Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
America's Copy Editor®
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
Pinned
Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
· Nov 27
Greetings, new people here at House of Copyediting. Besides first-rate, IISSM, prose advice, you'll get:
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
it's not the Miracle Mile, it's the Magnificent Mile, and
oh who cares
oh who cares
Call in the troops to solve the commercial real estate crisis in our swanky downtown cores
You can’t make this shit up, folks
You can’t make this shit up, folks
November 11, 2025 at 5:59 AM
it's not the Miracle Mile, it's the Magnificent Mile, and
oh who cares
oh who cares
The hilarious thing about the reading list that Elon Musk apparently begged to have publicly posted to prove that he's not, pace Joyce Carol Oates, a subliterate buffoon is that it's just as dreadful as you might expect, and I don't believe he's read any of them anyway.
November 11, 2025 at 1:43 AM
The hilarious thing about the reading list that Elon Musk apparently begged to have publicly posted to prove that he's not, pace Joyce Carol Oates, a subliterate buffoon is that it's just as dreadful as you might expect, and I don't believe he's read any of them anyway.
how I tend to feel about buzzwords, jargon, and the like
It has a kind of touchy-feely self-helpy TED-talky vibe that puts me off, yes.
I guess I'd say that people who use it are letting you know right away who they are, so let's maybe not discourage them.
I guess I'd say that people who use it are letting you know right away who they are, so let's maybe not discourage them.
November 11, 2025 at 1:35 AM
how I tend to feel about buzzwords, jargon, and the like
Monday evening, December 15, at 7:30, do join @kerryomalley.bsky.social, Annabeth Gish, and me for In the Night. In the Dark. A Shirley Jackson Evening.
Thrills and chills guaranteed.
Details linked below.
Thrills and chills guaranteed.
Details linked below.
November 11, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Monday evening, December 15, at 7:30, do join @kerryomalley.bsky.social, Annabeth Gish, and me for In the Night. In the Dark. A Shirley Jackson Evening.
Thrills and chills guaranteed.
Details linked below.
Thrills and chills guaranteed.
Details linked below.
Bizarre to see the repeated assertion today that birthday boy Claude Rains is either unknown or underrated.
To whom? By whom?
🤷🏻♂️
To whom? By whom?
🤷🏻♂️
November 11, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Bizarre to see the repeated assertion today that birthday boy Claude Rains is either unknown or underrated.
To whom? By whom?
🤷🏻♂️
To whom? By whom?
🤷🏻♂️
Legends only.
(Okay, it’s her birthday, so. . .)
Hang on, when did reading become performative?
📸: Michael Berresse
Hang on, when did reading become performative?
📸: Michael Berresse
November 10, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Legends only.
as I nathanfillion for all eternity
November 10, 2025 at 9:37 PM
as I nathanfillion for all eternity
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
New Elon Musk/Daryl Hall Venn diagram just dropped.
November 10, 2025 at 8:49 PM
New Elon Musk/Daryl Hall Venn diagram just dropped.
a superb g.d. book
If you've been on the fence about buying THE MAN NOBODY KILLED because it wasn't $5, well, I have good news. (It's $5.)
www.amazon.com/dp/125089822...
www.amazon.com/dp/125089822...
The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York
The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York [Green, Elon] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York
www.amazon.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:48 PM
a superb g.d. book
I've got all my Q's set up for Dan's A's!
November 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I've got all my Q's set up for Dan's A's!
Not in this case my circus, and thus not also my clown car, but meanwhile, in a nearby thread:
Dozens of people who seem not to know how punctuation works holding forth at great length and with utter certainty about how punctuation works...
Well, have fun with that.
Dozens of people who seem not to know how punctuation works holding forth at great length and with utter certainty about how punctuation works...
Well, have fun with that.
November 10, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Not in this case my circus, and thus not also my clown car, but meanwhile, in a nearby thread:
Dozens of people who seem not to know how punctuation works holding forth at great length and with utter certainty about how punctuation works...
