Plethora of flubs

This week's post offers a variety of flubs, including style mistakes, misspellings and sentences that can be streamlined. Can you figure out how we improved sentences before they made it into The Forum?

1. Detroit Lakes math teacher Lisa Larson recently paid a visit to the White House.

2. Justin Flaten knows his company has sales opportunities in Columbia.

3. The trade agreement apparently became entangled in the Presidential campaign.

4. The installations include home theatre systems with wall-size screens.

5. He started out as a management consultant doing coding in the late 1990's.

6. "We're going to put a Band-aid on it and we're going to move forward."

7. Members of the State Historical Society of North Dakota will soon say good-bye to a long-time archivist.

8. No arrests have been made, according to spokesperson Mark Jamieson.

9. The seminar is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the North Dakota State University Memorial Union.

10. They can require more right-of-way than a conventional intersection.

1. Detroit Lakes math teacher Lisa Larson recently visited the White House.

2. Justin Flaten knows his company has sales opportunities in Colombia.

3. The trade agreement apparently became entangled in the presidential campaign.

4. The installations include home theater systems with wall-size screens. I've mentioned this style rule before, but it doesn't hurt to repeat. AP Stylebook says: theater Use this spelling unless the proper name is Theatre: Shubert Theatre; or, in a local example, Fargo Theatre.

5. He started out as a management consultant doing coding in the late 1990s.
Again, I've mentioned this style rule before, but it doesn't hurt to repeat. AP Stylebook says: Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries.

6. "We're going to put a Band-Aid on it and we're going to move forward." AP Stylebook says: Band-Aid A trademark for a type of adhesive bandage.

7. The State Historical Society of North Dakota will soon say goodbye to a longtime archivist. Both are in the AP Stylebook.

8. No arrests have been made, according to spokesman Mark Jamieson. AP Stylebook says: spokesman, spokeswoman But not spokesperson. Use a representative if you do not know the sex of the individual.

9. The seminar is scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the North Dakota State University Memorial Union. AP Stylebook says: noon Do not put a 12 in front of it. midnight Do not put a 12 in front of it. times Use figures except for noon and midnight.

10. They can require more right of way than a conventional intersection. Find this in the AP Stylebook.

10 little gems

See if you can figure out who wrote these little gems that never made it into The Forum.

1. Fifteen piglets were found in the North Dakota badlands.

2. The group is putting the money towards charitable work.

3. The victim showed a blood-alcohol level of .22 percent.

4. The new business has 5 employees.

5. Inappropriately denied claims involve just one percent of all claims.

6. He isn't protecting the administration from flack.

7. The district's long-time building administrator will return part-time through August.

8. Construction costs are estimated at $9.8 to $15.3 million for segment one, $8.4 to $12.5 million for segment two and $11.5 to $14.4 million for segment three.

9. The city owns land south of 1st Avenue and to the west and east of 11th Street.

10. The West Fargo Park District is hosting a "Garden Extravaganza" from 6:30 p.m. to 8;30 p.m. tonight.

1. Fifteen piglets were found in the North Dakota Badlands.

2. The group is putting the money toward charitable work.

3. The victim showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent.

4. The new business has five employees.

5. Inappropriately denied claims involve just 1 percent of all claims.

6. He isn't protecting the administration from flak.

7. The district's longtime building administrator will return part time through August.

8. Construction costs are estimated at $9.8 million to $15.3 million for segment one, $8.4 million to $12.5 million for segment two and $11.5 million to $14.4 million for segment three.

9. The city owns land south of First Avenue and to the west and east of 11th Street.

10. The West Fargo Park District is hosting a "Garden Extravaganza" from 6:30 to 8;30 tonight.

10 examples to test your style

Various odds and ends are included in this week's post. See if you can find the flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum.

1. Lightening either symbolizes inspiration or hints that God is ticked off.

2. His first wish was a stage, a big screen TV and a home theatre.

3. Emotions are rising nationally as leaders debate the question about whether biofuels such as ethanol are driving up food prices.

4. Passersby are urged to drop a poker chip down a board covered with pegs.

5. Her four-year-old son twirled his new blue Elmo backpack.

6. "There's no reason to think that someone looking at a place couldn't consider Glyndon as they consider places in South Fargo.

7. Hennen kicks off his new station with some help from presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain.

8. The new south side fire station opens in about two years.

9. The cafe serves homemade soups, fresh salads and sandwiches to compliment Vintner's Cellar wine selections.

10. Camp staff members follow preventative measures to avoid accidents.

1. Lightning either symbolizes inspiration or hints that God is ticked off.

2. His first wish was a stage, a big-screen TV and a home theater.

3. Emotions are rising nationally as leaders debate whether biofuels such as ethanol are driving up food prices.
The original sentence was too wordy.

4. Passers-by are urged to drop a poker chip down a board covered with pegs.

5. Her 4-year-old son twirled his new blue Elmo backpack.

6. "There's no reason to think that someone looking at a place couldn't consider Glyndon as they consider places in south Fargo.

