. . . plus c'est la meme chose.

[Dave Wilton]

The Wall Street Journal has run a monthly style editor's blog for some time
now. It's at http://blogs.wsj.com/styleandsubstance/

It addresses examples of specific questions that have arisen at the WSJ and
includes a quiz on what is correct according to the WSJ style.

The site says it's been going since 1987 (presumably in print at first),
which makes me assume that it's primarily intended for WSJ employees, rather
than the general public--although anyone can read it; it's not behind the
firewall that restricts most WSJ content to subscribers.


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Grant Barrett
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 6:50 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: . . . plus c'est la meme chose.

On Nov 1, 2007, at 09:10, Laurence Urdang wrote:

> Once again we see a demonstration of the trivialization of what was
> once a good newspaper.

It's interesting that the same column you refer to also addresses the
common (mis)conception that the Times used to be better but has gone
downhill.

For those of you wondering what is being talked about:

"Talk to the Newsroom: Deputy News Editor Philip B. Corbett"

<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/business/media/29asktheeditors.html>

It's a grab-bag of style questions, mostly long-treasured peeves. I
do, however, like his gentle response to those people who say things
like, "Well, I learned many years ago from my ever-reliable teacher
Mrs. Frobisher that...." To that Corbett says,

"Life is sometimes more complicated than our fifth-grade English
teachers let on. And grammar is, too."

Grant Barrett
Double-Tongued Dictionary
http://www.doubletongued.org/
editor at doubletongued.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org