EditorMark
@editormark.bsky.social
Focus: the free exchange of ideas. Editor, writer, ally. Advocate for plain language, journalism, diversity, tolerance. Believes universities, corporations and other institutions should not be arms of the state (i.e., antifascist). Host, That Word Chat.
Linguists must have been giddy to hear “Prisencolinensinainciusol” at the Olympic opening. I was.
www.npr.org/2012/11/04/1...
share.google/7Erdf4Dvc6vy...
www.npr.org/2012/11/04/1...
share.google/7Erdf4Dvc6vy...
It's Gibberish, But Italian Pop Song Still Means Something
The song's name is "Prisencolinensinainciusol." That's not a typo; in 1972 Italian pop star Adriano Celentano wanted to mimic what English sounds like to non-English speakers.
www.npr.org
February 7, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Linguists must have been giddy to hear “Prisencolinensinainciusol” at the Olympic opening. I was.
www.npr.org/2012/11/04/1...
share.google/7Erdf4Dvc6vy...
www.npr.org/2012/11/04/1...
share.google/7Erdf4Dvc6vy...
Reposted by EditorMark
#ThatWordChat returns with Joshua Blackburn and Jess Zafarris for a deep dive into wordplay, obscure etymologies, and the new edition of "League of the Lexicon."
Tues, Feb 10, 4:30 ET | 20:30 UTC
Sign up: ThatWordChat.com
#BoardGames #Lexicon #WordNerd
Tues, Feb 10, 4:30 ET | 20:30 UTC
Sign up: ThatWordChat.com
#BoardGames #Lexicon #WordNerd
February 4, 2026 at 5:11 PM
#ThatWordChat returns with Joshua Blackburn and Jess Zafarris for a deep dive into wordplay, obscure etymologies, and the new edition of "League of the Lexicon."
Tues, Feb 10, 4:30 ET | 20:30 UTC
Sign up: ThatWordChat.com
#BoardGames #Lexicon #WordNerd
Tues, Feb 10, 4:30 ET | 20:30 UTC
Sign up: ThatWordChat.com
#BoardGames #Lexicon #WordNerd
Reposted by EditorMark
On @99pi.org again! This time round I spoke to Will Aspinall about the storied em dash (‘—′, that is, rather than ‘–′ or ‘-′, but you knew that). Listen at 99percentinvisible.o..., or read my own earlier piece on AI and the em dash at shadycharacters.co.u....
The Em Dash - 99% Invisible
Last summer, Bryan Vance found himself in an argument with a stranger on Reddit. Vance, a Portland-based journalist who runs Stumptown Savings, a newsletter covering local grocery deals, had been accused of using ChatGPT to write his content. The evidence? His use of em dashes. “A Reddit user accused me of using AI, pointing to
99percentinvisible.org
February 4, 2026 at 9:11 PM
On @99pi.org again! This time round I spoke to Will Aspinall about the storied em dash (‘—′, that is, rather than ‘–′ or ‘-′, but you knew that). Listen at 99percentinvisible.o..., or read my own earlier piece on AI and the em dash at shadycharacters.co.u....
Reposted by EditorMark
If you are an editor who used the CIA factbook, it’s gone, deleted, so you might want to bookmark this
February 5, 2026 at 1:07 AM
If you are an editor who used the CIA factbook, it’s gone, deleted, so you might want to bookmark this
AI does not obviate the need for human editors. @shellypalmer.bsky.social breaks it down.
shellypalmer.com/2026/01/when...
shellypalmer.com/2026/01/when...
When AI Fact-Checking Gets the Facts Backward
I used a custom-built agentic workflow to fact-check an article I was writing about Apple's reported $5 billion deal with Google to power Siri with Gemini. The AI verified every claim as accurate. It ...
shellypalmer.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:08 PM
AI does not obviate the need for human editors. @shellypalmer.bsky.social breaks it down.
shellypalmer.com/2026/01/when...
shellypalmer.com/2026/01/when...
Reposted by EditorMark
When Canadian editors noticed British spellings appearing in federal budget documents, they did more than note a shift in style. They wrote an open letter to the prime minister.
