Seize the cheese – seize v siege

In news, we often use the words siege and seize – and in my role in a TV newsroom (keeping up with breaking news especially on-line) I often see siege or seize spelled incorrectly – getting the I and E in the wrong order.

In my early days as a reporter, I’d often have to check that I didn’t get the two mixed up – until a  subeditor taught me an easy way to remember which word had EI instead of IE.

 

The simple trick: Seize the cheese.

 

Cheese rhymes with seize. Cheese has lots of  Es – therefore Seize – has the E first.

 

 

I know this sounds simple  and childish – but it’s a simple way to remember – and ‘simple’ helps when you are in a rush.

 

Unlike print media – the ‘tools’ you write television words into usually do not have spell check – especially when quickly typing in strap-lines or supers. (I think in the UK they call the Astons)

So when you are besIEged with last-minute words to write, sEIze this advice and ‘seize the cheese!’