Tips and Techniques for Publishing Professionals

In the beginning was ASCII, and ASCII was limited--128 characters wasn't enough. So Microsoft extended it to 256--still not enough. True, you could now access "foreign-language" and other special characters by using "code pages" with different fonts in Microsoft Word. If you've clicked Insert > Symbol and then changed the font on the drop-down list in the Symbol dialog, you've seen how this works: the same character "position" (or number) often displays a different character in different fonts.

But what if you want to use special characters--*any* special characters--in the *same* font as your regular text? That's what Unicode is all about. As the Unicode Web site explains, "Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, no matter what the program, no matter what the language." How many characters? Potentially more than a million. So whether you're working with Greek or Gothic, Klingon or Korean, Unicode is for you.

Unicode also includes special typographical characters, such as hair spaces, thin spaces, and zero-width spaces, which we made by hand in last week's newsletter. But now you don't have to make them; using Unicode, you can get the real thing.

Of course, there is a catch. Using Unicode requires three things:

1. An operating system that supports it.

2. A program (application) that supports it.

3. A Unicode font that includes the characters you need (not all of them will, although in theory they should).

There's a list of such items here:

http://www.unicode.org/unicode/onlinedat/products.html

But I'll make it easy for you:

1. Common operating systems include Microsoft Windows 2000, NT, and XP, and Macintosh OS 9.2, X, 10.1, and X Server.

2. Versions of Microsoft Word include 97, 2000, and 2002 for Windows, and 98, 2001, and X for Macintosh. However, the Mac versions (and operating systems) may require a "Language Kit," which you can learn more about here:

http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/utilities_fonts.html#apple

3. Unicode fonts are rapidly becoming available. There's a great list here, and many of the fonts are free:

http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/fonts.html#general

Once you've installed a Unicode font, you can insert its special characters with the good old Insert > Symbol menu (be sure to select the Unicode font in the dropdown Font list).

You can also insert a character with the keyboard (in Word 2000 and higher) if you know its Unicode number. To do so, be sure a Unicode font is selected (Format > Font); then type the number into your document and press ALT + X. For example, let's say we need a zero-width space in Word 2000. The Unicode number for such a space is 200B. So all we have to do is type 200B into our document and press ALT + X. Presto!

You can learn more about using Unicode characters in Word here:

http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/utilities_editors.html#word97

For additional information on Word 2000 and 2002, scroll down past the Word 97 information (which is also relevant for the later versions).

If you need to look up the number of a Unicode character, you can do so here:

http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/search.html

If you just want to insert typographic spaces, here are the Unicode numbers you need:

Nonbreaking space: 00A0

En space: 2002

Em space: 2003

Three-per-em space: 2004

Four-per-em space: 2005

Six-per-em space: 2006

Figure space: 2007

Punctuation space: 2008

Thin space: 2009

Hair space: 200A

Zero-width space: 200B

And you'll find additional information on spaces here:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/developers/fdsspec/spaces.htm

With Unicode, the world (or at least its scripts) is your oyster.

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

For a dazzling array of Unicode information, see Alan Wood's Unicode Resources site:

http://www.hclrss.demon.co.uk/unicode/index.html

Check out the official Unicode site here:

The official site: http://www.unicode.org

For online samples of interesting characters, see this page:

http://home.att.net/~jameskass/scriptlinks.htm

For a free Word add-in program to help you insert Unicode characters, go here:

http://hem.fyristorg.com/dahloe/uniqoder/

For information on artificial scripts, go here:

http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/index.html

If you're a Tolkien fan, you might be interested in the Tengwar encoding proposal:

http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/tengwar.html and in Tolkien fonts (but not necessarily Unicode):

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4948/

http://babel.uoregon.edu/yamada/fonts/tolkien.html

and in the Resources for Tolkien Linguistics site:

http://www.elvish.org/resources.html

And if you're actually interested in Klingon, here's the scoop:

http://www.evertype.com/standards/csur/klingon.html

Microsoft Word comes with four kinds of spaces:

* word spaces

* nonbreaking spaces

* em spaces

* en spaces

The word space is just the ordinary space used between words--the kind you insert with the spacebar. Its main strength is its variable size, which is especially important with justified type. Microsoft Word ordinarily expands word spaces to make justification work, but you can also get it to compress them. For more information, see the October 31, 2001, issue of Editorium Update:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708754845

The nonbreaking space, unlike the word space, won't break at the end of a line. It's often used to link proper names (so that "J.R.R." stays on the same line as "Tolkien"), as well as percentages ("98 percent"), page numbers ("page 3"), and, as explained in last week's newsletter, ellipses:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1709407200

Keep in mind, however, that the nonbreaking space is unlike the word space in another way: its size is fixed (relative to the current point size). In certain typefaces, with justified type, that fixed size may make ellipses look unevenly spaced, so be careful. To enter a nonbreaking space, click Insert > Symbol > Special Characters > Nonbreaking Space. Or just press SHIFT + CTRL + SPACE. For more ways to use nonbreaking spaces, see the Readers Write column of the October 3, 2001, Editorium Update:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708466498

The em space is as wide as an em, which is a linear measure equal to the point size. For example, in 12-point type, an em is 12 points wide. In traditional typesetting, an em space was used as fixed-width indentation at the beginning of a paragraph. Nowadays we usually specify first line indent as part of paragraph formatting. But if you insist on using an em space, you can get one by clicking Insert > Symbol > Special Characters > Em Space.

The en space is half as wide as an em space. For example, in 12-point type, an en space is 6 points wide. It's basically the same thing as a figure space, and it's used in aligning lists of figures, or numbers. For example, in a list like this--

8. Lorem ipsum.

9. Dolor sit amet.

10. Consectetuer adipiscing elit.

--the periods and terminal figures all line up because the space in front of 8 and 9 is the same width (one en) as the 1 in the number 10. That's right; in professional typefaces, all of the "lining figures" (numbers used in lists) are also one en wide. (Those old typesetters knew what they were doing.) In Microsoft Word you can achieve the same effect with tabs, but if you really want to use an en space, click Insert > Symbol > Special Characters > En Space.

