Editor's Corner

Good morning to you all. Recently, I shared with you the word of the year from Dictionary.com. The word was hallucinate with a new meaning related to artificial intelligence. The new definition is “to produce false information contrary to a user’s wishes, and to present it as if it’s true and factual.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen and heard this word, with this meaning, quite a few times since I learned about it.

I received a few responses to that post, and one from Jason M. initiated an email conversation about how the meaning of words can change over time. Both Kara and I have written about this phenomenon in the past and included words like girl, which used to refer to any child, not just a female, and the word bully, which used to mean sweetheart or darling and was used to refer to males and females.

And today I want to share some words we didn’t cover previously. These words come from two places: IDEAS.TED.COM and A.Word.A.Day. The original meanings and the current meanings are provided below:

I’ve only included the words we never covered before. If you’d like to see our earlier posts that include even more words that have changed in meaning over the years, you can find Kara’s here: Editor’s Corner: Words Whose Meanings Have Changed | Editor’s Corner (episystechpubs.com).

And you can find mine here: Editor’s Corner: Meanings Change | Editor’s Corner (episystechpubs.com).

Kara is currently on leave, and I’ll be on vacation for the next three weeks, so you won’t receive any Editor’s Corner emails from us until mid-March. We’ll miss you. I hope you miss us!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

<![if !vml]><![endif]>

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

I subscribe to Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day email; so, each morning, as I start my day by reading emails, I get the gift of a word. Sometimes I know the word well, sometimes I’ve heard the word but am unsure of the meaning, and sometimes, as with the one I’m about to share, I get exposed to a new word. And that’s the best gift.

Recently, they sent out the word tmesis (pronounced tuh-mee-sis), which is “the introduction of one or more words between the parts of a compound word. I do this all the time, but never knew there was a name for it. Let me share their example: the word superhero can be separated, and the syllable duper can be inserted to form super-duper-hero.

Here are some examples you might recognize:

• Abso-blooming-lutely (from George Shaw’s Pygmalion)
• La-dee-freakin-da (from Saturday Night Live – thank you, Chris Farley)
• Some-other-where (from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)
• Well-diddly-elcome (from The Simpsons – thank you, Ned Flanders)

And here are some examples you’ve likely heard or used:

• Abso-friggin-lutely
• Any-old-where
• A-whole-nother
• Fan-freaking-tastic
• Un-freaking-believable
• What-the heck-ever

As you might have noticed, the words “freakin” and “friggin” (and the unmentionable word those words stand for) are often used to create tmesis. And then of course, and this is the fun part, we make up our own tmesis words and phrases all the time. For example, you might be thinking something like this right now:

In case you’re wondering, tmesis is not a new word. It was first recorded in the late 1500s. It comes from the Greek word tmêsis, which means “a cutting.” And I hope you enjoy playing with it as much as I do.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Hello, language lovers. Today I’m sharing a pet peeve that one of you sent in. And I admit that I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of times I see this particular issue in the writing that comes to the editing queue. It has to do with using the word where when you are not referring to a location. Although many people use where this way, especially in speech, it is not considered correct in professional writing.

I’ll start with a couple of examples:

Incorrect: The system does not assess fees where the user enters an incorrect amount.

Correct: The system does not assess fees when the user enters an incorrect amount.

Incorrect: The use of a spreadsheet created a situation where automation was not possible.

Correct: The use of a spreadsheet created a situation in which automation was not possible.

If you’re still a little unsure, just remember that where should indicate a location. It is not a synonym for when or which. Here is an example of where used correctly:

Correct: The source indicates where the data in the field comes from.

Let me be clear: this is a matter of professional versus casual language. Most of us are more careful when writing for work than we are when we speak or text. In casual conversation, you’ll hear many people using where as a stand in for when, or in which/for which. I have found that it’s best not to correct them, especially the ones with a temper and a quick “bunch of fives.”

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

I was surprised the other day to learn the etymology of the word jumbo, which as we know means “a very large specimen of its kind” (Merriam-Webster). I enjoy finding out how words come into our language, where they come from, and how long ago they showed up. The history of words intrigues me. But I had never thought about the word jumbo. And I had no idea that jumbo is an eponym.

An eponym is a person or thing that a word is named for. For example, according to Grammarly, “…Achilles [from Greek mythology] is the eponym of the Achilles tendon. Queen Victoria is the eponym of Lake Victoria and quite a few other things. Amerigo Vespucci is the eponym of America.”

It turns out that Jumbo, a famous 19th century elephant, is the eponym for the word jumbo. I overheard this fact during a TV show my spouse was watching, and I learned that Jumbo was purchased from the London Zoo by P. T. Barnum, and he became an integral part of the Barnum and Bailey circus in the second half of the 1800s.

