Benjamin Dreyer: Also, as your CE, I would have done precisely what your actual CE did: simply asked you sic? over and over in the margin. Perfectly good shorthand, in no way suggesting a desire or intention to insert the dreaded thing into the text. OK, I'm done grumping. Give 'em hell.

For @bcdreyer.bsky.social or other copyeditors: What does "sic?" mean as a MS comment? I assumed it meant "Is this correct?", and said "yes" all over. Now in proofs I see the actual text "[_sic_]" inserted everywhere, fucking up my work, and I'm extremely upset. They don't want to change back.

Absolutely tf not. Yes, you were being (reasonably) asked whether an apparent oddity in your ms. was correct/authentic. No, you were not, in saying yes, granting anyone permission to insert [sic] into your typeset pages over and over. I would scream the g.d. house down.

Also, as your CE, I would have done precisely what your actual CE did: simply asked you sic? over and over in the margin. Perfectly good shorthand, in no way suggesting a desire or intention to insert the dreaded thing into the text. OK, I'm done grumping. Give 'em hell.

Related: selection from the copy editor's comments and author's responses on T.E. Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

That's pretty funny. Especially the "Rather!"

Speaking of line readings you can hear.

Clearly casting O’Toole was spot-on!

There seems to be the subtext of "And your point is?"

I usually ask "as meant?" Relatedly, I find myself deleting a lot of the "sic"s authors want to put in. Often too much, reader can see that it's not a mistake....

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