Editor's Corner

Hello there!

The other day someone mentioned the phrase “can it” to refer to a nicer way to tell someone to “shut up.” They said they thought it reflected on canned goods—close them up, and deal with them later. I don’t know if I got that exactly right, but it was then I decided to look into the term “shut up.”

I don’t think it is a good sign that you can go to almost any country and learn how to say “shut up” in the native language by watching kids and their parents interact at the playground. I think one thing many Americans do—to try not to sound as angry—is to say “shut up” in another language. My parents used the German phrase (but I don’t know how to spell it) since they each knew a bit of German. When I lived in Greece, I learned it when adults would say it to me and my cousin. It has a nice ring and rhyme (in my interpretation): katsay kai skasay. I bet many of us learned the French version early on over here in the states. “Fermez la bouche,” sounds much nicer than “Shut your mouth!”

In many cases, people will try more euphemistic phrases, sigh loudly, and roll their eyes before they actually tell someone to shut up.

I watched a video of two British men rating phrases from nicest to rudest. I don’t have the link, but I have the phrases and the notes I took. They delivered most of these softly and politely, unlike anything I’ve heard here. Here we go!

These are supposed to be soft, more formal, and more polite—used in circumstances where people are supposed to be quiet, like a library, the movies, and church (though if you go to some theaters, people like to talk to the movies, and church sure isn’t quiet everywhere).

• Please be quiet.
• Could you keep it down?
• Would you mind lowering the volume (or your voice) a bit?

Moving to the more aggressive, we have the following:

• Shush!
• Stop talking!
• Could you stop talking, please?
• I’m trying to have a conversation here.
• I can’t hear myself think.

And then moving on to the aggressive, they described these as things you don’t say at a pub unless you’re ready to “take it outside”:

• Pipe down!
• Give it a rest!

These are the two they described as “funny” and for use with friends:

• Button it.
• Put a sock in it.

The last few contain the outright “rude” collection:

• Shut your face!
• Shut your trap!
• Shut your pie hole!

I know there are more, but these are all I have for now.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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

Recently we’ve covered sayings from the South and the Midwest, the Chicago accent, American dialects, and then what you call people from other states. I received some great responses and learned a lot, especially about the history of Texians and how Oklahomans feel about the term “Okie.”

Well, to round out the conversation, I feel like I must share this submission from one of our retired employees. He sent me a link to a magazine’s website: Garden & Gun. Now, it took me some time to stop laughing at the title. It just seems so contradictory. An image of relaxing in a lovely spring garden: butterflies flitting about, the hummingbirds stopping to sip nectar from the flowers…the sun shining. And then, the guns. Gathering together in your camouflage, grabbing your weapons, and shooting dinner.

Vegetarians may want to skip this article, but the real focus is the difference in the English we use in America for our food—gardened and gunned. It’s a glossary of terms that have a special meaning in the Southern kitchen. I’ve only provided a few of my favorites, but the link to the article is here.

Barbecue: A noun or adjective only, never a verb: meat slowly smoked over hardwood or charcoal. Usually pork or beef; smoked chicken or turkey might be described as “barbecue chicken” or “chicken barbecue.” In Kentucky, it may also include lamb or mutton.

Bark: The charred, extra-smoky exterior of barbecue. Rarely on the menu, but nearly always available at barbecue joints, where you can place an order of pulled pork with “extra bark.” Also called “outside brown” or just “brown.”

[KC – Bark, outside of the South.]

Boil: A generic term, both noun and verb, for Southern outdoor gatherings at which shellfish (enough to feed a good-size crowd) is boiled, along with potatoes, corn, and seasonings in a large pot. The dish is inseparable from the event. In coastal South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry boils, shrimp and crab go into the pot. In Louisiana, crawfish.

Deviled: To be made spicy, usually with the addition of cayenne pepper or hot sauce. As with eggs, crab, or ham.

[KC – Suddenly, the term “deviled” makes so much more sense! I have never experienced a spicy deviled egg! The rest of the U.S. seems to “devil” them with paprika,
which is pretty darn bland.]

Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yes. Also the combination of celery, onion, and bell pepper at the heart of nearly every Cajun or Creole dish you can imagine, from grillades to gumbo.

Kil’t: An adjective commonly used for greens that have been wilted, or “killed.”

[KC – Can’t help it. That’s what I’m talking about when I say kilt.]

Meat and Three: Exactly what it seems: a plate containing one meat with three vegetable sides (which includes mac and cheese), served, often cafeteria-style from steam tables, by restaurants known as “meat-and-threes.” [KC – Um, we gave President Reagan trouble for calling ketchup a vegetable? Okay, mac and cheese it is!]

