Comments on: Least Surprising Photo Ever? Tim Rogers Lectures the Staff About Word Usage

By: kma

kma — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:51:57 +0000

Of course reporters don’t have to spend time debating it. They let the copy editors know their stuff and fix the mistakes.

ap — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:27:40 +0000

This is a simple AP Style question that professional reporters don’t have to spend time debating. A blonde is a female with blond hair.

MP — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:44:00 +0000

isn’t that the prayer where the kid dies in his sleep?

RAB — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:30:49 +0000

@Williard Spiegelman: Tim Rogers prefers blondes; Anderson Cooper prefers blonds.

@Tom: “Now I lay me down to sleep.” And now I’m lying here wondering how the rest of the prayer goes.

MP — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:15:58 +0000

Tom – so how do you insruct your dog to make himself prone?

Tom — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:02:18 +0000

@TLS: I use this trick: People have the ability to lie. Things do not.

Darren — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:45:59 +0000

@fruitdog: You beat me to it!

copy editor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:41:30 +0000

@patentlawya: I heard the same show… and yes, he seemed a bit uptight. But such is the fate of grammar nerds.

On a side note, the distinction is also found in the (notably less hefty) AP stylebook. IJS.

fruitdog — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:23:24 +0000

or how about grey and gray?

TLS — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:21:55 +0000

I still don’t get when to use lie and when to use lay.