Read the full story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/world/canada/carney-british-spelling.html
Read the full story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/world/canada/carney-british-spelling.html
January 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM
When Canadian editors noticed British spellings appearing in federal budget documents, they did more than note a shift in style. They wrote an open letter to the prime minister.
Read the full story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/world/canada/carney-british-spelling.html
Read the full story: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/world/canada/carney-british-spelling.html
Reposted by EditorMark
The latest Separated by a Common Newsletter is out!
Includes:
•SbaCL Transatlantic Words of the Year!
•More WotYs from around the world (check out the Icelandic one, it's great!)
•Links to insightful linguistic content & yet another stupidly addictive game
lynneguist.substack.com/p/fiddly-zee
Includes:
•SbaCL Transatlantic Words of the Year!
•More WotYs from around the world (check out the Icelandic one, it's great!)
•Links to insightful linguistic content & yet another stupidly addictive game
lynneguist.substack.com/p/fiddly-zee
Fiddly zee
This time: Transatlantic Words of 2025, the rest of the WotYs, and more fun links
lynneguist.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:15 PM
The latest Separated by a Common Newsletter is out!
Includes:
•SbaCL Transatlantic Words of the Year!
•More WotYs from around the world (check out the Icelandic one, it's great!)
•Links to insightful linguistic content & yet another stupidly addictive game
lynneguist.substack.com/p/fiddly-zee
Includes:
•SbaCL Transatlantic Words of the Year!
•More WotYs from around the world (check out the Icelandic one, it's great!)
•Links to insightful linguistic content & yet another stupidly addictive game
lynneguist.substack.com/p/fiddly-zee
Reposted by EditorMark
TOMORROW: That Word Chat’s #WOTY panel returns.
Experts from the OED, Merriam-Webster, the American Dialect Society, the University of Michigan, the University of Sussex, and Mashed Radish break down the words of 2025.
Still time to grab your spot!
Register: ThatWordChat.com
#ThatWordChat
Experts from the OED, Merriam-Webster, the American Dialect Society, the University of Michigan, the University of Sussex, and Mashed Radish break down the words of 2025.
Still time to grab your spot!
Register: ThatWordChat.com
#ThatWordChat
January 12, 2026 at 10:42 PM
TOMORROW: That Word Chat’s #WOTY panel returns.
Experts from the OED, Merriam-Webster, the American Dialect Society, the University of Michigan, the University of Sussex, and Mashed Radish break down the words of 2025.
Still time to grab your spot!
Register: ThatWordChat.com
#ThatWordChat
Experts from the OED, Merriam-Webster, the American Dialect Society, the University of Michigan, the University of Sussex, and Mashed Radish break down the words of 2025.
Still time to grab your spot!
Register: ThatWordChat.com
#ThatWordChat
Here is a seemingly unpopular viewpoint: The military arrest of Maduro was not an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty. Maduro is a criminal who lost an election and was reigning as a dictator. (I can see why the White House struggles to make that case, though.)
January 4, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Here is a seemingly unpopular viewpoint: The military arrest of Maduro was not an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty. Maduro is a criminal who lost an election and was reigning as a dictator. (I can see why the White House struggles to make that case, though.)
Indicted Election-Denying Would-Be Dictator Captures Indicted Election-Denying Dictator
January 3, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Indicted Election-Denying Would-Be Dictator Captures Indicted Election-Denying Dictator
Reposted by EditorMark
To clarify: Calibri is a *much* better font than Times New Roman and making text more readable is an important goal.
So… it’s not (just) a joke. The US government continues to punch down.
So… it’s not (just) a joke. The US government continues to punch down.
Ur foNt iS wOKe
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
December 10, 2025 at 7:06 AM
To clarify: Calibri is a *much* better font than Times New Roman and making text more readable is an important goal.
So… it’s not (just) a joke. The US government continues to punch down.
So… it’s not (just) a joke. The US government continues to punch down.
Reposted by EditorMark
In this month's Improve Your Business Writing newsletter, I'm tackling dangling participles. These grammar mistakes can blur meaning and create unintentional humor in professional writing.
