'Care' Package

Larry can smell a misspelling a mile away

My brother Bill kindly sent me a copy of his just-released book, "Yes, I Could Care Less: How to Be a Language Snob Without Being a Jerk," which arrived in the mail yesterday. Had heard a rumor about the dedication, but was tickled when I saw it in print -- complete with my brother Terence's name misspelled. To even it up, Bill added an old-school proofreader's mark, because spelling Terence -- which he is used to getting as Terrence or Terrance, both acceptable alternatives -- as TERANCE is about as ridiculous as spelling my name KENNATH. ("When St. Martin's Press decides to misspell one of the dozen or so words it hides from the author until it's too late, it doesn't mess around," Bill explained.) 

Bill rightly feels guilty that there are now three copy editors in one family

Ir-regardless, the part he did get to see -- including the acknowledgments, a mere three pages later -- turned out nicely. And as my brother put it, if (and when!) the book goes into a second printing, the ones with the misspelled dedication will become collector's items dwarfed by the rest. (Or is it collectors' items? Or collectors items? Better start reading,) Congrats, Bill!