--Volunteers work smoothly for Operation Santa Clause [sic] (Tribune-Review [Online])
Dear Santa,
For Christmas, what I need most of all is a good copyeditor.
Love,
Pittsburgh Live.com
Okay, okay... To err is human.
I shouldn't be so harsh on whoever typed the headline. It's gloating blog entries like this that annoy
So I've briefly unleashed the unflinching grammar bastard who dwells within. That felt good.
Now it's time to go back to being Professor Helpful.
Yes, but that "grammar bastard" also helps students pay closer attention to their writing, as I do to this day. I believe we all have one of those within us. I call mine Darth Bobby.
One question: what does "professioal" mean (as in "professioal journalists")?
Hoisted on my own petard! I suppose part of the definition of "professional journalist" would be "Earning money for what you write, and having access to an editor who is paid to help you catch your stupid mistakes."
You know what, as much as I mentally edit things as I read, I agree with Bobby: it helps me to stay sharp. I might be the bane of someone's grammatical existence when it comes to actually catching misspellings, syntax errors, and mechanical issues but I do enjoy it... somehow. I sometimes believe I was born to do these things. Now I just need a snappy code name.
I'm sure Santa is furious with the Trib right now. :-) Howabout "Scissors" Kilgore?