Read it now: zurl.co/LtBUR
#AmEditing #WritingTips
Read it now: zurl.co/LtBUR
#AmEditing #WritingTips
Grammar Bite: Don’t Dangle Your Participle
Participle. Your English teacher used the term once or twice but it didn’t really stick with you.
zurl.co
December 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In this month's Improve Your Business Writing newsletter, I'm tackling dangling participles. These grammar mistakes can blur meaning and create unintentional humor in professional writing.
Read it now: zurl.co/LtBUR
#AmEditing #WritingTips
Read it now: zurl.co/LtBUR
#AmEditing #WritingTips
Reposted by EditorMark
In the latest episode of #ThatWordChat, Peter Sokolowski joins us to talk about the 12th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate—the first full update in 22 years.
Watch: bit.ly/ThatWordVideo
Listen: thatwordchat.podbean.com
#Lexicography #Editing #Publishing #MerriamWebster #CulturalLinguistics
Watch: bit.ly/ThatWordVideo
Listen: thatwordchat.podbean.com
#Lexicography #Editing #Publishing #MerriamWebster #CulturalLinguistics
December 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
In the latest episode of #ThatWordChat, Peter Sokolowski joins us to talk about the 12th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate—the first full update in 22 years.
Watch: bit.ly/ThatWordVideo
Listen: thatwordchat.podbean.com
#Lexicography #Editing #Publishing #MerriamWebster #CulturalLinguistics
Watch: bit.ly/ThatWordVideo
Listen: thatwordchat.podbean.com
#Lexicography #Editing #Publishing #MerriamWebster #CulturalLinguistics
Reposted by EditorMark
Have something editors can use tomorrow? Submit a proposal to present an ACES Academy webcast.
Start your proposal here: https://aceseditors.org/training/the-aces-academy/want-to-propose-a-webcast
Start your proposal here: https://aceseditors.org/training/the-aces-academy/want-to-propose-a-webcast
December 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Have something editors can use tomorrow? Submit a proposal to present an ACES Academy webcast.
Start your proposal here: https://aceseditors.org/training/the-aces-academy/want-to-propose-a-webcast
Start your proposal here: https://aceseditors.org/training/the-aces-academy/want-to-propose-a-webcast
Reposted by EditorMark
@marthabarnette.bsky.social's book "Friends With Words" is packed with tidbits for word lovers, and in today's podcast we look at some of my favorites:
— Why South Carolinians paint porches "haint blue" (to ward off ghosts)
— What a "quidnunc" is (a nosy neighbor)
1/2
APPLE: tinyurl.com/2cwb4t92
— Why South Carolinians paint porches "haint blue" (to ward off ghosts)
— What a "quidnunc" is (a nosy neighbor)
1/2
APPLE: tinyurl.com/2cwb4t92
December 4, 2025 at 7:23 PM
@marthabarnette.bsky.social's book "Friends With Words" is packed with tidbits for word lovers, and in today's podcast we look at some of my favorites:
— Why South Carolinians paint porches "haint blue" (to ward off ghosts)
— What a "quidnunc" is (a nosy neighbor)
1/2
APPLE: tinyurl.com/2cwb4t92
— Why South Carolinians paint porches "haint blue" (to ward off ghosts)
— What a "quidnunc" is (a nosy neighbor)
1/2
APPLE: tinyurl.com/2cwb4t92
Reposted by EditorMark
What is YOUR Word of the Year for 2025?
December 1, 2025 at 5:49 PM
What is YOUR Word of the Year for 2025?
Reposted by EditorMark
Our friends at the @efafreelancers.bsky.social are asking the editing community to help with this year's Rate Survey with a public survey open to nonmember freelancers in addition to the member survey. Find the public survey at twp.ai/ImsmoM
December 1, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Our friends at the @efafreelancers.bsky.social are asking the editing community to help with this year's Rate Survey with a public survey open to nonmember freelancers in addition to the member survey. Find the public survey at twp.ai/ImsmoM
Reposted by EditorMark
Cutting it fine again...November's Separated by a Common Newsletter is up and out!