Milk: As a verb, the process by which the milky liquid inside individual kernels of corn is removed, usually accomplished by firmly running the back of a knife down the length of an ear of trimmed corn. (Only when the ear is shucked, de-kerneled, and dried does it become a “cob.”)

Potlikker: The meaty, nutrient-rich liquid left behind after a “mess of greens” is cooked, usually with a smoked ham hock or a piece of salt pork. “Beanlikker” is similar, but thicker-bodied than potlikker due to starches leached from the beans.

[KC – No liquor for Harvey—my pot-licker.]

Put Up: As a verb, to preserve by canning or pickling; jars of canned fruits or vegetables, pickles, jams, or preserves are sealed in sterilized lidded jars and then stored (i.e., “put up”) for later use. As an adjective, the description of said preserved items (e.g., “put-up green beans”).

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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

Good morning to you!

My friend and colleague, Mary F., asked me to look into the phrase go by, which some Chicagoans say instead of go to, as in “I’ll go by the grocery store after work.”

Well, Mary’s right. Many Chicagoans do use that phrase, but it’s only the tip of a very interesting iceberg. I found a great article called “The Chicago Accent & Slang” on the Owlcation website. It talks about the city’s nicknames, the unique accent, and the often hilarious slang. I thought I’d share a little bit of the article with you today.

You probably know that Chicago is often referred to as the Windy City; we’ve all heard about or experienced the infamous windy weather there. And you’re probably aware that it is also often called the Second City.I know this nickname mostly because of the Second City improvisational group (that gave us greats like Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and many more). But did you know that it’s actually called Second City because it had to be rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871? At the time, it was also the second largest city in the U.S., after New York.

But enough history, let’s talk about the distinct Chicago accent. First, we should know how to pronounce the city name itself. If you’re a Northsider, you’d say Chi-CAW-go but if you’re a Southsider, you’d say Chi-CAH-go. And now that we’ve got that straight, let’s look at this table from the article; it gives a clearer picture of the Chicago accent (and may remind you of a famous SNL skit).

The Chicago Accent Deconstructed

And now for the slang. I hope it makes you smile. (For a more complete list, see the article.)

• Couple, two, three: This unique phrase describes "a few." If you ask your friends how many beers they’ve already had, you might hear "A cuppa, two, tree."
• Dibs: Dibs is a notoriously awful parking situation that comes from a mixture of a lack of parking and a ton of snow. If you shovel the parking spot in front of your house, you may call it yours. Therefore, you have dibs on it.

• Do You (or Didja) Wanna Come With?: [dbb – A couple months back I wrote about the phrase “come with.”
  Chicagoans share this phrasing with folks from Wisconsin and Minnesota.]
  Chicagoans like to end some of our questions with prepositions:

o Where’ya at?

o Where should I meetcha at?

o Are’ya comin’ with?

• Frunchroom: This is how Chicagoans refer to the living room or parlor. Linguists believe it may have its origins in the term "front room."
• Graj or grodge: This is where you park your car if you’re lucky enough to have one. It’s not pronounced "ga-rage." That’s just way too many syllables for a fast-talking Chicagoan.
• Grachki: Related to the above, this is a garage key.
• Washroom: Don’t ask for the restroom or the bathroom—and definitely don’t ask for the powder room! In this town, it’s the washroom.
• Youse:The plural form of "you," as in "where are all youse goin’?" Also frequently paired with "guys," as in "what do youse guys wanna do?”

That’s it for today! Hang loose, friends!

Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | 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, dear readers. One of you recently asked about the difference between the terms critical and judgmental. This seemed like great topic to cover right now, particularly as we watch videos and read more about social bias. And then there’s that other event in early summer: annual self-evaluations.

Like a lot of words in English, critical and judgmental both seem like adjectives that mean unfavorable opinions or commentary, but let’s have a closer look. Our buddies at Merriam-Webster say the following:

critical

1a: inclined to criticize severely and unfavorably

b: consisting of, marked by, being, or involving criticism<a critical biography><his critical insight>also: of or in the judgment of critics<the book won wide critical praise><the play was a critical success>

c: exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation: discriminating, careful, exact

judgmental

1: of, relating to, or involving judgment<emphasizing the judgmental aspect of morality — Sing-nan Fen>

2: characterized by a tendency to judge people harshly

As you can see, the two words do have some cross-over, but critical can simply mean careful or exact, which would be good in the circumstance of a review where you want to know what you’re doing well and what you need some help with. The word critical does not necessarily have the weight behind it that judgmental does. Judgmental has an aspect of morality to it that seems to say, “I am a better person than you” or “You think you are a better person than me.”