The Online Etymology Dictionary confirms the information I overheard. The word jumbo appears to have received its definition in 1882 as a reference to Jumbo the famous elephant. Speaking of Jumbo, P. T. Barnum said, “I tell you conscientiously that no idea of the immensity of the animal can be formed. It is a fact that he is simply beyond comparison. The largest elephants I ever saw are mere dwarfs by the side of Jumbo."

I’ll never use the word again without thinking of Jumbo the elephant. And honestly, I’ll never think of the elephant without wishing he could have lived out his life in Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia) where he was captured as a calf, rather than in a zoo or circus.

There are so many stories behind the words we use—some happy, some sad, some surprising, some confusing. Ain’t it grand? And ain’t Jumbo grand?

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

<![if !vml]><![endif]>

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

From the vault of rules you may not have known about…

I was watching a LinkedIn Learning course recently, and the presenter mentioned that the word hopefully is often referred to as “the most abused word in the English language.” That got my attention. I don’t remember learning about this in any of my English or grammar courses over the years.

It turns out that the current usage of hopefully to mean I hope, as in “Hopefully, you’re as interesting in this subject as I am” started back in the 1930s, but the outrage really started in the 60s when, according to an article for NPR by Geoff Nunberg, it was called an abomination by poet Phyllis McGinley. Likewise, Historian T. Harry Williams called it “the most horrible usage of our times.” And I never even knew about it. Oops.

Want to know what’s wrong with it? Well first, let me share what else Nunberg said, because it made me chuckle (the italicized emphasis is mine):

So why did critics decide to turn this useful little adverb into the era’s biggest bugaboo? Well, you could argue that the very unreasonableness of the objections to "hopefully" helps make the rule an efficient badge of belonging. No one could simply guess the rule. Somebody who came to "hopefully" armed only with a keen ear for English grammar and style would have no way of knowing that anybody had a problem with it. You can only know about it if you’re the sort of person who reads usage guides or who has tea with others who do. It’s not enough just to be literate; you have to have pretensions to being one of the literati.

We all have our language pet peeves. I don’t like it when people use the subject I when they should use the object me. For example, someone who wants to annoy me might say, “You should drive to the party with Dexter and I.” That sentence is grammatically incorrect because if Dexter weren’t along for the ride, they would not say “You should drive to the party with I.” They’d say, “You should drive to the party with me.”

Lots of folks are upset over the misuse of there, their, and they’re. And I’ve also received many emails about how annoying it is that some people don’t know when to use affect vs. effect. But these folks in the 60s went nuclear over hopefully. I hardly think this grammar gaffe should be called an abomination—Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was an abomination. But maybe you disagree. Let’s look at what the experts say is wrong with the way so many folks use hopefully.

The main argument against it is that it’s not clear who is doing the hoping. Take this example:

Reyna said to Dillon, “Hopefully, you will come to my party.”

What Reyna means is that she is hopeful that Dillon will come to her party. But the experts say that the literal translation of Reyna’s statement is that Dillon will come to her party full of hope. Why? Because you (meaning Dillon) follows the word hopefully, so Dillonmust be doing the hoping. If Dillon comes to the party, he will be filled with hope—for what, we do not know.

The advice from grammarians is that if you want to be precise (and I do, it’s kind of my thing), you should indicate who is doing the hoping. Rather than saying “Hopefully, you will come to my party” you should say “I hope you will come to my party.”

But Nunberg astutely points out that although the prejudice against hopefully is as strong as ever in some circles, we don’t see the same outrage over words like sadly, mercifully, thankfully, or frankly. Well, that’s confusing.

So here’s your takeaway. Now you know the “rule.” You know that if you use the word hopefully when you mean I hope, you may be judged by grammar geeks. You can decide whether to follow this rule, but I would suggest following it in professional writing only because you don’t want to appear to be unaware—like I was for so many years. I wonder how many people silently judged me.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good morning, good grammarians! Today’s topic begins in a straight-forward way—and then it takes a delightful deviation.

Let’s start at the beginning. You know that was and were are past tense conjugations of the verb to be:

• I was
• she/he was
• you/they were
• we were

Pretty simple so far; but now for the deviance. Along with being a past tense form of to be, the word were is also the past subjunctive form, which means that it expresses an action or state that is not reality. For example, we use were instead of was to allude to something hypothetical, wished for, or conditional.

And this is where many of us don’t follow the rules. But since you all care about the rules, here they are (courtesy of Grammarly.com):

• Use were if the state of being you are describing is contrary to the current reality. This is true whenever a hypothetical situation is expressed, for example:
  • If I were you, I would clean the counters before the floors.
  • Would you invite me over if I were more polite at the dinner table?

