I was listening to the most recent Grammar Girl podcast episode and learned that something I thought I knew most of my life was wrong. I love learning the facts behind everyday things, so I’m sharing it with you.
Op-Ed, that place in the paper where people can send letters, does not mean Opinion Editorial, as in “the opinion of the reader” but Opposite Editorial. And it isn’t called opposite because the letters were the opposite opinion of the editorials. No, it is called Opposite Editorial because it’s printed on the opposite page from the editorial.
What a simple yet complicated explanation. Now that newspapers are going digital, some papers are changing the name of the Op-Ed because it is no longer opposite of anything. I hope the new names they choose are clear in their meaning.