Editor's Corner

I just returned from a very quick visit to the Pacific Northwest, to spend some time with my dad and brother. It was a whirlwind, but I got in a great hike in the Cascade mountains one day and spent a lot of time chatting with the Church men. One morning, I walked into the living room, and I heard the guys talking about flashing.

“What the heck are you talking about? I leave for a second and you’re talking about flashing? Dad, you’re 80 years old!”

“Sorry, kiddo,” my dad replied. “We’re talking about houses and building materials.” My architect father and metalsmith brother were discussing the failures of certain metals and woods when combined with each other. Specifically, they were talking about protecting windows, roofs, and doors with new flashing. After hearing the word flashing 10 times, I finally asked them to explain what, exactly, they were talking about.

In basic terms, flashing is a material used around windows, doors, etc., to prevent water from leaking in, a particularly important consideration when three-quarters of your year is living in rain or drizzle. A more thorough definition from Wikipedia for flashing (unrelated to creepy people wearing long trench coats) is:

Flashing refers to thin pieces of impervious material installed to prevent the passage of water into a structure from a joint or as part of a weather resistant barrier system. In modern buildings, flashing is intended to decrease water penetration at objects such as chimneys, vent pipes, walls, windows and door openings to make buildings more durable and to reduce indoor mold problems. Metal flashing materials include lead, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, zinc alloy, and other materials.

There are over a dozen different types of flashing for the home, for example:

Roof flashing

Placed around discontinuities or objects which protrude from the roof of a building to deflect water away from seams or joints and in valleys where the runoff is concentrated.

Clay tile roof flashing/channel flashing

Channel flashing

Shaped like a “U” or channel to catch water (e.g., where the edge of a tile roof meets a wall).

Channel flashing (wall, flashing, roof, gutter)

Cap flashing (drip cap)

Often used above windows and doors.

Window and screen cap flashing

Chimney flashing

A general term for flashing a chimney.

Chimney flashing

Valley flashing

In the valley of two intersecting roof planes.

Valley flashing on roof

If you are thinking about flashing, the internet can provide a lot of information on how to do it. I’d stick with the home improvement sites to be safe! For other types of flashing, see the Wikipedia site.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

This weeks emails from the Wordsmith have been about counterpart words, such as bass/treble, AC/DC, and in this case materteral and avuncular. The definitions and the etymologies are interesting, and as an aunt, I had to love materteral, even though I cant pronounce it. Here are the descriptions from the Wordsmith.

materteral

Pronunciation:

(muh-TUHR-tuhr-uhl)

Meaning:

adjective: Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an aunt.

Etymology:

From Latin matertera (maternal aunt), from mater– (mother). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mater (mother), which also gave us mother, material, matter, matrix, [KC Okay, more on this below, because I had to know the connection between mother and
matrix.] and matrimony. Earliest documented use: 1823.

Notes:

This word is the feminine counterpart of the word avuncular (like an uncle). Materteral has its origin in the maternal aunt, but now its applied to aunts on both sides, just as the word aunt originally meant paternal aunt, from Latin amita (fathers sister), from amare (to love), but now applies to aunts of all kinds (including an ants aunt).

avuncular

Pronunciation:

(uh-VUNG-kyuh-luhr)

Meaning:

adjective: In the manner of an uncle, in benevolence, affection, or good humor.

Etymology:

From Latin avunculus (maternal uncle), diminutive of avus (grandfather). Ultimately from the Indo-European root awo– (an adult male relative), which is also the source of atavism, uncle, and ayah.

Notes:

Originally the term referred to a mother’s brother, from avunculus meaning maternal uncle (paternal uncle was patruus). What’s fascinating is how it describes an uncle: avunculus, meaning a little grandfather. The word uncle is slang for a pawnbroker, so the word avuncular could also mean like a pawnbroker.

Okay, and now for the connection between mother and matrix, from my favorite people at the Online Etymology Dictionary:

matrix (n.)

late 14c., matris, matrice, "uterus, womb," from Old French matrice "womb, uterus" and directly from Latin mtrix "pregnant animal," in Late Latin "womb," also "source, origin," from mter "mother".)