7. Hennen kicks off his new station with some help from presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

8. The new southside fire station opens in about two years.

9. The cafe serves homemade soups, fresh salads and sandwiches to complement Vintner's Cellar wine selections.

10. Camp staff members follow preventive measures to avoid accidents.

We all need learnin'

Everyone could use a little education. That includes reporters and copy editors. With this post, we'll offer a quiz based on recent education-themed sentences that were edited before getting into The Forum.

See if you can pick out the flubs.

1. About 40 percent of Minnesota students in grades 5 and 8 are proficient in science.

2. Seven members of her cabinet joined her on stage.

3. Many of the south side schools will be full because of the south side's growth.

4. The district anticipates an enrollment of 860 kindergarteners.

5. It's the first year both districts are offering all-day kindergarten district-wide.

6. Thirty-two percent of the state's 12th graders smoke.

7. But five-year-old Ellen is excited she gets to be like her big brother.

1. About 40 percent of Minnesota students in grades five and eight are proficient in science.

2. Seven members of her Cabinet joined her on stage.
AP Stylebook says: cabinet Capitalize references to a specific body of advisers heading executive departments for a president, king, govvernor, etc. The capital letter distinguishes the word from the common noun meaning cupboard, which is lowercase.
The example refers to Minnesota State University Moorhead President Edna Szymanski's Cabinet of advisers.

3. Many of the southside schools will be full because of the southside's growth.

4. The district anticipates an enrollment of 860 kindergartners.

5. It's the first year both districts are offering all-day kindergarten districtwide.
AP Stylebook says: -wide No hyphen. Some examples: Citywide, nationwide, continentwide, statewide, countrywide, worldwide, industrywide.

6. Thirty-two percent of the state's 12th-graders smoke.

7. But 5-year-old Ellen is excited she gets to be like her big brother.

Can you guess who wrote these sentences?

See if you can find the flubs in this week's sentences that were edited before they appeared in The Forum.

1. "Everyday I get a customer from the old store and everyday we get new customers."

2. A career soldier had his life spared on two different occasions because of a decision made by two different individuals.

3. City Commissioners voted Monday to approve a rate increase.

4. The Kennedy's met while attending Marin Bible College.

5. "This is Democracy at its best."

6. The City of Moorhead will reveal an update to a feasability study.

7. The commercial features elementary school children.

8. "There's a lot going on under those grey hairs."


1. "Every day I get a customer from the old store and every day we get new customers."

2. A career soldier had his life spared on two occasions because of a decision made by two individuals.

3. City commissioners voted Monday to approve a rate increase.

4. The Kennedys met while attending Marin Bible College.

5. "This is democracy at its best."

6. The city of Moorhead will reveal an update to a feasability study.

7. The commercial features elementary schoolchildren.

8. "There's a lot going on under those gray hairs."

Never a bankruptcy of flubs

See how many flubs you can find in this week's quiz. These are all sentences that appeared in stories edited by copy editors before they appeared in The Forum.

1. A chapter 7 bankruptcy case does not involve filing a repayment plan.

2. Graduation ceremonies are at 7 p.m. tonight.

3. It's one of the lynchpins.

4. "1st Avenue needs to have a spark of improvement on it," Lee said.

5. Controversy surrounds the long-time comedian.

6. Judges on the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals have been reluctant to equate illegality with unconstitutionality.

7. Fargo received 0.04 inches of rain Thursday evening.

1. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy case does not involve filing a repayment plan.

2. Graduation ceremonies are at 7 tonight.

3. It's one of the linchpins.

4. "First Avenue needs to have a spark of improvement on it," Lee said.

5. Controversy surrounds the longtime comedian.

6. Judges on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have been reluctant to equate illegality with unconstitutionality.

7. Fargo received 0.04 inch of rain Thursday evening.

I'm back

I'm finally back to a relatively normal schedule after attending a couple of weddings and taking a vacation.

I'm sure all of you have been anxiously waiting for a new post, so let's get right to it.

After an intense consultation with copy editors Stephanie Selensky and Mark Merck - actually, a couple of e-mails - we've decided to change the Forum style on day care and health care to conform with AP style. Day care and health care will be two words, no hyphen, in all cases. Until now, Forum style has been to hyphenate when they modify.

See if you can find the flubs in the following sentences. These sentences were in stories that came to the copy desk before the stories were edited.

1. It's a more than six-fold increase.

2. Fargo City Commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve two flood-control plans.

3. Work is underway on the interchange.

4. The project carries a price tag of $25 to $30 million.

5. Dirks served in the army from 1983 to 1987.

6. The media often gladly covers these staged events.


1. It's a more than sixfold increase.
AP Stylebook says: -fold No hyphen: twofold, fourfold

2. Fargo city commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve two flood-control plans.

3. Work is under way on the interchange.

4. The project carries a price tag of $25 million to $30 million.

5. Dirks served in the Army from 1983 to 1987.
AP Stylebook says: army Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Army, the Army, Army regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USA. Use lowercase for the forces of other nations.

6. The media often gladly cover these staged events.
AP Stylebook says: In the sense of mass communication, such as magazines, newspapers, the news services, radio and television, the word is plural: The news media area resisiting attempts to limit their freedom.