The Engine Room A blog about language use, misuse and abuse, brought to you by two sub-editors (copy editors) on a weekly magazine. If you have questions about words, grammar, spelling etc, why not ask us? Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 42 4915

Articles from The Engine Room

All-butter cookies 2007-07-02 09:12:00 All-butter cookies - what are they about? They contain lots of ingredients other than butter, such as egg and sugar. Surely this is one for trading standards.Cookies: Not all butter, fortunately(Yes, I know it means that the only fat used in the recipe is butter, but I made myself laugh reading a packet of cookies yesterday and thought I would share... it's also a good excuse to put up the blog's first picture, which is something I hope we'll do more of in the future.) ...

Crime and prevention purposes 2007-06-29 07:16:00 Near where I live is a cash machine (ATM) with the following warning:This ATM is monitored for crime and prevention purposesThe way I read this, the bank is monitoring the cash machine for two reasons: 'crime purposes' and 'prevention purposes'. The first is illegal, the second nonsensical (prevention of what?). Perhaps the bank means it is monitoring the ATM for 'crime-prevention purposes'...Then again, if I wake up tomorrow to find I haven't got a penny in my account, I can't say I haven't been warned.Incidentally, it's interesting the number of terms there are for ATMs, at least in the UK. As well as 'cash machine' and 'cashpoint', there's also 'hole in the wall' - and the OED adds 'cash dispenser', which to be honest I've never heard used. Any more out there? ...

Our mag: par for the course 2007-06-28 06:31:00 The magazine that Apus and I work for, like many magazines, has a column that lists events and courses. In the column this week, one company is offering a "five-day initial course" in a particular subject, as well as a "six-day refresher course" - in the same subject!So it takes five days to learn, and six days to be reminded of it when you've forgotten it... ...

Don't get fresh with me 2007-06-27 08:39:00 Further to JD's remarks on the word 'new', this very day I came across an interesting use of the word 'fresh'. During my lunchtime stroll I spotted a new restaurant with a sign promising "Only FRESH food grilled on FRESH charcoal!"Let me through – I'm a dendrochronologist... ...

My pet hates: the word 'new' 2007-06-27 06:09:00 All subs have their bugbears or pet hates, and one of mine is the misuse of the word 'new'. For example, London free newspaper Metro today carries a small science story saying that:Cannabis has new healing properties - it can treat severe eczema and other skin complaints.Er, yes, cannabis probably does have those properties, but I doubt they are new. They're just newly discovered.And when the word 'new' is appropriate, the papers seem reluctant to use it. Also today, the Mirror talks about "Paris Hilton's new-style humility" since being released from prison. What, as opposed to her old-style humility?Update: just thought of another example. In our work, Apus and I often come across phrases such as 'manufacturer X is launching a new product'. Well, if the product is just being launched, it's probably safe to assume that it's new... ...

Shampoo is not a food product 2007-06-26 09:10:00 It seems I'm not the only one who reads packaging. Gingerous Humerous Maximus has e-mailed in to tell us that the back of his shampoo bottle contains the statement, "this is not a food product".Worryingly, this suggests two things. Firstly, that people have mistaken the shampoo for food in the past (or that the manufacturer believes they are likely to do so in the future); and secondly, that the manufacturer feels a warning is likely to dissuade people from eating the shampoo.I wonder what sort of person thinks, 'I'll eat this shampoo, but before I do so, I'll read the small print on the back of the bottle just in case it isn't edible'.Gingerous, your attention to detail has saved you once again... ...

Mafia insurance: an offer I can't refuse 2007-06-25 10:06:00 I've had a letter from UK insurer Norwich Union Direct that reads more like a threat from the Mafia. Alongside a picture of an 'In Loving Memory' bouquet it says:Accidents happenEach year in the UK, hundreds of people fall on the stairs. Some are lucky and walk away. Others, however, aren't so lucky...For peace of mind and to ensure "my loved ones will be properly looked after", I should pay Norwich union £2 a month. Sounds like protection money to me. ...