Thanks to my lovely editor, I now have a better understanding of this “Chicago” system used for editing. No, that’s not quite true. I know what she is referring to now but understanding it? I doubt if that will ever happen. English English is confusing enough, add New Zealand idioms and the murkiness becomes cloudier. I think I’ll pursue my learning of American English to little bits at a time. Maggie was kind enough to give me the appropriate Wikipedia reference so I could really dig deep and figure it all out. “The Chicago Manual of Style (abbreviated in writing as CMS or CMOS, or verbally as Chicago) is a style guide for American English published since 1906. Its 15 editions have prescribed writing and citation styles widely used in publishing. The CMS deals with aspects of editorial practice, from American English grammar and usage to document preparation.” I was tempted to explore the numerous links available from that Wikipedia entry but after a couple my brain started sizzling and I thought it better not to confuse myself any more than I was already confused.

The never ending instances of learning opportunities we can pick up when we least expect them always adds to the excitement of this you-never-know-what’s-going-to-happen-tomorrow career. I love it.