Sannyo Necklace

Link below (they have WAY more touhou themed jewelry)

The Reason Why Americans Spell "Colour" As "Color" (And Other Weird Spellings)

For American and British fanfic writers/readers alike (or any curious souls from anywhere else) who are wondering why Americans spell certain words without an extra "U", unlike everyone else, you can thank the printing press and the classic, American tradition of "cutting corners" for that.

The printing press was the first machine to mass produce documents, entire books, and newspapers, when the only other alternative was writing everything out by hand, and was crucial in developing a nation that was just starting out. However, buying/transporting the machines and metal letters could be pricey and would take far too long to get to America (since all supplies had to be shipped overseas from Europe). News outlets of the time didn't want to potentially miss out on printing vital, current events during this wait and newspapers also only had so much room to get their point across on the front page. So, it became common practice to get rid of letters that didn't affect words phonetically to save on space, money, and time, drastically changing how Americans spell certain words to this day.

Words like "favourite", "flavour", "colour", "armour", and "honour" became "favorite", "flavor", "color", "armor", and "honor". We also have:

Mould➡️Mold

Encyclopaedia➡️Encyclopedia

Speciality➡️Specialty

Jewellery➡️Jewelry

Cheque➡️Check

Plough➡️Plow

Draught➡️Draft

Programme➡️Program

Spelling things phonetically also advanced the country's education, as most of the illiterate lower-class could now pick up reading a lot faster, thus, essentially, creating a middle class, where there hadn't been one before, as the written word became more accessible. This history of choosing spellings based on phonetics eventually made America into a culture that spells many words by how they sound when spoken, instead of by their root-word origins (such as Latin, Roman, Greek, etc.) even if the letter count is the same or longer.

Examples include "realise" becoming "realize", "cosy" becoming "cozy", and "offence" and "defence" becoming "offense" and "defense".

And thus concludes the deep and rich history behind why Americans spell certain things the way that they do.

So, just a tip for you British fanfic writers out there planning to write in an American fandom:

Make sure to check your spelling.

(Oh, quick side note: some Google results will say that Americans use "dialog", "monolog", and "practise" instead of "dialogue", "monologue", and "practice", but I have never once come across anyone in my life who has ever used those spellings, nor have I used an American computer/phone that will let me do that without autocorrecting me. Maybe there are some places in the US that use those, but if there are, I haven't seen them.)

A small pet peeve of mine is the British assumption that all Americans say "Trash" instead of "garbage" and "Fall" instead of "Autumn."

(Small note for people misunderstanding this post: This is NOT about What Brits say. It's about what Brits think Americans say. I know about the word "Rubbish." Thank you. It exists here too, it's just not as common as "Trash" or "Garbage." I should not have had to add this disclaimer...)

Both words are correct here in the US.

I'll start with Autumn.

The only reason the word "Fall" became popular is because it's literally cheaper to print (or it used to be). This is the same reason Hallowe'en lost the ' here in America even though both Halloween and Hallowe'en are correct according to dictionary dot com.

Many years ago it saved money on printing by shortening words. It's why there are Xmas things and why Hallowe'en lost the ' in most American merchandise. And also why "Fall" seemed to become popular, because merchandise and postcards started to favor the slightly shorter word.

Lots of Americans still say the word autumn. I, myself, prefer autumn. You hear the word "Autumn" in the song "Into the Unknown" from Over the Garden Wall, the American-made animated mini-series by Patrick McHale.

Also there are the "Autumn People" from Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This way Comes. Ray Bradbury only passed away in 2012. The film version of Something Wicked This way Comes was made in 1983. That's not that long ago in the grand scheme of things. An American-made movie by an American author born in the Mid-West.

Autumn is actually still a very popular girl's name here. One of my best friends has a niece named Autumn.

____________________________________________

Now for Trash and Garbage.... This is actually sort of regional. Both are correct in the US and neither sounds strange to American ears (usually). Where I live, in New York, you hear both used pretty regularly.

You hear one parent tell a child "Take out the trash." while another might say "Take out the garbage." We say "Garbage dump" and many people have "garbage disposals." (Not everyone has one though).

There's the famous parody trading cards "Garbage pail kids."

And if something is bad or vulgar you'll hear someone call it trash or garbage, equally interchangeably.

There are some states where one word might be favored over the other but both are used pretty evenly here in New York state.

Try to remember, America is like fifty small countries in a trench coat. And each one makes up its own dialect, accents, and even word swaps. Some states say "Pop" others say "Soda." And at least one calls everything "Coke." :-P

It even happens within the same state. When I moved upstate (New York) I tried to order an eggplant hero at an Italian restaurant. The waiter looked at me like I had sprouted a second head. I went through several words. Hero, sub, hoagie... Finally he recognized the word grinder.

Shopping carts are called shopping carts or shopping baskets intechangibly here too.

And though Parking Lot is more common, there are people (usually older) who say Parking Field. With "Grey" and "Gray" both spellings are considered correct in the American dictionary. The reason we spell certain words weird like our "Color" instead of "Colour" and our use of the double quotation marks for a single quote and singular for a quote within a quote (when it's the opposite in the UK) is because Noah Webster was a linguist who believed if he changed words just slightly, and certain grammatical rules slightly, it would help provoke American-English to evolve into its own language. Thanks to inventions like the telephone, and movies with sound, and now the Internet this is never likely to happen.

Questions about wizarding worldbuilding: what's the deal with spell language

guess who forgot to write for two weeks straight! anyway I'm back & still confused

so, it should be common knowledge by now that the spells in harry potter are all in latin and greek (although I think it's mostly latin? idk I've never looked into it that deeply), which presents a few questions:

A, why aren't the wizards learning greek and latin?

I've seen this discussed at least once, mostly in a joking manner, they were talking about keeping ravenclaws specifically from learning latin so they couldn't come up with their own super spells that could accidentally end the world or something.

while that is a valid point, I can also see a lot of benefits to learning the language you speak when casting spells, like coming up with something quick and effective in a pinch when all the traditional spells you learn inevitably leave your brain due to panic

B, do greek wizards have to hide their wands so they don't accidentally set off the spell during a normal conversation?

yeah this question is kinda goofy but like.....am I wrong though?

granted, I wouldn't be surprised if the wizards are using an older dialect of greek to pair with thier latin, and I also don't know how much the language has changed since ancient greece, but this is tumblr, the place where all stupid academia come to collect

and C, is this a worldwide thing that wizards cast spells in latin, or do other countries just speak spells in their own language?

this one I really wish I knew the answer for bc we don't really see too much spellwork from other countries

I'm almost partially convinced that you really can just cast spells in your native language and have the exact same effect, and the british wizards are using latin and greek purely for their stupid aesthetic

I wish I could remember if any of the wizards in fantastic beasts speak in their native tongue; I've seen it theorized that american wizards don't verbalize their spells thanks to their history with the witch hunts since they do a lot of wandless magic and aren't really seen speaking any of their spells, so there's that at least. I'd have to rewatch the second and third FB movies as well as the goblet of fire to see if I can figure anything else out.

part of the reason why I think wizards can cast spells in their native language though is mostly because of wandless magic; we know it can be done, and apparently taught if we're right about american wizards, which implies that they're thinking whatever spell - accidental or otherwise - they're doing, and unless someone is bilingual they're not very likely to think in a language that they don't speak.

I've got nothing else to add here, but if there's anyone out there who's more observant than me with the fantastic beasts movies, then please let me know your thoughts on this