Well, have fun with that.
Dozens of people who seem not to know how punctuation works holding forth at great length and with utter certainty about how punctuation works...
Well, have fun with that.
Groundhog Day except it's me having to see the Charlie Brown and Lucy football thing every five minutes for the rest of my life.
November 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Groundhog Day except it's me having to see the Charlie Brown and Lucy football thing every five minutes for the rest of my life.
today's not random theater photo:
birthday girl Ann Reinking (❤️) and Joel Grey (also ❤️, of course, but he's still with us) in Goodtime Charley (photo by Kenn Duncan)
birthday girl Ann Reinking (❤️) and Joel Grey (also ❤️, of course, but he's still with us) in Goodtime Charley (photo by Kenn Duncan)
November 10, 2025 at 3:50 PM
today's not random theater photo:
birthday girl Ann Reinking (❤️) and Joel Grey (also ❤️, of course, but he's still with us) in Goodtime Charley (photo by Kenn Duncan)
birthday girl Ann Reinking (❤️) and Joel Grey (also ❤️, of course, but he's still with us) in Goodtime Charley (photo by Kenn Duncan)
Happy Claude Rains's birthday!
November 10, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Happy Claude Rains's birthday!
Happy 100th Richard Burton's birthday!
November 10, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Happy 100th Richard Burton's birthday!
Supreme Court suggests that Kim Davis go fuck herself and/or one of her 37 ex-husbands.
November 10, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Supreme Court suggests that Kim Davis go fuck herself and/or one of her 37 ex-husbands.
Celebrating the birthday of the divine, and much-missed, Ann Reinking.
❤️
❤️
November 10, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Celebrating the birthday of the divine, and much-missed, Ann Reinking.
❤️
❤️
"Commas should be used only and always to indicate where a breath occurs" is the assertion of people who are dreadful at punctuation.
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
"Commas should be used only and always to indicate where a breath occurs" is the assertion of people who are dreadful at punctuation.
This is how it works. Yes.
My philosophy on commas is that I do whatever my editor says. And if the editors disagree whoever had it last wins.
November 10, 2025 at 4:57 AM
This is how it works. Yes.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
A leader would not have lost eight colleagues tonight. This happened because you let it happen or because you’ve totally lost control of the caucus in one of the most important moments since you’ve been Democratic leader. Either way, it’s on you. You need to step down. We need someone who can lead.
Democrats have been fighting for months to address America's healthcare crisis
For the millions who will lose coverage
For people with cancer who won't get the care they need
For working families who can't afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare
We will keep fighting
For the millions who will lose coverage
For people with cancer who won't get the care they need
For working families who can't afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare
We will keep fighting
November 10, 2025 at 4:23 AM
A leader would not have lost eight colleagues tonight. This happened because you let it happen or because you’ve totally lost control of the caucus in one of the most important moments since you’ve been Democratic leader. Either way, it’s on you. You need to step down. We need someone who can lead.
November 10, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Tour info! Austin today and tomorrow and then Monday at Book Soup with @bcdreyer.social !!!
November 10, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Copyediting FAQ
Q. Should the word “too” at the end of a sentence be preceded by a comma, or no?
A. Whichever way you choose to go, the other way will immediately seem better.
Q. Should the word “too” at the end of a sentence be preceded by a comma, or no?
A. Whichever way you choose to go, the other way will immediately seem better.
November 10, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Copyediting FAQ
Q. Should the word “too” at the end of a sentence be preceded by a comma, or no?
A. Whichever way you choose to go, the other way will immediately seem better.
Q. Should the word “too” at the end of a sentence be preceded by a comma, or no?
A. Whichever way you choose to go, the other way will immediately seem better.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
November 10, 2025 at 1:49 AM
The average SNAP benefit per month is $177 a person.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.
The average ACA benefit per month is up to $550 a person.
People want us to hold the line for a reason. This is not a matter of appealing to a base. It’s about people’s lives.
And working people want leaders whose word means something to them.