iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

When we stop by a bookstore I tell my wife I’m going to go check on friends. Today it was fun to find @madamgrammar.bsky.social among a bunch of @merriam-webster.com titles.

A copy of the perfect English Grammar Workbook, in turquoise with the first four words in white and the last in yellow, and with the name, McLlendon, stands among a slew of dictionaries, mostly Merriam-Webster titles, but also some Oxfords.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

"Assent" is agreement; "ascent" is climbing higher. Think "sc"aling a mountain for "ascent." "Ascend" comes from the older "descend," literally "climb down." (Photo by Mark Allen of a recent ascent up a street on the south side of the Arno River in Florence, Italy.)

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Some time at the office today.

A photograph of the Florentine Duomo against a blue sky in the background of an open library patio, with, on a table, a laptop with an #amediting sticker on it. A mouse, mouse pad, and green water bottle are near.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Our Airbnb host has me feeling at home. Perfetto.

Two shelves on a bookshelf with a collection of Italian dictionaries and etymology books.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Spring in Latin is "ver," so "vernal" as an adjective. Two words from Latin combine for "equinox": a form of "equal" and "nox", or "night," as in "nocturnal." So, literally, equal night, as the night accounts for fully half the day (slightly less where I live). Photo: katerinavulcova, Pixabay

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

"Barbecue" is the preferred spelling for the gathering or cooking style. It's from a Taino-Arawak word that the Spanish spelled "barbacoa." "BBQ" is a casual but widely understood option, as is "barbie" if you happen to be in Australia or New Zealand. #words #tips #bbq #barbecue

A person holding barbecue tools checks meat on a grill, which flames up.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

It's hard to tell when it's spoken, but write "iced tea," not "ice tea." Same with "iced coffee." But it's "ice wine" and the rapper and actor goes by "Ice-T." "Ice cream," by the way, started out as "iced cream." zurl.co/qoML3 Photo: Pexels on Pixabay zurl.co/qoML3

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

The often-misspelled “fluoride” and “flux” are cousins. To remember the “flu" beginning for what’s in your toothpaste, think of what you use to solder pipes or a state of change. They come from the Latin "fluor," to flow, also found in "fluorescent." Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya, Pexels

An orangey pink toothpaste on top of a toothbrush with the tip of the toothpaste tube visible. Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya, Pexels https://zurl.co/NrmG4

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Dictionaries might accept "Busses Welcome" signs, but that spelling strikes me as inviting kisses. Use "buses" (unless you welcome a buss). #words #spelling #kissing Goodbye buss at Greyhound terminal, Chicago, New Year's Day, 1943. Photo by Esther Bubley. Public domain image, Library of Congress.

Private D.N. Daniels kissing his wife goodbye at the Greyhound bus terminal in Chicago on New Year's Day, 1943. Photograph by Esther Bubley. Public domain image from Library of Congress.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

The spellings "burned" and "burnt" emerged in the 1500s, and both remain accepted for things destroyed by fire; -ed prevails in the U.S. and -t in the U.K. But when it comes to the hue of orange or red, it's almost always "burnt." #words #spelling #burnt

Shades of burnt orange, red, yellow, and umber. Source: Adobe Images.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

You stand on your “feet.” That EE in the middle also is a shoe width that I can sometimes squeeze into. A “feat” is an achievement, related to the word “fact.” Getting an A in class can be quite a feat. #words #spelling #mnemonics Source: zurl.co/ySyJa Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

For centuries, the dominant sense of “gender” applied to grammar. Its use for "sex" became common in the 20th century. “Sex” for biology and “gender” to also mean sexual identity is a useful modern distinction. #sex #gender #words Image: zurl.co/wk5qn susan-lu4esm on Pixabay

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

In the UK, stamps are “cancelled.” Noah Webster eschewed double “l,” so in the US they’re “canceled.” Root is “cancelli,” or “crossbars,” as the first meaning was to draw lines through words to delete them. #words #spelling Image: zurl.co/SRStO Brett Jordan, Pexels

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

It's "heart-rending." "Heart rendering" is what you did on your school notebook. "Rending" means "tearing." #Words #Tips #Editing

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

The root of "dual" and "duel" is the noun "duo" (two). Remember the "a" spelling, "dual," is for the adjective describing two of something. "Duel," the fighting word, is a noun or verb.

