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!
when you post the same emoji repeatedly do you post an odd number of said emojis or are you a serial killer
February 14, 2026 at 4:18 PM
when you post the same emoji repeatedly do you post an odd number of said emojis or are you a serial killer
❤️
Everyone in the world comes to get married at the NYC Marriage Bureau. Last week, the Mayor stopped by to officiate a few of those ceremonies.
Thank you to all the couples who shared their joy with us. Happy Valentine's Day, New York.
Watch the full video at Youtube.com/nycmayorsoffice
Thank you to all the couples who shared their joy with us. Happy Valentine's Day, New York.
Watch the full video at Youtube.com/nycmayorsoffice
February 14, 2026 at 4:17 PM
❤️
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
Just as ICE and CBP have no legitimate role in "election security" neither does the head of DHS. The mere existence of this press conference should be a scandal, much less this tone-deaf comment.
Kristi Noem: "When it gets to Election Day, we've been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country."
February 14, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Just as ICE and CBP have no legitimate role in "election security" neither does the head of DHS. The mere existence of this press conference should be a scandal, much less this tone-deaf comment.
[and certainly not forgetting]
Happy Gregory Hines's birthday!
[photo by Kenn Duncan]
Happy Gregory Hines's birthday!
[photo by Kenn Duncan]
February 14, 2026 at 2:48 PM
[and certainly not forgetting]
Happy Gregory Hines's birthday!
[photo by Kenn Duncan]
Happy Gregory Hines's birthday!
[photo by Kenn Duncan]
Happy Jack Barrymore's probably birthday!
February 14, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Happy Jack Barrymore's probably birthday!
today's randomish theater photo:
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
February 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM
today's randomish theater photo:
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
It’s Thelma’s birthday tomorrow.
February 13, 2026 at 10:52 PM
It’s Thelma’s birthday tomorrow.
Happy Thelma Ritter's birthday!
February 14, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Happy Thelma Ritter's birthday!
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
Doctors say that vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. A nepo baby who barbecues dogs and snorts cocaine off toilet seats says that vaccines make children vulnerable to 5G radiation. For busy parents, it can be hard to know who to trust.
February 14, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Doctors say that vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. A nepo baby who barbecues dogs and snorts cocaine off toilet seats says that vaccines make children vulnerable to 5G radiation. For busy parents, it can be hard to know who to trust.
I don’t think I quite realized the extent to which Andy Ogles is barking mad.
February 14, 2026 at 4:21 AM
I don’t think I quite realized the extent to which Andy Ogles is barking mad.
We need to bring back "from hunger" in a big way.
Just going to say it: No matter what you think of Wuthering Heights, Cathy’s dresses (after she goes off to live at the Grange) are from hunger. Bad fit, shiny, cheap-looking fabric, bad color combos. I know they’re intentionally stylized, but please, my eyes!
February 14, 2026 at 3:59 AM
We need to bring back "from hunger" in a big way.
I think we'd have to go to "Name a film you've seen 28 times" before I could whittle the list down to a dozen or two.
Name a film you've seen 8 times
February 14, 2026 at 3:54 AM
I think we'd have to go to "Name a film you've seen 28 times" before I could whittle the list down to a dozen or two.
Should we restart the are/is argument?
We can, if anyone's inclined.
We can, if anyone's inclined.
It's a hilarious song.
I am occasionally bemused by people who don't recognize that How to Succeed (and Promises, Promises, for that matter) are satirical and think they're sexist dinosaurs.
I am occasionally bemused by people who don't recognize that How to Succeed (and Promises, Promises, for that matter) are satirical and think they're sexist dinosaurs.
February 14, 2026 at 3:06 AM
Should we restart the are/is argument?
We can, if anyone's inclined.
We can, if anyone's inclined.
Speaking of The Most Happy Fella, I can find other references to gnrrr (more commonly, apparently, spelled gnurr), but none of them older than the musical.
🤷🏻♂️
🤷🏻♂️
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 1:38 AM
Speaking of The Most Happy Fella, I can find other references to gnrrr (more commonly, apparently, spelled gnurr), but none of them older than the musical.
🤷🏻♂️
🤷🏻♂️
Andrea Marcovicci also sings a lovely version of this song.
(Among other people.)
(Among other people.)
Ok, I know one. "Ace in the Hole" from Let's Face It: "Sad times may follow your tracks/Bad times may bar you from Saks". (Never saw the musical, but I remember this from an Ella Fitzgerald album)
February 14, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Andrea Marcovicci also sings a lovely version of this song.
(Among other people.)
(Among other people.)
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...