Difference Between Aesthetic or Esthetic

"Aesthetic" and "esthetic" are terms often encountered in discussions of art, beauty, and culture. Although they might appear to represent different concepts, they are essentially the same word with variations in spelling. The distinction between these two forms largely comes down to regional preferences in English language usage. This article will explore the nuances of "aesthetic" and "esthetic" to clarify their meanings and appropriate applications. AspectAestheticEstheticDefinitionPertaining to the appreciation of beauty or good tastePertaining to the appreciation of beauty or good tasteRegional UsagePreferred in British English and in general global usageOften used in American English, but less frequentlySpelling OriginGreek origin, "aisthētikos," meaning "sensitive, perceptive"Simplified spelling, dropping the initial 'Ae'Pronunciation/esˈθetɪk//esˈθetɪk/Usage in ContextArt, culture, philosophy, designSame contexts as "aesthetic," though less common Difference Between “Aesthetic” and “Esthetic” Definition of Aesthetic Aesthetic refers to the branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is also used to describe a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. Definition of Esthetic Esthetic is an alternative spelling of "aesthetic." It holds the same meaning and is used in the same contexts. The variation in spelling is primarily a matter of regional language preference. Regional Usage - Aesthetic: This spelling is more commonly used and accepted worldwide, particularly in British English and other forms of English outside the United States. - Esthetic: This form is often found in American English. It represents a simplified spelling, which is a characteristic feature of American English orthography. Spelling and Etymology - The term "aesthetic" comes from the Greek "aisthētikos," which means "sensitive, perceptive." This spelling retains the original Greek root. - "Esthetic" is a variation that drops the initial 'Ae,' following a pattern in American English where certain words are spelled more phonetically. Pronunciation Both "aesthetic" and "esthetic" are pronounced the same way: /esˈθetɪk/. The difference in spelling does not affect the pronunciation. Comparing Aesthetic and Esthetic The primary distinction between "aesthetic" and "esthetic" is in spelling rather than meaning or usage. Both terms are used in art, philosophy, culture, and design to refer to matters related to beauty, taste, and the nature of art. The choice between them typically depends on the regional or stylistic preferences of the writer or speaker. Usage in Sentences with Explanations Use of Aesthetic in Sentences - The museum's exhibit focused on the aesthetic qualities of ancient Greek sculpture. (Reflects the common global usage in discussing art.) - Her home's interior design has a minimalist aesthetic. (Describes a particular style or philosophy of beauty.) - Understanding the aesthetic principles of a period can provide insight into its culture. (Used in the context of philosophical or cultural analysis.) - Aesthetic appreciation varies greatly from one individual to another. (General use in discussing the perception of beauty.) - The architect is known for his unique aesthetic vision. (Refers to a specific style or approach in design or art.) Use of Esthetic in Sentences - The esthetic appeal of the artwork captivated the audience. (American English usage, interchangeable with "aesthetic.") - Her esthetic sense is influenced by modernist themes. (Used in the same way as "aesthetic," but reflects American spelling preference.) - Esthetic judgments are often subjective and culturally influenced. (Shows the term used in discussions about beauty or art.) - The esthetic elements of the play added to its dramatic impact. (Referring to the visual or artistic aspects in a theatrical context.) - In dental practice, esthetic considerations are as important as functional ones. (Illustrates the term used in a specialized professional context, like dentistry.) Conclusion While "aesthetic" and "esthetic" might appear different at first glance, they are essentially the same word with alternate spellings. "Aesthetic" is more universally recognized and is the preferred form in British English and other non-American forms of English. "Esthetic," on the other hand, is a variation seen in American English, embodying a trend towards simplified spelling. Understanding this distinction allows for appropriate and contextually sensitive use of the terms in discussions of art, beauty, and culture. Commonly Asked Questions Q: Can "esthetic" be considered incorrect? A: No, "esthetic" is not incorrect. It is a valid spelling variation used primarily in American English. However, "aesthetic" is more widely used and recognized globally. Q: Should I always use "aesthetic" in academic writing? A: In academic writing, the choice between "aesthetic" and "esthetic" should align with the style guide or standard used by the institution or publication. If there is no specific guideline, "aesthetic" is generally a safe choice. Q: Are there any contexts where one spelling is preferred over the other? A: Yes, "aesthetic" is typically preferred in global English usage, including in academic, cultural, and artistic contexts. "Esthetic" may be used in American English contexts, but it is less common. FAQ What is the difference between aesthetic and esthetic? The terms aesthetic and esthetic are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings in various contexts. Aesthetic refers to the study or theory of beauty and anything that is beautiful or pleasing to the senses. Esthetic is simply a variant spelling of aesthetic commonly used in the US. What do aesthetic and esthetic mean in the context of the beauty industry? In the beauty industry, aesthetic procedures and treatments are often associated with medical interventions, while esthetic specialists focus on cosmetic treatments. Aesthetic procedures may include microblading, laser hair removal, and medical grade skin peels, while esthetic specialists may specialize in waxing, facials, and other non-medical cosmetic treatments. What services do aestheticians and estheticians offer? Aestheticians focus on medical specializations and treatments, such as laser hair removal and medical grade skin peels. Estheticians provide cosmetic services, including waxing and facials. What is the difference between an aesthetician and an esthetician? Aestheticians have aesthetics licenses and focus on medical specializations and treatments, often working in dermatologist offices or medical settings. Estheticians have esthetics licenses and provide cosmetic services, such as waxing, facials, and non-medical cosmetic treatments. How should aestheticians and estheticians brand themselves? Aestheticians should use some form of the word aesthetic in their branding to indicate the types of services they offer, focusing on medical specializations and treatments for a more serious and professional image. Estheticians have more flexibility in their branding and can create a more playful and welcoming image, emphasizing their cosmetic services. Read the full article

Beginning with a boom: The Irish origin of the Mills and Bibby families

This was originally the first chapter in my family history on the Mills family, but has been adapted and changed for this blog. All the sources are noted in a bibliographic essay at the end of this post, with maps and other photos throughout. Enjoy! I excerpted this from the original post on the WordPress version of this blog, and broke it up into smaller chunks to put on here, to make it more readable.

The year was 1796. Invasion rocked the isle of Ireland, or as the Irish call it, Éire. In the Expedition to Ireland, or Expédition d'Irlande, Napoleon’s imperial French army had tried to assist the Irish who were revolting because of taxation and religious laws, in hopes of creating a sister republic friendly to the British, but had failed. Again, in 1798, the French, one year after the Dutch had unsuccessfully invaded, were at it again (Figure 1.1). The imperial French army had come to the island for the last time in hopes of weakening the British empire and support the Irish revolt against the rule of the British which flared up again in May of that year. Again, they were unsuccessful as 150,000 British troops across all of Ireland, commanded by Lord Cornwallis, the same who had fought the Americans during the Revolutionary War and surrendered at Yorktown, was ultimately victorious with the Irish rebels on the run while the invading French were made prisoners.

Figure 1.1: Maps of the French invasion(s) of Ireland 1796-1798 courtesy of DK’s World History Atlas (left) & the Times Concise Atlas of World History (right).

The Mills family was about to begin anew. Seven years after the failed invasion by the French, in 1805, John Mills was born in Ballysheehan, County Tipperary, Ireland (as they call counties in Ireland), with his middle name was Rand as family stories say. While some sources say he was born in 1804 or even 1806, he attested, by his own recollection, that he was born that year. Three years later, in 1807, Thomas Mills was born in the same location as John. Neither Thomas nor John’s parents are currently known. However, it is likely that both Thomas and John were brothers. A Margaret or Jonathan Mills are listed in the 1766 religious census for Ireland, living in Mealiffe and Cashel, indicating deeper roots of the Mills family on the island. As for the surname of Mills, it also has a strong basis in England from a “John Mills” in 1541 to a “William Mills” in 1608. Furthermore, the surname of Bibby was derived from Norse movement and originates from Christian believers as well. As for the surname of Mills, it means either “living near a mill” and/or was a “genitive of an abbreviated form of Michael.”

As for County Tipperary, where the Mills family was living, it was a relatively well-populated area which was undoubtedly agricultural (it still is) as it was not near the textile industries clustered around Dublin or in the northern part of the island. Ballysheehan itself, called Baile Uí Shíocháin in Irish, is a town and civil parish in Middle Third barony, within Munster Province and the southern part of County Tipperary. This small area, which is a little more than 400 acres, has been historically Protestant, is only 3 miles north of Cashel (Figure 1.2), and had only, as Samuel Lewis wrote in his Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, about three thousand inhabitants by 1838.

Figure 1.2: Cashel in the middle of County Tipperary, with Ballysheehan nearby, courtesy of Carl Radefeld's 1844 map of Ireland within the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection on davidrumsey.com.

The Bibbys, which later marry into the Mills family, had long roots in County Tipperary. First of all, the surname of Bibby, which is more common in Great Britain than Ireland, is also spelled Bibbey, Bibey, Bybee, Biby, Bebby, and Beeby, was located in Ireland mainly from 1847 to 1864. Reportedly it is a relationship name “from the Middle English personal name Bibby” and occurs in places such as Manchester, England. Other connections to Ireland are not known.

In 1813, a man named Robert Bibby was born in Ireland. While his exact birth place is not known, it is likely that he was born in County Tipperary. Like Thomas and John, his parents are not known. In later years, Thomas Lyndop Bibby was born (in 1822) in Cashel, Ireland, County Tipperary. His parents were reportedly John Bibby and Mehitable Lyndop, who died in 1840. These could have been the same parents of Margaret Ann Bibby, born two years after Thomas, also in Cashel. It is possible that the Bibby family was large, as could have been the Mills family, and they may have crossed paths. After all, Bibbys were born as far back as 1765 (Thomas Bibby) in Ireland.

© 2018-2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Name: Elsa-Maria

Gender: female

Age: 25 (physically, estimated to be about 300+ years old)

Hair color: lavender-gray

Eye color: purple with unusually light pupils

Height: 5'07"

Weight: 125 pounds

Nationality: Early British-American, Witch

Strengths: Has strong magic prowress being a witch.

Appearance: - pale skin

- lavender hair

- Purple eyes

- Unusual light pupils

- Scars along her back

Inventory: herbs and other ingredients for Witchcraft

Biography: Elsa-Maria was a young woman who lived over 300 years ago. She was a gentle soul and a skilled doctor in her humble little village. Her early life is shrouded in complete mystery, but one thing was certain was how respected she was.

Unbeknownst to her fellow villagers, Elsa-Maria was actually a witch.

Due to her soft nature and natural quietness, nobody suspected her being one, and during trials where many were being accused of Witchcraft, Elsa-Maria was never suspected. One day, she attempted a strong curse that would create a Familiar for her. Having a Familiar as a witch was incredibly convient at this point, due to the Witch hunts becoming more and more extravagant. If she had a Familiar to watch her back while she went about her day, she wouldn't have to worry about being accused and executed.

However, the spell went wrong and Elsa-Maria instead summoned a demon. The Demon would leave its mark on her, scarring her back with its sharp talons. These scars could never be covered up, displaying her sins for all to see.

Once villagers saw Elsa-Maria's scars, they immediately saw she was truely a witch, and thus she was put on a trial where she had ran out of lies to give. She was to be burned at the stake, however during the event, the demon would come out from Elsa-Maria and kill the villagers and freeing her from her fate. The creature told her that Elsa-Maria is fated to live a cursed existance, having immortality placed on her so she would always be alone with the demon.

Elsa-Maria would flee the scene, trying to live a simple life.

Many years later, Elsa-Maria would live in a small cabin in the forest by herself, where she would live life by herself. That was until a young woman by the name of Rosalyne came at her doorstep, hearing rumors that a witch lived in the forest.

Elsa-Maria pleaded with the young woman to leave her alone, but Rosalyne held a proposition. If she helped Rosalyne with her goals of taking down the Organization, she will help Elsa-Maria rid herself of the demon. Elsa-Maria would agree and become a member of the Six Wings of Iris.

Detailed appearance: Elsa-Maria is a thin and tall woman who looks young, but frail. Her skin tone has a grayish tone to it, making her look sickly and her eyes are a dark purple color with unique light colored pupils from her heritage as a Witch. She has very long, lavender-gray colored hair that reaches her thighs in length. Her eyelashes and eyebrows are noticably thicker and she has dark shadows under her eyes from her health issues.

Elsa-Maria wears victorian styled dresses, but they usually have a dark brown or dark pink coloration to them. The common trait all her dresses share is how the back is opened to show her scars on her back.

Elsa-Maria has very large, claw like scars that score her back from a ritual that went wrong, these scars show the commonfolk her true nature as a Witch.

