Proofreading & Editing Tips
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Clench Versus Clinch
It’s time to get a grip on English. We gotta clinch it. Or do we clench it? Uh-oh…I sense word-choice insecurity. I recently came across this sentence during an editing project: “They will be crushed,” the warlord said, clinching his fist. Word Alert! Historically,...
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Bursted? Busted!
What a strange feeling to find out that a word you use isn’t a word at all. Typo Alert I was recently editing a book for a client and came across this line: Everyone bursted with relief and joy. I quickly fixed “bursted” to “burst,” because—and here’s where your mind...
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Itch a Scratch?
Hmm. Have an itch? Do you scratch it or itch it? English can be so irritating (pun intended). Scratch Scratch as a verb most commonly means to tend to an itch, usually by scraping it with your fingernails. But here’s the rub: it can also be a noun. If you get an owie...
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The Whole Gambit or the Whole Gamut?
Have you watched The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix? Do you enjoy playing chess? If so, you may find yourself accidentally confusing “gamut” with “gambit,” as one of my clients recently did. In fact, over the past year, I have seen confusion over these two words pop up...
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Escape Goat, Pass Mustard, Cinch the Deal: Sayings That Get Confused
I edit a lot, like a lot a lot, and I’ve come across some funny typos over the last fifteen years. Some of my favorites are “the whole gambit” instead of “the whole gamut” (a gambit is a chess move) and using “escape goat” when it should be “scapegoat,” which is...
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Memoir: A Christmas Gift Idea From Your Favorite Editor
With Christmas around the corner, I thought I’d suggest the best, most unique present you could give your loved ones (at least, in my opinion, and remember, I’m an editor who loves words and stories). So here is my suggestion: write your life story or memoir, and...
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Elicit or Illicit?
You certainly don’t want to get these two words mixed up, especially since one of the words is used to describe behavior that is immoral and/or illegal (they don’t always overlap you know—something can be immoral but not illegal, and vice versa). The other day, I was...
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Catched? What Sometimes Happens When I Hear A Typo
(Yes, I know it’s not really a typo if it is spoken and not printed…) Carpe diem is my favorite Latin phrase. I like the idea of seizing opportunities, making things count, and being purposeful. It’s probably why I’ve created lots of family traditions with my...
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Skimp or Scrimp?
I spotted apparent confusion over these two words twice in one day while editing through my queue of projects. Since the economy isn’t ideal and wallets are emptying quicker these days, it seems important to get these words right and to understand the subtle...
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A Simple Editing Checklist of the Basics
I recently updated my resume and realized I’ve been doing full-time copy editing for well over 10 years. I also realized that I have far more grey hair and wrinkles than I did just last year. But they say with age comes wisdom, and I’m here to give you a proper...