I’m amazed I had any friends at Grant Wood Elementary School, because I honestly used to run around correcting people’s grammar. If this applies to you, here’s your apology. I cringe thinking about it.
Am I proud of the little voice in the back of my head that screams, “Even though using it as a noun is commonly accepted, even by Merriam-Webster, it’s not ‘a myriad of’ because myriad is an ancient Greek word that means 10,000 and you wouldn’t say ‘a 10,000 of.’ "? No, but there it is nonetheless. So – in a career move that would have surprised none of my teachers – I channeled it into a stint as a copy editor.
I sat down at my desk the first day and looked to my right. My friend Justin was taking a swig of coffee, alternating with (no joke) glugs of Mylanta straight from the bottle. He was all of 22 at the time, not 45. I like this place, I thought.
Everything can go wrong. Every word has the potential for a correction. Things you were sure you knew are wrong. You type fast and “assess” becomes “asses”. So it’s with a sense of sympathy and schadenfreude that I read the correction section. And for the past three years, I’ve clipped out my favorites. (Shut up.) The best one is something like: Due to a transcription error so-and-so director of “Happy Endings” said, “I love foreign films because of the dialogue” not “I love porno films because of the dialogue.”
Awesome, right? Who’s got a geeky hobby now? Still me? Ok. I accept your judgment.
Also, check out my new favorite blog, regrettheerror.com, which is where my favorite recent correction came from (And, yes, I sort of want to sit down with you and rehash the prepositions-at-the-end-of-sentences debate):
The Columbia Spector. April 17, 2008
CORRECTION: This submission misstates that one Dalai Lama admitted to having sex with hundreds of men and women while knowing that he had AIDS. Additionally, the submission misstates that many monks participated in the dismemberment of female bodies. In fact, there is no factual evidence to substantiate either of these claims. Spectator regrets the error.
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9 comments:
Okay, there are errors and then there are ERRORS. Seriously, who doesn't know the Dalai Lama did they think they were talking about the head llama wrangler? Seriously.
I always think of Homer saying, "Oh, Mr. talking llama."
I keep meaning to point Melinda Koch in the direction of your blog and today's opening sentence was just another little reminder. Note to self - get that done so you can stop thinking about it.
Yeah, I've never been a dogmatist when it comes to language. My thing is that if it makes you sound like a jackass, don't do it that way if it's right or wrong.
And I really hope you acknowledge that the rule against ending a sentence with a preposition is defunct. It's wrong to use one when not necessary (Why say, "Where are you going to" when you could just say "Where are you going?") but if you have to sound pretentious to move it, just let it stay at the end. The "to which" construction makes people want to punch you in the nuts even if you don't have any.
Yes, I too am a former copy editor, and, worse, a current English teacher.
Otherwise my previous comment would have never issued forth.
You, my friend, are delusional. I've never had a "swig" of Mylanta in my life. And even if I had, I'd never taint the sweet sweet flavors of fine coffee with that stuff.
I do agree, however, that you are a total geek. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Maria - Wow! Melinda! That would be too cool.
Jacob - OMG, let's discuss! I am totally on team prepositions at the end of sentences but I figured one of my smartass friends would say something if I didn't at least pay lip service to the rule. It's old fashioned.
R - You're trippin'. There was Mylanta on your desk and you swigged (swug?) from the bottle. Don't make me make some phone calls about it.
I do believe I remember that bottle of Mylanta, R. Justin.
When I was a copy editor, there was a Yankees/Red Sox brawl in which Pedro Martinez threw Don Zimmer to the ground (remember that?) We ran a story that mentioned that Zimmer has a metal plate in his head, which turned out not to be true. So we had to run a correction apologizing to Don Zimmer, whose head is apparently made of all-natural substances.
Heee! I love it.
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