Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
America's Copy Editor®
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
Pinned
Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
· Nov 27
Greetings, new people here at House of Copyediting. Besides first-rate, IISSM, prose advice, you'll get:
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
I'm claiming:
[Redacted] may battle
With their tomahawks and axes
I'll join the cattle
In the big corral at Saks's!
Lorenz Hart, Babes in Arms
[Redacted] may battle
With their tomahawks and axes
I'll join the cattle
In the big corral at Saks's!
Lorenz Hart, Babes in Arms
bonus musical theater pop quiz of the day
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
February 14, 2026 at 12:50 AM
I'm claiming:
[Redacted] may battle
With their tomahawks and axes
I'll join the cattle
In the big corral at Saks's!
Lorenz Hart, Babes in Arms
[Redacted] may battle
With their tomahawks and axes
I'll join the cattle
In the big corral at Saks's!
Lorenz Hart, Babes in Arms
THERE WE GO.
Korvette's from On a Clear Day?
February 14, 2026 at 12:46 AM
THERE WE GO.
🫢
Alexander's Ragtime Band!
I'll show myself out.
I'll show myself out.
February 14, 2026 at 12:46 AM
🫢
WOULD YOU MIND SAYING "NEIMAN MARCUS"?
I guess "Teller I Love Her" from Urinetown would only count if it mentioned Bonwit, too...so I'll go with "Big D".
February 14, 2026 at 12:44 AM
WOULD YOU MIND SAYING "NEIMAN MARCUS"?
❗️
Oh my gosh, there have to be a skillion more Woolworth mentions!
Oh my gosh, there have to be a skillion more Woolworth mentions!
Now and forever (at least in my day) at the Winter Garden:
Or after supper one of the girls
Suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls
The family will say, "It's that horrible cat!
It was Mungojerrie or Rumpelteazer!"
And most of the time they leave it at that
Or after supper one of the girls
Suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls
The family will say, "It's that horrible cat!
It was Mungojerrie or Rumpelteazer!"
And most of the time they leave it at that
February 14, 2026 at 12:43 AM
❗️
Oh my gosh, there have to be a skillion more Woolworth mentions!
Oh my gosh, there have to be a skillion more Woolworth mentions!
Excellent!
In Cinderella, Darling (H2S)
"on from Bergdorf Goodmannnnnn"
"on from Bergdorf Goodmannnnnn"
February 14, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Excellent!
Going once...
Also: Same lyricist, different show, different store, one very near and dear to my heart.
February 14, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Going once...
THERE WE GO.
The improbable "Ohrbach's, Bloomingdale's, Best & Saks" from Coco
February 14, 2026 at 12:39 AM
THERE WE GO.
..."I said, 'I'm going to Bloomingdale's."
No one seems to have mentioned "Charity's Soliloquy" yet: "He said, 'I'm going to Bloomingdale's,'" etc.
February 14, 2026 at 12:37 AM
..."I said, 'I'm going to Bloomingdale's."
👏
On the Town by itself names more than four department stores:
Let's see Wanamaker's Store.
Let's go to Lindy's, go to Luchow's;
Let's see Radio City and Herald Square.
Go to Reuben's! Go to Macy's!
To the Roxy! Cloisters! Gimbel's!
Let's see Wanamaker's Store.
Let's go to Lindy's, go to Luchow's;
Let's see Radio City and Herald Square.
Go to Reuben's! Go to Macy's!
To the Roxy! Cloisters! Gimbel's!
February 14, 2026 at 12:36 AM
👏
ding ding ding ding ding
'Drop that name', from Bells are ringing:
THIRD WOMAN
Valentina's where I've been,
I just adore Val --
Things with good lines.
ELLA
Like things from Klein's.
THIRD WOMAN
Valentina's where I've been,
I just adore Val --
Things with good lines.
ELLA
Like things from Klein's.
February 14, 2026 at 12:35 AM
ding ding ding ding ding
bonus musical theater pop quiz of the day
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
February 14, 2026 at 12:23 AM
bonus musical theater pop quiz of the day
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
Let's hear all the musical theater songs that name-check department stores.
I can think of four off the top of my head, but let's see what ya got.
Mahler's Bakery does not count!