Personality: Elsa-Maria is a shy and introverted woman. She rarely shows any emotion on her face unless its a sorrowful expression or a terrified expression. Because of this, many colleagues of hers see her as a downer to hang around. She is naturally quite lonely, thinking its best if no one stayed around her. Rosalyne uses this to her advantage by making Elsa-Maria feel reliant and submissive towards her. Elsa-Maria sees Rosalyne as a kind person, having a nearly religious obsession over her leader.

Trivia:

* Elsa-Maria was born May 18th, her Zodiac is Taurus.

* Her favorite food is cupcakes

* Her least favorite food is walnuts

* Her favorite drink is wine

* Her least favorite drink is beer

* She cannot wear outfits that cover her scars, since the spirit who caused them damages her outfits on the back, making sure the scars are exposed.

lunlun’s 20 day language learning challenge - day#19

Do you know how many dialects your mother language has?

Oh, I need to look this one up :D Excuse me... Welp, according to a lot of articles I found, this is the answer:

With over 230 million German speakers worldwide, there are many German dialects, with linguists saying as many as 250 dialects exist.

For my research I found a website where I absolutely agree with the dialects which they highlighted:

High German (Hochdeutsch, standard German) High German comes from Southern Germany, where the highlands and the Alps are. Hochdeutsch is the most common dialect, taught in schools, and used on TV or news. Those learning German online are taught this dialect, and it is used in many countries.

Low German (Plattdeutsch, Niederdeutsch) This dialect is spoken in northern Germany and parts of the eastern part of the Netherlands. Both Germans and Dutch people speak Plattdeutsch, and some think it doesn’t count as a dialect. Its pronunciation is close to that of Hochdeutsch, and its written form is also the same. This dialect is slowly disappearing with 700,00, a steep decline from the 1.4 million speakers from 20 years back. There are variants of the dialect spoken in the Ruhr area and around Hamburg.

Bavarian German/ Upper German (Oberdeutsch) Oberdeutsch is mostly spoken across the Southern parts of the country. It differs significantly from standard German in both pronunciation and spelling. Even native Germans find this dialect hard to understand. Learning the lingo is a challenging and lengthy process with a lot of variations of the standard language.

Swiss German (Schwiizerdutsch) Swiss German is a Switzerland dialect. This dialect differs a lot from the others. It is influenced by French and Italian, which are also the official languages of Switzerland. Neighboring languages also affect pronunciation. 

Middle German (Mitteldeutsch) Middle German is spoken in different ways all across Middle Germany. It is the most widely spoken dialect spreading from Dusseldorf and Cologne in the west to Frankfurt and Berlin; it is also spoken in most of German’s major cities, except Hamburg and Munich. It includes other major dialects like Kolsch, Mainzerish, Hesisch, Berlinersch, etc.

Austrian German (Osterreichisches Deutsch) Austrian German differs slightly from the others. It has almost the same grammar, but it has a unique vocabulary. Much like British and American English, this dialect has different pronunciations and spellings, but Austrian and German speakers can understand what the other is saying.

Traveling with a Disability for Dummies

It’s wonderful to travel—to fulfill brand-new individuals, see brand new location, experience different cultures, live life the way lifestyle is lived somewhere else. I value your time here. Say thanks to you, Mr. President. In reaction to your invitation for this interview, we've right now asked about my views on Syria, along with your participation in the U.S.-led coalition backing power to retake the city. * We'll continue to share these particulars relating to this selection with you.

A lot of great things are associated with trip, but there’s one certain problem that may make journeying bothersome: the punctuation. I've devoted ten years performing service at a major airport terminal, and I understand the demand for the 'phrase' before it gets the time, effort and focus it should have. But, it's vital that we have the phrase before it gets into our devices. It's time to placed out the word regarding a brand new airport, an airport that is currently open and appreciated. Travel is easy sufficient to spell and not at all confusing, but “traveling,” “traveler,” “traveled”? ‘Are individuals really "in" a specific direction (or were they really in a specific destination)?‌ What you may do for them in the coming times is the very most vital step in any kind of decision-making method. Also just a handful of moments of your time may modify all that. These words are a common reason of complication because some people lead to them along with one L while others make use of two. But the main reason these "two words" are common is that these two L phrases are used in various spot, such as in the Bible, which claims that the phrase of Jacob was Jacob. It would be extremely useful for those who reviewed the Bible to know which of the two are which. I would suggest that the condition "dual" and "double 2" can likewise be used reciprocally. Traveling or traveling depends on where is your reader. In order to make certain that you are satisfied to reveal your audience that you care about your audience after that the BBC need to have to produce sure that you are providing your viewers in a technique that is accurately alluring to you to ensure their interest and interest in your system. Numerous updates programmes have been shown on BBC2 before. This implies that you require to ensure the viewers you talk to for all your news programs are there to assist along with your program.

Traveling is the preferred spelling in the U.S. Traveling is the preferred punctuation in the UK or in the Commonwealth. The new policies will certainly give the National Insurance Number (NIC) for all eligible vehicle drivers of all steering create the authority to use, and may demand a duplicate of each form to be come with along with a slip. In the UK, the brand-new guidelines are being presented as a appointment through the Department of Transport. This American-British spelling distinction brings for other kinds: journeyed or travelled and vacationer or visitor. Match up in English and in Polish and French how a person coming from England or Ireland looks like and the variation is not in distinction; of which in English or American how it really feels. Along with the differences in punctuation of words, to share a person the meaning of the verb; that which indicates a guaranteed, definite type has the same kind of meaning as a single form. Below’s a tip: Desire to create certain your writing consistently appears excellent? In this post, we'll let you have that. Next off, allow me give you my favorite component of my writing that you need to begin reading on your personal. I consistently reviewed the publication, which I contact Inglourious Basterds™, after reading this outstanding article. Read This writing partners would all be jealous. It is an unbelievable encounter. It will motivate your innovative creativity along along with your writing. Grammarly may spare you coming from misspellings, syntactic and spelling blunders, and various other writing issues on all your preferred websites. We've additionally implemented it to assist you connect quickly and conveniently along with your buddies. What is Grammarly? The original layout of Grammarly is to make a solitary, simple program that are going to assist you organize your projects into directories. Traveling vs. Taking a trip Journeying vs. Taking a trip The word travel has actually additional than one syllable—it’s a multisyllabic word. This has to carry out with how phrases are used in different contexts. For instance, our example paragraph has actually two phrases that are all the exact same meaning: "We've come in in Montreal, but it’s still not over through now". The other method of working with trip is by contrasting it to cash.

Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

The Yoruba people (Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá) are an ethnic group that inhabits western Africa, mainly the countries of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The Yoruba diaspora consists of two main groupings; first were Yorubas dispersed through Atlantic slave trade mainly to the western hemisphere and the second wave includes relatively recent migrants, the majority of which moved to the United Kingdom and the United States after major economic and political changes in the 1960s to 1980s As an ethnic description, the word "Yoruba" (or more correctly "Yaraba") was originally in reference to the Oyo Empire

The alternative name Akú, derived from the first words of Yoruba greetings (such as Ẹ kú àárọ? "good morning", Ẹ kú alẹ? "good evening") has survived in certain parts of their diaspora as a self-descriptive, especially in Sierra Leone

The Yoruba are among the most urbanized people in Africa. For centuries before the arrival of the British colonial administration most Yoruba already lived in well structured urban centres organized around powerful city-states (Ìlú) centred around the residence of the Oba.In ancient times, most of these cities were fortresses, with high walls and gates.Yoruba cities have always been among the most populous in Africa. Archaeological findings indicate that Òyó-Ilé or Katunga, capital of the Yoruba empire of Oyo (fl. between the 11th and 19th centuries CE), had a population of over 100,000 people. For a long time also, Ibadan, one of the major Yoruba cities and founded in the 1800s, was the largest city in the whole of Sub Saharan Africa. Today, Lagos (Yoruba: Èkó), another major Yoruba city, with a population of over twenty million, remains the largest on the African continent

Ife continues to be seen as the "Spiritual Homeland" of the Yoruba. The city was surpassed by the Oyo Empire as the dominant Yoruba military and political power in the 11th century.

The Oyo Empire under its oba, known as the Alaafin of Oyo, was active in the African slave trade during the 18th century. The Yoruba often demanded slaves as a form of tribute of subject populations,who in turn sometimes made war on other peoples to capture the required slaves. Part of the slaves sold by the Oyo Empire entered the Atlantic slave trade.

Most of the city states were controlled by Obas (or royal sovereigns with various individual titles) and councils made up of Oloyes, recognised leaders of royal, noble and, often, even common descent, who joined them in ruling over the kingdoms through a series of guilds and cults. Different states saw differing ratios of power between the kingships and the chiefs' councils. Some, such as Oyo, had powerful, autocratic monarchs with almost total control, while in others such as the Ijebu city-states,the senatorial councils held more influence and the power of the ruler or Ọba, referred to as the Awujale of Ijebuland, was more limited

The Yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in Southwestern Nigeria and the adjoining parts of Benin and Togo, a region that has come to be known as Yorubaland. Yoruba religion is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder.Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan, the total complex of songs, histories, stories and other cultural concepts that make up the Yoruba society. One of the most common Yoruba traditional religious concepts has been the concept of Orisa. Orisa (also spelled Orisha or Orixa) are various godly forms that reflect one of the various manifestations or avatars of God in the Yoruba religious system. Some widely known Orisa are Ogun, (a god of metal, war and victory), Shango or Jakuta (a god of thunder, lightning, fire and justice who manifests as a king and who always wields a double-edged axe that conveys his divine authority and power), Esu Elegbara (a trickster who serves as the sole messenger of the pantheon, and who conveys the wish of men to the gods. 

He understands every language spoken by humankind, and is also the guardian of the crossroads, Oríta méta in Yoruba) and Orunmila (a god of the Oracle). Eshu has two avatar forms, which are manifestations of his dual nature – positive and negative energies; Eshu Laroye, a teacher instructor and leader, and Eshu Ebita, a jester, deceitful, suggestive and cunning.Orunmila, for his part, reveals the past, gives solutions to problems in the present, and influences the future through the Ifa divination system, which is practised by oracle priests called Babalawos.