The many figurative and technical senses are from the notion of "that which encloses or gives origin to" something. The general sense of "place or medium where something is developed" is recorded by 1550s; meaning "mould in which something is cast or shaped" is by 1620s; sense of "embedding or enclosing mass" is by 1640s

And in 1999, a whole new definition for The Matrix was given to us from Neo and his buddies.

Now its time to go impress the nieces with my loving, materteral instincts, and pie-making abilities.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editors Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

The holidays are coming up fast, and food is on everyone’s minds. Now that we’re starting to eat out again, or starting to think about it, I thought I’d share a list of words you might be saying wrong when you place your order.

I have visions of harried servers blowing off steam by making fun of my mispronunciations—is it just me? My husband doesn’t seem to care at all if he accidentally gets it wrong, and people find him charming. He works with a lot of Latinx folks, and they get a kick out of the way he says Spanish words with a Cockney London accent.

For those of us who are not as charming or as wildly confident, here’s a list of words along with their proper pronunciation and a brief explanation of what they actually are.

Now I’m hungry. Time for lunch!

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432

Pronouns she/her/hers

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.

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Good morning everyone!

Today we have the last of our articles about numbers. The focus on numbers today is on those that are a considered a little luckier in many cultures. The information here is from The Meaning of Numbers Among Different Cultures. I have made some changes to fit our style guide and trim the article a bit.

3

Most people believe in the adage that “all good things come in threes.” [KC – I have heard the opposite, too, that “bad things come in threes.”] This is particularly true in Sweden, where people consider three a very lucky number.

Three is considered the luckiest number in Korea. In Korea, the number three symbolizes control over ground and heaven because one represents the sky while two represents the earth. So, adding the two numbers produces three.

Italians associate the number three with balance and strength, which is represented by a triangle.

However, the Japanese and the Vietnamese avoid taking photos if there are only three people because of an old superstition that death will come to whoever is in the middle of the photo. [KC – Wow, that’s grim.]

7

In countries like Japan and China, the favorability of a number usually comes from the way it is pronounced or how it sounded in the local language. But in Korea, a number is considered lucky because of its concept: seven means “lucky,” which is why it is used frequently in the gambling areas in the country.

In most western countries, such as the Netherlands, France, United States, and the United Kingdom, seven is a lucky number as well. They associate it with the seven planets, seven wonders (ancient world), seven deadly sins, [KC – Um, not what I’d associate with luck, especially if you’ve seen the movie
Se7en (Seven).] and God needing only seven days to create the entire universe.

But in countries that came under Chinese influence such as Thailand and Vietnam, the number seven is an unlucky number. It’s because it represents the month of July, which is the time people pay respect to their dead relatives. People in these countries offer food items…in the hope that they will not be haunted by the dead.

8

Many religions around the world, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Taoism consider eight an auspicious number. Chinese people are particularly fond of the number eight. The number translates to bā, which sounds like the Chinese word fā, which means to generate wealth. The association of the number eight with wealth is so strong in China that properties with the number eight are considered highly valuable possessions. In Hong Kong, for example, someone paid $640,000 for a license plate number that had the particular number. Here’s another solid example—the August 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing officially started at 08:08:08 local time.

The number eight is also considered lucky in Japan, where it is called ya or hachi. The association with luck is in the formation for the word in Japanese characters, which gives off the idea of getting wealthy because the shape of the letter 八 gradually broadens.

666

If the meaning of number 666 in Christian countries evokes fear, this particular number is lucky for others. For the Chinese the number 666 is considered to bring good fortune because it means everything goes smoothly. Many Chinese want to have 666 in their phone numbers or license plates and are willing to pay more just to have them.

Here’s to a lucky remainder of 2021 to you!

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

In our discussion of numbers, 13 gets its own day, because while it is considered unlucky in some cultures, it is special in other cultures. I particularly like the symbolism from the Great Seal of the United States of America—something I don’t recall learning in school. The information in blue text is mine, the information in black text is primarily from The Meaning of Numbers Among Different Cultures.

13

In many countries around the world…the number 13 is considered an unlucky number.

Many believe that number 12 is a complete number, relating it to the zodiac signs and the apostles. Number association might be the reason why many cultures try to avoid number 13.

Tall buildings use different methods to name the 13th floor. The fear extends to manufacturers and companies. People avoid having 13 guests to their party or event and Friday the 13th for many is very unlucky.