The first sentence can be described as an unreal conditional sentence. These hypotheticals are easy to spot because they are often introduced by an if and are related to another clause containing a would or could.

• Another type of unreal conditional sentence that uses the same construction demanding the subjunctive were is the impossible or improbable type.
  • If it were possible to solve the puzzle, I would have done it.

Here the speaker implies that the puzzle is unsolvable. Therefore, solving the puzzle is not a likely reality, and the subjunctive were is used instead of the past tense was.

That does not mean that every clause beginning with if requires the use of were rather than was. [dbb – this is a helpful hint.]

• • If I was wrong about Felicity’s love of puppies, I can take this one back to the shelter.

In this sentence, the speaker acknowledges that it is possible they were mistaken about Felicity loving puppies and thus shouldn’t be giving her one. The fact that the speaker is describing what may be reality makes this an indicative sentence, not a subjunctive one. Therefore, we use was instead of were.

· Use were, not was, for wishful thinking.

A sure sign that you should use the subjunctive is when the word wish is used. A wish is the desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen.

o I wish I were the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

o He wishes his grammar were better.

o I wish the stories about me were true, but I am not really the master of the universe.

o She wishes she were at least five inches taller.

Here’s a tip: These phrases are never correct: I wish I was, I wish it was, he wishes he was, she wishes she was.

That’s all for today! I wish I were able to snap my fingers to make all these rules easier to follow. But where’s the fun in that? It’s the challenge that keeps us interested. Happy Tuesday!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good morning!

At the beginning of each year, various dictionaries reveal their “word of the year.” They choose a word that has been most often looked up or a word they feel represents something we all experienced during the previous year. When deciding on the word for 2023, Dictionary.com gave themselves this prompt: “Using lexicography and data science, choose a single word that best represents, at this moment, AI’s many profound ramifications for the future of language and life.”

What did they come up with? According to Dictionary.com, the word of the year for 2023 is hallucinate. Here is what they have to say about this winner of a word:

Hallucinate is one of many new terms related to artificial intelligence. AI breakthroughs define so much of 2023, which is why we added lots of new AI entries just this year.

Many of you are looking up the new hallucinate. It means “to produce false information contrary to a user’s wishes, and to present it as if it’s true and factual.” AI chat bots work by picking up the words that are most similar to the text they were trained on. That’s not always the same as facts.

Hallucinate represents 2023 because this is the year that AI became widely used and its problems widely known. AI will change the way we work, learn, create, communicate, and how we think about ourselves. For a dictionary, it doesn’t get much more important than that.

And following is a list of other words that made Dictionary.com’s 2023 Word of the Year short list. They say, “These five terms represent the intersection of language with some of the year’s most significant events and trends”:

• strike

The word strike had a high-profile role in the news narrative of the year, which included several prominent and lengthy labor strikes by screenwriters, actors, auto workers, healthcare professionals, service workers, and others.

• rizz

Rizz was the year’s most durable—and, on Dictionary.com, most-searched—slang term. Popularized by streaming star Kai Cenat, it refers to attractiveness, charm, or skill in flirtation that allows one to easily attract romantic partners. It is thought to be taken from the middle part of the word charisma.

• wokeism

The evolution of woke and related terms like wokeism continues, with wokeism in particular emerging as a lightning rod and signifier of broad political opposition. We saw a massive 2,300% increase in pageviews for wokeism in 2023.

• indicted

This year’s unprecedented legal activity in the context of U.S. government and politics was reflected in multiple significant search spikes this year, including for the terms indicted (300% increase), arraignment (198% increase), and exculpatory (15% increase).

• wildfire

This year’s devastating wildfires in Maui, Canada, and in many other parts of the world were some of the latest examples of how climate change is contributing to extreme weather events and a new potency in the terms we use to refer to them.

But there’s more! For the first time ever, dictionary.com also selected a word that represents the cultural vibe of 2023…and the Vibe of the Year word is eras, which is defined this way: “periods of time in a person’s life characterized by something distinctive and noticeable, such as a particular emotional state, relationship, achievement, or interest.”

Example: I’ve lived through three separate eras just this year, but I feel like I’m finally in my lucky girl era.

Now that 2023 is firmly behind us, let’s all look forward to a happy and healthy 2024. Cheers to us!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good morning! I hope your enjoying this sparkly new year.

You know I love to share lists of words that surprise us—for whatever reason. Today I have a list of words that many of us are pronouncing incorrectly. Many of these words have to do with food, and many occur because English borrows words from other languages. This list comes from msn.com.

I’ve been guilty of mispronunciation, so I was quick to review these words and almost as quick to share them with you to make sure that you never have to experience the embarrassment of mispronouncing any of these words in front of a person you were hoping to impress (sorry to my father-in-law for repeatedly mispronouncing Worcestershire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire—I’ve finally got it down, I think).

