Author Topic: Quotes from work (Read 180650 times)

Jonathon · « **Reply #875 on:** November 11, 2010, 01:37:20 PM »

Ah. Yeah, that is tricky. Have you talked to your boss about how much editing or rewriting he expects or is okay with?

Jonathon · « **Reply #876 on:** November 17, 2010, 11:41:31 AM »

This is from an oral history interview quoted in a book we're editing:

Quote

I don't want to mention any names, but Huck was very well known as a Nazi.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #877 on:** November 17, 2010, 12:31:46 PM »

Seems that if somebody is well known as something or other there isn't any need to name names.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #878 on:** November 17, 2010, 12:49:09 PM »

Didn't want to mention any names, but forced himself.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #879 on:** December 12, 2010, 10:08:40 PM »

Today's assignment: we watched Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean, whom they love, and they had to write about "at least three funny things that happened and explain why they were funny."

These were some of my favorites:

When he play the doll, it has a funny drama. The dinasour is fighting with tanks and robert. And he makes a lot of weird sounds.

Play Jesus pattern.

He plays the little statue, it's really like a child's act.

He pull Santa Clas's beer which is real.

He sent a mail to himself.

He wake up and dance.

His head is catched for the turky.

The turkey be in his head.

He put his head in the turckey's booty.

Scott R · « **Reply #880 on:** December 13, 2010, 05:12:01 AM »

Quote

Under a government that convinced or compelled more and more of its citizens to march to the same dark tune, members of a church that exalted the concept of freedom of choice (moral agency) were bound to feel at odds with the party line.

I have a different criticism than your peers, Jonathon: it's a bit side-comment heavy. Take out some of the "or" statements and the parenthetical, and it'd be a lot more clean. Here's what I'd suggest:

Under a government that compelled more and more of its citizens to march to the same dark tune, members of a church that exalted the concept of moral agency were bound to feel at odds with the party line.

I might add the qualifier 'Nazi' to 'party line' to clarify the issues rivka and dkw mentioned.

Quote

Where/how do you draw the line between editing and re-writing? What do you when you're pretty sure you could write the paper/chapter/book better but that's not really your job? Or how do you deal with the frustration of knowing that you could do it better but that that's not your job?

I think Jonathon gave a great answer. I copy-edit for IGMS, and I take the same attitude as he does. Generally, by the time it gets to me, we don't have any time for changes anyway.

pooka · « **Reply #881 on:** December 16, 2010, 05:53:03 PM »

I haven't seen Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean. And now I don't need to.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #882 on:** December 16, 2010, 06:11:42 PM »

Quote from: pooka on December 16, 2010, 05:53:03 PM

I haven't seen Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean. And now I don't need to.

Why not? It sounds like you are saying you didn't see it.

pooka · « **Reply #883 on:** December 16, 2010, 06:40:56 PM »

I guess it depends on your definition of "need".

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #884 on:** December 17, 2010, 02:21:35 PM »

I'm pretty sure everyone needs to see Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean.

Scott R · « **Reply #885 on:** December 20, 2010, 07:13:08 AM »

I don't need to.

Porter · « **Reply #886 on:** December 20, 2010, 08:11:49 AM »

I've got to agree with Annie on this one.

Scott R · « **Reply #887 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:02:08 AM »

You don't gotta.

Porter · « **Reply #888 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:29:23 AM »

I do.

rivka · « **Reply #889 on:** December 20, 2010, 08:34:58 PM »

Quote from: Scott R on December 20, 2010, 07:13:08 AM

I don't need to.

I'm going to have to agree with Scott on this one.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #890 on:** December 20, 2010, 08:45:13 PM »

Quote from: rivka on December 20, 2010, 08:34:58 PM

Quote from: Scott R on December 20, 2010, 07:13:08 AM
I don't need to.
I'm going to have to agree with Scott on this one.

That's not fair, Mr. Bean can't even state why you are mistaken.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #891 on:** December 21, 2010, 07:02:30 AM »

I agree with Rivka.

Scott R · « **Reply #892 on:** December 21, 2010, 10:03:25 AM »

Yeah, but you don't HAVE to agree with her.

rivka · « **Reply #893 on:** December 21, 2010, 10:32:38 AM »

That's what YOU think.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #894 on:** December 21, 2010, 12:03:33 PM »

I have to agree with you there, Scott.

pooka · « **Reply #895 on:** December 22, 2010, 05:24:14 PM »

Quote from: rivka on December 21, 2010, 10:32:38 AM

That's what YOU think.

I knew it, you two are the same person, namely Tom Davidson.

Jonathon · « **Reply #896 on:** January 14, 2011, 11:30:39 AM »

From a book on German Latter-day Saints in World War II: even in wartime, love finds a way.

Quote

He was already a Wehrmacht soldier and as such was not free to visit her. In April 1943, he was given leave to go home to Bad Homburg and asked her to join him there. Just after they parted, she received a telegram with the text, "Do you want to be my wife? Please let me know immediately. Hans." Her reply was one word in the affirmative.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #897 on:** January 14, 2011, 01:37:53 PM »

And I thought it was lame of my father to have asked my mother to marry him over the phone. Hans just set a new standard.

Jonathon · « **Reply #898 on:** January 14, 2011, 01:43:03 PM »

One of my coworkers noted that it's similar to asking someone to marry you in a text message.

BlackBlade · « **Reply #899 on:** January 14, 2011, 01:47:12 PM »

Quote from: Jonathon on January 14, 2011, 01:43:03 PM

One of my coworkers noted that it's similar to asking someone to marry you in a text message.

It's an apt comparison. Besides Hans being gutless, why else wouldn't he have just asked her while they were together? Is there some sort of cultural convention that it's improper for a man to ask a woman to marry him face to face?