I’m including a part of an article that explains the difference with good examples and a nice story. I updated the spelling because it was written with British English. The whole article is at this website: Be Critical, Not Judgmental.

After my dad passed away a couple of years back, one of his friends wrote to us saying, “One of your father’s great strengths was that he was critical, but not judgmental.”

“What’s the difference?” I asked myself. I mistakenly thought till then that being critical was the same as criticizing. And gradually I understood the difference. Being critical means examining the idea or statement or behavior in a well-reasoned manner. Being judgmental (or criticizing) means that you are taking a view on something based on your personal value system. Being judgmental often has an unhelpful ring to it, but being critical need not be negative, and can often be positive. In today’s world the two are used interchangeably and that’s why I initially didn’t grasp what he had written.

Dad always asked the awkward question, quite often much to our embarrassment. He would not accept status quo and he challenged what people said. But he did it not to embarrass the other person. Nor to belittle the other person. He did it to understand why someone did something.

And he did not pass judgement. Even when someone did something that he disagreed with, he would discuss the issue more to analyze it and to help the other person, than to pass a value judgement….

When people are judgmental it is difficult to build a relationship of trust, because the [other person] will always be worried about being criticized.

Being critical, on the other hand, is fine because people need honest feedback. What we also learnt is that people need to be taught how to give critical feedback without sounding judgmental.

Hopefully, you will treat each other with grace (as some of our leaders and coworkers say), and when someone is looking for constructive criticism, you can offer it kindly, without making any personal judgements. Toastmasters is a great example: you get a critique on both your positive skills and on what you need to work on, while everyone in the group also supports you happily, from day one of joining.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Editing: Symitar Documentation Services

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

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I was recently looking up what to call someone from Minnesota (Minnesotan) and I stumbled on a list of what different states call their residents. I was a little hesitant with a list I found on Moving.com, because it says people from Washington state are called Washingtonians (right-o) or ‘Toners. In all the years my family has lived there, I have never heard anyone call themself a ‘Toner. (It sure sounds like “stoner.” I suspect it may be an attempt to categorize Washingtonians as tree-hugging, dope-smoking hippies.)

And now that I am down here in California, I have yet to hear anyone call themselves a Californiac; I imagine that’s an insult to “crazy” Californians from people who live elsewhere.

I found another list at State Symbols USA, which seems a bit more accurate, but I am including the ones from Moving.com to find out from actual residents what all y’all call yourselves.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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

I was reminded the other day of eggcorns, and it has been a few years since we talked about them. What are they? Here is the definition from Merriam-Webster:

An eggcorn is a word or phrase that is mistakenly used for another word or phrase because it sounds similar and seems logical or plausible. Take the things that fall from oak trees in the fall. They’re acorns, but they sometimes get called eggcorns. And why not? They’re kind of egg-shaped, and they are the metaphorical eggs from which new oak trees hatch—hence, eggcorn.

The term was coined by linguist Geoffrey Pullum on the Language Log blog back in 2003, and it’s been increasingly used in the years since.

My personal favorite is “escape goat” instead of “a scapegoat.” Partly because this is what I think of when I hear “escape goat”:

In honor of the getaway goat, I looked up another set of eggcorns. These are from NPR.org, but I wasn’t able to include the list because we don’t have access to their website via work. You can always look it up from home, but in the meantime, here are some that I picked out:

I hope that you have a lovely Spring day and don’t need your underbrella!

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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

Good morning!

One of my daily English and grammar resources (the Daily Writing Tips website) provided information recently about “near-misses” (words or phrases that have been used incorrectly) in the media. I always appreciate these tips. We tend to trust the media to use the language correctly, but they’re human, and their editors are human, and sometimes we humans just get it wrong. Since the media has such influence, though, I think it’s worth pointing out their mistakes so that we don’t all follow suit.

