This was originally sent as an all-staff email from copyediting guru, Jen Moritz, who feels ways about words and grammar.
Happy spring! We've been seeing a few writing quirks lately, so I wanted to send out some reminders that will help us look awesome(r) to our clients. Many of these were sent to me by people who noticed them as a job crossed their desk, so please give this a quick read! (There's even a present for you at the end.)
Big words aren't always better words.
Simple words are good, clear and convey your message in a way that's easier to understand—and actually make you sound smarter!
A few I see a lot, and their counterparts:
amongst = among
usage = use
due to = because
as well as = and
new hire = hire (all hires are new)
utilize = use
Of course there are exceptions, but think of your audience and pare down when you can.
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stationery is paper
stationary is action (or technically, no action)
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pique (not peek) your interest
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tenet
as in "basic tenets" (not tenants—those rent apartments)
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myself ... is almost always the wrong word; the correct word is "me" (reply to me, let me know, etc.)
An easy trick: If you can't say "himself," you can't say "myself."
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&
I love my ampersands, but they don't belong in most copy. Always "and" except for headlines, titles and the occasional exception when it looks pretty.
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DS style doesn't use serial commas
Most of our clients don't, either (sorry ...)
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you home in on an idea
you hone your skills
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you guyses
... isn't a phrase, in writing or out loud. It's a big mistake, especially to make in front of clients, so please keep this one in mind.
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That's it! You sound smarter already. :) Also, if you made it this far, come up to the nook because I made you cookies as a reward for reading! (Seriously. Come get a cookie.)
Our copy editor also bakes, which is awesome. You can follow Jen Moritz on LinkedIn, Twitter (@jenmfinj) and Instagram (@jenmfinj).