Magnificent News: Carolyn Hax: Professional copy editor can’t stop editing people’s grammar

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Carolyn Hax: Professional copy editor can’t stop editing people’s grammar

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(Nick Galifianakis for The Post)

Professional copy editor can't stop editing people's grammar

Dear Carolyn: As a professional copy editor, I am very aware of how people use words, which has led me into a habit I hate. When I talk with people, I often find myself editing their grammar and correcting their mistakes in my head. (I never actually tell them — I know how obnoxious that would be!) People who pepper their conversation with garbage words — "like," "you know," "I mean," "do you know what I'm saying?" — drive me crazy, and sometimes I am so braced for the next one I lose track of what they're saying. These are people I work with, live with, love; I want to stop! How?

— Like, You Know

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