164 lines
5.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
164 lines
5.4 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
topics
|
|
about-us
|
|
style-book
|
|
simon-heffers-style-notes
|
|
5788202
|
|
-----
|
|
# Style notes 22: July 9 2009
|
|
|
|
4:21PM BST 09 Jul 2009
|
|
|
|
Dear Colleagues
|
|
|
|
Although cliches can occasionally have a place in our writing, it is usually
|
|
only in ironic contexts. We seem to use them in serious contexts with
|
|
increasing frequency, and that suggests we are not thinking as carefully as we
|
|
should about what we are saying. All crises seem to be major; all rows seem to
|
|
have an epicentre. A phrase like "achingly modern" suggests an absence of
|
|
thought; as does the use, with a straight face, of the expression "to die
|
|
for". Both have recently appeared in our pages.
|
|
|
|
Bad spelling is usually the result of carelessness rather than illiteracy. In
|
|
heads online we have lately had "Prime Minsiter", "pragamatic" and, on the
|
|
night of his demise "Micheal Jackson". I have repeatedly advised of the need
|
|
to read copy before it is published online; it is of extra importance that we
|
|
should check heads are correct before millions of people have the opportunity
|
|
to read them. In text we have had "plagerism", accessability (which was spelt
|
|
correctly in an accompanying picture), a Noel Coward play called Blythe Spirit
|
|
and a drummer called Ringo Star.
|
|
|
|
On matters of fact, we invented a country called Equatorial New Guinea, and
|
|
accused Sweden of having an Atlantic Coast. We called the Prince of Wales's
|
|
feathers fleurs-de-lys. We demoted an officer from Lt Col to Lt within three
|
|
paragraphs. We re-named John Whittingdale, a Tory MP, John Whittingham. Pitot
|
|
tubes - a plane's speed sensors - became pilot tubes. People who live in
|
|
Bermuda are Bermudians, not Bermudans. Great Britain is to be used to describe
|
|
just England, Scotland and Wales. When Northern Ireland is included the
|
|
collective noun is the United Kingdom. Last but certainly not least, we said
|
|
Sid James died in 1939, nearly 20 years before the first Carry On film. He
|
|
died in 1976.
|
|
|
|
Stationary and stationery have two distinct meanings, which writers and
|
|
editors should know. Practises is not the plural of practice; it is a verb
|
|
form. Annex is a verb, annexe a noun referring to an adjunct to a main
|
|
building. We wrote a headline that said: "Air France warned about fault over a
|
|
year ago". It seems from that that Air France did the warning, whereas it was
|
|
the other way round; though the verb to warn requires a subject. We used
|
|
"troop" as the singular of "troops", which it is not. A troop is a group of
|
|
soldiers; an individual member of the army is a soldier. We wrote "it is the
|
|
revelations…which has cost Miss Smith her reputation" and the phrase "to we
|
|
viewers".
|
|
|
|
We said "different to"; it is different from. "Invite" is a verb, not a noun:
|
|
that is "invitation". "May" and "might" are not interchangeable, and their
|
|
correct use is explained in the style book. We do not say "looking like she
|
|
had been run over" but "looking as if". "Overly" is not an acceptable usage.
|
|
Redaction is not censorship, it is editing. Reverting back is a tautology. We
|
|
never say "for free" but "free of charge".
|
|
|
|
In our Ascot coverage we referred to the Queen as "HRH", which is a very
|
|
serious mistake. We never call ships in the Royal Navy "the HMS Defiant". It
|
|
is "HMS Defiant". When referring to "the vice-president" of an organization,
|
|
check there is not more than one. There usually is.
|
|
|
|
Our style is burka not burqa; the logic of this and all other words with
|
|
alternative orthography is that we use the first style in the Oxford
|
|
Dictionary. When we use foreign phrases, it is imperative to use them
|
|
correctly. We had "La vie Français" in a front-page puff that correctly
|
|
included the cedilla but had the gender of the adjective wrong, which made us
|
|
look foolish to all French speakers. Also, to bring us into line with modern
|
|
practice, there will be a change to the way in which we spell two French
|
|
place-names: from now on it should be Marseille and Lyon, dropping the final
|
|
"s".
|
|
|
|
We are still having trouble with homophones: there and their; poured and
|
|
pored; lent and leant; censors and sensors; and it's and its have all featured
|
|
recently. So, three times, have effected and affected. Please study the
|
|
difference between those last two verbs and use them correctly; and please
|
|
check your copy before you file it.
|
|
|
|
With best wishes
|
|
|
|
Simon Heffer
|
|
|
|
Associate Editor
|
|
|
|
The Daily Telegraph
|
|
|
|
[X][1] Share & bookmark
|
|
|
|
Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
|
|
|
|
Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
|
|
|
|
[What are these?][2]
|
|
|
|
* Share: [Share][1] [ ][3] [ ][4]
|
|
|
|
[Tweet][5]
|
|
|
|
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/about-us/style-book/simon-heffers-style-
|
|
notes/5788202/Style-notes-22-July-9-2009.html
|
|
|
|
Telegraph
|
|
|
|
## [Simon Heffer's Style Notes][6]
|
|
|
|
[X][1] Share & bookmark
|
|
|
|
Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
|
|
|
|
Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
|
|
|
|
[What are these?][2]
|
|
|
|
Share:
|
|
|
|
* [ ][1]
|
|
|
|
* [ ][3]
|
|
|
|
* [ ][4]
|
|
|
|
* [Tweet][5]
|
|
|
|
* Advertisement
|
|
|
|
![][7]
|
|
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
[EDITOR'S CHOICE »][8]
|
|
|
|
### [Gil Scott-Heron: 'A voice for Shakespeare'][9]
|
|
|
|
[![Gil Scott-Heron][10]][9]
|
|
|
|
Composer, musician, poet and author whose writing provided a vivid commentary
|
|
on the black American experience.
|
|
|
|
### [Beekeeping diary: the new colonies arrive][11]
|
|
|
|
### [Spectacular light show dazzles Sydney][12]
|
|
|
|
### [WS Gilbert: a knight for our times][13]
|
|
|
|
### [The Telegraph's Matt is Hay Festival star][14]
|
|
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
Classified Advertising
|
|
|
|
* [Services][15]
|
|
|
|
* [Property][16]
|
|
|
|
* [Motoring][17]
|
|
|
|
Loading
|
|
|
|
[Find your ideal job with Telegraph Jobs][18]
|
|
|
|
var puffs_8120657 = new Array();
|
|
|