Here are the offending mistakes:

• penpointing for pinpointing(pinpoint is a verb that means to find or locate, especially on a map or chart; penpointing isn’t actually a word)
  Many of us don’t pronounce the word pen any differently than we pronounce the word pin. That’s part of the problem. It might help to remember that pinpointing literally means to push a pin into a location on a map, not to use your pen to point to something. As my mom, will tell you, that would be rude.
• throws for throes(a throe is an intense spasm or pain experienced during labor [a uterine contraction], throw means to use your arm and hand to propel something with force through the air)
  Given the distinctive definitions, we shouldn’t say that we are in the “throws of a crisis.” Firstly, it would be “throes of a crisis” and secondly, maybe we should save that word for women in labor. Just a thought.
• ruckus for raucous(ruckus is a noun that refers to an uproar or disturbance; raucous is an adjective that refers to making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise)
  Part of the problem here is that both of these words refer to something noisy. Now that you know that one is a noun and one is an adjective, you should be good to go. Here are some correct examples to help you out:
  • My neighbors complained about the ruckus from my birthday party. (noun)
  • It was a raucous party indeed! (adjective)

Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | 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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Hello! Today is part two of Midwestern and Minnesotan phrases, from these two articles: 9 Phrases Only Minnesotans Use and 14 Midwestern Sayings That The Rest Of America Can’t Understand. Part one is here, and without further ado—here is part two:

“Skol!”

If you’ve been to a Vikings game at the newly built U.S. Bank Stadium, or even at the old Metrodome, you’ve most definitely heard people scream and sing this word. This Norwegian word used by vikings actually means “cheers” and “to good health.”

“Hotdish”

You might call this a casserole or something like that, but in the upper Midwest, it’s a “hotdish.” This usually contains a type of starch, a type of meat, frozen veggies, and a can of soup. The most common type of hotdish here in Minnesota is Tater Tot Hotdish. [KC – You can’t go wrong with tater tots!]

“Up North”

Even though this might seem like a completely normal directional statement, this saying doesn’t have anything to do with direction. When a Minnesotan says “Up North” what they’re really referring to is their cabin or to the woods, but those don’t need to be in that direction. So, no matter where they are going, they’ll say they’re going “up north.”

"Oh, for cute!" or "Oh, for fun!"

Unlike Southerners who like to stretch sentences out, Midwesterners love to shorten theirs. And sometimes, things are just so gosh darn cute or fun that you don’t have time to make grammatical sense or even get out a full sentence. That’s why after seeing a newborn or a puppy, "Oh for goodness sakes, how cute!" is suddenly condensed into "Oh, for cute!"

"That makes as much sense as government cheese.”

For several decades starting in the 1960s, the U.S. government provided processed cheese to those on welfare, food stamps, or Social Security. The processed cheese was a mishmash of cheeses and emulsifiers that didn’t taste (or smell) all that great.

In short, people really hated it. So, saying "That makes as much sense as government cheese" means something is a truly terrible idea. [KC – It must have been truly horrible if they messed up cheese. That’s just sad.]

"He’s got the holler tail."

If someone’s in a bad mood or doesn’t feel well, then "he’s got the holler tail." People used to believe that when a cow was sick and wouldn’t get up that was because it literally had a "hollow tail." The farmer would cut the tail open and put salt or turpentine inside and wrap it up.

And lest you think they were crazy, it actually worked. But it was not because the tail was hollow—most likely it was because the cow got some much-needed rest and extra food during treatment. [KC – Poor cows. No wonder that 1960’s government cheese was bad.]

"Duck Duck Gray Duck"

The rest of America knows this game by its alternative moniker, "Duck Duck Goose." But every Minnesotan knows that "Duck Duck Gray Duck" is the far superior way to play.

Not only do you have infinite psych-out options ("Red Duck," "Purple Duck," "Gray Moose," etc.), but it’s also just much more fun to say out loud. Trust us.

"Puthergoin-eh!"

A condensed version of "Let’s put her going," or essentially "Let’s get going!"

The "eh" is tacked onto the end as a verbal exclamation mark.

"Dontcha know."

"Dontcha know" means "don’t you know," but it’s not a question — it’s said as a statement.

Particularly used in Minnesota, this phrase can be placed at the end or beginning of literally any sentence: "The Minnesota State Fair starts next week, dontcha know." "I’m stuck in traffic, dontcha know." "Dontcha know, I was at the store today and saw your uncle." Et cetera.

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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

A few weeks ago, I sent out a list of Southern sayings. I received feedback from a dozen people, and the most interesting request I had was from a Southerner who married a Minnesotan. She mentioned the kooky phrases she hears up north and said her daughters have started their own Southern/Northern blend of phrases.

I looked into funny Mid-West and Minnesotan phrases. One of the articles I settled on was 9 Phrases Only Minnesotans Use. Another was 14 Midwestern Sayings That The Rest Of America Can’t Understand.

Before I go much further, though, I have to say that many of these phrases were familiar to me, though I’ve never been to Minnesota. Growing up in Seattle, we Washingtonians used a bunch of these phrases. I know Scandinavians moved to many of the states on Canada’s border (cold, rainy, and you can grow amazing tulips and daffodils). I think the phrases made their way west too.

