Even if you misunderstand the pun, it's ... oh, never mind

bwalsh · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:43 pm

The link is finally up -- silly me, I thought it was taken down to be corrected.

If you know who Richard Lederer is and think that "Eats Chutes & Leaves" is one of the best presents ever, then you might want to come work for us. The mission? Lead a talented but somewhat raw group of copy editors and put out a great newspaper every day. We need a manager who can put out Page 1A while riding herd on the rest of the paper at the same time. We need someone who likes being a wrodsmith but has a good eye for design. This job will teach you everything you wanted to know about management and give you as much job satisfaction as you could ever hope for. The pay is very good for the cost of living in the area. Send resumes and work samples to ___. We are an multiple award-winning West Texas daily. Come help us serve readers, deliver some quality journalism and hand some hardware on the wall.

cobra_kai · **Posted:** Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:18 pm

bwalsh wrote:

If you know who Richard Lederer is and think that "Eats Chutes & Leaves" is one of the best presents ever, then you might want to come work for us. The mission? Lead a talented but somewhat raw group of copy editors and put out a great newspaper every day. We need a manager who can put out Page 1A while riding herd on the rest of the paper at the same time. We need someone who likes being a wrodsmith but has a good eye for design.

I would imagine they're referring to "Eats Shoots & Leaves," but what do I know? I'm just a wrodsmith.

gabinohio · **Joined:** Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:16 pm **Posts:** 18

You are expected to put out the paper while riding 'herd' on the rest of the paper and to 'hand' hardware on the wall.

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:25 am

I must say I admire Mr Walsh's restraint in not naming the offender.

Nessie3 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:46 am

gabinohio wrote:

You are expected to put out the paper while riding 'herd' on the rest of the paper and to 'hand' hardware on the wall.

I don't even hand my pasta on the wall, let alone my hardware.

lfelaco · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:24 pm

gabinohio wrote:

You are expected to put out the paper while riding 'herd' on the rest of the paper and to 'hand' hardware on the wall.

You left out being "an multiple award-winning West Texas daily." Or perhaps the ad was intended to double as the copy editing test?

Wayne Countryman · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:06 pm

Oh, that Richard Lederer. Thanks, Google.

It's as if they wrote this ad to spite our Mr. Walsh.

On the bright side: For those looking to settle in West Texas, you know this paper needs a good copy editor.

SuchASlot · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:01 am **Posts:** 1189

On his web site, Richard Lederer wrote:

Even as a high-school student, I knew that Elvis Presley, born three years before me, would become immortal because I saw that "Elvis Lives" is a two-word anagram.(link)

Genius.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:46 pm

The revised version is "much better."

On your third copy of "The Elements of Style?" Know something about good design? Like a challenge? Want to live in a great city with sunny skies about 85 percent of the time?

You might want to come work for us.

*** How about "copy chief wanted."? ***

cobra_kai · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:51 pm

Who'd want to be a mere "copy chief" when you could be a "hands-on manager/teacher/trainer/copy editor?"

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:49 pm

Phillip Blanchard wrote:

*** How about "copy chief wanted."? ***

next bit in an imaginary model: About us

Is there a need to prattle on much after that?

SusanV · **Posted:** Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:26 pm

paulwiggins wrote:

Phillip Blanchard wrote:

*** How about "copy chief wanted."? ***

next bit in an imaginary model: About us

Is there a need to prattle on much after that?

No, but when did that ever stop anyone?

G-Fin · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:05 pm

Phillip Blanchard wrote:

On your third copy of "The Elements of Style?" Know something about good design? Like a challenge? Want to live in a great city with sunny skies about 85 percent of the time?

You might want to come work for us.

*** How about "copy chief wanted."? ***

Maybe they should keep the format but add some honesty.

Like fixing the same mistakes year after year? Hate having nights and weekends free for concerts and sporting events? Enjoy being ignored for the 99 errors you prevent and being hung out to dry for the one you introduce?

Send us your rÃ©sumÃ©.

vtuss · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:42 pm

G-Fin wrote:

Maybe they should keep the format but add some honesty.

Like fixing the same mistakes year after year? Hate having nights and weekends free for concerts and sporting events? Enjoy being ignored for the 99 errors you prevent and being hung out to dry for the one you introduce?

Send us your rÃ©sumÃ©.

Why single them out? You just described every copy-editing job I've had, including the major metro that I now work for.

G-Fin · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:58 pm

And the sad part is I'm only 20 and already jaded.

Wabberjocky · **Posted:** Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:00 pm

Damn. My replacement liver is older than you.

Le Petomane · **Posted:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:35 am

Wayne Countryman wrote:

Oh, that Richard Lederer. Thanks, Google.

It's as if they wrote this ad to spite our Mr. Walsh.

On the bright side: For those looking to settle in West Texas, you know this paper needs a good copy editor.

The heretofore unknown Mr. Lederer shamelessly plagiarizes one of George Carlin's routines on the main page of his little Web site.

Not someone I'd be holding up as an example to potential copy desk chiefs.

trimtofit · **Posted:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:43 pm

I'm not a big Lederer fan, but he isn't all that obscure. He's put out a couple dozen books on language, with an emphasis on "humorous" errors in usage. See Anguished English for an example. I sometimes get copies of his books as gifts from people who don't know me very well. For some reason, non-editors think copy editors love to read grammar books as a hobby.

Even if I did, I wouldn't admit it.

Wabberjocky · **Posted:** Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:58 pm

Quote:

ome reason, non-editors think copy editors love to read grammar books as a hobby.

Me too. No offense to Bill Walsh, but I've received both his books as gifts and honestly can't get interested in them.

Editer · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:40 am

Le Petomane wrote:

The heretofore unknown Mr. Lederer shamelessly plagiarizes one of George Carlin's routines on the main page of his little Web site.

Not someone I'd be holding up as an example to potential copy desk chiefs.

Dunno 'bout that. Lederer's been around a long time; Carlin might have plagiarized him. I know I was aware of a couple of those gags many years before I ever heard of either Carlin or Lederer.

jjmoney62 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:43 am

Carlin struggled for a long time with his Hippie Dippy Copy Editor routine.

KfitzR · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:26 pm

Want to live in a great city with sunny skies about 85 percent of the time?

Sounds like a place with really really short nights!

LAEdtr · **Posted:** Sun Feb 04, 2007 11:11 pm

Met Lederer yesterday at, yes, the Scrabblethon fundraiser in Escondido. Funny guy ... and he'll be the first one to tell you that. Father of poker pros Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, so he has that going for him.

Testy Copy Editors

Even if you misunderstand the pun, it's ... oh, never mind

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