Articles Tagged dictionary

The Copyeditor’s One-Reference-Work Challenge

Books—especially style guides and dictionaries—are a copyeditor’s best friend. If you could only afford one reference book, which would you choose?

Check out some of the most important changes coming to the 18th edition of the AP Stylebook, including its new preferred dictionary, Merriam-Webster!

I’m not usually peevish about language use, but “on account of” is a pet peeve of mine. Here’s why it’s okay to use it anyway.

Are you taking an “alternate” route or an “alternative” route? We tackle this common grammar debate with a little help from the dictionaries.

Would you write 56-years-old, or 56 years old? Hyphenation can be confusing for editors, especially when certain style guides disagree.

Before deciding whether to replace “social” with “sociable,” learn about this centuries-old zombie rule that stumps copyeditors to this day.

A rule exists claiming that the word “appreciate” should not be used to mean “value.” Interestingly, multiple dictionaries beg to differ.

Sometimes, copyediting rules can be subjective. The common yet controversial use of the word “get” is no exception.

Of which, or whose? Here’s what history has to say about the grammatical correctness of these commonly used phrases.