I’ll start with the ones that seem to appear in both Minnesota and Washington, and in my next installment I’ll stick with Minnesota’s. (As usual, text in blue is mine; the text in black is from the two articles mentioned above.)

Pop

No. It’s not soda or Coke. It’s pop. Every flavor of carbonated drink is, as Minnesotans call it, pop. This is a general term to describe the type of beverage you would like. After you say you’d like a pop, then you clarify the type and flavor.

[KC – Go to any store in Washington and chances are you have a “pop” aisle. When I moved to San Diego, I got tired
of this conversation:

“I’m gonna go get a pop.”

“What?! You’re going to go get some pot?”

“No! A
pop!”

California has broken me. I now say “soda.”]

“If I had my druthers…"

"Druthers" is a shortened way of saying "would rather." So "If I had my druthers" essentially means "If I had my way."

Usually when someone says this, they’re amping up to tell you how something could have been done better.

"He’s schnookered!"

If you’ve had one too many beers while out with friends and are excessively intoxicated in public, you’re "schnookered."

The term can also mean that you’ve been conned into doing something under a false pretense.

[KC – This is one my dad would use, but we always knew it meant somebody was really drunk.]

Uff Da!"

Sometimes spelled uff-da, offda, oofta, and ufta, "Uff da" is a Norwegian expression that upper Midwesterners utter when they’re experiencing sensory overload.

The next time you’re relieved, exhausted, surprised, or experiencing any other overwhelming emotion in the Midwest, say "Uff da!" — everyone will know what you mean.

[KC – And next time you’re in Washington, check out the bumper stickers and window stickers to count how many uff-dahs
you see.]

"You betcha!"

This positive and energetic phrase is used in a variety of ways. People say it when they strongly agree with someone, when someone else is right, to reply in the affirmative, and even in lieu of "You’re welcome."

"The weather sure is cold today." "You betcha!"

"That game on Sunday sure was a nail biter." "You betcha!"

"Are you feeling all right today?" "You betcha!"

[KC – I’m not sure about Minnesota, but in Washington you’ll often hear this coupled with “Yeah sure,” “Yah sure,”
or “Ya sure” first. So, the complete response from someone (instead of “you’re welcome”) is “Yah sure, you betcha!”]

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Editing: Symitar Documentation Services

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

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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Good morning, folks!

Sometimes I read something that just tickles the twisted sister in me. The other day, it was a perfectly innocent article from The Grammarist, once again about “confusables,” which they define as “a catch-all term for words that are often misused or confused.” The trio of terms they selected was carry on, carry-on, and carrion. The following are the definitions from the website, with a little bit of commentary from yours truly.

Carry on means to continue, to keep going in a certain direction, or to behave in an over-emotional fashion. Carry on is a verbal phrase that has been in use for many hundreds of years. Related phrases are carries on, carried on, carrying on. [KC – And the most awesome use of the phrase is in the 1976 Kansas song,
Carry On My Wayward Son. “Lay your weary head to rest, and don’t you cry no more.”]

A carry-on is a piece of luggage that one takes into the passenger cabin when traveling by air. Many travelers find it more convenient to forego baggage claim to retrieve their checked baggage; however, carry-ons must pass through airport security at a checkpoint manned staffed by TSA…The plural form of carry-on is carry-ons; note the hyphen. [KC – Okay, I love this website, but they wrote about 100 words describing dimensions and what you can take onto the plane, where you can put it, etc. If you plan on flying, check your airline’s website for the details. And wear a mask.]

And this next definition, well, it’s what sold me on this article.

Carrion is a decaying, rotting, dead animal carcass or the flesh of a decaying, rotting, dead animal carcass. Raptors and birds of prey such as the hawk, eagle, falcon, and owl may eat carrion; however, scavenger birds such as turkey vultures, black vultures, and buzzards are much more likely to eat carrion of small mammals, birds, or reptiles. The word carrion is derived from the Old French word, charogne, which means corpse.

When I first read the article, I imagined using the word carrion instead of carry-on in a story, and it made me laugh. I also smile when I hear the word carrion, because of the 1962 musical, The Music Man. While singing a song to the woman he has a crush on, the Music Man rhymes his beloved librarian’s name—Marion—with the less-than-lovely word carrion. This is a classic, with Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and Ron (Ronny) Howard. I highly recommend it for that song alone!

Enjoy your day!

Kara Church

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Technical Editor, Advisory

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