Category Archives: spelling

The bare bones of language: use the right word!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

The Independent reported yesterday that Chris Packham, of Springwatch fame (and for those of us old enough to remember The Really Wild Show when it began), is often expected to turn up naked to events as people think he is … Continue reading →

Posted in spelling, words | Tagged | 2 Comments

A happy ending

Posted on February 14, 2013 by

I want to tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Once upon a time there was a primary school. In general the children were very happy but there were pockets of behaviour issues and it had … Continue reading →

Posted in children, reading, school, spelling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Attention to detail

Posted on November 13, 2012 by

There is a new way of working at my children’s school. My son, aged six, is given a set of tasks at the beginning of the week and is expected to complete them, on his own and without being nagged, … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

In 1984 I was lucky enough to spend a year at school in South Africa and we studied Romeo and Juliet inside out and backwards. I was lucky again when, upon my return, I discovered that we were to study … Continue reading →

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Celebrity names

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

I didn’t like my name when I was at school as it is quite old-fashioned for my generation and I was surrounded by Karens, Lisas and Joannes and wanted to fit in. Plus as a Francophile, it is a difficult name for … Continue reading →

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Pulped Fiction

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

According to the 2003 Literary Pocket Companion, books can have alternative uses. The following is an extract: When engineers started searching for a suitably absorbent pulp to lay on the M6 toll motorway in 2003, they found it at an unexpectedly … Continue reading →

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Proofreaders

Posted on May 26, 2011 by

Some of the things that proofreaders check for are:  Spelling  Doesn’t a big company such as Victoria’s Secret use proofreaders? From Red Pen, Inc. Grammar  Punctuation Obviously for only one girl… From Apostrophe Abuse   Sense From Failblog Consistency Whoops! Both from … Continue reading →

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Wine

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

  To all my friends who enjoy a tipple: according to Redhill and Reigate Life, Surrey County Council has issued a warning that fake bottles of Jacob’s Creek wine have been found on sale in the county. Apparently the bottles … Continue reading →

Posted in spelling, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Cherry from South Oxon

Posted on February 9, 2011 by

I became a proofreader because I don’t like seeing mistakes in signs and other printed materials which people have paid good money for. I feel one doesn’t acquire a professional image of a company whose advert says Proofreader’s ‘R’ us. … Continue reading →

Posted in proofread, spelling, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment