Editor's Corner

Here’s a vocabulary quiz from Daily Writing Tips, of some slang terms associated with criminal activity. Replace the slang term in the following five sentences, and then scroll down to see the correct answers and explanations.

1. The movie was about a notorious train heist that occurred in the 1960s.

2. Come on, Pete. Give me the lettuce you owe me.

3. Is this the piece he used to shoot Brokavich?

4. The perp was identified by two witnesses who were at the scene of the robbery.

5. The police were able to bust the leaders of the drug cartel by pretending to be customers.

Answers and Explanations

1.
Original: The movie was about a notorious train heist that occurred in the 1960s.
Correct: The movie was about a notorious train robbery that occurred in the 1960s.

Heist is probably a version of the standard word hoist, “to lift.” The word entered the language as a noun. A heister was a shoplifter, a person who steals things from a retail store.

2.
Original: Come on, Pete. Give me the lettuce you owe me.
Correct: Come on, Pete. Give me the money you owe me.

Both lettuce and U.S. paper currency are green.

3.
Original: Is this the piece he used to shoot Brokavich?
Correct: Is this the gun he used to shoot Brokavich?

Here’s an example of a once standard word having turned into slang. Beginning in the 16th century to refer to cannon and other large artillery, “piece” has been used to refer to gunpowder weapons. The term seems to have become slang in the 20th century.

4.
Original: The perp was identified by two witnesses who were at the scene of the robbery.
Correct: The perpetrator was identified by two witnesses who were at the scene of the robbery.
Alternative: The criminal was identified by two witnesses who were at the scene of the robbery.

Short for perpetrator, perp refers to a person who is known to have committed a crime. The word suspect is often used incorrectly in the media to refer to a known perpetrator.

5.
Original: The police were able to bust the leaders of the drug cartel by pretending to be customers.
Correct: The police were able to arrest the leaders of the drug cartel by pretending to be customers.

Bust is an altered form of burst, “to break.” In addition to its slang use to mean arrest, it’s commonly used in colloquial speech to mean break, but is still considered nonstandard in any but the most informal context.

Jackie Solano | Technical Editor | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.542.6711 | Extension: 766711

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Hello warriors!

The other day I decided to write to you about different names for “final resting places.” At first I thought the topic might be too creepy, but my mailbox showed me otherwise. I have three more terms that several of you mentioned, along with some definitions, pictures, and etymologies.

What a great way to start the weekend!

The following definitions are from the folks at Merriam-Webster. The etymologies are from the Online Etymology Dictionary.

charnel house

· definition: a building, chamber, or other area in which bodies or bones are deposited b : a mortuary chapel

charnel (adjective)

· etymology: "common repository for dead bodies," late 14c., from Old French charnel (12c.) "fleshly," from Late Latin carnale "graveyard," properly neuter of adjective carnalis, from Latin carnis "of the flesh," genitive of caro "flesh, meat," "flesh," originally "a piece of flesh," from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut." As an adjective from 1813. The Late Latin word was glossed in Old English as flæschus "flesh-house." Charnel house is attested from 1550s.

columbarium

· definition: a structure of vaults lined with recesses for cinerary [KC – Ash, crematory remains.] urns.

· etymology "subterranean sepulchre in ancient Roman places with niches for urns holding remains," neuter of Latin columbarius, "dove-cote" (so called from resemblance), literally "pertaining to doves;" from columba "dove." Literal sense of "dove-cote" is attested in English from 1881.

niche

· definition: a recess in a wall

· etymology 1610s, "shallow recess in a wall," from French niche "recess (for a dog), kennel" (14c.), perhaps from Italian nicchia "niche, nook," from nicchio "seashell," said by Klein and Barnhart to be probably from Latin mitulus "mussel," but the change of -m- to -n- is not explained. Watkins suggests that the word is from an Old French noun derived from nichier "to nestle, nest, build a nest," via Gallo-Roman *nidicare from Latin nidus "nest" (see nidus), but that has difficulties, too. Figurative sense is first recorded 1725. Biological use dates from 1927.

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

Symitar Documentation Services

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about accents, and I got a lot of responses. Some of you mentioned your love of accents, and some of you shared how you feel about the way our language and our accents are evolving.

I got a wonderful response from Mike S. that I want to pass on because what he shared with me is both amazing and heart-warming.

My original post referenced an article called “The Science of Accents,” which states that animals have accents too: goats in different regions make different sounds, and gibbons sing different songs depending on the group they live with. But Mike let me know about a nature article, posted on 10/26/2017, in United News International (UNI). It’s about a beluga whale in Crimea that learned the language of another species!

The article tells about a female beluga whale that was living with a pod of dolphins, and within two months, “…recording sessions revealed she had ditched her own species’ unique calls and was making the same whistling noises as the dolphins in her pool.”

I find that amazing! I knew whales and dolphins were smart, but holy moly!

