Euphonist

London-based copy editor specializing in sustainable development and energy. Also, a musician with a side of Francophile. I have the best words.

[Veles @keyofgeo]

@LinkofSunshine @SYNESTHEIZURE from the great @ZachWeiner

[The Paris Review @parisreview]

“I do a lot of rewriting. It’s very painful.” —James Baldwin https://t.co/ElUtP29bwF

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

The plural of ‘Mr.’ is ‘Messrs.’

Simply adding an 's' to 'Mr.' would make it 'Mrs.,' which would be confusing.

So, the plural is made by shortening the French word for ‘Misters’ (Messieurs).

[The Oxford Comma @RealOxfordComma]

Oh my….

[Helen Lewis @helenlewis]

Even for Americans, a working knowledge of UK English is an asset

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

(explodes into a million pieces)

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

We have a standing meeting about this word twice a week, every two weeks.

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

PIN Number
ATM Machine
UPC Code
LCD Display

We regret to inform you that this phenomenon has a name: RAS Syndrome.

Redundant Acronym Syndrome…Syndrome.

[APStylebook @APStylebook]

While everyone's up in arms about the em dash, let's not forget about the power of a well-placed semicolon.
Our detailed guidance begins, "In general, use the semicolon to indicate a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey but less than the separation that a period implies."

[The New Yorker @NewYorker]

The Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai would “never voluntarily reread” any of his books. But, when his friend Béla Tarr made films using his work as inspiration, Krasznahorkai had to read his text aloud. “I would begin reading, and suddenly I would see a shocking error of rhythm, of melody, of content, a flaw in form, and well, I had inevitably made a mistake, but it’s not only a single mistake to me, it ruins the entire thing. It vexes me so much that I try to remedy this in the following book. My entire life is just such an attempt at recompense. I am not doing too well,” Krasznahorkai told Merve Emre.

Beyond his own work, Krasznahorkai enjoys the “decisive flaws” of an object. He says that such flaws give objects enormous value and particularity. Read the Hungarian novelist on his notoriously long sentences, the singularity of imperfections, and our estrangement from beauty: https://t.co/blrgB7V3wE

[Euphonist @euphonymous]

@whignewtons Sadly we seem to be losing this particular battle…

[Seamus Hughes @SeamusHughes]

Props to the lawyers who picked the client so they'd have this docket title on the copyright lawsuit.

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

ALSO: NBA Champion

[Euphonist @euphonymous]

@dieworkwear https://t.co/h25OHHpmip

[Euphonist @euphonymous]

@MarekKohv …A very British expression that means what you probably think it means :)
https://t.co/7jm1SbNMx5

[Euphonist @euphonymous]

@rparloff @USAttyPirro Apt use of "truckle":
https://t.co/pX7iW6Ws4m

[Encyclopaedia Britannica @Britannica]

x% of y = y% of x

So, in order to calculate a percentage in your head, it might be easier to turn it around.

What is 4% of 50?

It's the same as 50% of 4.

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

'Uncharted.'

[Encyclopaedia Britannica @Britannica]

For no reason at all, here are 5 cool things about Vikings:

1. Vikings didn’t call themselves “Vikings.”

The word viking meant “piracy” or “freebooting voyage” in Old Norse and was something one would do.

“Bjørn is going on a viking.”

[ian bremmer @ianbremmer]

@Ri_S_OB @jmart 25 million monkeys on 25 million typewriters might not have come up with that