Includes: pled or pleaded? British kids talking trash? Last words and words of the year. Plus links, links, links
lynneguist.substack.com/p/pled-head
Includes: pled or pleaded? British kids talking trash? Last words and words of the year. Plus links, links, links
lynneguist.substack.com/p/pled-head
Pled head
This time: pled or pleaded? British kids talking trash? Last words and words of the year. Plus more links than you'll click, but isn't it nice that they're there?
lynneguist.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Cutting it fine again...November's Separated by a Common Newsletter is up and out!
Includes: pled or pleaded? British kids talking trash? Last words and words of the year. Plus links, links, links
lynneguist.substack.com/p/pled-head
Includes: pled or pleaded? British kids talking trash? Last words and words of the year. Plus links, links, links
lynneguist.substack.com/p/pled-head
Reposted by EditorMark
I think some of the greatest delights in the business of etymology are words—especially everyday words—whose origins we just don’t know.
So, this year, I’ll do an etymological Advent calendar on this theme: words with origins that are obscure, uncertain, or otherwise unknown.
So, this year, I’ll do an etymological Advent calendar on this theme: words with origins that are obscure, uncertain, or otherwise unknown.
December 1, 2025 at 1:24 AM
I think some of the greatest delights in the business of etymology are words—especially everyday words—whose origins we just don’t know.
So, this year, I’ll do an etymological Advent calendar on this theme: words with origins that are obscure, uncertain, or otherwise unknown.
So, this year, I’ll do an etymological Advent calendar on this theme: words with origins that are obscure, uncertain, or otherwise unknown.
Reposted by EditorMark
It's arrived—and it's gorgeous.
I opened @merriam-webster.com's new Twelfth Collegiate at random, and the first word I came across was the second, verbal sense of "load."
Huzzah!
This spread also showcases some delights, like the illustrations and word lists.
I opened @merriam-webster.com's new Twelfth Collegiate at random, and the first word I came across was the second, verbal sense of "load."
Huzzah!
This spread also showcases some delights, like the illustrations and word lists.
November 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
It's arrived—and it's gorgeous.
I opened @merriam-webster.com's new Twelfth Collegiate at random, and the first word I came across was the second, verbal sense of "load."
Huzzah!
This spread also showcases some delights, like the illustrations and word lists.
I opened @merriam-webster.com's new Twelfth Collegiate at random, and the first word I came across was the second, verbal sense of "load."
Huzzah!
This spread also showcases some delights, like the illustrations and word lists.
Reposted by EditorMark
Reposted by EditorMark
Reposted by EditorMark
Oh my goodness, it gets earlier every year.
The Word of the Year thread starts here with the
2025 German Youth WotY: das crazy
uk.news.yahoo.com/das-crazy-vo...
The Word of the Year thread starts here with the
2025 German Youth WotY: das crazy
uk.news.yahoo.com/das-crazy-vo...
'Das crazy' has been voted German Youth Word of the Year 2025
Every year, Germany’s youth select their annual "Youth Word of the Year", which is voted for by youngsters around the country.View on euronews
uk.news.yahoo.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Oh my goodness, it gets earlier every year.
The Word of the Year thread starts here with the
2025 German Youth WotY: das crazy
uk.news.yahoo.com/das-crazy-vo...
The Word of the Year thread starts here with the
2025 German Youth WotY: das crazy
uk.news.yahoo.com/das-crazy-vo...
Reposted by EditorMark
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
November 27, 2025 at 12:17 AM
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by EditorMark
We've just recorded an interview with @lynneguist.bsky.social for the @lexispodcast.bsky.social and then this absolute whopper of a piece gets published. It's jam-packed with clichéd complaints, hoary hyperbole & xenophobic waffle.
archive.ph/2025.11.24-0...
archive.ph/2025.11.24-0...
November 24, 2025 at 5:52 PM
We've just recorded an interview with @lynneguist.bsky.social for the @lexispodcast.bsky.social and then this absolute whopper of a piece gets published. It's jam-packed with clichéd complaints, hoary hyperbole & xenophobic waffle.
archive.ph/2025.11.24-0...
archive.ph/2025.11.24-0...