We all (humans and animals) have a need to communicate and connect with others. And humans do it in so many ways: writing, speaking, sign language, body language, facial expressions, art, singing, and one of my favorites: Morris dancing. (Oh, you should see it in person; what a spectacle!)

Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | Symitar®

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

Yes, I completely blew the timing on this. I would love to have read it before Halloween so I could share it with you then—but things happen, people change, and sometimes mistakes are made.

Being interested in all aspects of life (including death), I couldn’t let this collection of creepy words wait until next year. From The Grammarist, I offer you four alternative terms for our final resting places. (Photos collected and added by yours truly.)

Sepulcher, crypt, catacomb and mausoleum are all places where the dead are laid to rest. However, there are some differences between the terms. We will examine the definitions of the words sepulcher, crypt, catacomb, and mausoleum, where these words came from.

A sepulcher (American spelling) or sepulchre (British spelling) is a small room in which a dead body is laid to rest. Most properly, a sepulcher is cut out of rock and is in more of a natural setting, though the word has been expanded to be a synonym for tomb or mausoleum. The word sepulcher is derived from the Latin word sepulcrum, meaning place where someone is buried.

A crypt is a small room or a vault in which a dead body is laid to rest, situated under a church. A crypt may be a room that is large enough to function as a chapel or simply an area large enough to hold a coffin. Crypts are often located in the wall or under the floor of a church. The word crypt is derived from the Greek word krypte which means hidden.

A catacomb is an underground cemetery, especially referring to the tunnels built by the ancient Romans. The catacombs under Paris, France and Rome, Italy are famous and extensive. The word catacomb is perhaps derived from the Latin term cata tumbas which translates as at the graves.

A mausoleum is an above-ground tomb or building composed of granite or marble. A mausoleum usually has doors and a vestibule, as it houses more than one set of remains. The word mausoleum comes from Greek name Mausoleion, which is the enormous tomb built around 350 BC for Mausolos, a self-appointed king of Caria. Mausoleums may hold either coffins or urns or boxes containing ashes.

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

Symitar Documentation Services

In my previous post (about phrasal verbs), I used the phrase “logging on to your computer.” Some of you noticed that I wrote on to as two words (“logging on to” instead of “logging onto”) and asked whether it’s ever correct to write onto as one word.

Great question! Sometimes onto is correct, and other times, on to is correct. They are not interchangeable, and choosing between the two is not simply a personal preference.

When to Use Onto

Onto is a preposition meaning “to a position or point on or upon” (thanks, Merriam-Webster).

Use onto when you’re writing about putting something on top of something else. For example, when you put a vase onto a table, the vase is physically on top of the table. When you climb onto your roof, you are physically on top of your roof.

You should also write onto as one word when you’re using it to mean “in or into a state of awareness or knowledgeability about.” (Imagine an undercover agent saying, “I think they’re onto me.”) Unless you’re writing the next great spy thriller, you probably don’t use the word in this sense very often.

When to Use On To

Use on to when on is part of a phrasal verb (like log on).

When you’re deciding between onto and on to, it’s possible to look for phrasal verbs, but it’s probably easier to ask yourself, “Am I talking about putting something on top of something else?” If the answer is yes, use onto. If the answer is no, use on to.

Ben Ritter | Technical Editor | Symitar®
8985 Balboa Avenue | San Diego, CA 92123
619-682-3391 | or ext. 763391 | www.Symitar.com

Symitar Documentation Services

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Apologies. I am testing the email addresses for Editor’s Corner.

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To whom it may concern, I apologize if you are receiving this email and weren’t on our list before. I just recreated the list, and with one eye out of commission and a 1400-person list, so some things may be out of whack. Let me know if you DO NOT want you daily fix of Editor’s Corner. (But it’s great, so you should want to take a little break each day to read it.)

Thanks!

**************************************************************

Dear Editrix,

What is the difference between indubitably and undoubtedly? Is one better than the other? I’ve seen them both and I don’t know if there’s a subtle difference or why we have two words for what appears to be the same thing.

Doubting Thomasina

Dear Thomasina,

What an interesting question! I tried to answer this question in my head as I drove home, and I couldn’t think of a difference in use of the words. I definitely hear undoubtedly more often. Indubitably seems like one of those words that is reserved for Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), and I seem to recall it as the last word in the Schoolhouse Rock lyrics for “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly (Get Your Adverbs Here!).”

Here is part of an article from The Grammarist that sounds like it was made for us!

Indubitably and undoubtedly are two words that are sometimes found confusing.

Indubitably means beyond a doubt, without question, plainly true. The word indubitably first appeared in the mid-1400s, it is derived from the Latin word indubitabilis which means that which is not doubtable.

Undoubtedly also means beyond a doubt, without question, plainly true. The word undoubtedly also first appeared in the mid-1400s, it is derived from the Old French word douter meaning to be afraid or doubtful and the prefix un- which means not. Indubitably and undoubtedly are synonyms, which are two words that mean the same thing. The word undoubtedly is used much more often than the word indubitably, as the word indubitably carries the connotation of a more formal word.

