that which I will defend to the death

[freckles_and_doubt]

Today I finally found time to work through the sample edited chapter of my book the nice copy-editor sent me. She is on record as saying that it didn't need much editing, as I write very well (preens), but she's bloody well gone through the entire thing and changed "which" to "that" throughout. I am reconciled to the American spelling, although the word "marvelous" in the title is going to look extremely odd. I will even put up with her refusal to hyphenate sensible words such as "re-explorations" or "pre-eminent", and I positively approve of her tendency to swoop wholesale upon the egregiously unnecessary commas with which I am prone to sprinkle my writing, and to expunge them ruthlessly. But "which" is NOT incorrect in a relative clause. The desperate need to replace it with "that" is a popular grammatical urban myth which I deny, disbelieve and excoriate. It's nonsense. It's an incorrection. Language Log agrees, and they know everything. I shall fight this to the bitter end, in the teeth of editors and worse. *plants grammatical flag, glowers threateningly*.

In the Department of My Evil Landlord Is Completely Insane (In A Good Way), he has madly constructed a beautiful little piano stool, only to inform me that it's the mock-up and "not very well made". The real one will be made in cherry wood, presumably to some exactingly Germanic standard of perfection. (This has not prevented me from seating myself upon the mock-up for an hour and playing Beethoven. Badly). He has also made something of an epic record for belated birthday goodness in presenting me with the first six volumes of Girl Genius, which are by some bizarre happenstance apparently available on Take2. I mean, overkill much? There's generosity, and then there's wow, insane. I am a very, very happy pseudo-Victorian spark-fancier. A favourite web comic is somehow different, and much realer, in hard copy.

And, in the Department of Belated Linkery, I promised various people last night to link to Passive-Aggressive Appetizers. Courtesy of the Whatever. These are amusingly evil-minded.

Now off to brief my next year's cohort of orientation leaders, about to begin training. This will end at about 7pm, thus presenting me with a perfect 12-hour day. Phooey.

Comments

[mwotn.livejournal.com]

Too right on "which"! Americanish...

And also hurrah! for another GG reader. I run a game which is increasingly turning into a sparkfest+magic, much of which got inspired by that comic... (or will be, when I finally finish the rules rewrites)

[wolverine-nun.livejournal.com]

It's either famine or feast with that man.

Pedantry Corner

[(Anonymous)]

Aggressive has two gs. Sorry, I just couldn't keep quiet any longer.

pK.

Re: Pedantry Corner

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Good lord, you're right. I maintain, however, that with the stresses of this week a mis-typed "G" is pretty good going, I could be forgiven for being reduced to the blogging equivalent of a thin drool. In recognition of which, I have offended the dictates of nettiquette by wantonly and silently editing the error, thus making your comment look silly. Ha ha! Mwa ha ha ha!

[bronchitikat.livejournal.com]

Are you writing for an American publisher, or merely afflicted with an American editor?

*Growls about English(US) as she is mangled!*

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

My publisher is American, and both my editor and copyeditor are actually wonderful, it's just the culture clash that gets me :>. But the Language Log link about which/that is written by Americans, so I can't even say that "that" is American English - it's just a common myth. *seethes quietly*

[bronchitikat.livejournal.com]

Alas. Have you tried pointing said (somewhat ignorant, but wonderful) editor-type people at Language Log?

[bronchitikat.livejournal.com]

As for those P/A appetisers, hee! You really don't want us to have any friends left?

Or is Yonni Brenner having some sort of crisis in his love-life?

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for citing Language Log. I've long wondered where that "rule" came from and just how solid it was. Thing is, though, it may well be a question of House Style rather than a firm believe in correctness or otherwise. Good luck fighting House Style...

Although, perhaps, if it starts to get bloody, you could take inspiration from Giles Coren.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/23/mediamonkey

scroob

PS Nice appetisers.

[extemporanea.livejournal.com]

Hah! but, in fact, I've prevailed. The nice copy-editor was all "Chicago manual of style, sorry", but she asked the Press anyway, and they're unexpectedly cool with "which" instead of "that". I rejoice victoriously. I didn't even have to bring in the Language Log big guns!

Nice rant you linked to. I know how he feels. Word choice is important, and one does it for a reason. I also had a lovely discussion with the copy-editor about the nuances of "fairy tale habitually does x" versus "the fairy tale habitually does x" or even "fairy tales habitually do x". I know exactly why I use the version I do. She was fortunately very reasonable about it :>.

[(Anonymous)]

I loved that rant. I think he's completely right that his version was better, but completely wrong to think the answer is to dictate that subs should Never Change A Single Word, Ever. And the best comment on it I've seen was along the lines of: "I like grammar as much as the next angry pedant, but if it takes an email that long and vitriolic to explain why the joke you made was in fact funny, failure is thy name."

scroob