Two giraffes dueling with their necks in a yellow grassy field with trees and mountains in the background.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 02/04/2024

SRQ ~> DAL ~> SAN Settling in for my journey to #ACES2024 #Editors #ThatWordChat

A thumb presumably belonging to the poster holding an advance proof of Erin Brenner’s “Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors” on an airplane (looks like a Southwest flight to Dallas).

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 26/03/2024

The Chicago Manual of Style updates this fall, and #ThatWordChat has the first look . Join us at 4 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 5, as we welcome principal reviser Russell Harper. Sign up for the webinar at lnkd.in/d72rAAgP. #CMOS #ChicagoManual #Editing #Publishing #Chat #ACES2024

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 20/03/2024

Time will right itself eventually, but this year's equinox, normally today, came on March 19, thrown off by the leap day a few weeks earlier. In 2025, the vernal equinox it will reach us in the northern hemisphere the morning of March 20, putting the first day of spring back where it belongs.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 19/02/2024

If it's mechanical, it’s a “dryer” — a noun. But if you seek a comparison, the spelling for the adjective is “drier.” “My new blow-dryer gets may hair drier.” It’s just one of those quirky distinctions in English.

A hand holds purple hair dryer aimed at a seemingly happy golden retriever.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 14/02/2024

"Bellwether" has been misspelled for centuries. It comes from a lead male sheep ("wether") that had a bell tied around its neck. Remember it has nothing to do with the weather.

A sheep with a bell around its neck, looking at us and imploring us to follow.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 16/01/2024

Missed our annual #WOTY episode? Head to our YouTube channel at 4:30 PM ET to catch up on the stories behind the 2023 words of the year. Watch it here: bit.ly/ThatWordVideo #AmEditing #WritingCommunity #Edibuddies #ThatWordChat

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 09/01/2024

Off-the-charts rizz for today's #ThatWordChat. www.markalleneditorial.com/thatwordchat #words #woty #woty2023

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 05/01/2024

We're thrilled to feature a star-studded panel for our annual #WOTY show! Join us next week to chat about the words that define 2023. Register here: bit.ly/ThatWordChat #Dictionarycom #TheEconomist #OED #SussexUni #CambridgeDictionary #MerriamWebster #AmericanDialectSociety #ThatWordChat

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 20/11/2023

Spoken, the plural of "roof" rhymes with either "proofs" or, especially in the UK, "hooves." But it's always spelled "roofs." The written plural "rooves," is rare, especially in the past 300 years. #words #tips #plurals

Snowy rooftops at night, houses all alight.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 14/11/2023

Mignon Fogarty's "The Grammar Daily: 365 Quick Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl" is officially launched! Join us for the #LaunchParty today at 4:30 PM ET. Register here: www.markalleneditorial.com/thatwordchat #ThatWordChat #AmEditing #WritingCommunity

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 27/10/2023

Think of the second syllable of "sorbet" to remember that there is just one "r" in "sherbet," despite 7 million Google hits for "sherbert." #tips #words #spelling #sherbet #mmmm

Three scoops of orange sherbet in a waffle bowl with springs of mint.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 19/10/2023

Greetings from the 2023 midterm board meeting of ACES: The Society for Editing. #ACES #editing #amediting #ACES2024

San Diego skyline from the Sheraton near the airport.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 09/08/2023

Mackinac Island is in the Straits of Mackinac, which link Lakes Huron and Michigan under the Mackinac Bridge. All are pronounced "mack-in-awe." "Mackinac" is from an Ojibwe word and comes through French Canadian. The coat, blanket and city are spelled "Mackinaw." #words #tips #mackinac #mackinaw

The Mackinac Bridge as seen from near water level on the straits of Mackinac. Photo by EditorMark.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 25/07/2023

A horse traveling at a moderate pace to Canterbury gives us the word "canter," a shortening of the 17th century "Canterbury pace." A singing horse might be a "cantor." #words #tips #canterbury #singinghorses

A horse with hot pink bridle with its mouth open, as if singing, but probably not singing.

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EditorMark @editormark.bsky.social · 23/06/2023

The words "stalactite" and "stalagmite" are 17th century variations on Greek roots meaning "drip" or "drop." You might think of "c" for "ceiling," "g" for ground, "tite" against the ceiling, on the ground like a "mite." #words #tips #mnemonize

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