Note from a cranky editor

[Iasius]

While we're on the subject, one frequently occurring error that's been bugging me lately is "sneak peak." It's supposed to be "sneak peek." It's an understandable error, but "peek" means a quick or surreptitious look and "peak" means a mountaintop or the highest point of a curve.

Also, it's not "free reign" but "free rein." Giving a horse free rein means letting go of its reins so that it's free to go where it wishes.

And one thing doesn't "jive with" another, it "jibes with" another. To jive is to speak nonsensically or deceptively; to jibe is to agree or correspond. To gibe, meanwhile, is to mock or heckle.

Here, here!

 

[Greg Cox]

UM.....why is this in SciFi and not in Misc. ?

Because this is where people tend to talk about casting new movies.

"Whom would you cast in the [roll] of Lobo?" Etc.

Just trying to vent where it would do the most good!

 

[Middle Earther]

UM.....why is this in SciFi and not in Misc. ?

It's probably meant for the Trek Lit folder.

It's a mute point anyway.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

UM.....why is this in SciFi and not in Misc. ?

Because this is where people tend to talk about casting new movies.

"Whom would you cast in the [roll] of Lobo?" Etc.

Just trying to vent where it would do the most good!

Well it's certainly peaked my interest.

 

[Greg Cox]

And don't get me started on "villain" versus "villian." That battle was lost years ago.

 

[Middle Earther]

Homonyms...those are primitive forms of humans, right?

Yes! And they should never be allowed to marry!!

 

[Mike Farley]

Theirs no reason it can't stay hear.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Plus, Greg's an editor for a science fiction publisher, so it all works out. This is far too important to be lost amongst the (many) daily musings of Trekker, RoJoHen and Miss Chicken.

And don't get me started on "villain" versus "villian." That battle was lost years ago.

The battle must continue. That one drives me nuts, as does "rediculous."

Search for both of those terms on TrekBBS, and you get pages of results.

 

[JustKate]

Homonyms...those are primitive forms of humans, right?

Yes! And they should never be allowed to marry!!

Don't you mean "merry"? And they also shouldn't be allowed to bare children.

 

[Greg Cox]

Plus, Greg's an editor for a science fiction publisher

. . . who is bound to make a humiliating spelling error any minute now!

 

[Middle Earther]

Homonyms...those are primitive forms of humans, right?

Yes! And they should never be allowed to marry!!

Don't you mean "merry"? And they also shouldn't be allowed to bare children.

Yes, nudists shouldn't be allowed, either!!

 

[Lindley]

Geez, is it really any of our buisness?

 

[Greg Cox]

One more pet peeve: "rogue" versus "rouge." That's more persistent than the plague!

 

[JustKate]

Plus, Greg's an editor for a science fiction publisher

. . . who is bound to make a humiliating spelling error any minute now!

There, there, Greg - it'll be all right. NOT "alright," you'll notice, but actually "alright" doesn't bother me nearly as much as "could of," something I see around here allllllllllllllll the time. I mean, YUCK. Talk about an irritating homonym.

And I'm also an editor, though not one anyone here would have heard of, and therefore I am also overdue to make an embarrassing spelling error. Be gentle!

 

[Mike Farley]

Homonyms...those are primitive forms of humans, right?

Yes! And they should never be allowed to marry!!

Yeah, if you let homonyms merry, the next thing you know--BAM! Onomatopoeia moves into the neighborhood!

 

[OmahaStar]

While we're on the subject, one frequently occurring error that's been bugging me lately is "sneak peak." It's supposed to be "sneak peek." It's an understandable error, but "peek" means a quick or surreptitious look and "peak" means a mountaintop or the highest point of a curve.

Also, it's not "free reign" but "free rein." Giving a horse free rein means letting go of its reins so that it's free to go where it wishes.

And one thing doesn't "jive with" another, it "jibes with" another. To jive is to speak nonsensically or deceptively; to jibe is to agree or correspond. To gibe, meanwhile, is to mock or heckle.

Glass houses, Christopher. Glass houses.

 

[Middle Earther]

Homonyms...those are primitive forms of humans, right?

Yes! And they should never be allowed to marry!!

Yeah, if you let homonyms merry, the next thing you know--BAM! Onomatopoeia moves into the neighborhood!

With hyperbole not being far behind: there go the property values!!

 

[SlaveOfSeven]

It's an understandable error, but "peek" means a quick or surreptitious look and "peak" means a mountaintop or the highest point of a curve.

Not to mention "pique".

 

[Christopher]

A couple of others that I've come across repeatedly of late:

"[Whole] is comprised of [parts]." No. A whole comprises its parts, or is composed of them. The USA comprises fifty states. A baseball game comprises nine innings. And so on.

"Tenants" are occupants. "Tenets" are principles or doctrines. Lately I often see people referring to the basic "tenants" of something (a country, a religion, an organization) when they mean its tenets.

 

[wew]

I've seen a lot of "Trek rolls" lately too, Greg. I always want to ask if they're white or whole wheat. And I saw a "jibes with" just the other day, Christopher.
It's into the breach not into the breech...
.

Although if you are talking about loading artillery, you would put the round "into the breech".