I’ve covered mispronounced words before, but there are some new ones on this list for you to peruse. (Remember that word from the list of words you might be using incorrectly?)

If you’re interested in learning more about how to pronounce the UK town names of Worcestershire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire, this article is for you: You’re Probably Pronouncing These British Towns Incorrectly | Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com). Enjoy the rest of your day and your week.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good morning, and happy holidays!

With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to find out about traditions here in the states and around the world. My mom always cooked black eyed peas on New Years Day. She said it was good luck. I recently found out that it is considered lucky because round food resembles coins and money. Who knew?!

Here in the U.S., we celebrate with a party on New Year’s Eve. We also have a tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. But probably our biggest celebration takes place in Times Square in New York, where a giant ball is dropped at the stroke of midnight. That ball is 12 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds! The first New Year’s Eve ball drop took place in 1907.

We often exchange kisses when the clock strikes midnight. That tradition, however, started in Germany. Before electricity, Germans celebrated New Year’s Eve with a big bonfire, which is when the kiss originated. When Germans immigrated to the U.S. in the 1800s, they brought the New Year’s kiss with them. Thank you!

In Chili, they go to mass on New Year’s Eve, but not to a church; they go to cemeteries. This tradition includes deceased family members in the New Year’s celebrations.

In Columbia, some folks walk around the block with an empty suitcase in the hopes that the new year will be filled with travel and adventure.

In Denmark, New Year’s Eve is celebrated by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of their friend’s and family’s homes to banish bad spirits. To bring good luck, they also “leap into January” at midnight by standing on chairs and jumping off of them.

In Estonia, they try to eat seven, nine, or 12 times throughout the day because these numbers are considered lucky. And the more they eat, the more plentiful food will be during the next year.

In Ecuador, people parade around their city with scarecrows that look like politicians and cultural icons.

In Greece, on New Year’s Eve, they hang an onion on their front door. It is a symbol of rebirth in the new year. On New Year’s Day, some parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.

In Italy it is considered lucky to wear red underwear on 12/31, as red is associated with fertility.

In Japan, Buddhist temple bells are rung 108 times at the stroke of midnight. This tradition is called Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘), and it is believed to dispel each person’s 108 evil desires and cleanse them of their sins in the past year.

In Russia, people write their wishes on a piece of paper, burn the paper with the flame from a candle, and drink the ashes in a glass of champagne.

In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. Each grape symbolizes one month, and eating the grapes is believed to bring good luck throughout the entire year.

Whatever your tradition, I wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.

Good chilly morning, my friends!

Earlier this year, I shared information about the vernal equinox (around March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere) and the summer solstice (around June 20).

Today, I’m sharing information about the winter solstice—the shortest day of the year–which, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs around Dec. 20.

Many countries and peoples around the world celebrate the winter solstice. I’ll start by telling you about one of the most difficult celebrations to get into: Newgrange in Ireland. One year, over 28,000 people applied for the lottery to attend this celebration and only 60 people got in! According to the Space Tourism Guide, “Newgrange is a Neolithic ancient temple constructed around 3200 BC, making it older than the pyramids in Giza (which made the list for great summer solstice experiences) or Stonehenge in England.”

And moving on to other celebrations around the world…

In Japan, the winter solstice is called Tōji. The most popular activity is called yuzuyu: it’s a bath with yuzu fruit, which is thought to have cleansing properties and to symbolize good luck.

In Iran, the winter solstice is called Yaldā (also known as Shab-e Yalda or Shabe-e Chellah in Persian). Many people celebrate Yaldā night with a small group of family and friends. They share food and drink and often read poetry with the goal to stay up past midnight to avoid misfortunes of the year’s longest night.

Dōngzhì is the name of the winter solstice celebration in China. This family celebration is associated with yin and yang philosophies. The belief is that as the sunlight begins to return to the Northern Hemisphere, the flow of positive energy in life increases.

Several Native American groups in the Southwestern U.S. observe a winter solstice celebration called Soyal. According to the Space Tourism Guide, “This 16-day ceremony includes a variety of events, and most of them mark the beginning of a new year as the sun returns to the world.”

And the solstice celebration we’re likely most familiar with here in the U.S. because of its ties to Christmas is the Scandinavian celebration of Yule. Before the rise of Christianity in Europe, people celebrated Yule–the midpoint of winter. Today some folks still celebrate Yule by gathering with friends and family and giving gifts.

Whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year, I wish you happiness and good fortune.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

Did someone forward this email to you? Click here to subscribe.

Don’t want to get Editor’s Corner anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.

Do you have a question or an idea for Editor’s Corner? Send your suggestions or feedback to Kara and <a href="mailto:DBurcher.

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.