sentence.)
• TO SAVE MONEY, she incorporated flea-market finds. (The infinitive phrase acts as an adverb modifying “incorporated.”)
• ENAMORED WITH THE RESULTS, the homeowners hired her again. (The participial phrase acts as an adjective modifying “homeowners.”)

For more information see Issue 52.

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January 9, 2003: Issue 46

SIM STYLE: If I’ve given an individual’s full name in main text, must I repeat it in sidebars and captions?
Yes, on each first reference. Captions may be treated as a group: The first caption that mentions a person should fully identify him or her; subsequent captions may use first or last name only, as appropriate. Sidebars and text boxes should be treated individually: The first reference in each sidebar or text box should be a person’s full name; subsequent references within the same sidebar or text box may use first or last name only, as appropriate.

Note: Readers should not be left to assume that a married couple share the same last name, even when that is the case. If the spouses are introduced separately, each first reference should be by full name. For instance, if one caption refers to homeowner Jane Smith, a later caption should not refer simply to “Jane’s husband, John,” but rather, “Jane’s husband, John Smith.”

GRAMMAR: Is it “anytime” or “any time”?
Whether it’s one word or two depends on the context. “Anytime” is an adverb meaning “whenever.” When “any time” is two words, “time” is a noun modified by the adjective “any.”
correct: Will the designer have any time to meet with her today?
correct: Sure, tell her to stop by anytime this afternoon.

The same logic holds for “anymore” and “any more,” as well as “anyway” and “any way.”
correct: Do you have any more carpet samples?
correct: No, we don’t carry that line anymore.
correct: Is there any way I could find some?
correct: I think they’ve all been discarded, but you could check that bin anyway.

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December 5, 2002: Issue 45

SIM STYLE: How do I credit a professional who was both the designer and the builder of a project?
SIM style for an individual is “designer-builder.” For a firm, it’s “design-build firm.”
correct: The couple called designer-builder Chris Nguyen to turn their vision into reality.
correct: The homeowners lowered costs by working with a design-build firm.

For more information, see Issue 56.

BONUS! MORE SIM STYLE: Could we please just wrap the box and stash it for a while?
Lately, not only have we repeatedly thought “outside the box,” we’ve also decorated, painted, remodeled, and gardened there. Sure, sometimes we get punchy with “inside the box” or some other variation on the phrase, but all this attention has made “thinking outside the box” a top contender for cliché of the year. That’s not to say we should never use it, but think twice before you do. Is it an easy pun, or does it truly speak to the point of the story? In most cases, there will be a better option.

GRAMMAR: What’s the difference between “proved” and “proven”?
“Proved” is the participle; use “proven” only as an adjective.
 correct: Designer Bobby Trendy has proved himself to be an eccentric personality.
correct: His proven design skills caught Anna Nicole’s eye.

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October 24, 2002: Issue 41

SIM STYLE: Has SIM style on end boxes changed?
No. Many magazines are now using special end boxes or symbols, but how and where they should be used remains the same.
• End boxes should be placed at the end of main text or after the final caption in a photo story.
• If the main text ends on a spread with a sidebar, keep the end box at the end of main text.
• If main text ends and a sidebar follows on the next spread, omit the end box for that story.
• Regardless of the symbol used, end boxes are preceded by a fixed space (cmd-opt-shift-space).

2006 UPDATE: The end bug rule has changed. An end bug should be placed in the most logical spot to indicate the end of a story, whether that’s after a caption, sidebar, or main text.

GRAMMAR: Into the fire
“In” and “into” (as well as “on” and “onto”) are not interchangeable. “In” and “on” denote a stationary position or location. “Into” and “onto” denote motion.
INCORRECT: Dip the brush in green paint.
correct: Dip the brush into green paint.
correct: Once the dog ran into the house, the couple enjoyed dinner on the patio.

Keep in mind, however, that just because “in” (or “on”) and “to” come together in a sentence doesn’t mean they should be combined into one word. Idioms ending with “in” or “on” should be preserved.
incorrect: The designer moved onto the next project.
correct: The designer moved on to the next project. (The idiom is “move on.”)

incorrect: The guests will go into dinner at 6.
correct: The guests will go in to dinner at 6. (The idiom is “go in.”)

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October 17, 2002: Issue 40

SIM STYLE: How do I handle attribution on pull quotes?
All direct quotes used as pullouts must be attributed. All attributions should be treated the same way throughout an issue. If the attribution is grammatically separate from the quote, a full identification (including professional title or homeowner status) must follow the first usage in a pull quote. On subsequent references, the same speaker may be identified by full name only.
correct first reference:
“The old beams give the new space a sense of history.”
—kitchen designer Susan Serra
correct second reference:
“We wanted to honor the home’s past.”
—Susan Serra

If attribution is grammatically part of the quote, the speaker must be identified fully in the first usage and may be identified by only a first or last name, as appropriate, on subsequent references.
correct first reference:
“Old beams give the new space a sense of history,” kitchen designer Susan Serra says.
correct second reference:
“Fine details create new interest with an old-world charm,” Serra says.

A direct quote should never be used as a pullout without attribution. If you cannot include attribution for design reasons, paraphrase the quote into third person.

GRAMMAR: Feliz Navidad
It’s one of the most common grammar errors of the holiday season (read the Sunday circulars as Christmas approaches; you’ll see): The traditional Mexican Christmas lantern—a candle set inside a paper bag partially filled with sand—is a luminaria, not a luminary. The plural is luminarias, not luminaries. Luminaries are, of course, particularly bright people who never misspell luminaria.