Olorun is one of the principal manifestations of the Supreme God of the Yoruba pantheon, the owner of the heavens, and is associated with the Sun known as Oòrùn in the Yoruba language. The two other principal forms of the supreme God are Olodumare—the supreme creator—and Olofin, who is the conduit between Òrunn (Heaven) and Ayé (Earth). 

Oshumare is a god that manifests in the form of a rainbow, also known as Òsùmàrè in Yoruba, while Obatala is the god of clarity and creativity.as well as in some aspects of Umbanda, Winti, Obeah, Vodun and a host of others. 

These varieties, or spiritual lineages as they are called, are practiced throughout areas of Nigeria, among others. As interest in African indigenous religions grows, Orisa communities and lineages can be found in parts of Europe and Asia as well. While estimates may vary, some scholars believe that there could be more than 100 million adherents of this spiritual tradition worldwide

The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are one of the largest ethnic groups are widely distributed, across the Sahel from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea, particularly in West Africa. The countries where they are present include Mauritania, Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, the Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger, Chad, Togo, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Liberia, and as far east as the Red Sea in Sudan and Egypt.

Walter Rodney in his book The History of the Upper Guinea Coast, argues that Fulbe are originally from North Africa and they conquered the Foota Djallon region led by the Fulani Koli Tenguella.

The ethnogenesis of the Fulani people may have begun as a result of interactions between an ancient West African population and North African populations such as Berbers or Egyptians. Their West African roots may be in and around the valley of Senegal River. They likely reflect a genetic intermix of people with West African, North African, and Arabian origins, and have been a part of many ruling dynasties particularly in the Sahel and West Africa .Speculations about their origins started in the era of European conquest and colonization.

The language of the Fulani is "Pulaar", which is also the language of the Toucouleurs. All Senegalese and Mauritanians who speak the language natively are known as the Halpulaa or Haalpulaar'en , which means "speakers of Pulaar" ("hal" is the root of the Pulaar verb haalugol , meaning "to speak"). In some areas, e.g. in northern Cameroon, Fulfulde is a local lingua franca.

There are three writing systems used to write this language: an Arabic derived one called Ajami, a Latin derived system with 6 sets, and a native phonetic-faithful system called Adlam recently invented in 1989; the third one is the most increasingly popular not only learnt by hundred thousands of people among the diaspora worldwide but has also apps and computer programs created to assist in the script's adoption.

Moral code

Central to the Fulani people's lifestyle is a code of behavior known as pulaaku or laawol Fulɓe (literally meaning the "Fulani pathways" which are passed on by each generation as high moral values of the Fulbe, which enable them to maintain their identity across boundaries and changes of lifestyle. Essentially viewed as what makes a person Fulani, or "Fulaniness", pulaaku includes: Munyal: Patience, self-control, discipline, prudence Gacce / Semteende: Modesty, respect for others (including foes) Hakkille: Wisdom, forethought, personal responsibility, hospitality Sagata / Tiinaade: Courage, hard work

Ultimate Guide to Proofreading

Here’s the next installation of my writing tips series!

[Just a quick disclaimer: this isn’t meant to discourage anyone! We are all still learning. These are just some tips you may want to consider when editing your writing].

As a language / linguistics student, I tend to focus on the grammar, or just the overall presentation of my writing. Obviously, if you’re writing online or self-publishing, without a beta reader that is, then no one is going to scrutinise you over the small things.

However, it can elevate your writing SO MUCH if you simply proofread it. Often, I find myself taken out of the immersion of a story because a typo is so glaringly obvious. Most of the time, we can gloss over them and they don’t impact the reading experience too much - but if your work is littered with small errors, they tend to pile up.

Proofreading is an easy way to get your readers to stick with you - and it often doesn’t even take that long! You just need to know HOW to proofread, and it will save you time. 

1) Spell Checkers

I know this seems really obvious, but I read so much work that could be improved tenfold just by being copied-and-pasted into a spell checker. You can literally type ‘spell checker’ into Google, and use an online service.

Personally, I use Google Docs. I just Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V my work into it - and it will underline the spelling mistakes in red, and the grammar errors in blue. 

It’s as easy as that.

2) Consistency and General Grammar Points

This section is by NO MEANS an exhaustive list, but I’ve just compiled the things I’ve noticed the most when reading online. 

American English vs. British English:

This one is quite self-explanatory. If you’re going to use American spellings, then use them consistently throughout - and vice versa with British. Some common ones to look out for include:

color / colour

neighbor / neighbour

humor / humour

(US/UK respectively)

I found a good article here that gives a more comprehensive list.

Homophones or the Question of Verb / Noun:

You may want to double-check that you’ve used the right form of a word (verb / noun) - especially if they sound the same. 

affect / effect

hoard / horde

practice / practise***

*See this article.

allowed / aloud

were / where

I know these can sometimes get a little tricky for non-native speakers - especially since English is really quite a weird language. But these are the most common errors I’ve picked up on.

A lot of the time, things like Google Docs won’t spot these - so it’s good to be aware of the TYPES of errors you’re trying to find.

Also, remember that Google Search is your friend. I can’t even count the number of times I look things up when writing - THERE IS NO SHAME IN IT. It doesn’t take long to check if you’re using a word in the correct context, or the correct form of the word.

Showing Possession:

A lot of people tend to get confused about using the genitive marker, apostrophe ‘-s’ to show possession. See the examples below:

[Disclaimer: don’t judge my name choices...]

Jade has a bag. That is Jade’s bag.

Jade Simpson has a bag. That is Jade Simpson’s bag.

Jade Simpson lives with her husband, John Simpson. They are the Simpsons.

That is the Simpson household. That is the Simpsons’ house.*** 

*This is the one most people struggle on. There are two Simpsons, so the apostrophe comes at the end to show PLURAL possession (i.e., belonging to BOTH Jade and John).

This is Jess. That is Jess’ bag.

Here, the above can be written as Jess’s, but the extra (-s) usually gets ellided if it is following an ‘s’.

Another thing people get confused about is its/it’s. 

In English, ‘it’s’ = a contraction of ‘it + is’ (NOT TO SHOW POSSESSION). ‘Its’ is the possessive form in this case.

E.g., The dog lost its collar; it is brown = The dog lost its collar; it’s brown (the collar is brown).

Punctuation Consistency:

Personally, I don’t mind what style of punctuation you use. Whether you put your full stops INSIDE your quotations, or OUTSIDE;

E.g., “Go away.” vs “Go away”.

or if you sometimes like using hyphens in place of a comma; likewise with capitalisation, and whether you decide to capitalise certain nouns etc.

But, whatever you choose, BE CONSISTENT WITH IT.

You don’t want to give your readers whiplash by changing styles every couple of lines. Otherwise, it’s like you’ve chosen one academic referencing style for your essay, only to switch it half-way through. It’s confusing. It may seem like a nit-picking point, but people will notice it - and it’s good written practice to focus on being consistent.

3) Formatting:

Dialogue:

PLEASE PLEASE start a new paragraph/line if SOMEONE NEW IS SPEAKING.

Your readers will be so confused if you don’t properly distinguish who is speaking. It takes away from the reading experience when you think one character has said a line, but it turns out to be another. 

Don’t just rely on “[...]” John said. We should know if someone new is speaking by the format, not just the name that follows the dialogue.

Paragraphs:

Don’t let your work be one block of text. Break it up and make it more digestible for your readers. Try to start a new paragraph for a new topic, place, thought, etc. You can find some really great guides online that go into more detail. Personally, I think it’s quite a stylistic thing - but you should still be consistent in how you choose to establish your paragraphs.

4) Other Things to Look out For

Detography: Have you written a word twice?

Pronouns: Are you using the following correctly?

their/they’re/there

your/you’re

Tenses: Are you sticking to the same tense? Are your verbs all conjugated in the same tense? Do you switch tense half-way through?

Repetition: Are you relying on the same words a lot. Are you using the same verb / descriptive word very close together?

For this, I just make a quick Google search:

E.g., “said synonym” or “angry synonym” - it adds variety to your writing.

Character Names: This seems obvious, but make sure you’ve spelt them correctly throughout - same goes for place names etc.

5) READ YOUR WORK ALOUD

I really can’t stress this enough. Even after studying language, literature and linguistics for as long as I have, I still miss so many of my own errors if I don’t read my work aloud. My editing process literally involves:

Write the draft

Read over the draft and correct any glaring errors

Copy and paste into a spelling/grammar checker

Re-read the new work and edit again

Read aloud and edit as I go

Final read through

Obviously I don’t do this every time - but it shows just how easy it is to miss mistakes when you’re still finding them during step 6.

6) Bribe a Beta-Reader (or a Friend)...

This is a really helpful step if you are able to find someone willing to check over your work. Often, we become blind to our own writing after we’ve read over the same thing a number of times. It can be really useful to get someone to take a look at it with fresh eyes!

Disclaimer: These are just some things I’ve noticed that I tend to look for in my own work. Also, I want to make a point of saying that English is a strange language, so please don’t be discouraged if you’re a non-native speaker feeling confused. I still get confused!

Also, please feel free to ask me any questions! I might not always be available to give a full beta-read of your work, but if you have any queries relating to grammar etc., don’t hesitate to drop me a message!

I decided to watch the Walker pilot so you don’t have to. #1

I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I’m doing this and the more I put it off the less I’ll want to do this. So. Let’s start.

The fist thing we see is Jared Padalecki, em Walker, driving. He’s vaguely smiling and there’s the sun behind him. He seems happy. He’s driving a truck, for some reason my mind goes to Twilight. I’d rather watch that. At least there are vampires (not dressed like clowns) there. Anyway. Walker is meeting someone. He’s meeting his wife! “Look at you!” she says. The camera makes us look at him. He looks like this

I am unsure whether we’re supposed to see this as sexy or cool. It looks frankly ridiculous. I don’t know if I’m just not American enough to appreciate the aesthetic of this. But I didn’t go through 15 seasons of Americana-in-British-Columbia for nothing. If a character appeared like this on Supernatural, it wouldn’t be presented seriously. It would be played for a chuckle or in a light-hearted way at least. Not even Dean Winchester would find this hot.