There is no accepted proof that the number 13 is unlucky, but it remains a sign of bad luck due to traditional beliefs. For example, in The Last Supper, the 12 apostles were gathered around Jesus, thus there were 13 people around the table. The members of the Knights Templar were ordered arrested by King Philip IV of France on October 13, 1307, which fell on a Friday. [KC – That’s for you, Ms. Michaels.]

However, other countries and organizations are not wary of this number.

• The Italians consider it a lucky number, as it is associated with Saint Anthony, who is the patron saint of finding lost people and things.
• Colgate University in Hamilton, New York significantly honors number 13 as the university was founded by 13 men with a capital of $13.
• A baker’s dozen is actually made up of 13 pieces.
• The United States
  • Was formed from the 13 British colonies in the mainland
  • Has a flag with 13 stripes (7 red stripes and 6 white stripes)
  • Has a Great Seal with 13 stars
    • The chest shield in front of the eagle has 13 stripes.
    • The eagle’s left talon holds 13 arrows (weapons of war)
    • The eagle’s right talon holds 13 olive leaves (symbol of peace)
    • The scroll of the national motto “E Pluribus Unum” that the eagle holds in its beak has 13 letters
    • The back of the seal, has an unfinished pyramid with 13 levels

The Great Seal of the USA (front and back)

And to all of the veterans out there—thank you for your service. Enjoy your day off tomorrow!

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

After looking at the meaning of different colors around the world, one of you asked me about the meaning of numbers in different cultures. What a fantastic thought! I couldn’t wait to do a little research on this.

I reviewed several sites, but some of them seemed a little “iffy” because they were poorly written, some seemed overly religious, and others did not seem very thorough. I chose The Meaning of Numbers Among Different Cultures as my primary reference, and I’m hoping it does not lead us astray. This article, and some of the others, had the primary goal to make sure people in marketing pay attention to numbers they use while advertising in different cultures. It’s tough to sell things to people if there is the feeling of misfortune associated with the numbers you use on a home address on your billboard. On the other hand, you may be subliminally representing luck by using numbers considered auspicious in another culture, and including them on the credit card shown in an ad.

Let’s look at the numbers that tend to be considered unlucky first. (Does that mean my glass is half full? No lottery tickets for me today!)

4

The Chinese consider the number four an unlucky number since its Chinese pronunciation sounds like the Chinese term for death. Therefore, buildings in China do not have a fourth floor, well, not physically, but in the buildings’ elevators, number four is not included. Instead, they use the letter F. The same belief is true in Japan and South Korea, and other Asian countries where Chinese is spoken.

But the belief is not applicable to Germany, where the number is considered lucky, because it is associated with the four-leaf clover which is a symbol for luck.

9

The sound of the number nine in Japan is very similar to the Japanese term for torture. It’s avoided because it is considered an unlucky number. Airlines and hospitals in Japan avoid the number for this reason.

However, in China, it is a lucky number as it’s considered as the emperor’s number. Norwegians consider it a sacred number because their folklore contains many stories with the number nine.

13

[KC] I will cover this on its own day.

17

Italians believe that 17 is an unlucky number…because 17 is written in Roman numerals as XVII. When you rearrange them you will arrive at VIXI, which is a Latin term for ”I lived.” The phrase is often used in tombstones.

26

Indians would try anything to avoid the number 26, which they consider as a very unlucky number…because many tragic incidences occurred on that particular date, such as terrorist attacks, tsunamis, and earthquakes….

39

In Afghanistan, the number 39 is viewed as unlucky because it sounds similar to ”morda-gow” which translates to ”dead cow” in the local language.

666

In Christian countries, the number 666 is considered ominous because it represents the beast (Antichrist) mentioned in the Bible’s Book of Revelations.

Here’s hoping you have a lucky day!

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Good morning! Today’s colors, from What Colors Mean in Other Cultures, are the secondary colors on the color wheel: green, purple, and orange.

Green

Green shares many common meanings around the world, some of which include nature, ecology, environmental awareness, the military, and the color for traffic lights.

