EDITOR@WORK: alright

I was watching a movie on Netflix the other night, and I had the subtitles on.

After awhile, I realized that the characters had said "all right" more than a dozen times. What really irritated me is that the subtitles writer spelled it "alright" every time. It's all right, not alright.

And the script writer should have found something to mix in there, rather than using "all right" over and over.

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• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

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• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

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• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

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I was looking up misused words, and I came across several web sites. One of the better sites I found was Infoplease.

I must admit that, years ago, I used alright. It's common, but a woman told me that it's not all right to use alright. I looked it up; she was right.

My wife and I often argued over farther/further, and now she gets it right more often than I do. Farther denotes distance. Further makes me think of the NFL term "after further review..." That's from instant replay, for you non sports junkies.

Writers often say flounder when founder would do. A sinking boat isn't floundering; it's foundering. If you're moving around clumsily, that's floundering.

I've seen people use past (time) when passed (motion) would be correct. In fact, I've looked at a sentence, wondering which is right (don't worry, it passes quickly).

And don't get me started on who vs. whom. I've already said a good bit on that.

What's your "favorite" misused word?

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EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com BLUESKY: PROFILE