Recently, I’ve found license used in two books when licence should have been used instead.
It got me thinking about dictionaries and why people find it off-putting to be seeing picking one up. If you work with words — author, blogger, editor, proofreader, whoever — there’s an expectation that you should know these things off the top of your head.
Some days I totally do, and some days I’m so steeped in something else, that dragging myself out of it to deal with someone else’s spelling issues takes what seems to be a Herculean effort. Which is about when I tell them to use a dictionary and I get this weird look — like, I don’t want to be seen picking up a dictionary not to mention, Why don’t you know these things?
Yup.
There’s also, I feel, this idea that if you’re a certain age you really should know things about words when kids ask. Which is a nice idea and all, and works, but don’t be afraid to look up a word with your kid.
Teach them not to be afraid of needing a dictionary — arguably the most helpful book anyone is EVER going to read.