In traditional typesetting, there are several other kinds of spaces, including (getting progressively fatter) the zero-width space, the hair space, the thin space, and the three-to-em space.

As its name indicates, the zero-width space has no width; you can't even see it. Nevertheless, it will break at the end of a line, which comes in handy when you've got a long string of characters that you *do* want to break but that otherwise wouldn't. For example, you might have some words joined by an em dash--like this. Ordinarily Microsoft Word won't break on the left side of the dash, which can make for some ugly typography if you've got long words and narrow columns. To remedy the problem, put a zero-width space in front of the dash. How? Microsoft Word doesn't include one, so you'll have to make your own:

1. Insert an em space (since we want the size to be fixed relative to the current point size).

2. Select the space.

3. Set the space's point size to 1. (We'd set it to 0, but Word won't allow it. Still, 1 works pretty well, although you *can* see it, which means you'd better balance it with another one on the right side of the dash.)

The hair space is also sometimes used, for aesthetic purposes, on both sides of an em dash. I've also seen it used between the letter f and a closing quotation mark or other characters that look crowded together. Again, you'll have to make your own:

1. Insert an em space (since we want the size to be fixed relative to the current point size).

2. Select the space.

3. Set the space's point size to 1/10 of the current size, or as close to it as you can manage. Remember that you can type in .5 (4.5, 5.5, etc.) to bump up the size by half a point. If you need to make the hair space smaller than 1/10 of the current point size, feel free; many typographers do.

Then there's the thin space, which some typographers (French ones, for example) use after certain punctuation marks, such as the colon. It's also used to set off the first two numbers of years that are more than four numbers long: 10 000 B.C. (Remember, commas shouldn't be used in dates.) I've also seen it used between ellipses. To make a thin space:

1. Insert an em space (since we want the size to be fixed relative to the current point size).

2. Select the space.

3. Set the space's point size to 1/5 of the current size, or as close to it as you can manage. Remember that you can type in .5 (4.5, 5.5, etc.) to bump up the size by half a point. Some typographers define a thin space as half the size of a standard word space.

The three-to-em space, as you've probably surmised, is as wide as a third of the current point size. For a size of 12, that would be 4. The Chicago Manual of Style says to use this space between ellipses, which is okay with me. By now, you know how to make one.

There ought to be a better solution than making spaces by hand--PageMaker and QuarkXPress come to mind. But if you must work in Word, there is another way. It's dark and dangerous, and its name is Unicode. But that's a subject for another day.

By the way, I'm not saying you should actually *use* all these spaces in your day-to-day work. I'd use them only if I had to approximate fine typography in Microsoft Word, which is possible but certainly not easy. If you ever need to do that, maybe these spaces will help.

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

Self-proclaimed Word heretic sent the following macros, which use Unicode to set zero-width spaces around various characters and character combinations (/, :/, and so on) to make sure they will break at the end of a line. Notice that you can modify the characters specified in Sub FixWordWrap to suit your own needs. (For example, you could use ^+ for an em dash.) If you don't understand what's going on with the characters, please see the articles on wildcard searching in past issues of Editorium Update. For information on how to use macros like these, see the May 30, 2001, issue of Editorium Update:

Using "Found" Macros

Thanks, Steve!

Sub FixWordWrap()
FixSymbolWordWrap "/{1,2}"
FixSymbolWordWrap ":/{1,2}"
FixSymbolWordWrap "[\]{1,2}"
FixSymbolWordWrap ":[\]{1,2}"
FixSymbolWordWrap "_"
End Sub
Private Sub FixSymbolWordWrap(Symbol As String)
' inserts a zero-width space after the symbol if text either side
Dim R As Range
Dim ZeroSpace As String
ZeroSpace = ChrW(8203)
On Error Resume Next
Const Pre As String = "([a-zA-Z0-9]"
Const Suf As String = ")([a-zA-Z0-9])"
Set R = ActiveDocument.Range
With R.Find
.MatchWildcards = True
.Text = Pre & Symbol & Suf
.Replacement.Text = "1" & ZeroSpace & "2"
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End With
End Sub

This macro will remove the zero-width spaces if you change your mind:

Sub UnFixWordWrap()
Dim R As Range
Set R = ActiveDocument.Range
With R.Find
.Text = ChrW(8203)
.Replacement.Text = ""
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End With
End Sub

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

For Microsoft's take on typographical spaces, see the article here:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/developers/fdsspec/spaces.htm

Check out this terrific typography primer from Robin Williams (the typographer, not the actor):

Click to access 9507lsrw.pdf

[Last week's newsletter featured an article on British and American spelling. Thank goodness a reader who actually knows about such things sent some corrections. Please see the Readers Write column (below the main article) for details. I'll postpone my article on British to American translation (bonnet/hood) until I've verified my list with more than just Internet research. 🙂 ]

In the documentation for our FileCleaner program, I say, "Authors have numerous ways of typing ellipses. Some use the horrid little ellipses 'character' available in some symbol fonts. Others type three periods in a row with no spacing in between. And there are many other variations."

So is there a *right* way to display ellipses in Microsoft Word? Yes, there is: any way that communicates clearly and looks good. In my opinion, that excludes the ellipses character (?), which Microsoft calls a "horizontal ellipsis" (PC character 133; Mac character 201; Unicode character 2026: press ALT + CTRL + . on a PC or OPTION + ; on a Mac). Let me explain my loathing of this little beast.

First, it doesn't communicate clearly. If it appears between two bits of text, like this?it's really too short to convey the idea that something has been left out (ellipses often indicate omission) or that the reader should pause. You can add a space on either side ? but then what's the point of using the character?

