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Hangar vs. Hanger

One wrong keystroke is enough to substitute one of these words for the other, and the mistake is not always easy to spot. It is worthwhile to double-check your hangars and hangers, because the words...

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When the Present Slips into the Past: An Editorial Eye Focuses on Anachronism

Anachronism 1: the error of placing a person or thing in the wrong period 2: one that is chronologically out of place.* Writing historical fiction is not for the faint of heart. Not only do you have to...

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In-Text Citations, APA Style: Just the Basics

APA style does in-text citations a little differently from other styles (e.g., Chicago) you may be more familiar with. This post covers only the very basics. For more details, see the APA Publication...

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Waiver vs. Waver

A few days ago I spotted waiver used in place of waver in the best-selling crime novel I am currently enjoying, so I thought this would be a good time to review the difference between these two...

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Why Do We Say “You’re the Bee’s Knees”?

Some expressions don’t make much sense. Case in point, “the bee’s knees,” meaning “most excellent” or, as the Oxford English Dictionary says, “the acme of excellence.” What is so spectacular about...

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Author-Date Citations, Chicago Style: Just the Basics

  The author-date reference system of in-text citations is straightforward and easy to learn and use. In this system, you cite sources in the text with the author’s last name, the year of publication...

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Why Are Siege and Seize Spelled Differently?

You might think that two such seemingly closely related words as siege and seize would follow the same simple spelling rule (“I before E except after C…”). Surely it is not unreasonable to expect that...

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The Larger Context Matters in Your Memoir

Quite a few years ago, a colleague of mine proofread a memoir whose author had been a young Jewish girl in Eastern Europe during the Second World War. Sounds compelling, right? Sadly, in this case the...

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Using Footnotes and Endnotes, Chicago Style: Just the Basics

Need to use footnotes or endnotes for your book or paper but don’t know where to start? This post will give you the basics on using notes in Chicago style. For greater detail and more examples, see...

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Historic or Historical?

Confused about whether to use historic or historical to describe an event, place, or object? You are not alone. Historic is used to describe something “famous or important in history” or “having great...

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