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Symitar Documentation Services

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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From: Kara Church
Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 8:21 AM
To: kchurch@symitar.com
Subject: Editor’s Corner: Kiddies, kitties, caddies, or catties

One of you asked me a few weeks ago about the term kiddie-corner. Because of the spelling, I was thinking it must be something like a corner where you sit Beaver Cleaver when he misbehaves in class. And then I realized it was the spelling that was throwing me off and you were asking about the term kitty-corner!

This expression (kitty-corner, catty-corner, and cater-corner) means diagonally opposite. According to Common Errors in English Usage, the term comes from misspelling the French word quatre (“four”) prefixed to “corner.” Although the word has nothing to do with cats or kittens, in various dialects all three spellings are acceptable: “catty,” “cater” or “kitty.”

(As the author notes, “caddy-corner” is not acceptable unless you are talking about somebody in a corner holding your golf bags, and I would add that “kiddie-corner” is not an appropriate spelling unless someone has been stuck in the corner for being naughty.)

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

Symitar Documentation Services

Dear Editrix,

I know you aren’t really there for every little question everyone on earth has, but I’m a little confused. [KC – Ha ha! If you only knew!] I was writing a document this week, and Microsoft® Word suggested that “all of” was unnecessary, and that “all” was more succinct. So I changed it to “all” and then my reviewer commented that I had grammar issues in my document and sent it back for me to add the “of” back in.

I must admit, adding the “of” seems more natural to me. Could you please help me understand?

Here’s an example:

• Our goal is to make hot air balloons available to all of JHA by the end of the year.

Of Mice and Men

Dear Of Mice and Men,

You always have the best questions! I have been wondering about the use of “of” in this case and in other cases, so let’s talk about your example today. According to some interesting information, the word “of” comes with lots of rules. For example, you always say “a couple of” something. “A couple dogs ran my way,” is incorrect. “A couple of porcupines chased me,” is correct.

And from the Cambridge website, here is some information about other times to use (or not use) “of.”

All of

We use all of before personal pronouns (us, them), demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) and relative pronouns (whom, which). The personal pronoun is in the object form:

I need to speak to all of you for a few minutes.

He brought gifts for all of us.

We had to contact the insurance firm and the airline, all of which took a lot of time. (all of which = ‘contacting the insurance firm and the airline’)

With demonstratives (this, that, these, those), we can say all of or all without of:

[talking about a pile of kitchen waste]

All (of) this has to go out into the rubbish bin.

We often use of after all in definite noun phrases (i.e., before the, possessives and demonstratives), but it is not obligatory:

All (of) the workers were given a pay-rise at the end of the year.

I gave all (of) my old books to my sister when she went to university.

What shall we do with all (of) this cardboard? Throw it out?

All without of

We use all, not all of, before indefinite plural nouns referring to a whole class of people or things:

All cats love milk.

Not: All of cats love milk.

This book was written for all children, everywhere.

We use all, not all of, before uncountable nouns:

All junk food is bad for you.

Not: All of junk food is bad for you.

I love all music, not just classical.

So, after all of that, I am thinking that, in your original example, if you translate “JHA” to “employees,” you would just say: “We plan to make hot air balloons available to all employees.” You would not say: “We plan to make hot air balloons available to all of employees.”

If you translate JHA to “the company,” you would say: “We plan to make hot air balloons available to all of the company (a bit awkward).” We would not say: “We plan to make hot air balloons available to all the company.”

I guess in this case it depends what “JHA” is. Is it the people? Is it the buildings? Is it the company? Or is it an “indefinite plural noun referring to a whole class of people”? I think you could make an argument either way.

Perhaps if there is doubt, it’s time to rewrite the sentence altogether?

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Symitar Documentation Services

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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Last week I sent out an article that contained a peeve of mine about the word impactful. Several of you wrote in to share your peeves with me, and asked me to put out some reminders to others about these topics. Today’s peeve is the use of the word utilize in place of use.

You may recognize this topic since we’ve written about it before. “What is wrong with the word utilize? It means use. It’s in the dictionary. What’s the problem?”

The problem is that the word use does mean the same thing, yet people ignore it and employ its more complicated counterpart utilize. Use is straightforward. It’s short. It doesn’t add syllables just to make your papers longer or more fancy. We editors like the word use. It seems most of your coworkers prefer it, too.

It seems that utilize is almost like a drug to some people. It might be okay once in a while when you have come down with something or you need a word version of NoDoz® to keep you awake. But once people start to use it, they become addicted. They tell their kids to “utilize the big fork for your entrée.” Or perhaps, they utilize dried fruit in their granola. Maybe they even utilize blue pencils for fun.

Be a pal. Choose use.

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773

Symitar Documentation Services

NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
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