Dear reader, I wish to apologise. Last week in this column, to my acute embarrassment, I made a mistake. I used the plural “phenomena”, but was referring to a singular and should have used “phenomenon”.
I am crushed. If I presume to write a column commenting on English usage, then I have to be above reproach when it comes to my own usage. I clearly failed in that. I am hoist by my own petard (a wonderful idiom).
In an attempt to grasp a small positive from a large negative, this is an example of why the sub-editing process is essential. All writers, even the best in history, had editors. Open any book and in the acknowledgements section you will find these clever people being fulsomely thanked.
A writer is often blinkered by attempts to convey meaning and so pays inadequate attention to how well, or not, he or she is expressing themselves.
And then there is the notion that the left-hand side of the brain is where creativity is born, whereas the right side is responsible for motor skills such as typing. Sometimes the two diverge and you think you’ve typed: “The rotund Mrs Miggins, 75, owns an 18-year-old cat named Bobby”, but in fact typed “Bobby, 18, is a pussycat in the hands of the curvaceous Mrs Miggins.” Both might be true, but they sound rather different.
The above are, I must admit, excuses. I’m not attempting to deflect blame, I should have read my copy.
It is far better, however, if someone else carries out that function. Sub-editors are clever. If a sentence doesn’t make sense, then the sub-editor rearranges it, hones it, crafts it until it does. A skilled “sub” will take a good piece of writing and make it into a great piece of writing. He or she takes a step back and asks, “How will this come across?” A sub reads like a reader, but also acts as a sense-checker who understands sentence structure, can punctuate properly and has an unshakeable grasp on word meanings.
You should always get someone to read your output, whether you’re writing a novel or a sign advertising the price of potatoes. Or a column that purports to be a defence of the English language.
As said, I can only ask the forgiveness of my readers — if there are any left — and pledge to do better in future.
Word of the week
Obelus (noun)
The mathematical division symbol. EG: “A short line, with a dot placed above and below, is an obelus.”
Read the latest Oh my word! every Saturday in The Courier. Contact me at sfinan@dctmedia.co.uk