Second, it doesn't look good. It's tiny and ugly, like flyspecks on a wall. If you try to remedy that by putting spaces on the sides, those spaces don't match the spacing between the dots, so the whole thing looks funny. Also, sometimes you'll need to use ellipses with a period. But in many typefaces, the period isn't the same size as the ellipses dots, and there's no way to get the spacing after the period to match the spacing between the dots.?Finally, since spacing in the ellipses character is fixed, it won't justify with the spaces in the rest of your text.

Besides, the character didn't exist in the days of setting type by hand. It's a capitulation to "desktop publishing" and has no place in fine typography.

How, then, should ellipses be created in Microsoft Word? One way is to type a straightforward succession of spaces and periods. . . . The meaning is clear, and they look fine. I'd recommend that you use nonbreaking spaces around the middle dot of the ellipses so they won't break at the end of a line, like this. .

. . but go neatly to the beginning of the next line, like this.

. . . To illustrate, the ellipses should be entered like this ( indicates a regular space and indicates a nonbreaking space):

...

To enter a nonbreaking space, press CTRL + SHIFT + SPACEBAR, which is nearly as easy as hitting the spacebar alone. In fact, why not record the whole sequence of characters as a macro and then assign the macro to a keyboard shortcut? For more information, see these issues of Editorium Update:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706651129

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1707100224 (Reader's Write column)

Some typographers argue that a standard space is too wide to use in ellipses. If you agree, you can use a thin space, which is sometimes defined as half the width of a standard space. Next week, I'll explain how to get one.

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

After reading last week's article on British and American spelling, Clive Tolley of Clive Tolley Editorial Services wrote:

Please note parallelled is INCORRECT in British spelling: it has one l only.

Also, -ise/-ize is NOT a British/American distinction; it is simply a trend that -ise tends to be used more in Britain, but e.g. Oxford Univ. Press demands -ize.

I think it may be tricky trying to use a list for this sort of replacement; for example, it is probably quicker searching for ise/ize, ise/izing, isa/iza, similarly I should think for ae/e, and changing each in turn - after all there are many exceptions, at least where ize is the norm but ise has to be used in some words. My editing work involves about half and half English and American, and here at least for the companies I work for we don't change the spelling etc., but publish according to the author's usage (which actually sometimes means something in between, quite often American spelling but largely English punctuation - in general we standardise the norm). I find it a bit difficult sometimes when editing American scripts, since I just scarcely notice when I see the to me natural 'travelled' etc., on which point I have found quite a bit of inconsistency in American scripts (of course, many of the standard British forms are also listed in Webster as acceptable alternatives in America).

It is not just spelling which differs; it is also punctuation. E.g. in British English we place punctuation around quotation marks according to logic, so punctuation only goes within them if it belongs to the original quotation. The Editors' Toolkit will place punctuation according to American usage, which is not much use to us here; I wish the opposite function was also included, so we could more easily correct punctuation to what we need.

There are many other differences, e.g. much less of en rules in America, which can't be catered for automatically.

Many thanks to Clive for his astute corrections and observations.

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

Lots of links, news, contacts, fonts, and utilities are available at Microsoft's typography site:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/default.asp

Are you worried about eyestrain and repetitive strain injury? Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., offers a wealth of information to help you stay healthy and productive:

http://www.sfwa.org/ergonomics/

Have you ever needed to change spelling from British English to American English or vice versa? One way to do this is to change the language format of your Word document and then do a spell check. For example, if you needed to change spelling from British to American, you could change the language format from British to American English. Then the spell checker would catch such words as "capitalise" and "colour." To try this approach, follow this procedure:

1. Select the text you want to change (probably the whole document).

2. Click the "Tools" menu.

3. Click "Language."

4. Click "Set Language."

5. In the "Mark selected text as" list, click the language you want (either "English [U.S]" or "English [U.K]"). (A check mark next to the language name means that the spelling files for that language are installed.)

Although this will work, it's a tedious way to go. If you'd like to be more efficient, try our MegaReplacer program, which you can use free for 45 days. You can download the program here:

http://www.editorium.com/14843.htm

MegaReplacer automatically finds and replaces a whole list of words, so now all you need is a list of British and American spellings. I've provided one below, already set up for MegaReplacer. Actually, I've provided two lists: one to replace British spellings with American spellings, and one to replace American spellings with British spellings. Of course, if you don't want to use MegaReplacer, you could always find and replace the words by hand, recording a macro as you go so you'll have it for future use.

The lists are not complete, and you might want to argue with some of the entries. That's okay. Feel free to modify them to suit your needs.

Please note that replacing some of the words will also take care of longer words. For example, replacing "honour" with "honor" will also replace "honoured" with "honored."

Now if we just had a list of British/American *translations,* such as "hood"/"bonnet"! Maybe next week. And now, here are the lists, which I hope you'll find useful:

------------------------------

BRITISH TO AMERICAN

------------------------------

abridgement|abridgment

acknowledgement|acknowledgment

adaptor|adapter

adze|adz

aeon|eon

aeroplane|airplane

aesthete|esthete

aesthetic|esthetic

aether|ether

ageing|aging

aluminium|aluminum

Americanise|Americanize

amoeba|ameba

anaemia|anemia

anaemic|anemic

anaesthesia|anesthesia

anaesthetic|anesthetic

anaesthetist|anesthetist

analogue|analog

analyse|analyze

anti-aircraft|antiaircraft

apologise|apologize

apophthegm|apothegm

appal|appall

arbour|arbor

archaeology|archeology

ardour|ardor

armour|armor

armourer|armorer

armoury|armory

artefact|artifact

ash-tray|ashtray

axe|ax

B.Sc.|B.S.

