Originally Posted by
bearisgray
"cut 20 strips width of fabric, then subcut each strip into 4inch squares."
Originally Posted by
Sammie1
Cut, or don't cut. There is no subcut.
What is "subcut"? Does this mean wishy-washy cutting? That you're sort of cutting? Or are you cutting something underneath the fabric? Why are they using "subcut"? Why not use the term "cut"? And "strips widths"? What?
"Subcut"? "Strips widths"? Those are not a thing. That's naughty writing. :P
The phrase she used wasn't "strips width
s", it was "strips width". Width is singular. It could have read "cut 20 strips the width of the fabric". I've even seen it written "20 strips WOF" which means they're assuming you know what WOF means. Subcut seems to be one of those terms that people think clarifies the instructions; it implies that you cut the fabric, then cut it again.
However, I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm not a technical writer, but it drives me crazy when I see poorly written instructions published - especially when I paid for them.
One of the most useful and important lessons I learned in my high school English class was how to write an instructional paper. The assignment was to write an essay on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and assume the person reading it was from Mars. We all thought it was an easy A, and we laughed it off. But the teacher demonstrated how many assumptions we students make about our readers by attempting to make an actual sandwich from our instructions. It was hilarious and very enlightening.