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When "illegal" is inaccurate
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Election Day is less than three weeks away, and, as promised, we're continuing to share guidance on writing about issues that are front and center this election season. Today we're focusing on immigration, which is getting a lot of attention in the presidential race. We wrote a few weeks ago about abortion and how you shouldn't adopt the language of politicians when you're writing about the issue, and the same is true with immigration. Don't use the term "illegal alien" outside of direct quotes. Instead, use person-first language and describe actions rather than relying on labels whenever possible. But don't automatically substitute "people who entered the country illegally" for "illegal aliens." In some cases, politicians are using the label "illegal aliens" to refer to people who are in the country legally. Sharing this type of advice is just one way we're trying to help journalists during election season. We also have a free guide with research-backed strategies for dealing with everything from reporting on conspiracy theories to responding to accusations of bias. You can download it here. And of course, qualifying newsrooms can access Stylebot for free through Election Day, thanks to the Knight Election Hub. And before you go, we'd love your feedback on new features we're building for Stylebot. Please take less than a minute to answer these two quick questions:
Thanks for your help! ❤ Team Stylebot
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Hone your writing skills and never use "hone in" again. Get writing tips, have fun with words and learn something new in a one-minute read each week by signing up for Stylebot’s newsletter.
If you waited with bated breath last week for the Ides of March to pass, you can thank Shakespeare. We already told you that he gets the credit for the lasting power of the Ides of March as a bad omen. He's also responsible for keeping bait's homophone "bate" around in another enduring phrase. We don't use "bate" very much anymore, but it came about in the 1300s to mean "to diminish" (and yes, its origins are tied to a shorter version of "abate," which is still commonly used today)....
Today is Friday the 13th, the second one of the year. And if today's association with bad luck isn't enough for you, then look no further than Sunday's bad omen: the Ides of March. So what do we make of these two inauspicious days? The origins of Friday the 13th being unlucky are hard to pin down, though Christianity and Norse mythology regard 13 as an unlucky number of dinner guests, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica also points to other biblical references that regard Friday...
If you've been watching hockey this season or you're gearing up for this year's World Cup, you're likely familiar with the term hat trick. And if you're not, here you go: It's when one player scores three goals in one game. It's commonly associated with hockey and soccer, but it can apply to other sports, as well as to a series of three victories. But there are no hats in soccer, and hockey players wear helmets. So why the "hat"? "Hat trick" made its sports debut in cricket. When a bowler...