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!
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.
In the novel I was copyediting, the author and I worked our way to changing the squash to, as I recall, a Coca-Cola or something similar, because the point was not the flavor but the stickiness. The drink was being spilled or thrown, I think.
February 14, 2026 at 3:05 AM
In the novel I was copyediting, the author and I worked our way to changing the squash to, as I recall, a Coca-Cola or something similar, because the point was not the flavor but the stickiness. The drink was being spilled or thrown, I think.
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 3:00 AM
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.
A lift in England is an elevator in the US, though most reasonably clued-in Americans would know that.
Squash in England is a drink made with fruit syrup; I would not expect a lot of Americans to know that; for us, squash is a vegetable. Or a game.
Squash in England is a drink made with fruit syrup; I would not expect a lot of Americans to know that; for us, squash is a vegetable. Or a game.
February 14, 2026 at 2:58 AM
A lift in England is an elevator in the US, though most reasonably clued-in Americans would know that.
Squash in England is a drink made with fruit syrup; I would not expect a lot of Americans to know that; for us, squash is a vegetable. Or a game.
Squash in England is a drink made with fruit syrup; I would not expect a lot of Americans to know that; for us, squash is a vegetable. Or a game.
BTW, pestle seems not to be etymologically related to pessary.
And neither is etymologically related to cassowary.
And neither is etymologically related to cassowary.
February 14, 2026 at 2:48 AM
BTW, pestle seems not to be etymologically related to pessary.
And neither is etymologically related to cassowary.
And neither is etymologically related to cassowary.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
I am watching a series in which the protagonist addresses his daughter as "babygirl" and his son as "little man" and his partner as "partner." The insistence that TV needs to be for people who can't bother to look at the screen is killing writing, show by show, episode by episode, line by line.
February 14, 2026 at 2:24 AM
I am watching a series in which the protagonist addresses his daughter as "babygirl" and his son as "little man" and his partner as "partner." The insistence that TV needs to be for people who can't bother to look at the screen is killing writing, show by show, episode by episode, line by line.
Nice! A late arrival, and you're the first to cite it!
February 14, 2026 at 2:47 AM
Nice! A late arrival, and you're the first to cite it!
At the other place there was a person who had only one topic of conversation: the assault on UK books by US publishing companies. It didn't make any difference if it was a book published by Simon & Schuster in 1967; I was expected to justify or apologize for it.
I eventually blocked him.
4/3
I eventually blocked him.
4/3
February 14, 2026 at 2:45 AM
At the other place there was a person who had only one topic of conversation: the assault on UK books by US publishing companies. It didn't make any difference if it was a book published by Simon & Schuster in 1967; I was expected to justify or apologize for it.
I eventually blocked him.
4/3
I eventually blocked him.
4/3
As I used to say: One would leave intact everything that was likely to be understood by reasonably literate reasonably anglophilic readers, and one would negotiate the rest.
Like: Lift stays intact, of course. But maybe not squash?
Etc.
3/3
Like: Lift stays intact, of course. But maybe not squash?
Etc.
3/3
February 14, 2026 at 2:37 AM
As I used to say: One would leave intact everything that was likely to be understood by reasonably literate reasonably anglophilic readers, and one would negotiate the rest.
Like: Lift stays intact, of course. But maybe not squash?
Etc.
3/3
Like: Lift stays intact, of course. But maybe not squash?
Etc.
3/3
I copyedited Rachel Joyce's exquisite Perfect with my very own hand, and at no point was I attempting to undo its distinct Britishness; I was simply trying to make sure that US readers could read it without having to stop to look things up every ten seconds.
2/
2/
February 14, 2026 at 2:37 AM
I copyedited Rachel Joyce's exquisite Perfect with my very own hand, and at no point was I attempting to undo its distinct Britishness; I was simply trying to make sure that US readers could read it without having to stop to look things up every ten seconds.
2/
2/
At RH we almost always americanized spelling and punctuation; in fact we had a macro that could do it with the press of a button.
But all issues of phrasing, vocabulary, diction, etc., were always considered carefully book by book.
1/
But all issues of phrasing, vocabulary, diction, etc., were always considered carefully book by book.
1/
February 14, 2026 at 2:37 AM
At RH we almost always americanized spelling and punctuation; in fact we had a macro that could do it with the press of a button.
But all issues of phrasing, vocabulary, diction, etc., were always considered carefully book by book.
1/
But all issues of phrasing, vocabulary, diction, etc., were always considered carefully book by book.
1/
If it was being presented as dialogue out of a US mouth, I’d certainly urge it.
Otherwise I might just point out the transatlantic difference and leave it to the author. It’s not as if both versions aren’t legitimately used in both places.
Otherwise I might just point out the transatlantic difference and leave it to the author. It’s not as if both versions aren’t legitimately used in both places.
February 14, 2026 at 2:07 AM
If it was being presented as dialogue out of a US mouth, I’d certainly urge it.
Otherwise I might just point out the transatlantic difference and leave it to the author. It’s not as if both versions aren’t legitimately used in both places.
Otherwise I might just point out the transatlantic difference and leave it to the author. It’s not as if both versions aren’t legitimately used in both places.
It came up a while ago.
February 14, 2026 at 1:50 AM
It came up a while ago.
I do not believe so, though I'm not going to swear to it.
(And so far no one's summoned it up, which is leaning me toward no.)
(And so far no one's summoned it up, which is leaning me toward no.)
February 14, 2026 at 1:50 AM
I do not believe so, though I'm not going to swear to it.
(And so far no one's summoned it up, which is leaning me toward no.)
(And so far no one's summoned it up, which is leaning me toward no.)
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.
🤷🏻♂️
🤷🏻♂️
The last time "pestle and mortar" was dominant in the US was c. 1866!
February 14, 2026 at 1:23 AM
The last time "pestle and mortar" was dominant in the US was c. 1866!
I love that song insanely, though I take exception to Harold using the word "downstairs" in the line just previous.
February 14, 2026 at 1:18 AM
I love that song insanely, though I take exception to Harold using the word "downstairs" in the line just previous.
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.)
It's a hell of a song.
February 14, 2026 at 1:15 AM
It's a hell of a song.
A very strange thing was to see women I'd characterize as working-class schlepping clearly very old Harrods shopping bags around Manhattan.
I never figured that one out.
I never figured that one out.
February 14, 2026 at 1:15 AM
A very strange thing was to see women I'd characterize as working-class schlepping clearly very old Harrods shopping bags around Manhattan.
I never figured that one out.
I never figured that one out.