Dave Mandl11h ago
Knowing (some) British slang, I was thrown by this headline. In the UK "cod" (adjective) also means "fake," but they're talking about fish here. #copyediting
Wen6d ago

Headlines to be interpreted

From ’The Times’ (no I haven’t bothered reading it) and it begs many questions. Including
- why does the head of the Polis think he/she can make the moon disappear?
- is it accomplished by closing the curtains or a wee bit more sophisticated?
- is the threat to make the moon disapear a negotiating tactic?

The mind boggles. Oh well better have another coffee before we go out for the morning run.

#Headlines #Interpretation #TheTimes #CopyEditing #sloppy #Literacvy

Dave MandlApr 3
Never seen the word "moreish" before. Seems chiefly or exclusively British and maybe Australian. It's in my paper copy of the Concise Oxford, so it's not new. Meaning: "something (usually food) that's so good it makes you want more." Etymologically pretty questionable IMO. #copyediting
WINGS_radioMar 28
#Wikipedia Just #Banned #AI. They're Right, but for the Wrong Reason.
English Wikipedia just banned the use of large language models for writing or rewriting articles. The vote was 44-2. The policy passed a Request for Comment on March 20 and allows only two narrow #exceptions: editors can use LLMs for basic #copyediting of their own writing, and they can use LLMs to assist with #translation. In both cases, the #editor must #verify the output for #accuracy
https://shellypalmer.com/2026/03/wikipedia-just-banned-ai-theyre-right-but-for-the-wrong-reason/
Wikipedia Just Banned AI. They're Right, but for the Wrong Reason.

English Wikipedia just banned the use of large language models for writing or rewriting articles. The vote was 44-2. The policy passed a Request for Comment on March 20 and allows only two narrow exceptions: editors can use LLMs for basic copyediting of their own writing, and they can use LLMs to assist with translation. In both cases, the editor must verify the output for accuracy.

Shelly Palmer
Dave ProcterMar 22

Any of you out there who need academic proofreading and/or copy editing in the language of English, give me a shout. Need some work....

I am based in Sweden, but obviously online :D

#proofreading #copyediting

Dave MandlMar 22
I saw the term "royal plural" long before I saw "royal 'we.'" "Royal plural" makes more sense because it also includes the word "our"—it's not just the word "we." (For example, "Our bath is almost ready.") But you never see "royal plural," and that bugs me. #copyediting
Show threadJakeMar 12
Weirdly, on pg 182 he goes back and forth between calling his dad’s mistress Tamara and Tereh. One must be a real name and one fake and he just missed a couple replacements. He did something similar in the first edition of Fast Times, where he left in “Clairemont High” at least once. #copyediting
Show threadJakeMar 12
Weirdly, on pg 182 he goes back and forth between calling his dad’s mistress Tamara and Tereh. One must be a real name and one fake and he just missed a couple replacements. He did something similar in the first edition of Fast Times, where he left in “Clairemont High” at least once. #copyediting
Dave MandlMar 4
Never seen this unusual use of the word "across" to mean "au courant with" or "aware of." Or course it could just be a typo. #copyediting
Dave MandlFeb 18
This reference to a "happy ending" in the NYT: I'm guessing many of their square readers won't know what this is, and it seems like the kind of thing the Times would usually explain, pedantically. But there's no way to explain this without getting explicit, so they just leave it there. #copyediting