The Padaleckis tell something to each other. Apparently he needs to go home with the kids and his parents because it’s game night. My mind immediately goes to Game Night the episode and I am sad now. But Walker lifts my mood in its own weird way.  He doesn’t know the rules because every time she tells him the rules, he blacks out. I would make a fun quip about this, but the truth is that I relate to him a lot right now because I blacked out during the entire scene. I’m not sure what they said other than the game thing because I wrote it here. I already forgot the rest.

Anyway. What we’re supposed to get from this scene that they’re Very In Love (see that soft warm light?), and that he’s anxious because he’s not great at being a father because he’s shit at games apparently, but his wife is like ~don’t worry so much~ because she’s a kind, understanding wife. He tells her to be safe, because the Texan countryside is dangerous or something. She needs to stay on a route he approved for some reason. Is she traveling with supersoldier serum in her car? Is Hydra going to murder her? [cue the Marvel snipers shooting me to death because they don’t want Marvel to be associated to this]

Later, everyone is having fun playing fake monopoly, but Walker (whose mannerism is just Jared, he’s not even trying) is apparently too stupid to understand a game for kids. Plot twist, this is anti-cop propaganda because it says cops are dumb.

“Et tu Brute” Jared says when the kids point out he broke a rule so they get an extra turn. I thought I was safe from hearing Jared speak Latin! I thought I was safe! I am never safe!

Emily (Gen) suddenly texts him “SOS. Answer” which is OMINOUS! Oh my god! Aren’t you feeling the tension. The rest of the family keeps playing fake monopoly. Someone throws dice. Are we supposed to go “oh! The dice are ~symbolic because someone’s playing dice with her life” or have I been watching too much good tv.

She is running somewhere in the countryside, wearing a white shirt (is this the cowboy lady equivalent of the Wife Nightgown?). She says something is not right. He’s worried. Then he hears gunshot and her scream. He does the Alarmed Jared face, presses lips together and does a Upset Jared face.

Then he goes out, tries to call her again, and again, does a Jared Upset Sniff--

Oh! We actually see her! She’s alive, but she’s been shot in the stomach. Her white shirt is definitely the cowboy lady equivalent of the Wife Nightgown! Ah the blood coming from the stomach! How terrible! Her phone is ringing but she cannot reach it. She is definitely alive right now, though. She’s breathing heavily because of the wound, which is breathing, which is the opposite of being dead.

He decides that she’s dead, and lets out the already infamous manly scream of anguish.

It would be sad if it wasn’t that literally one second ago we saw her wounded but alive. Her turning out alive in the season finale or so will shock everyone. Nobody will have seen it coming. Who wrote this? They should have just shown the ringing phone and her bloody hand/side, making the audience assume she was dead, instead of showing her breathing. Now the audience is gonna assume she didn’t actually die, and wonder “why didn’t he call someone or went looking for her” but apparently Jared’s characters have forgotten that, like, ambulances are a thing. Jared’s manly screams of anguish are more important than common sense.

I’m not going to say anything about the manly scream of anguish. I’m not going to say anything about the manly scream of anguish. I’m n

We’re just 4 minutes in, guys. Why am I doing this?

Eleven months later, says the screen.

It’s night, outside a house. The son is waiting for him. The daughter doesn’t think he’s coming. On the porch there are two men, one is his brother and one is apparently his former partner, now new boss. He’s dressed like you’d expect a normal person to be dressed in a casual Texan night, hat and tie and all. If you are law enforcement in Texas and don’t wear a cowboy hat at any moment, you will be executed. That’s what the death penalty in Texas is for.

Somebody arrives, but to the kids’ disappointment is some dude whose function is to tell us the men’s names. The brother is Liam, the cop dude I forgot.

Walker is being sad on the back of his truck and drinking alcohol, which is the only way television can express a man having trauma. Holy shit - he reminisces of his wife like this is some emotional Lord of the Rings scene in a place where Elves live except this is not the Lord of the Rings and is just ridiculous, look

She’s seen running towards the gazebo, then she turns

This is exactly shot like the scene where Arwen has a vision of her son. Flowy hair and all. I cannot take this seriously.

He smiles sadly. Then a cop car arrives.

Mexican Lady Cop(TM), whose function in the story is to be a Mexican Lady Cop(TM) asks for his licence since he’s drinking alcohol in a public place.

“You ask so nicely” drunk Walker says. Ew. “Yeah, they train the girls special” Oh! Can you see? She is the Feminist Icon who Takes No Shit from the Dude! I’m so excited. I am slowly losing the will to live.

She drives him home on the police car. His legs don’t fit. At least this is realistic.

He does exposition in the car, including “I needed to visit a ghost instead”. There-there was no need to say it. What’s the demographic they’re aiming for? Five year olds? Do they have to spell everything out loud?

“It’s been a while since I had an actual conversation” he says, which supposedly explains why he’s making awkward exposition, but it’s just bad writing. At least they acknowledge it’s bad writing.

She figures he’s law enforcement coming back from an undercover mission from some drunken ramble he makes. This is worse than the Sherlock phone cable port thing.

She says she just got promoted from state trooper, ehe she will work with him wink wink nudge nudge. Is she going to be a cop-buddy-character slash love interest except when they’re almost about to realize they’re into each other, his wife comes back and draa~ama? I can already see it.

He goes home, makes some Jared grunts, and falls asleep on the couch.

Next morning, he goes out and jogs to where he left the truck. He puts on a cowboy hat which is supposed to be an artistic shot.

I’m slowly dying. He makes some Jared Deep Breaths, at least this made me laugh.

Wait, he’s now wearing a black hat. He’s in mourning, see? What.

He drives to his father’s ranch. His father is Super Not Impressed. It’s awkward. They took about horses. Mitch Pileggi is thinking that at least the other show was more exciting and there was Jensen Ackles in it.

He gets into his parents’ house and the dogs run to him, he does the Jared Dog Chuckle. He hugs his mom. He hugs his son - “August, my boy!” he says, like a normal person his age says.

He hugs his brother and they joke-wrestle and he says “I’m still the big brother” and did I mention I’m dying inside. I just can tell this is SUPPOSED to be reminiscent of Dean and Sam’s first meeting at Stanford in the pilot except Jared is the big brother now. Ew.

We learn that the brother is a DA and gay. All pilots suffer from Forced Exposition Syndrome but it’s like this isn’t even trying.

He goes to work and hugs (very manly hug of course) his friend-now-boss, who is called James. James asks him if he’s good and he’s like yeah I’m good, which our I’m Fine Lie Moment #1. Some things never change.

Enter the case of the week - a cop offered roadside assistance but he was assaulted. We’re already starting with a “Oh No Poor Cop :( Someone Doesn’t Like Cops And Gets Violent” plot. Yay.

Ta-da! Mexican Lady Cop appears, cowboy hat and all. James says she’s Walker’s new partner. My heart cries while Walker says “figured you’d be a guy” and she replies “so did my mom”. The feminism is so strong :’) She’s such a strong female character :’) I’m so happy :’)

Then Walker makes such a quintessential Jared thing with his mouth that I need to stop this here and take a break.

It’s been 13 minutes. So much still to go. I’m bored. Why am I doing this.

4 AM {Cedric Diggory x Reader}

Requested by: Anonymous Wordcount: 3665 Summary: You’re a transfer student at Hogwarts, and all of these changes are feeling restless. You develop a late-night hobby, but a handsome Hufflepuff catches on.

Everybody needed a bit of time to adjust to new surroundings, like a new school. You took a bit of extra time, considering you were in a new continent, a new culture, a new school and a new house on top of all of it. Transferring from Ilvermorny was a tough thing to do, but you did it at the insistence of your parents, who felt that being at Hogwarts under Albus Dumbledore was far better than your old situation. Much safer, they had put it, despite the Chamber of Secrets and Quirrel and Sirius Black. But hey - safety right? At least there was the opportunity to meet new people, something that you liked doing. And maybe you could pick up a cool British accent while you’re over here. They always sounded so sophisticated, while your American accent was just ... American.

You had been sorted privately into the Slytherin house, which sounded well and good until you reached the common room. It was a bit dreary, you thought. Too much leather on these couches, not enough comfortable fabrics. You became too nervous to sit down in case the seats would squeak and make people think that you had farted. The other Slytherins weren’t the most welcoming, and they didn’t give you a hand as you brought your bags up the staircase to your dormitory. You had to use magic to get them there. The most that you had been given were a couple of side glances. This wasn’t going to be as easy as you had hoped.

On your first night, you had a lot of trouble sleeping. Tossing and turning in the old fashioned four-poster bed. In America, waterbeds were in fashion and you had gotten used to the rolling feeling rather than the roughness of a mattress. It was a good thing that you brought a couple of pepper-up potions to take in the morning just in case this exact thing were to happen.

-

You had carefully chosen your classes for your sixth year. You planned on doing big things with your life after you had graduated, even if you weren’t sure exactly yet what these things were. You took many of the basics, Potions, DADA, Charms, Transfigurations, etc, but also some things like Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies. You didn’t plan on living among muggles, especially, but you loved the way that they did things. They found inventive ways to work around magic, and you always felt more accomplished when you did things in the muggle way. Especially your secret passion - baking.

A lot of your classes happened to be with the Hufflepuff house, who were a bit wary of you at first, but then became genuinely friendly, and much more welcoming than your own house. Despite the differences, you started to hang out with them more than the Slytherins, which didn’t make dorm life particularly comfortable at times. You still found it hard to sleep in there, and had taken to some night time wandering.

It might be the deviousness of the Slytherin house in you, but you figured out some ways to work around the patrols. If you didn’t leave the castle, you didn’t run the risk of running into Dementors. If you stayed in one place, such as a classroom or the kitchens, you were less likely to get caught by the prefects wandering the halls. You were also able to overhear Cedric Diggory, a handsome boy in your year, tell some fifth year prefects the better ways to go, so you now knew how to avoid them as well.