I too have searched the depths of Legal Arguments.
February 13, 2026 at 11:09 PM
I too have searched the depths of Legal Arguments.
And as to Caligula, he was notorious for his
February 13, 2026 at 10:59 PM
And as to Caligula, he was notorious for his
Wait, Mary Berry and Mary Beard are two different people?
February 13, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Wait, Mary Berry and Mary Beard are two different people?
Okay, this baby gets one final post (for now) before I put it back into its box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper.
(Featuring special guest stars Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Plus typos.)
(Featuring special guest stars Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Plus typos.)
in the blink of an eye
[things seen and watched and read and thought]
open.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Okay, this baby gets one final post (for now) before I put it back into its box, carefully wrapped in tissue paper.
(Featuring special guest stars Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Plus typos.)
(Featuring special guest stars Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Plus typos.)
Lots and lots of Ollie.
February 13, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Lots and lots of Ollie.
Ollie birthday bonus #2.
There is one The Times, and this is it.
February 13, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Ollie birthday bonus #2.
Ollie birthday bonus #1.
It's always fun to point out that actor Oliver Reed was director Carol Reed's nephew and get a hefty bit of WAIT WHAT in response.
February 13, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Ollie birthday bonus #1.
Oh, right!
Every turnip green! Every kidney bean!
Every turnip green! Every kidney bean!
Also from The Fantasticks there are kidney beans mentioned in "Plant a Radish"...
February 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Oh, right!
Every turnip green! Every kidney bean!
Every turnip green! Every kidney bean!
Danny, Victor, Gertie, et al.
February 13, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Danny, Victor, Gertie, et al.
Hiding in plain sight!
Good gosh!
Good gosh!
Okay, this is really tough. The only one that comes to mind is from Gypsy “Ginger peachy, Mr. Goldstone.
Have a kumquat, have two! “
Have a kumquat, have two! “
February 13, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Hiding in plain sight!
Good gosh!
Good gosh!
Indeed, a "jay" is also a wet-behind-the-ears simpleton, often from the boondocks.
That's so "Jay." 😉
February 13, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Indeed, a "jay" is also a wet-behind-the-ears simpleton, often from the boondocks.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
How the hell does the DHS secretary not have an aide who deals with her personal nonsense? Why was the pilot on the spot?
I’m guessing it all goes back to the meanest thing my grandmother could ever say about someone:
“Poor dear—she can’t keep help.”
I’m guessing it all goes back to the meanest thing my grandmother could ever say about someone:
“Poor dear—she can’t keep help.”
Holy cow, these people are not just deranged, they're big spoiled babies:
Kristi Noem reportedly fired a Coast Guard pilot for failing to move a blanket of Noem's from one plane to another amid mechanical difficulties.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Kristi Noem reportedly fired a Coast Guard pilot for failing to move a blanket of Noem's from one plane to another amid mechanical difficulties.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
February 13, 2026 at 5:21 PM
How the hell does the DHS secretary not have an aide who deals with her personal nonsense? Why was the pilot on the spot?
I’m guessing it all goes back to the meanest thing my grandmother could ever say about someone:
“Poor dear—she can’t keep help.”
I’m guessing it all goes back to the meanest thing my grandmother could ever say about someone:
“Poor dear—she can’t keep help.”
And there's our second!
"Plenty of Pennsylvania," from cult favorite* Plain and Fancy, which also gives a shoutout (it rolls from a to z) to, among others, iceberg lettuce and zucchini.
And xplant.
*I like it.
"Plenty of Pennsylvania," from cult favorite* Plain and Fancy, which also gives a shoutout (it rolls from a to z) to, among others, iceberg lettuce and zucchini.
And xplant.
*I like it.
“Plenty of Pennsylvania,” Plain and Fancy, kale.
February 13, 2026 at 7:17 PM
And there's our second!
"Plenty of Pennsylvania," from cult favorite* Plain and Fancy, which also gives a shoutout (it rolls from a to z) to, among others, iceberg lettuce and zucchini.
And xplant.
*I like it.
"Plenty of Pennsylvania," from cult favorite* Plain and Fancy, which also gives a shoutout (it rolls from a to z) to, among others, iceberg lettuce and zucchini.
And xplant.
*I like it.