bannister|banister

battleaxe|battle-ax

baulk|balk

behaviour|behavior

behove|behoove

biassed|biased

biassing|biasing

bisulphate|bisulfate

boloney|baloney

book-keeper|bookkeeper

boracic|boric

burglarise|burglarize

burnt|burned

buses|busses

bye law|bylaw

caesium|cesium

caf?|cafe

calibre|caliber

calliper|caliper

callisthenics|calisthenics

camomile|chamomile

cancelled|canceled

cancelling|canceling

candour|candor

cantaloup|cantaloupe

capitalise|capitalize

carburettor|carburetor

carcase|carcass

catalogue|catalog

catalyse|catalyze

categorise|categorize

centre|center

characterise|characterize

cheque|check

chilli|chili

cigarette|cigaret

citrous|citrus

clamour|clamor

clangour|clangor

clarinettist|clarinetist

colonise|colonize

colour|color

connexion|connection

co-operate|cooperate

cosy|cozy

councillor|councilor

counselled|counseled

counselling|counseling

counsellor|counselor

crayfish|crawfish

criticise|criticize

day-dream|daydream

defence|defense

deflexion|deflection

demeanour|demeanor

dependant|dependent

despatch|dispatch

devilled|deviled

devilling|deviling

diaeresis|dieresis

dialogue|dialog

dialyse|dialyze

diarrhoea|diarrhea

disc|disk

dishevelled|disheveled

distil|distill

disulphide|disulfide

dolour|dolor

doodah|doodad

doughnut|donut

Dr|Dr.

dramatise|dramatize

draught|draft

dreamt|dreamed

?lite|elite

emphasise|emphasize

enamour|enamor

encyclopaedia|encyclopedia

endeavour|endeavor

enquire|inquire

enquiry|inquiry

enrol|enroll

enthral|enthrall

equalise|equalize

equalled|equaled

equalling|equaling

extemporise|extemporize

faecal|fecal

faeces|feces

favour|favor

fervour|fervor

f?te|fete

fibre|fiber

finalise|finalize

flaky|flakey

flautist|flutist

flavour|flavor

fledgeling|fledgling

flower-pot|flower pot

focussed|focused

focussing|focusing

foetal|fetal

foetid|fetid

foetus|fetus

fount|font

fuelled|fueled

fuelling|fueling

fulfil|fulfill

furore|furor

gaol|jail

garrotte|garrote

garrotted|garroted

garrotting|garroting

gauge|gage

genuflexion|genuflection

gipsy|gypsy

glamour|glamor

goitre|goiter

gonorrhoea|gonorrhea

grey|gray

grovelled|groveled

grovelling|groveling

gybe|jibe

gynaecology|gynecology

haemoglobin|hemoglobin

haemophilia|hemophilia

haemorrhage|hemorrhage

haemorrhoid|hemorrhoid

harbour|harbor

haulier|hauler

homoeopath|homeopath

homoeostasis|homeostasis

honour|honor

humour|humor

incase|encase

inclose|enclose

indorse|endorse

inflexion|inflection

instal|install

instil|instill

jeweller|jeweler

jewellery|jewelry

Jnr.|Jr.

judgement|judgment

kerb|curb

kidnapped|kidnaped

kidnapper|kidnaper

kidnapping|kidnaping

knelt|kneeled

labour|labor

lasagne|lasagna

leant|leaned

leapt|leaped

learnt|learned

leukaemia|leukemia

levelled|leveled

leveller|leveler

levelling|leveling

libelled|libeled

libelling|libeling

libellous|libelous

liberalise|liberalize

licence|license

liquorice|licorice

litre|liter

louvre|louver

lustre|luster

manoeuvre|maneuver

marvelled|marveled

marvelling|marveling

marvellous|marvelous

matin?e|matinee

meagre|meager

mediaeval|medieval

metalled|metaled

metalling|metaling

metre|meter

misdemeanour|misdemeanor

mitre|miter

mobilise|mobilize

modelled|modeled

modeller|modeler

modelling|modeling

mollusc|mollusk

motorise|motorize

mould|mold

moult|molt

moustache|mustache

na?ve|naive

naturalise|naturalize

neighbour|neighbor

neo-classical|neoclassical

nitre|niter

normalise|normalize

note-paper|note paper

nought|naught

ochre|ocher

odour|odor

oedema|edema

oenology|enology

oesophagus|esophagus

oestrogen|estrogen

oestrus|estrus

offence|offense

omelette|omelet

organisation|organization

organise|organize

orthopaedics|orthopedics

paedagogy|pedagogy

paederast|pederast

paediatric|pediatric

paediatrician|pediatrician

paediatrics|pediatrics

paedophile|pedophile

paedophilia|pedophilia

palaeobotany|paleobotany

Palaeocene|Paleocene

palaeoclimatology|paleoclimatology

palaeogeography|paleogeography

palaeography|paleography

palaeolithic|paleolithic

palaeomagnetism|paleomagnetism

palaeontology|paleontology

Palaeozoic|Paleozoic

panelled|paneled

panelling|paneling

panellist|panelist

parallelled|paralleled

parallelling|paralleling

paralyse|paralyze

parlour|parlor

pasteurised|pasteurized

pedlar|peddler

phial|vial

philtre|philter

pleaded|pled

plough|plow

polythene|polyethylene

popularise|popularize

practise|practice

pre-ignition|preignition

premise|premise

pretence|pretense

primaeval|primeval

programme|program

pseudo-intellectual|pseudointellectual

pseudo-science|pseudoscience

pyjamas|pajamas

quarrelled|quarreled

quarreller|quarreler

quarrelling|quarreling

rancour|rancor

realise|realize

recognise|recognize

reconnoitre|reconnoiter

reflexion|reflection

retroflexion|retroflection

revelled|reveled

revelling|reveling

rigour|rigor

r?le|role

routeing|routing

rumour|rumor

sabre|saber

saleable|salable

saltpetre|saltpeter

satirise|satirize

saviour|savior

savour|savor

scallywag|scalawag

sceptic|skeptic

sceptre|scepter

sepulchre|sepulcher

skilful|skillful

smelt|smelled

smoulder|smolder

Snr.|Sr.

