The return of the grouchy editor face

I have returned. Meow.

The grouchy editor face doesn’t ever really go away. I just save it for a grouchy day. Today I have a special message for you that I’m going to call “The Grouchy Editor: Island Edition.”

Let’s break it down into two parts:

1.) Pop quiz time! Choose the best answer:

You’re flying from Oakland to Honolulu. When you land, you will be:

a.) in O’ahu
b.) on O’ahu
c.) heading to the nearest beachfront bar for cocktails and pupus

All right — you caught me. That was a trick question, because either b or c would be correct. Why not a?

Although I can’t cite any references or style guides off the top of my head that would back me up on this, it’s a generally agreed-upon fact that one is on an island, rather than in it. If one is in an island, wouldn’t that suggest that one is actually inside an island — as in stuck deep within a lava tube?

On the other hand, as with any state, one can be in Hawai’i. Just as one can be “in” a city, being “in” a state has to do with borders and map outlines. In other words, islands are land masses upon which we tread, while states and cities are territories with politically defined boundaries within which we are located.

Ah, but what about the Big Island? If Auntie June is visiting Hilo, is she on Hawai’i, or is she in it?

Easy. Both!

2.) Hawai’i, for better or for worse, is the 50th state of the United States of America.

When referring to the 48 contiguous states, in relation to Hawai’i, they are known as the mainland — not “the States.” Thus, to go from Hawai’i to the mainland is not going “stateside,” but simply going to the mainland.

That is all for today.