The kitchens were where you usually ended up going. In Muggle Studies at your old school, you learned a lot about how they baked and they cooked without magic. It wasn’t instant, the way that magic was. You buy a roast, you do a cooking spell, and boom - perfectly cooked beef every time. There were spells to whip the potatoes into the perfect peaks, spells to make icing the perfect consistency for cupcakes, even spells for chopping vegetables if you were feeling lazy. The House Elves in these kitchens didn’t use these spells, they did things more by hand, and it was fascinating to watch. You started coming in on these restless nights as they were making bread for the morning’s toast, and one elf in particular was eager to show you how she did it.

“Then you kneed it like this!” She said in a high-pitched voice, showing you with her bony hands. She moved over so that you could give it a try. The dough was surprisingly warm, and pliable beneath your own fingers. You couldn’t help but smile as the feeling of it filled you with warmth. You could see why muggle bakers woke up as early as four in the morning to do all of this. The smells of the baking loaves wafted over to you and you took a deep breath in, and then a deep breath out. You could spend all day in here, you decided. The only thing that was keeping you from doing so were your classes.

-

‘Why were you sneaking around last night?’

The note landed on your textbook as you were reading quietly in Transfiguration class. You hid it quickly beneath the book, looking around to try to see who sent it. Your eyes landed on Cedric, who was looking at you equally as closely. You turned away quickly, flushing. You didn’t think that anyone had seen you sneaking away from the kitchens this morning, going back to the dormitory before anyone else woke up. You had been certain that you were careful.

When McGonagall was seated at her desk, you took the note out and wrote back.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

As you signed the period, the note slipped away from under your quill, fell to the floor, whooshed it’s way to Cedric, seemed to climb up his desk and land on his own textbook. Seemed a little silly, you thought. You could have just handed it to him when the Professor was turned around instead of wasting a spell on it. You thought that the conversation was over and dealt with, when the note came right back to you again.

‘I saw you this morning, near my common room. What have you been up to?’

You scrunched your eyebrows and pursed your lips. There was a murderer on the loose, you knew that, hence the extra security measures but - did anyone really suspect you of having something to do with that? You hadn’t even heard of Sirius Black until you went to Diagon Alley for school supplies!

Rather than write anything back, you underlined the sentence that you had written before. The note didn’t seem happy with that, since it didn’t immediately rush back to Cedric. So you folded up the parchment, waited until an opportune moment, then tossed it over at Cedric. He was apparently not expecting that, because it bounced off his head and onto the floor. There were a few sniggers from other students, which caught McGonagall’s attention. Before she could see the note, Cedric had pressed his shoe over the top of it. She sniffled, then went back to reading, expecting the rest of the class to do the same.

You watched out of the corner of your eye as he slid the note towards himself. When he finally read it, he glared at you, which made you feel uncomfortable. You weren’t ready to give up your baking secret, or even to admit you were breaking the rules for it was forbidden for a student to be out of bed after hours. But still - he couldn’t really suspect you of harboring a killer - could he?

-

You had taken a break from going to the kitchens at night, as much as it hurt you to do so. Now that you knew that the Hufflepuff Common Room was close to the kitchens, it felt too dangerous to do it. Especially with Cedric Diggory on the watch for you. You’d noticed him looking at you from time to time, during meals or class times. It felt less suspicious than your note passing in class, and more like - studying.

After a week had passed though, you couldn’t wait any longer. The house elf that you had befriended had told you that you could help her make cakes for dessert! Now that was something that you were interested in, since you thought maybe you’ve mastered bread. Waiting until the others in your dorm were sleeping, you slipped on your darkest robe and left the common room, making for some of the lesser-used stairs to get up to the kitchens. You would still have to pass the Hufflepuff portrait, though, there was no avoiding that. You stuck to the shadows as much as you could, and stopped often, looking behind you for a sign of prefects. The coast seemed clear.

You tickled the pear in the portrait, which giggled at being touched, then opened up to reveal the busy kitchens, getting ready for the morning ahead. Your friend, a house elf that barely reached your waist and was named Daisy, waved at you from by the massive fireplace which heated soups and stews for the whole castle. You started heading towards her when a hand wrapped gently around your wrist, keeping you in place. You figured out who it was before you even turned around.

“Cedric Diggory,” You groaned, turning around. His amber colored eyes took in the sight of you, dressed in your pajamas with a dark robe covering your body. You were planning to take it off and put on one of the aprons, but he hadn’t given you the time to do that yet. “Are you stalking me?”

“You don’t get to ask the questions. What are you doing in here?” He asked, looking around the kitchens now as if he had just realized what he had walked into. A house elf whistled happily as it walked by with a big baking pan, three loaves on it nearly tottering off. But he never lost his balance. “Why are we in the kitchens?”

“I know why I’m in the kitchens,” You said, pushing his hand off of your arm. You turned around to head over to Daisy. “As for you, I don’t know. I still think you’re stalking me.”

“A Slytherin who sneaks out after hours isn’t up to any good,” He said. You rolled your eyes at the stereotype - it was getting old already.

“Technically, I’m a Thunderbird, that will be always be my home house,” You explained, still feeling much more American than you were European. “So none of that evil snake business, thank you, badger.”

You walked towards your friend, smiling so as not to show that anything was wrong. House-elves could sometimes worry too much for their own good, and it could affect their work. You did not want Cedric’s following of you to cause an innocent student some food poisoning. You took her offered apron, and switched out your robes for it, folding down the front nicely. The Hufflepuff boy had hesitantly followed. He might not have trusted you, but he had faith in the house-elves that they wouldn’t do anything bad.

“So what are we doing today, Daisy?” You asked happily, approaching her counter. She was a cute little thing, dressed in a bright yellow smock with an apron over top.

“We are making cakes!” She said, clapping with excitement. It had taken you a little while to get used to her high-pitched voice, especially when she sang, which she often did while working. “Vanilla and strawberry because it’s almost Spring!”

She set you to work mixing ingredients while she measured them. You could see Cedric hovering out of the corner of your eye, unsure of what to make of all this. “Oh come on,” You said finally, not being able to take it any longer. The batter that you were working on was enough to make perhaps three cakes, but there would have to be much more than that before the day is through. “You can help with this, you know. Or are you scared of getting a little dirty?”

You put your fingers in flour and flicked some at him. It landed on his pajama shirt. He tried to wipe it off but it just made a white smear, which made you giggle. “I guess I might as well,” He said, finally letting his guard down. Daisy found him another apron, and set him about working on his own bowl of cake mix.

“No, no,” You said, seeing how fast he was mixing. It had even alarmed Daisy, who wouldn’t dare say anything bad about it. You could just gauge by how big her eyes got. “Slowly - you fold in the eggs, you don’t just ... make it go wild like that. We want a fluffier texture. There’s such a thing as over mixing, isn’t there Daisy?”

“That’s right!” She squeaked.

Cedric conceded. He went a little slower this time, taking your direction rather well. You added in the last bits of vanilla to the mix, then helped to measure them into the pans that Daisy had taken away to put into the oven. “What now?” He asked, wiping his hands on his apron.

“We do it again - unless you’re wanting to go and get a bit more sleep,” You shrugged. “Though that means you’re going to miss the best part.”

“And what’s that?” He asked, raising one of his bushy eyebrows. He didn’t have suspicion in his eyes anymore. In fact, you might almost say it looked like he was having fun.

“The decorating! Fresh strawberries, whipped cream, enough icing to send me into a sugar coma. Oh, it’s Heaven. I’ve been waiting for this day for weeks now.” You said, your mouth nearly watering as you thought about all of the treats that you were going to make. “And then, after dinner tonight, we’ll be at our tables and voila! Cakes! And nobody knows we helped to make them which makes it feel sneaky.”

“Knew there would be a catch,” Cedric said, picking up another mixing bowl since the other one had been taken away for cleaning. “I knew you were heading out at night for some reason. I just didn’t expect it to be this.”

“Oh, so just because I’m Slytherin, you think that I was up to no good?” You asked, feeling offended by his assumptions. You picked up a new mixing bowl as well, and a clean spoon.

“Well...” Cedric said, rubbing the back of his neck. You were both in an awkward waiting position until Daisy came back to measure ingredients once more. “How was I to know it would be this?”

“You could have asked rather than accusing me by note,” You shrugged, spinning the spoon around in your hands. You could smell some of the other bakers beginning to prepare the whipped icing that would be going on the cake. It was beginning to make your mouth water. They might as well be working with ambrosia, the food of the gods.

The little house elf did come running with her measuring cups to weight out ingredients and you were finally able to get back to work. Surprisingly, Cedric stayed. He stayed as the cakes were brought out of the oven and put to freeze to make them easier to ice. He stayed as you struggled with a piping bag, and ended up with frosting all over your apron.

“Stop laughing,” You said, as you saw that he was chuckling. He turned away but you could still feel his shoulders move. You glared at him, wiped a glob off your apron and onto your finger, then flicked it right at the back of his neck. That made him stop real quick. He turned back to look at you and you gave him your widest grin. “Oops.”

“No food fights, please!” Daisy wheezed, which put an end to whatever Cedric was thinking about. He wiped it off, onto his apron, then chuckled again.

“Yeah, no food fights,” He repeated to you, as if you were the one getting the scolding. You rolled your eyes, then went back to trying to get the piping bag right. You managed, without exploding it this time, and wasting the precious icing. Still though, you took little dallops of it off your apron and stuck it into your mouth, savoring the flavor.

“Has there ever been a food fight at Hogwarts?” You wondered allowed, stepping back to admire your handiwork. You could imagine one happening in the Great Hall, given how much food was in there on a constant basis. Cedric looked a little surprise that you were asking him in such a pleasant tone rather than the snippiness that you had been passing back and forth.

“A couple of years ago,” Cedric said, smiling as he thought about it. “You know the Weasley twins, from the Gryffindor Quidditch team? They started one in their first year. Now there’s a spell on the tables where it can’t happen anymore.”