sombre|somber

speciality|specialty

spectre|specter

spelt|spelled

spilt|spilled

splendour|splendor

spoilt|spoiled

stabilise|stabilize

standardise|standardize

storey|story

succour|succor

sulphate|sulfate

sulphide|sulfide

sulphur|sulfur

symbolise|symbolize

synaeresis|syneresis

synaesthesia|synesthesia

tantalise|tantalize

theatre|theater

tiro|tyro

titbit|tidbit

towards|toward

travelled|traveled

traveller|traveler

travelling|traveling

trisulphate|trisulfate

trowelled|troweled

trowelling|troweling

tumour|tumor

tyre|tire

ultra-high|ultrahigh

ultra-modern|ultramodern

valour|valor

vaporise|vaporize

vapour|vapor

vice|vise

vigour|vigor

waggon|wagon

wilful|willful

woollen|woolen

woolly|wooly

worshipped|worshiped

worshipper|worshiper

worshipping|worshiping

------------------------------

AMERICAN TO BRITISH

------------------------------

abridgment|abridgement

acknowledgment|acknowledgement

adapter|adaptor

adz|adze

aging|ageing

airplane|aeroplane

aluminum|aluminium

ameba|amoeba

Americanize|Americanise

analog|analogue

analyze|analyse

anemia|anaemia

anemic|anaemic

anesthesia|anaesthesia

anesthetic|anaesthetic

anesthetist|anaesthetist

antiaircraft|anti-aircraft

apologize|apologise

apothegm|apophthegm

appall|appal

arbor|arbour

archeology|archaeology

ardor|ardour

armor|armour

armorer|armourer

armory|armoury

artifact|artefact

ashtray|ash-tray

ax|axe

B.S.|B.Sc.

balk|baulk

baloney|boloney

banister|bannister

battle-ax|battleaxe

behavior|behaviour

behoove|behove

biased|biassed

biasing|biassing

bisulfate|bisulphate

bookkeeper|book-keeper

boric|boracic

burglarize|burglarise

burned|burnt

busses|buses

bylaw|bye law

cafe|caf?

caliber|calibre

caliper|calliper

calisthenics|callisthenics

canceled|cancelled

canceling|cancelling

candor|candour

cantaloupe|cantaloup

capitalize|capitalise

carburetor|carburettor

carcass|carcase

catalog|catalogue

catalyze|catalyse

categorize|categorise

center|centre

cesium|caesium

chamomile|camomile

characterize|characterise

check|cheque

chili|chilli

cigaret|cigarette

citrus|citrous

clamor|clamour

clangor|clangour

clarinetist|clarinettist

colonize|colonise

color|colour

connection|connexion

cooperate|co-operate

councilor|councillor

counseled|counselled

counseling|counselling

counselor|counsellor

cozy|cosy

crawfish|crayfish

criticize|criticise

curb|kerb

daydream|day-dream

defense|defence

deflection|deflexion

demeanor|demeanour

dependent|dependant

deviled|devilled

deviling|devilling

dialog|dialogue

dialyze|dialyse

diarrhea|diarrhoea

dieresis|diaeresis

disheveled|dishevelled

disk|disc

dispatch|despatch

distill|distil

disulfide|disulphide

dolor|dolour

donut|doughnut

doodad|doodah

Dr.|Dr

draft|draught

dramatize|dramatise

dreamed|dreamt

edema|oedema

elite|?lite

emphasize|emphasise

enamor|enamour

encase|incase

enclose|inclose

encyclopedia|encyclopaedia

endeavor|endeavour

endorse|indorse

enology|oenology

enroll|enrol

enthrall|enthral

eon|aeon

equaled|equalled

equaling|equalling

equalize|equalise

esophagus|oesophagus

esthete|aesthete

esthetic|aesthetic

estrogen|oestrogen

estrus|oestrus

ether|aether

extemporize|extemporise

favor|favour

fecal|faecal

feces|faeces

fervor|fervour

fetal|foetal

fete|f?te

fetid|foetid

fetus|foetus

fiber|fibre

finalize|finalise

flakey|flaky

flavor|flavour

fledgling|fledgeling

flower pot|flower-pot

flutist|flautist

focused|focussed

focusing|focussing

font|fount

fueled|fuelled

fueling|fuelling

fulfill|fulfil

furor|furore

gage|gauge

garrote|garrotte

garroted|garrotted

garroting|garrotting

genuflection|genuflexion

glamor|glamour

goiter|goitre

gonorrhea|gonorrhoea

gray|grey

groveled|grovelled

groveling|grovelling

gynecology|gynaecology

gypsy|gipsy

harbor|harbour

hauler|haulier

hemoglobin|haemoglobin

hemophilia|haemophilia

hemorrhage|haemorrhage

hemorrhoid|haemorrhoid

homeopath|homoeopath

homeostasis|homoeostasis

honor|honour

humor|humour

inflection|inflexion

inquire|enquire

inquiry|enquiry

install|instal

instill|instil

jail|gaol

jeweler|jeweller

jewelry|jewellery

jibe|gybe

Jr.|Jnr.