In Western cultures, green represents spring, money, freshness, inexperience, jealously, greed, and Christmas (when combined with red). Nicknamed The Emerald Isle for its luscious green countryside, green is the national color in Ireland and it’s associated with good luck, leprechauns, shamrocks, and Saint Patrick.

Most Eastern and Asian cultures relate green with new and eternal life, new beginnings, fertility, youth, health, and prosperity. And while this is true in Chinese culture, wearing a green colored hat for men is taboo because it suggests the man’s wife is cheating on him.

After gaining its freedom from Spain in the 19th century, Mexico chose to display green in its flag to represent independence.

Across many South American cultures that are rich in forests, green symbolizes death.

Purple

Royalty, wealth, power, exclusivity, and fame are common themes for the color purple across many Eastern and Western cultures. For many centuries, purple dye was extremely rare and difficult to produce because it was extracted from sea snails. As a result, purple clothing was expensive and became a status symbol among kings, queens, and other rulers.

Just as black is the traditional color for death and grieving in many cultures, purple shares the same meaning in some European nations, including the U.K. and Italy, as well as Brazil, Thailand, India, and among many Catholics. In Thailand and Brazil, purple is customarily worn alongside black when mourning of the death of a loved one, and in Brazilian culture, it is considered unlucky to wear purple when not attending a funeral or related service.

In the United States, purple—the symbol for honor and courage—is represented by the Purple Heart, the military’s highest award given to soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen for their acts of bravery.

Orange

Ever heard that adding more orange to your wardrobe will liven things up? That’s because in many Western cultures, orange is considered a fun and edgy color, and represents curiosity, trying new things, and creativity.

Certain countries also associate orange with wealth. In the Netherlands, for example, it’s the national color and represents the Dutch Royal family. But in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt, orange is associated with mourning.

In Japanese and Chinese cultures, orange signifies courage, happiness, love, and good health. And in Indian cultures, it’s symbolic of fire. The orange-colored spice, saffron, is considered to be lucky and sacred.

A symbol of strength and bravery in Ukraine, orange represents a time when the country came together in 2004 and stood up to the government during one of the biggest fraudulent presidential elections in history, known as the Orange Revolution.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this voyage around the world and what colors mean to its different people.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Hello, my friends. A happy autumn morning to you and yours. Today I’m going to continue with the topics of colors and what they mean around the world. The other day we looked at red; today we’ll have a gander at blue and yellow. As before, I’ll start with the positive and negative feelings and idioms associated with these colors in traditionally Western cultures. Then, we’ll move around the globe to see how some of the other cultures of the world view them.

Western Details (from Daily Writing Tips)

Blue
Positive: stability, loyalty, harmony and trust. The sea and sky. Things heavenly.
Negative: depression, coldness
Idioms: true-blue (loyal); the blues (feelings of depression)

Yellow
Positive: Sunny, happy, optimistic
Negative: deceitful, cowardly
Idioms: yellow, yellow-bellied, have a yellow streak down one’s back (cowardly). Yellow journalism (journalism more interested in sensationalism than facts).

Other Cultures’ Details (from What Colors Mean in Other Cultures)

Blue

From depression to royalty to trust, blue holds more meanings than any other color around the world.

In many Middle Eastern countries, blue means safety and protection, and is symbolic of heaven, spirituality, and immortality.

Many religions have their own associations for the color blue as well. For example, in many Latin American countries—which are known to have high Catholic populations— blue is a sign of hope and good health, and is symbolic of the Virgin Mary, who is often depicted wearing a blue robe and headscarf, and represents wealth.

In Judaism, blue is the shade for holiness and divinity, and in Hinduism it’s the color of Krishna—the most highly worshipped Hindu god who embodies love and joy, and destroys pain and sin.

Yellow

For a color that makes many of us feel cheery and warm, yellow has some surprisingly dark meanings in other cultures.

Take France, for example, where yellow signifies jealously, betrayal, weakness, and contradiction. In the 10th century, the French painted the doors of traitors and criminals yellow. And in Germany, yellow symbolizes jealousy.

In China, yellow is associated with pornography. When the Chinese term for "yellow picture" or "yellow book" is used to discuss any type of publication or media, it’s in reference to pornographic images and websites.