“I hope Dumbledore forgets one year. Because now, I gotta start one.” You said, thinking that you had to talk to these twins about how they did it. And maybe a Ravenclaw for counter-spells.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Cedric said, winking at you over his own creation. His was a lot messier than yours, but it would hopefully taste good, that’s what was important. “Strawberries?”

“Strawberries,”  You affirmed. A house elf came over with a basket of the fresh fruit, just washed and shiny. You go to work with a knife now, which seemed a little dangerous. As you took it up to cut the leaves off, you looked over at Cedric. He already had the knife in hand and was chopping surprisingly well. He seemed to have some talent other than Quidditch and a winning smile. And - best of all, he seemed to trust that you weren’t going to attack with him the knife. Pretty big deal for a Slytherin.

When the cakes that you were making were finished, you took off the apron and stiffled a yawn. In the time that it had taken you and Cedric to make three a piece, house elves had finished a couple dozen. Yours and his weren’t as picture perfect as the others, but you were happy with your work nonetheless. “Alright, well, g’night...” You said, stretching as you went into the hallway. You could faintly see the sun beginning to rise through the window, the sky no longer black but a lighter shade of navy.

“This was fun,” Cedric admitted, turning to look at you, flour staining the front of his once-perfect robes where the apron didn’t cover. “You do this every night?”

“It’s usually just bread that I make,” You admitted. “The cake was much more fun than that. But bread is really cool, the way that it’s made with just the simplest things. I think I want to become a baker after graduating, but who knows...” You shrugged. The world was still a dark place. But surely that meant that there was going to be more of a need for baked goods to lighten the load and make people feel a little better.

“You’re great at it,” Cedric complimented. Well, that was a nice touch. The Golden boy of Hufflepuff was giving you a compliment, and making you feel a bit of the honeyglow.

“Thanks.” You said. You took a couple of steps down the hallway which would lead you to the stairs down towards the dungeons, but you stopped, turning around. “Are you going to tell on me?”

“No,” Cedric said, after taking a couple of seconds to think. “I might join you again sometime, though.”

“Well that’s fine then,” You said with a smile. “Goodnight, Cedric.”

“Good morning, y/n,” Cedric said, running his fingers through his hair once more, before turning himself to go to his own dormitory. You laughed as you watched him go, then hurried yourself along to get ready for the day.

-

At dessert the next night, you were surprised to see not one of the picture perfect cakes that the elves had made, but rather one of the haphazard ones that was definitely Cedric’s. You couldn’t help but chuckle as you saw the uneven strawberries and the frosting dripping over the sides. The Slytherin girl next to you commented on how it looked ‘like a child had made it’ and got up to go down the table to one of the nicer looking cakes.

You eagerly took a piece. The cake itself was perfection, it was just the uneven frosting that made it look a little wonky. As you cut into it, you looked over to the Hufflepuff table to catch eyes with the baker himself. He had one of your cakes in front of him, and had loaded two pieces onto his plate. He gave you his heart-melting smile and you returned the sentiment. You stabbed a piece of the cake onto your fork and held it up as if in cheers. He did the same.

It wasn’t the same as eating with him exactly, but it was nice nonetheless. You had become restless during the nights because of how homesick you were, and you found something which could become a life-long love. And, well, you really didn’t mind that Cedric was along for the ride.

Difference Between Aesthetic or Esthetic

"Aesthetic" and "esthetic" are terms often encountered in discussions of art, beauty, and culture. Although they might appear to represent different concepts, they are essentially the same word with variations in spelling. The distinction between these two forms largely comes down to regional preferences in English language usage. This article will explore the nuances of "aesthetic" and "esthetic" to clarify their meanings and appropriate applications. AspectAestheticEstheticDefinitionPertaining to the appreciation of beauty or good tastePertaining to the appreciation of beauty or good tasteRegional UsagePreferred in British English and in general global usageOften used in American English, but less frequentlySpelling OriginGreek origin, "aisthētikos," meaning "sensitive, perceptive"Simplified spelling, dropping the initial 'Ae'Pronunciation/esˈθetɪk//esˈθetɪk/Usage in ContextArt, culture, philosophy, designSame contexts as "aesthetic," though less common Difference Between “Aesthetic” and “Esthetic” Definition of Aesthetic Aesthetic refers to the branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is also used to describe a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. Definition of Esthetic Esthetic is an alternative spelling of "aesthetic." It holds the same meaning and is used in the same contexts. The variation in spelling is primarily a matter of regional language preference. Regional Usage - Aesthetic: This spelling is more commonly used and accepted worldwide, particularly in British English and other forms of English outside the United States. - Esthetic: This form is often found in American English. It represents a simplified spelling, which is a characteristic feature of American English orthography. Spelling and Etymology - The term "aesthetic" comes from the Greek "aisthētikos," which means "sensitive, perceptive." This spelling retains the original Greek root. - "Esthetic" is a variation that drops the initial 'Ae,' following a pattern in American English where certain words are spelled more phonetically. Pronunciation Both "aesthetic" and "esthetic" are pronounced the same way: /esˈθetɪk/. The difference in spelling does not affect the pronunciation. Comparing Aesthetic and Esthetic The primary distinction between "aesthetic" and "esthetic" is in spelling rather than meaning or usage. Both terms are used in art, philosophy, culture, and design to refer to matters related to beauty, taste, and the nature of art. The choice between them typically depends on the regional or stylistic preferences of the writer or speaker. Usage in Sentences with Explanations Use of Aesthetic in Sentences - The museum's exhibit focused on the aesthetic qualities of ancient Greek sculpture. (Reflects the common global usage in discussing art.) - Her home's interior design has a minimalist aesthetic. (Describes a particular style or philosophy of beauty.) - Understanding the aesthetic principles of a period can provide insight into its culture. (Used in the context of philosophical or cultural analysis.) - Aesthetic appreciation varies greatly from one individual to another. (General use in discussing the perception of beauty.) - The architect is known for his unique aesthetic vision. (Refers to a specific style or approach in design or art.) Use of Esthetic in Sentences - The esthetic appeal of the artwork captivated the audience. (American English usage, interchangeable with "aesthetic.") - Her esthetic sense is influenced by modernist themes. (Used in the same way as "aesthetic," but reflects American spelling preference.) - Esthetic judgments are often subjective and culturally influenced. (Shows the term used in discussions about beauty or art.) - The esthetic elements of the play added to its dramatic impact. (Referring to the visual or artistic aspects in a theatrical context.) - In dental practice, esthetic considerations are as important as functional ones. (Illustrates the term used in a specialized professional context, like dentistry.) Conclusion While "aesthetic" and "esthetic" might appear different at first glance, they are essentially the same word with alternate spellings. "Aesthetic" is more universally recognized and is the preferred form in British English and other non-American forms of English. "Esthetic," on the other hand, is a variation seen in American English, embodying a trend towards simplified spelling. Understanding this distinction allows for appropriate and contextually sensitive use of the terms in discussions of art, beauty, and culture. Commonly Asked Questions Q: Can "esthetic" be considered incorrect? A: No, "esthetic" is not incorrect. It is a valid spelling variation used primarily in American English. However, "aesthetic" is more widely used and recognized globally. Q: Should I always use "aesthetic" in academic writing? A: In academic writing, the choice between "aesthetic" and "esthetic" should align with the style guide or standard used by the institution or publication. If there is no specific guideline, "aesthetic" is generally a safe choice. Q: Are there any contexts where one spelling is preferred over the other? A: Yes, "aesthetic" is typically preferred in global English usage, including in academic, cultural, and artistic contexts. "Esthetic" may be used in American English contexts, but it is less common. FAQ What is the difference between aesthetic and esthetic? The terms aesthetic and esthetic are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings in various contexts. Aesthetic refers to the study or theory of beauty and anything that is beautiful or pleasing to the senses. Esthetic is simply a variant spelling of aesthetic commonly used in the US. What do aesthetic and esthetic mean in the context of the beauty industry? In the beauty industry, aesthetic procedures and treatments are often associated with medical interventions, while esthetic specialists focus on cosmetic treatments. Aesthetic procedures may include microblading, laser hair removal, and medical grade skin peels, while esthetic specialists may specialize in waxing, facials, and other non-medical cosmetic treatments. What services do aestheticians and estheticians offer? Aestheticians focus on medical specializations and treatments, such as laser hair removal and medical grade skin peels. Estheticians provide cosmetic services, including waxing and facials. What is the difference between an aesthetician and an esthetician? Aestheticians have aesthetics licenses and focus on medical specializations and treatments, often working in dermatologist offices or medical settings. Estheticians have esthetics licenses and provide cosmetic services, such as waxing, facials, and non-medical cosmetic treatments. How should aestheticians and estheticians brand themselves? Aestheticians should use some form of the word aesthetic in their branding to indicate the types of services they offer, focusing on medical specializations and treatments for a more serious and professional image. Estheticians have more flexibility in their branding and can create a more playful and welcoming image, emphasizing their cosmetic services. Read the full article

A guide for proper terminology for Nicky Hemmick:

Written by me, a Mexican-American.

Latin American: someone from Latin America, this includes Mexico but not Spain. Latin America is multi ethnic, and not just Spanish speaking, the non Spanish speaking countries of Latin America are Brazil, Belize, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and the Falkland Islands.

Latino: decent from Latin America, similar to saying Latin American, but can include people born in America of Latin American decent. People don't really say "Latin American American," they say Latino American. (Latina = woman, and Latine = neutral but not commonly used, often typed Latin@s online for shorthand to include both). Latin American countries are very diverse, some are dominantly black/Afro-Latino.

Afro-Latino: Afro-Latin Americans are dominantly from African decent, some Latin American countries are majorly black/Afro-Latino. when used outside of Latin America it can mean someone who’s mixed black and Latino. 

Latinx: "gender neutral" term for Latino, but probably made by white people because .... Spanish words don't end in x, and x isn't pronounced that way in Spanish, for example the name Xitlali (sometimes spelled Zitlali and other variations, but pronounced like an S). Honestly say Latino/Latinos or Latin@s, and in online queer spaces Latine/Latines.

Chicano: Latin American decent but born in America.

Hispanic: related to Spain, colonized by Spain, so this includes Spain but not Brazil, which is a Latin American country.

