AP Stylebook: "More than" and "over" now mean the same thing

Well, at least that was civil.

Whatever. I just don't happen to agree. He seemed -- seemed -- to be painting all copy editors with the same brush.

 

Hence my previous question.

He specifically included a "hacky, ill-read" qualifier for all to see, presumably so he wouldn't make a sweeping generalization.

 

And I was repeating "hacky, ill-read" to illustrate the ridiculousness of the statement. For all to see. In case he made a sweeping generalization.

I am backing away quickly from this thread now. It's bringing out the worst in people.

 

Since you're so insistent that I'm being a douche, I'll say this:

Making this argument while pridefully admitting on another thread that you can't be bothered to know where and what "Crimea" is stands as a pretty good example of what's being discussed here.

 

OK. Maybe some of us *do* need to go back to the basics.

See, when you put some words in front of a noun in English, they are frequently considered "adjectives" and thus *modifying* the noun from its original meaning.

So the noun "editors" can be taken to mean "all editors."

But when you put "hacky, ill-read" in front of it, it no longer means "all editors." It means "the subset of editors who are hacky and ill-read." Now, from context, you can assume that I believe some percentage of editors fit that description, or I wouldn't be bringing it up, but the mere existence of the phrase in my post doesn't say whether I believe that percentage is 0.00000001 or 99.99999% or any number in between.
The fact that I have to explain this is a bit awkward.

 

No need for an uproar here; it's just one of those times when I don't give a damn what the Stylebook says. I'll do it the same way I've done it for the last 37 years, thank you.

 

MisterCreosote and RickStain are correct and artfully have explained their point. I have worked on three copy desks. Over a third of the copy editors I've worked with routinely let facts go unchecked while fixing pedantic shit like lowercasing the T in "NCAA tournament."

It's easier to memorize rules than really dig into stories.

 

I see what you did there.

 

Typical teen/20something says it is actually "more THEN"

 

Yes.

Yes, they do.

 

Also known as Excuse No. 1A for not getting the pedantic shit right.

But that's only my opinion.

 

Do you really think that's a problem for me?