judgment|judgement

kidnaped|kidnapped

kidnaper|kidnapper

kidnaping|kidnapping

kneeled|knelt

labor|labour

lasagna|lasagne

leaned|leant

leaped|leapt

learned|learnt

leukemia|leukaemia

leveled|levelled

leveler|leveller

leveling|levelling

libeled|libelled

libeling|libelling

libelous|libellous

liberalize|liberalise

license|licence

licorice|liquorice

liter|litre

louver|louvre

luster|lustre

maneuver|manoeuvre

marveled|marvelled

marveling|marvelling

marvelous|marvellous

matinee|matin?e

meager|meagre

medieval|mediaeval

metaled|metalled

metaling|metalling

meter|metre

misdemeanor|misdemeanour

miter|mitre

mobilize|mobilise

modeled|modelled

modeler|modeller

modeling|modelling

mold|mould

mollusk|mollusc

molt|moult

motorize|motorise

mustache|moustache

naive|na?ve

naturalize|naturalise

naught|nought

neighbor|neighbour

neoclassical|neo-classical

niter|nitre

normalize|normalise

note paper|note-paper

ocher|ochre

odor|odour

offense|offence

omelet|omelette

organization|organisation

organize|organise

orthopedics|orthopaedics

pajamas|pyjamas

paleobotany|palaeobotany

Paleocene|Palaeocene

paleoclimatology|palaeoclimatology

paleogeography|palaeogeography

paleography|palaeography

paleolithic|palaeolithic

paleomagnetism|palaeomagnetism

paleontology|palaeontology

Paleozoic|Palaeozoic

paneled|panelled

paneling|panelling

panelist|panellist

paralleled|parallelled

paralleling|parallelling

paralyze|paralyse

parlor|parlour

pasteurized|pasteurised

pedagogy|paedagogy

peddler|pedlar

pederast|paederast

pediatric|paediatric

pediatrician|paediatrician

pediatrics|paediatrics

pedophile|paedophile

pedophilia|paedophilia

philter|philtre

pled|pleaded

plow|plough

polyethylene|polythene

popularize|popularise

practice|practise

preignition|pre-ignition

premise|premise

pretense|pretence

primeval|primaeval

program|programme

pseudointellectual|pseudo-intellectual

pseudoscience|pseudo-science

quarreled|quarrelled

quarreler|quarreller

quarreling|quarrelling

rancor|rancour

realize|realise

recognize|recognise

reconnoiter|reconnoitre

reflection|reflexion

retroflection|retroflexion

reveled|revelled

reveling|revelling

rigor|rigour

role|r?le

routing|routeing

rumor|rumour

saber|sabre

salable|saleable

saltpeter|saltpetre

satirize|satirise

savior|saviour

savor|savour

scalawag|scallywag

scepter|sceptre

sepulcher|sepulchre

skeptic|sceptic

skillful|skilful

smelled|smelt

smolder|smoulder

somber|sombre

specialty|speciality

specter|spectre

spelled|spelt

spilled|spilt

splendor|splendour

spoiled|spoilt

Sr.|Snr.

stabilize|stabilise

standardize|standardise

story|storey

succor|succour

sulfate|sulphate

sulfide|sulphide

sulfur|sulphur

symbolize|symbolise

syneresis|synaeresis

synesthesia|synaesthesia

tantalize|tantalise

theater|theatre

tidbit|titbit

tire|tyre

toward|towards

traveled|travelled

traveler|traveller

traveling|travelling

trisulfate|trisulphate

troweled|trowelled

troweling|trowelling

tumor|tumour

tyro|tiro

ultrahigh|ultra-high

ultramodern|ultra-modern

valor|valour

vapor|vapour

vaporize|vaporise

vial|phial

vigor|vigour

vise|vice

wagon|waggon

willful|wilful

woolen|woollen

wooly|woolly

worshiped|worshipped

worshiper|worshipper

worshiping|worshipping

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

Cambridge Dictionaries Online features The Cambridge International Dictionary of English, with words and definitions for American, Australian, and British English:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

After you've searched for a word, be sure to click the words found in order to see the full definitions and usage examples.

Part of my editing process is applying paragraph styles (like Heading 1) to a manuscript. As I've done this, I've noticed an annoying bug: Applying the paragraph style often makes character formatting (such as italics) disappear. You can see this for yourself:

1. Create a new document in Word 6, 95, 97, 98, 2000, or 2001.

2. Type the words "This is" at the beginning of the document.

3. Italicize the word "This."

4. Apply the paragraph style for Heading 1.

Ouch! The italic formatting disappears. Word's Help file gives this "explanation":

"Applying a style turns off bold, italic, or underlining.

"The format you apply by using a paragraph style or character style may change the existing character formatting of the text. For example, when you apply a built-in heading style such as Heading 1 to underlined text, the underlining disappears. This will not occur if you format the characters after you apply the style."

If I'm writing, fine. But if I'm editing, this is a nuisance.

Now try this:

1. Create a new document in Word 6, 95, 97, 98, 2000, or 2001 (2002 works a little differently).

2. Type the words "This is a test" at the beginning of the document.

3. Italicize the word "This."

4. Apply the paragraph style for Heading 1.

Well, look at that; the italic formatting is still there. What's going on here, anyway?

I think what's going on is that Word is trying (unsuccessfully) to be helpful, as the italics *sometimes* toggle off or on depending on the formatting of the paragraph style. For example, if you apply an italic Heading 2 to "*This* is" (the asterisks here represent italics), the character formatting of the text changes to "This *is*"--pretty cool! The problem is, the feature doesn't always work. If you try applying an italic Heading 2 to "This *is* a test," for example, the whole line goes italic. Ackk! Then reapplying a roman Heading 1 removes all italics from the line.

There is a way to keep Word from wiping out your character formatting: Use character styles rather than Word's built-in character formatting (such as italic). Here's how:

1. Click the "Tools" menu.

2. Click "Style" (or "Styles and Formatting").

3. Click the button labeled "New" or "New Style."

4. Give your new style a name, such as "Italic."

5. Under "Style Type," specify "Character."

6. If you'd like to add the style to your document's underlying template, put a check in the box labeled "Add to template."

7. To specify a shortcut key combination for your new style, click the "Shortcut Key" button. (If you're using 2002, you'll have to click the "Format" button before "Shortcut Key" is available.) For more information, see the Readers Write column here:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1707100224

I'd recommend using Word's built-in key combinations for these character styles--CTRL + I for italic, CTRL + B for bold, and so on. Then, whenever you use the key combinations, you'll get your custom character style rather than Word's character formatting. (To remove the style, select the text to which it was applied and press CTRL + SPACEBAR.)

