TED: The nit-picking glory of The New Yorker's Comma Queen | Mary Norris

The video discusses the role of copy editors at The New Yorker, highlighting their focus on details like punctuation and house style. It contrasts mechanical copyediting with interpretive query proofreading. The speaker shares examples of mistakes and reader feedback, emphasizing the invisible nature of successful copyediting. The dynamics between editors and writers are explored, along with common grammar and usage challenges faced by editors.

What is the primary focus of a copy editor at The New Yorker?

• Choosing articles for publication

• Writing headlines for articles

• Designing the magazine layout

• Ensuring grammatical accuracy and house style

How does query proofreading differ from copyediting?

• It is solely about correcting spelling errors

• It focuses on the visual design of the magazine

• It is more interpretive and involves suggesting improvements

• It involves selecting articles for publication

What mistake did a reader point out regarding the use of 'belied'?

• It was used correctly to mean 'supported'

• It was used incorrectly to mean 'betrayed'

• It was used to mean 'ignored'

• It was used to mean 'enhanced'

What is the New Yorker style for abbreviating 'microphone'?

• Miced

• Mic

• Mike

• Mik

What grammatical issue arises with the phrase 'everyone held their breath'?

• The use of 'their' is incorrect because 'everyone' is singular

• The phrase should use 'its' instead of 'their'

• The phrase should use 'his or her' instead of 'their'

• The phrase should use 'his' instead of 'their'

What is the role of a great editor according to the speaker?

• To publicly criticize the writer's mistakes

• To rewrite the entire article

• To choose the best articles for publication

• To save the writer from their excesses

How does the speaker describe their reputation among writers?

• As indifferent and detached

• As stern but fair

• As overly critical

• As lenient and easygoing