'Either' seems to be such a stumbling block for people. This sentence would be okay if it were written thus: '...is particularly appealing either to her or for the party.' That is, the 'either' should be placed before the first preposition, otherwise it cannot encompass the second, if that makes any sense:
When proofreaders go missing: a blog of errors, designed to demonstrate why sub-editors and copy editors remain important, at a time when they are increasingly regarded as optional extras (all contributions welcome; to follow on Twitter - zmkc)
Thursday, 28 February 2013
Surround Sound Around
I suppose I'm only adding to the negativity surrounding around artists by pointing out that 'surrounding around' doesn't make sense:
Spellcheck Goes Missing
It just seems so odd in this day and age to misspell something in an editorial, but surely 'venomous' only has one 'e':
Unwise
It does seem to me that, when choosing a web name, it's always wise to avoid the word 'fart' forming in the readers' minds:
If they'd just changed the word order - www.ArtisanalFoodSchool.org, perhaps - it would have freed that hidden fart.
If they'd just changed the word order - www.ArtisanalFoodSchool.org, perhaps - it would have freed that hidden fart.
Saturday, 9 February 2013
If Only I Had a Sick Fledging
It's good to know there's someone out there who could help me, though, should I ever need that kind of assistance:
It's Actually Very Hard to See What's Wrong with This
Nonetheless, it is the job of those who put together a newspaper to ensure that someone does notice the error and remove it before the paying readers get hold of it:
Australia Is Another Land of Migration
But it is also a land where even the people who write the newspapers don't know the difference between a singular and a plural:
I'm Glad My Mother Wasn't a Nudist
The Australian Women's Weekly reveals that Helen Mirren's mother wore nothing but scent - I'm even more impressed by what a level-headed creature Mirren junior appears to have grown up to be:
Saturday, 26 January 2013
Nixon's Cellulite
Thank you to George for pointing me in the very disgusting direction of an image of Richard Nixon wrapped in cling-film in a desperate bid to lose a few inches off his rear:
Thursday, 17 January 2013
Now I Understand
I thought Victoria's Premier, Mr Baillieu, was unpopular for doing too little, but this suggests he is actually hugely overdoing things - surely it is up to individuals to look after their ageing cars:
Hometown Patriotism
I love the boosterism of this headline from the SMH:
A closer look reveals that Sydney is really doing pretty badly pricewise. A 1.5 percent rise looks pretty shabby compared to the 'bar one' 8.9 per cent rise enjoyed by Darwin - but, of course, Sydney is still nearly the best:
A closer look reveals that Sydney is really doing pretty badly pricewise. A 1.5 percent rise looks pretty shabby compared to the 'bar one' 8.9 per cent rise enjoyed by Darwin - but, of course, Sydney is still nearly the best:
Apostrophe Alert
How on earth did this happen? The phrase is so hard to make sense of and so many people must have looked at the thing before it was sent to print - and yet still it got through:
Headline Failure
The Canberra Chronicle sub-editor who chose the heading '5 fun things to do this week' for a column that includes item No. 3 has a funny idea of 'fun':
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Soffrito
Soffrito, a delicious Ligurian memoir, is a lovely book by David Dale. Lovely though it is, every time I see this caption in it, I think, 'That could have been phrased better - thirty years is a very long time to be keeping the same food':
Nevertheless, a lot is forgiveable in a book that teaches you how to make things as wonderful as this dish:
Nevertheless, a lot is forgiveable in a book that teaches you how to make things as wonderful as this dish:
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Strangely Lovely
This subbing error is so oddly beautiful, it almost convinces me that the world might be a better place with fewer editors.
Monday, 26 November 2012
Do the Math, AFR
If you are going to put the word 'financial' in the title of your newspaper, it is probably a good idea to make sure that the figures you print are correct:
Friday, 9 November 2012
Proofreading and the US President
According to a Republican Party volunteer, the get out the vote strategy for their side was a disaster on Tuesday. Among the many mistakes he identifies, proofreading was important.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
Sunday, 7 October 2012
More Sloppiness
1. What are 'realtions'?
2. Apostrophe missing
3. Too many apostrophes
4. Why are you asking me? Is this a statement or isn't it?
5. Was it just any old lynch mob or was it the mother of all lynch mobs?
6. As long as she wasn't unlawyerly, I'm not bothered.
8. I'm confused - whose home? Mr Shorten's or Mr Chifley's?
9. It's funny the word 'turgidity' features in a sentence that is itself turgid - 'with more conviction and in a manner more free from ...' might work instead.
10. Should this be 'One side just can't sit there and SAY no'?
11. '...now we to need wonder no more'?
12. The sentence beginning 'And the contribution ...' seems to have lost a bit of itself. I don't love the phrase 'the variety of views put forwards was done in a way that we all should be proud of' either - can you 'do' a 'variety of views put forwards'?
13. Australia also comes 201th in capacity to use ordinal numbers.
14. Luckily our strength doesn't appear to depend on coherence either. Although it 'could also could' do.
15. The important thing is not what Tony Abbot is suggesting; the man who may have power is called Tony Abbott
16. So speedy that we can dispense with the odd word, in order to hurry things along.
17. In this piece though, the odd word has been inserted for no apparent reason.
18. If Mr Romney's wife and his son have had children together, isn't that called incest?
9. It's funny the word 'turgidity' features in a sentence that is itself turgid - 'with more conviction and in a manner more free from ...' might work instead.
10. Should this be 'One side just can't sit there and SAY no'?
11. '...now we to need wonder no more'?
12. The sentence beginning 'And the contribution ...' seems to have lost a bit of itself. I don't love the phrase 'the variety of views put forwards was done in a way that we all should be proud of' either - can you 'do' a 'variety of views put forwards'?
13. Australia also comes 201th in capacity to use ordinal numbers.
14. Luckily our strength doesn't appear to depend on coherence either. Although it 'could also could' do.
15. The important thing is not what Tony Abbot is suggesting; the man who may have power is called Tony Abbott
16. So speedy that we can dispense with the odd word, in order to hurry things along.
17. In this piece though, the odd word has been inserted for no apparent reason.
18. If Mr Romney's wife and his son have had children together, isn't that called incest?
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