Yellow is reserved only for people of high rank in many African nations, because of its close resemblance to gold, which is universally associated with money, quality, and success. Egyptians also closely associate yellow with gold, which was commonly used to paint mummies and tombs before the deceased were sent to the afterlife, making it symbol for mourning.

In Japanese culture, yellow has represented bravery, wealth, and refinement since the War of Dynasties in 1357. During this time, warriors wore yellow chrysanthemums—which represent the emperor in Japan and royal family—as a pledge of courage.

Considered lucky in Thai culture, yellow is the lucky color for Monday, and it’s considered the most important shade of the week because it represents the King of Thailand, King Bhumibol, who has held reign since June 9, 1946, and was born on December 5th, in 1927—a Monday. To pay tribute to the king, many Thais wear yellow on Mondays, and some schools require all teachers to wear yellow during the first week of December.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Idioms are so useful and so good at getting a point across, but they are also often misused. Someone told me the other day that I should “nip it in the butt.” I laughed, but I can see why the person got it wrong. While the actual idiom is “nip it in the bud,” it makes sense either way.

Let’s start with a definition of idiom from Wikipedia: “An idiom is a common phrase which means something different from its literal meaning but can be understood because of popular use…Idioms are made of normal words that have a special meaning known to almost everyone.”

Like the mondegreens Kara sometimes shares (remember mondegreens are misheard song lyrics), misused idioms can be funny, but they can also be embarrassing to people who use them incorrectly—when either speaking or writing. So, to make sure you’re not embarrassed by using an incorrect idiom, I thought I’d share some of the most common ones. I gathered this partial list from a few different online resources.

Have I piqued your interest? If you want to see more, check out this list of (mostly) different misused idioms I shared a few years back: 12 Idioms You Might be Getting Wrong.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432

Pronouns she/her/hers

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.

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Good morning, folks!

I recently received an article from Daily Writing Tips about colors and their meanings. I know back in January I talked about “fancy colors,” and in years past I have probably written half a dozen other articles on color, but there is always something new. The Daily Writing Tips article mentioned colors in several literary works, but I noticed they were all Western classics, and the examples were all from English-speaking countries. I did some extra research and found a blog called What Colors Mean in Other Cultures.

Suddenly, I found myself with enough information to start putting a term paper together. But this is supposed to be interesting and fun, not tedious! This is the quote from Daily Writing Tips that piqued my interest:

In Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, our first view of Scarlett O’Hara (her very name conjures up the image of a dangerous woman) emphasizes her green eyes. Because colors can have more than one type of connotation, green in the description of Scarlett has nothing to do with plants. Negative associations with green include envy and deviousness.

“The green eyes in the carefully sweet face were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor.”

I’m sure many of you have read Gone with the Wind and seen the movie. This description captures so much about Scarlett’s look, personality, and being. The use of colors in descriptions can set a mood. Inspired by the two references on color mentioned above, I would like to delve deeper into the ways different cultures feel about colors. Let’s start this series with the color red.

For those of you who are fully or partially colorblind, I hope you will still find value in this information.

Western Details (from Daily Writing Tips)

Red
Positive: excitement, passion, life
Negative: danger, guilt
Idioms: red light (warning to stop); red flag (a sign of danger); red-handed (in the act); red in the face (embarrassed)

Other Cultures’ Details (from What Colors Mean in Other Cultures)

Red is the most powerful of all colors in Indian culture and holds many important meanings. Among them are fear and fire, wealth and power, purity, fertility, seduction, love, and beauty. Red is also representative of a certain time and place in one’s personal life, including when a woman gets married. A married woman can be identified by the red henna on her hands and the red powder, known as sindoor, worn along her hairline.

In South Africa, red is associated with mourning, and the section of red in the country’s flag symbolizes violence and sacrifices that were made during the struggle for independence.

In Thai tradition, each day of the week is assigned a specific color and is linked with a particular God. Red is the color for Sundays, and it’s associated with Surya, a solar God, who was born on this day. Many Thai people pay their respects to Surya by wearing red on his birthday each year.

In Chinese culture, red is traditionally worn on the New Year, as well as during funerals and weddings. It represents celebration and is meant to bring luck, prosperity, happiness, and a long life to the people.

Next time we’ll have a look at the two other primary colors: yellow and blue.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her

Technical Editor, Advisory

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/