8. Click the "Format" button.

9. Click "Font."

10. Click "Italic" (or whatever formatting you want to use). Please notice that you can also specify an actual italic font if you're interested in quality typesetting.

11. Click the "OK" button.

12. Click the "OK" button.

13. Click the "Close" button.

After you've formatted some text with your new character style, applying a paragraph style will no longer wipe it out. Hooray!

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

In our December 19 issue, I wrote about resizing drop-down lists:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1709196044

Tony Dalton wrote to suggest a clarification in the instructions, which say:

__________________________

1. Click the "Tools" menu.

2. Click "Customize." The Customize dialog box will appear.

3. Click inside of the drop-down list you want to resize. A black border

will appear around the list window.

__________________________

At this point you might be tempted to click one of the items in the dialog box itself, which won't work. Instead, click *outside* of the dialog box and inside of the drop-down list (such as the style list on the Formatting toolbar) that you want to resize.

Thanks to Tony for his helpful observation.

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

The Editor's Pen is a useful compilation of editorial resources, including links to various dictionaries, lists of freelancers, editorial challenges, and a FAQ:

http://users.myepath.com/dwlacey/default.htm

I especially like the resources page:

http://users.myepath.com/dwlacey/resource.htm

If you often use wildcards with Microsoft Word's Find and Replace feature, you probably know that Word won't let you specify "Find whole words only" when the "Use wildcards" option is checked. This is more than an annoyance; sometimes you really *need* to be able to find whole words only while searching with wildcards.

To learn more about wildcard searching, see these back issues of Editorium Update:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1705963026

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706069286

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706167662

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706267069

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706365638

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1706458823

Last week's Readers Write column offered one solution to the "Find whole words only" problem: Include a space before and after the words you're looking for. Of course, as the column noted, not every word begins or ends with a space. Words are often preceded or followed by quotation marks, dashes, and other characters, which would require multiple searching and replacing.

That suggests another solution: Use a wildcard "group" that includes every possible character that might precede or follow a word. For example, if we were searching for the word "bet," we could use a group like this before the word in the "Find What" box:

[ "-_/]

That group (preceding "bet") would find the following text:

bet [preceded by a space]

"bet

-bet

_bet

/bet

We'd need a similar group after the word:

[ .,;:!"-_/]

That group (following "bet") would find the following text:

bet [followed by a space]

bet.

bet,

bet;

bet:

bet!

bet"

bet-

bet_

bet/

So our entire "Find What" string would look something like this:

[ "-_/]bet[ .,;:!"-_/]

So far so good, but there ought to be an easier way. How about using a group to specify what *not* to find before and after the word we're looking for--like this:

[!A-z]bet[!A-z]

That string tells Word to find the word "bet" preceded and followed by any nonalphabetic character, which would certainly omit "bet" as part of another word. If we wanted to find "bet" both capped and lowercased, we could use this string:

[!A-z][b,B]et[!A-z]

These approaches are clever, and they will certainly work. In some situations, they (or variations of them) may be the best way to go, which is why I've included them here. However, we also need to remember that Microsoft Word includes a wildcard code for "beginning of word" (<) and "end of word (>)."

So, if we needed to find the whole word "bet" in a wildcard search, we could put this in the "Find What" box:

That string would find "bet" but not "better" or "sorbet"--in other words, it would find "bet" as a whole word only!

Using < and > is probably the most elegant (and the easiest) way to find whole words only while searching with wildcards.

Thanks to Pamela Angulo, Michael C. Coleman for contributing to this article.

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

After reading last week's article about resizing drop-down lists on toolbars, Steve Hudson wrote:

"I have only one horizontal toolbar which has Style, Font (so I can tell which gallery I am using at the moment), and the file path. I have stretched the file path to its max, which is quite long. I also included undo/redo and highlight on this toolbar as their drop-down nature means they have a non-standard width."

This is a great example of personalizing Word; this toolbar (with its resized lists) sounds most useful. Thanks, Steve.

Pamela Angulo wrote:

"I recently started working in Word 2000. Some things, I like (e.g., I can copy and paste passages with revision marks, and the marks are preserved--yay!). But I got used to working with Draft Font in Word 97, which was a nice sans serif screen font; in Word 2000, the Draft Font appears to be the same as the Default: Times New Roman. (Ick--where's the value added in that?) What's more, in Word 97, italicized text is denoted with an underline; in Word 2000, italicized text is not differentiated in any way. [This is a known "issue" in Word 2000.]

"I'm frustrated. Is there any way to customize the screen font used in Draft Font? If not, is there another way to specify a screen-only font? (My concern is that I often work with files that contain symbols, so a simple Ctrl+A, Format/Font is not an option if I ever want those symbols back.) Is there another option that I haven't thought of?"

Do you, gentle reader, have a solution to Pam's problem? If so, please send it here: mailto:hints [at symbol] editorium.com.

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

The Electric Editors Web site offers macros, email list discussion groups, links to reference tools, and many other resources for editors, especially those who work on the computer. The home page notes, "If you're a professional editor (or anyone with an interest in preparing the written word for publication), the Electric Editors are here to help. On these pages you'll find a comprehensive collection of resources to help you in your work." You can visit the site here:

http://www.electriceditors.net

You've just sent a freshly edited manuscript back to your client, but you decide to glance through it one last time. Acck! What's this? "Our company has been highly visible in the pubic arena . . ." How did *that* get through?

It got through because you don't have an exclude dictionary in Microsoft Word. An exclude dictionary is a spell-check dictionary with words that are spelled correctly but that you want to verify during a spell check. If you're editing or writing, you *need* one of these. Here's how to set one up:

1. Create a new document.

2. Type the words (like "pubic") that you want to include (that is, that you want to *exclude* from the spell-checker's list of correctly spelled words).