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September 19, 2002: Issue 36

SIM STYLE: Is a bathroom without a tub a full bath?
Yes, if it has a shower. We no longer use the term 3/4 bath in SIM. A powder room, or half bath, consists only of a toilet and a sink. A full bath also includes a shower or a tub or both, and may include many other amenities.

GRAMMAR: More Idiom Soup
Do you know these idioms? Explanations are by Paul Brians, a Washington State University English professor.
• Deep-seated (not “seeded”)
The expression has nothing to do with a feeling being planted deep within one, but instead refers to its being seated firmly within one’s breast:
“My aversion to anchovies is deep-seated.” Compounding their error, most people who misuse this phrase leave the hyphen out. Tennis players may be seeded, but not feelings.

• Beyond the pale (not “pail”)
In medieval Ireland, the area around Dublin was within the limit of English law, everything outside being considered as wild, dangerous territory. The boundary was marked by a fence called “the Pale” (compare with “palisade”). The expression “beyond the pale” came to mean “bizarre, beyond proper limits.”
• Sleight of hand (not “slight”)
“Sleight” is an old word meaning “cleverness.”
• Row to hoe (not “road”)
Out in the cotton patch, you have a tough row to hoe. This saying has nothing to do with road construction.
• One and the same (not “in”)
The old expression “they are one and the same” is now often mangled into the roughly phonetic equivalent “one in the same.” The use of “one” here to mean “identical with each other” is familiar from phrases like “Jane and John act as one.” They are one, they are the same.

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September 12, 2002: Issue 35

SIM STYLE: How should references to the September 11 terrorist attacks be treated in SIM copy?
Granted, we don’t deal with this often. But with Americans’ emphasis on home and family in the last year, references to the attacks will continue to creep into our magazines. These situations are best dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
• Evaluate whether any reference is necessary to begin with. If so, make sure it’s clearly pertinent and could not be seen as trivial, given the subject matter of our magazines.
• Keep references general. Readers need no reminder of the details. A simple “9/11” or “the attacks,” or even “recent events,” will usually suffice.
• If you must be specific, avoid references to only the World Trade Center if you’re really talking about all the attacks.

Also note: No mainstream stylebook accepts “9/11” when referring to a date, yet the term is now standard usage in most American newspapers and magazines. That’s because it has come to refer to the events of the day, rather than the date itself. It probably always will. “D day” is technically a generic term, but to most it now refers specifically to June 6, 1944. In the same way, the date will come and go in future years, but “9/11” will likely hereafter refer specifically to the events of September 11, 2001.

GRAMMAR: Ground zero: Leave it to history
In the past, the term “ground zero” might have been perfectly acceptable as a casual reference to a chaotic decorating, building, or landscaping project, or even to describe an especially messy teen’s bedroom. But no more. The term was redefined by 9/11 and has now become synonymous with the World Trade Center grounds in New York City. It’s hard to imagine “ground zero” ever again being used in any other context than referring to the WTC or an equally catastrophic human tragedy.

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August 29, 2002: Issue 33

SIM STYLE: More on inclusive writing
“Your kids will thank you.”
What’s wrong with this sentence? Technically, nothing. But SIM style strives for language that doesn’t exclude any reader. One word here does that: “your.”

Not all readers have kids at home, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be interested in the information—they may have grandchildren, nieces and nephews, godchildren, or friends to whom it applies.

The fix is usually easy. Here, simply delete the word “your,” or change it to something more general, such as, “Any kid will thank you.”

The change may seem insignificant. But consciously or otherwise, readers notice patterns. Sprinkle a few “your kids” sentences throughout one magazine, and childless readers—for some reason they can’t quite pinpoint—may begin to feel that magazine doesn’t speak to them personally.

Some other demographics that should send up red flags include race, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and marital status. Do the words you choose unnecessarily assume all readers are white? Married? Female? Remember, even if 80 percent of readers fall into one category, the remaining 20 percent represent tens of thousands of readers—customers—who don’t.

Inclusive writing doesn’t mean catering to a relatively small portion of your readership at the expense of your target readers. Nor is it a matter of political correctness. It simply means that, where possible, no reader should be excluded from the get-go.

For more information, see Nonsexist Writing section in the SIM Stylebook or Issue 11 and Issue 62.

GRAMMAR: What’s the difference between anxious and eager?
Both refer to anticipation, but anxious implies nervousness or anxiety.
correct: The homeowners, who said any change is a good change, were eager to see their new living room.
correct: The designer, who covered the walls with straw, was anxious about their reaction.

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August 1, 2002: Issue 31

SIM STYLE: The more things change …
Please write in these recent SIM style changes in your stylebook.
• Feng shui is no longer italicized.
• Northern California is capitalized, as is Southern California.
• One-of-a-kind is hyphenated in all uses.
• Icemaker is one word.
• Change pom-pom to pompon on your word list in all uses. This solves a discrepancy with botanical usage.
• Sashes, not sash, is the preferred plural form of sash.

GRAMMAR: Is it rack or wrack?
If something is causing you stress or strain, it’s racking your nerves. You may also be racked with guilt. Wrack implies devastation (think “wreckage”). If you’re absolutely at the end of your rope and there’s no hope in sight, you’re facing wrack and ruin. Incidentally, racket (not racquet) is the preferred spelling for the piece of sports equipment—even if you’re playing racquetball.

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