Style rules that will get you fired

Yeah, yeah, Twitter, trendy, blah, blah, blah.

But I’ve just started following the Twitter feed of FakeAPStylebook, and it’s hilarious.

Of course, the AP (in Canada, CP) Stylebook is the bible of any newsroom, settling arguments and keeping newspapers on the same page (hee!) when they do their writing. Journalists follow Associated Press or Canadian Press (or Reuters, or etc.) style so that if it’s spelled “email” on Page 1, it’s not spelled “e-mail” on Page 3. (Basically, it’s a series of rules and rationales to settle arguments.)

The people behind FakeAPStyle have come to Twitter to share their much pithier rules and rationales. Some of my favourites from their recent feed include:

• If you’re short on space, “fake” may be used in place of “psychic” or “homeopathic.”
• While it’s tempting to call them “baristi” because of the Italian roots, the plural of “barista” is “journalism majors.”
• The correct spelling is ‘Mr. T.’ People who type out ‘Mister’ are fools to be pitied.
• Until one gains the credentials to be regarded as a professional, a person who has sex for money is called an “amateurstitute.”
• “Android” and “robot” may be used interchangeably. “Filthy gear head” should be avoided.

Fyi, you can follow Absurd Intellectual on Twitter, too. So far, it’s just an auto-feed of all our blog posts, but if I ever manage to stumble on a good Twitter app for my HTC Touch Diamond, I might do more esoteric updates, too.