I happened across a copy of John B. Bremner's "Words on Words" on a bookshelf in The N&O's computer training center last week. It had been left behind in an editor's office. I was excited to find this copy in good shape. My own copy at home is a bit worn, and the book is out of print. Now I have an extra copy to keep on my desk at work and to share with my fellow copy editors. Subtitled "A Dictionary for Writers and Others Who Care about Words," the book was published in 1980, but it still serves us well when we need a solid reference on usage.If you ever have a chance to get a copy, you should.
Bremner was a teacher at the University of Kansas. He is a legend in copy editing circles for his teaching and his book. The William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at KU has a section on its Web site devoted to Bremner. Try his editing test here. You can read Bremner's obituary in the New York Times here.
