Killing Me Softly With His Wrong

Come closer. I want to whisper to you. Softly. The passage pictured is from Murder By Mocha, a "Coffeehouse Mystery" book my mother read. The biggest mystery — to this editor, anyway — is the one brewing on the opening page of Chapter 21. Allow me to bring it to light.

How is that living room lit? Softly?

Hardly.

I'm seeing "softly lit" in a new light. The l has alit from the page, leaving us with a "softy lit" room, to the horror of English lit majors everywhere.

Next time, seek softly and bury a big sic*. Otherwise, I will impose swift and severe punishment. Oh, whom am I kidding? I'm a big softy.

*Sic – a Latin adverb used to indicate that erroneous material has been intentionally written as it originally appeared. Sic is usually italicized and placed in brackets or parentheses.

Example: For unknown reasons, the student's G-rated sign, which read "WE'RE BETTER THEN [sic] YOU," was confiscated by arena security.

Explanation: The "[sic]" above is used to let the reader know that the sign should have read "WE'RE BETTER THAN YOU."

I'd like to thank my mom for sharing today's typo. I'd also like to take a moment to wish her a very happy birthday. She turns [number deleted] today. I love you, Mom. Your [sic] the best! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!