3. Press the "Enter" key after each word, including the last one.

4. Click the "File" menu.

5. Click "Save As."

6. Navigate to the folder that contains the spell-checker's main dictionary.

In Windows 95, 98, or Millennium Edition (Me), the folder is C:WindowsApplication DataMicrosoftProof.

In Windows 95, 98, or Me with profiles enabled, or in Windows NT 4.0, the folder is C:WindowsProfilesUsernameApplication DataMicrosoftProof.

In Windows 2000 or XP, the folder is C:Documents and SettingsUsernameApplication DataMicrosoftProof.

On a Macintosh, the folder is probably HD:Microsoft Office 2001[or whatever]:Shared Applications:Proofing Tools or HD:System Folder:Preferences:Microsoft.

If you don't save the file to the right folder, your exclude dictionary won't work.

7. In the "Save as type" box, click "Text Only" or "Plain Text."

8. In the "File name" box, type the name for your exclude dictionary. This should be the same name as your main language dictionary but with an ".exc" extension. For example, the English (United States) dictionary in Word 2000 and 2002 is Mssp3en.lex, so the exclude dictionary should be Mssp3en.exc. (In Word 97, the dictionary is named Mssp2_en.lex.) Make sure ".txt" isn't appended to the filename extension (you may need to put quotation marks around the filename to be sure).

9. Click "Save."

10. If the File Conversion dialog box appears, select the options you want to use.

11. Click "OK."

12. Close the document.

13. Close and then restart Microsoft Word.

The next time you do a spell check, the words in your exclude dictionary will be flagged as misspelled, allowing you to review them and avoid future embarrassment. If the exclude dictionary doesn't work, see Word's Help file or go here for possible solutions:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q211639

So, gentle reader, what words do *you* think need to be included in an exclude dictionary? theater/theatre? honor/honour? Do you know of other nasty little surprises like "pubic"? Please email your nominations here:

mailto:editor [at symbol] editorium.com

I'll include them in a future newsletter for all to share.

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

Ed Nelson (ednelson1@earthlink.net) asked if a "key map" of Microsoft Word's shortcut key combinations is available somewhere. He wrote, "One of the possible virtues of Word is the capacity to program special keys. I understand, however, that many, many are already assigned to some special function by Microsoft. But I find no source to indicate which keys are already assigned to what."

After a little research, I found the following information on Microsoft's Web site. Enjoy!

For PC:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q211982

For Macintosh:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q177184

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

Last week I mentioned Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus on CD-ROM. If you don't need the CD-ROM product but still want to look up words electronically from time to time, you'll probably like Merriam-Webster's online dictionary and thesaurus, which you can find here:

http://www.m-w.com

Be sure to check out their other free goodies, including word games, a vocabulary builder, and a browser dictionary button.

If you haven't yet read the New York Times editorial by Mark Goldblatt on the bowdlerization of Microsoft Word's thesaurus, you owe it to yourself to do so. You can read the piece here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/23/opinion/23GOLD.html

(You may need to register in order to read the article. But it's free!)

Goldblatt chronicles his discovery that Microsoft has, astonishingly, removed "offensive" terms from Microsoft Word 2000's thesaurus--including such words as "fool," "idiot," and "nitwit." So can this milquetoast collection still be called a thesaurus? Nah.

But I don't care, because even before I found out about this idiotic (oops!) turn of events, I bought Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus on CD-ROM. You can learn more about the program here:

http://www.m-w.com/book/elecprod/elecc10.htm

The Merriam-Webster Web site describes this little marvel as "the complete Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, and Collegiate Thesaurus in a fully searchable electronic format [that] delivers accurate, up-to-date language information." The price? Just $14.95. (I'm not making any money from this, by the way. I just like the product.) The program can be used "while word processing, composing e-mail, preparing presentations, surfing the Web, browsing CD-ROMs, or designing spreadsheets." But to me the most important thing is that it can be used from *inside* Microsoft Word. It comes with a Word macro that you can assign to a menu or key combination. Then you can put your cursor on a word you want to look up and run the macro. The Merriam-Webster dictionary (or thesaurus) will open for your use.

While I was buying the dictionary and thesaurus, I also bought Merriam-Webster's Spell Checker, which is basically a spell-checker dictionary (based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate) that you can use to replace the one that comes with Word. The price is only $12.95. You can learn more about it here:

http://www.m-w.com/book/elecprod/spell.htm

Amazing! Astonishing! Astounding! Marvelous! Miraculous! Staggering! Stupendous! And not bowdlerized.

_________________________________________

READERS WRITE

Last week, Ned Humphrey asked for a way to disable Word's "automatic titling" feature in the Properties dialog. You can read Ned's comments in the Readers Write column here:

http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708956278

Steve Hudson responded:

Looks like Ned is doomed. There's no way to turn that feature off. About the best bet would be to assign the following mini macro to a key or toolbar:

ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(wdPropertyTitle)=""

as well as intercept the 'send to' command and do likewise before actually doing the send.

Of course, a dangerous way around it is to include it in the autoopen event--but that means ALL documents will be untitled next save . . .

Thanks to Steve for this possible solution to Ned's problem.

_________________________________________

RESOURCES

Jean Hollis Weber's Technical Editors' Eyrie is a Web site where technical editors can:

* Share knowledge, experiences and resources

* Demonstrate to writers, managers, and others the wide range of knowledge and skills technical editors have to offer

The site offers links to other editing resources and an archive of Jean's free newsletter on the ins and outs of technical editing. Why not sign up while you're there?

You can also download (and purchase) Jean's helpful books:

* Taming Microsoft Word

* Editing Online Help

* Electronic Editing

You can visit the site here:

http://www.jeanweber.com/index.htm