Mexican: a person from Mexico living in America, for example Nicky's mom, but often also casually used to mean Mexican Americans (or Latino/Chicanos in general).

Mexican American: Latin American decent born into America. Unlike chicano, it is associated more with the idea of assimilation into white America, but not always.

Mexicano: what Mexicans call themselves in Mexico (feminine is Mexicana).

TexMex: people who were living in Mexico, and then America bought/stole the land and said "this is also America now, you can leave or stay" and they stayed. They became Americans, Texas Mexican American culture is different than for example SoCal Mexican American culture because of this, (but still more in common with each other than not).

Anglo: someone who is non Latino, usually in reference to someone who lives in the America's that were colonized by British people and English is the standard spoken language, ex/ North Americans and Canadians who aren't Latino. Usually in reference to white people but not always. If someone is Asian American and constantly purposefully mispronounces my name, instead of being like "🙄white people" I can be like "🙄 Anglos" (or I could say gringo, which is not as nice of a term for anglo). I honestly don’t know if I can call a spaniard anglo, but I assume not, since they're not Anglo-Saxon, which is where the term comes from.

despite what the media represents, not all Latino’s are Mexican! although the two terms are often used interchangeably when they’re really not. there are 32 other countries besides Mexico in Latin America.

Mexican is technically a nationality, but because of colonialism it’s not that simple. Race dynamics work differently in different countries. Most Mexicanos are not connected with their mixed indigenous ancestors, while some still are, like the Maya. It is something that has been taken from us and has evolved into its own thing. Some Mexicanos are lighter than others, sometimes by being more related to the Spanish than the indigenous. Mexico has a huge problem with colorism and class divide as well as overall racial tension.

Mexico is also not only "white/more Spanish" "more brown" and "fully indigenous, culturally and ethnically", there are afro-latinos (like mentioned before), and also Asian latinos, specifically a large amount of Chinese immigrants from when China became communist, middle eastern latinos, etc. Latin America has immigrants too! 

I have a friend who is fully Korean but grew up in Guatemala, I have another friend from Brazil who is 100% of polish and Ashkenazi decent, her grandparents having escaped to Brazil during WWII, but she and her parents grew up and spent their whole lives in Brazil, they are Latin Americans. 

List of things Nicky's mom Maria is:

Mexican, Mexicana, Latina, Latin American, 'Hispanic' but like.... outdated term and usually when people use this they just mean Latin@.

List of things Nicky is:

Mexican-American, Latino, "Mexican" in the broad sense of the word.

Describing Nicky or his mother as "looking hispanic" doesn't really make sense because he takes after his mother who is described as very dark and therefore less Spanish decent and more indigenous decent, she's from a Spanish speaking country so... its not technically wrong, but Nicky is from and English speaking one and doesn't speak Spanish, so it doesn't really make sense.

He isn't Chicano and neither is she, she wasn't born in America and Nicky doesn't identify as Chicano or in general much with his mothers culture beyond visible features. He is never mentioned to make Mexican food, listen to Latin American music, or other aspects of Latino culture in general. He chose to go to Germany instead of Spain or Latin America, and he talked Aaron out of taking Spanish in exchange for German so Nicky could help him with his homework, (meaning he doesn't know Spanish, which many Mexican Americans don't know).

saying Nicky “looked Mexican” or “looked brown” isn’t a bad thing, Neil in the books says he’s two shades too dark to be considered tan, so... stop tip-toeing around it and call him brown instead of tan. It’s not a bad thing to be brown, and It’s not a bad thing to be Mexican. maybe I’m just from somewhere with a lot of Mexican-Americans, but when I look at people I can tell they’re not Anglos, or I think to myself “oh another Mexican” or at least “brown person” vs when I see a white person I think “white person.” I’m not face blind, I know that different races exist and look different and can see such trends in real people in the same way that when I look at a little girl I go “oh a little girl” not “what sex is this weird hairless animal, what is this alien”.

these concepts are a lot more complicated in practice, I get told often I don’t “look Mexican” but so does one of my cousins who’s afro latino and plays professional basketball in Mexico. Gender is fake but the majority of people we see are still falling into two categories on sight, it’s how we’re socially trained. 

I'm also not an encyclopedia, if you think I made a mistake let me know and I'll check it out. A lot of this was just off the top of my head and words I just learned from.... existing, I didn't exactly look them all up in the dictionary.

Also if you’re writing Nicky, don’t be afraid to get a sensitivity reader, @sensitivityreaders is a good resource for this, and so is @writingwithcolor

How to Format Your Finished Manuscript

as written by a perpetually flabbergasted editor

Congratulations, you’ve finished a manuscript! That monumental achievement alone deserves a reward. Please get yourself something delicious—don’t worry, I can wait.

Back? Awesome, because it’s time to talk about an important step of the prepublishing and/or pre-editing process, and that is how to format your manuscript.

When you’re writing your manuscript, it’s likely you have a unique setup. Fancy fonts, different text and document background colors, your preferred way of formatting the document—all elements work together to create a comfortable writing space where you can be your most creative.

As both a writer and editor, I have no problems with writers going wild with their documents’ technical aspects while they’re drafting—I do exactly the same thing when drafting. But when it comes time to share your project with other people—especially professionals in the publishing world—your snazzy setup is no longer going to be a benefit. I could share horror stories relating to document setup, from thousands of spaces used instead of the tab key to wacky file conversion issues.

Please don’t make your editor’s job any harder than it needs to be. Fancy formatting looks great, but it can be a nightmare to undo and wastes time that your editor could otherwise spend polishing the words themselves rather than what’s around them. It’s also significantly easier to work with a document that adheres to a standard format because it’s easier to catch mistakes that way—the editor isn’t distracted trying to wrangle extra spaces and text appearing in other languages.

Most publishing houses have what are called submission guidelines. Read them. Follow them. There’s little chance your manuscript is exempt from the rules, and believe me when I say authors who flaunt the guidelines don’t win the respect of the people who are working on their manuscripts.

If the publisher/editing service you’re submitting to doesn’t have obvious guidelines, first ask about them. They might have preferences. If not, as follows are some basic standard practices in North American publishing.

First off, if you can’t bear to give up your fancy writing setup, create a new copy of your document specifically for editing/submitting. Clearly label it as such. Make sure you implement any changes to this for-editing/submitting document, not just your fancy original.

Page and text setup:

Remove any document background images/page colors.

Change the entire document’s font to Times New Roman point 12. Make it black. Not dark gray, not dark brown—black.

Set the margins to one inch on all sides. This is Microsoft Word’s default document format, but not enough submitted manuscripts use it. Remember: layout for publishing comes after editing, not before. Editors are liable to completely change your document’s pretty formatting to industry standards anyway.

Set the document’s orientation to portrait, not landscape.

Center all section and chapter titles (e.g., Table of Contents, Chapter 1, Acknowledgements, About the Author, etc.).

Remove all double spaces from the file. Seriously. This is an incredibly easy step. Do not make your overworked, underpaid editor do this incredibly trivial and time-consuming task for you. Especially if you are using double spaces to indent or center content. If you, for some reason, are using the space bar to indent or center content, please stop what you are doing and follow these steps:

Use your word processor’s “center text” function. In programs like Word, this can be done by hitting Control + E. (Ctrl + L and Ctrl + R, respectively, align text left and right.) Do not justify your text unless the guidelines demand it.

Use the tab key to indent paragraphs.

But bear in mind that sometimes this can result in a “tab” character existing at the beginning of a paragraph. This is bad. Preferably, set the entire document to a 0.5-inch indent and delete all tab characters.

Seriously, though, you should be searching every document before you send it out or copy it to an online format for double spaces. Make this a good habit, and you’ll ensure you set yourself apart as a cut above the other writers out there.

Set the entire document’s line spacing to double.

Front matter, chapters, and back matter should be separated by page breaks, not by a series of blank lines.

If you really want to delight your editor or anyone else who needs to work on your manuscript, consider removing all leading and trailing spaces from the document (link embedded).

Style elements:

Run spell check. This sounds obvious, but trust me, I’ve received manuscripts riddled with obvious spelling errors. If you write with spell check off for one reason or another, turn it back on when you’re getting ready to send a document out. Make a full pass on the document, and pay attention to every instance of that red squiggle.

Make sure you’re spelling the names of your characters and places consistently. I’ve seen Matt become Mike in the next paragraph, and Donilo become Donillo. Editors’ trust in the author’s abilities to do anything with competence drop drastically when we find these kinds of careless errors.

Similarly, either use the American spellings or the British spellings. Be consistent.

Separate your scenes with fleuron breaks. Three centered asterisks (***) used without spaces is the most common method of creating a fleuron break and the one I recommend using, although sometimes three number signs/hashes (###) can be acceptable. Do not use fancy symbols or symbols created through special fonts. They will not carry through if your editor changes your entire document to Times New Roman.

Optional change: remove the indent from the first paragraph in a chapter or after a scene break.

Make a point of using punctuation consistently. If you’re going to use the oxford comma, use it every time. Use a single dash consistently. Punctuate dialogue properly.

Improperly punctuated dialogue is one of the most common errors editors fix. There are only a few basic rules, covered here (link embedded), so please make an effort to learn and use them.

Use paragraphs properly. New speaker = new paragraph. New subject = new paragraph.

Once again, if you really want to delight your editor, change all hyphens between number ranges to en dashes. 3-5 days will become 3–5 days.

Correctly title your document. The title isn’t somehow going to magically change from StupidProject.docx or afhuowjfoa;wijef.docx to TheHungerGames.docx between your submitting it and other people reading the title.

If possible, use the .docx file format.

I want to wrap this up by saying that yes, editors are here to catch the mistakes you’ve missed, and we invariably have obscure technical knowledge that most writers don’t know exists (in Greek, the question mark is represented by a semicolon), but it’s your job as the writer to put your best effort forward. Also bear in mind that not all editors get paid to handle formatting issues but are expected to resolve them anyway. Fixing these basic issues yourself or, better yet, not creating them at all will help both you and your editor(s) ensure the version of the book you put out is the best possible version.