The "Ameri" Prefix

Define the word part "Ameri" as a prefix and watch some of those unique proper names actually translate!  Steno Wizard was in court one day and didn't even realize this gem was in the SW steno database until the attorney said something along the lines of the company is named either "Amerisure" or "Amerishield" or "Ameristaff" -- and SW was quite astonished to notice this little lovely section looking quite readable with no editing involved.

This has sparked an idea to think of some other more unique word parts that may be input as prefixes and/or suffixes to aid in realtime translation. 

Perhaps -shner, -enberg, -heimer, Eichen- or owitz?

Added August 2012 -- Just had a witness say she worked for Americare and ta-da!  We just can't take our dictionaries for granted.  Amazing...

What will be will be...

Steno Wizard struggled for several years with the -le ending and the brief "will" written with the final side -L key.  SW realizes some reporters use the initial side HR-/L for the "will" brief, but that wasn't the way SW initially learned it in school (or at least the final side -L was something that stuck for oh so many years).  Anyway, to resolve this sticky wicket, "will" began to be written out WEUL and the final side -L key is defined as the "le" ending in the steno database (dictionary).  That solution seems to be working well.

What about those wonderful phrasing possibilities with "will be" and "it will" you ask?  Steno Wizard writes "will be" as a stack WEUBL and "it will" as TWEUL.   One can also write "it will be" in one stroke as well TWEUBL.  

The word "twill" has the asterisk inserted into the stroke, sort of like the button on a piece of twill clothing.  The proper name Will also has the asterisk inserted into the stroke.

will WEUL
will be WEUBL
it will TWEUL
it will be  TWEUBL

This solution may or may not work for you, but it's food for thought nonetheless (TPHOPBLS).

By the way, SW has been using T-L for the word "typical" and T*L for the word "typically" -- so SW hasn't missed the final "L" key for "will" quite so much.

Phrasing to Gain Speed!

Speed is an essential component to great realtime translation.  In order to have control, a reporter needs to be able to keep up with the speaker.  Phrasing is one of those methods.  Here's some phrasing that Steno Wizard has been exploring recently with great success.  SW has been trying to listen to and think of these phrases as one word, and that seems to be working well.

make sure MAEURB
going to TKPWOGT
going to the TKPWOGTD
is going to STKPWOGT
is going to the STKPWOGTD
going to be TKPWOEB
going to happen TKPWOEP
can you tell me KUPLT
what do you do WHAUD
what did you do WHA*UD (* dots the i in the word did -- hokey but works!)
have you gone SRUG
let me HREPL
tell me TEPL
may I approach PHOEFP
may we approach PHAOEFP
thank you, your Honor THAURPB
thank you, Judge THAUPBLG
it would have been TWOFB
behalf of the PWHAFT (born from stacking!)
a bunch of BAEUFRPB
a bunch of the BAEUFRPBT
up to TOUP (born from stacking!)

For Good Measure...

MAERB measure

M*MT millimeter

SMERT or SMAOERT centimeter

KLORMT kilometer

M*LT milliliter

M*G milligram

K*G kilogram

G*BT gigabyte

M*BT megabyte

K*BT kilobyte

SKWAOFT square foot

SKWAOPBLG square-footage

SKWAOEFT square feet

SKWAEURPL square mile

SKWAEURT square root

SKWAEUFRPBLG square inch

TPAOPBLG footage

KWRARPBLG yardage

PHAOEUPBLG mileage

SWREU century

TKAEUBGD decade

KHR-B caliber

STPREPBS circumference

PHEURPZ miles per hour

PHEURZ miles an hour

Avoiding the "EN" Word Boundary Issue

Steno Wizard uses a technique learned from the book written by Amy Bowlen and Kathy DiLorenzo called Realtime Captioning… The VITAC Way to distinguish the "en" potential word boundary issue that an aspiring realtime reporter may have from time to time.

First of all, one must designate the stroke EPB as only a prefix stroke. 

Next, for the -en suffix, just use the final -PB and define it as delete space en.  It should automatically connect to the previous stroke.  This will solve a multitude of issues.  Words like enlighten, sweeten, beaten, ashen, fallen, blacken, and golden are no longer an issue. 

The final -PB can also be used for the suffix -in and -on in words such as raisin, mason, bison, carton, and cabin.  You will have to enter the correct spelling for each of these types of words into your steno database (dictionary), but it will be well worth the effort.

Steno Wizard also uses *PB for the ending in' -- for words like chillin' -- of course, Steno Wizard works in court so sometimes witnesses will say things like they were chillin'...not to be confused with chilling.   Doesn't come up too often but it's always nice to have options!

Fairly Familiar Phrases

How about some cool briefs for all those common phrases reporters hear just about every single day?!

Get a gander at these:

by the way BAE
by and large BLARJ
off the top of my head FOPD
on or about OERB
on the other hand OERND
one way or another WAOURN
quite a while KWAOEUL
quite a bit KWAOEUBT
quite a few KWAOEUF
one of a kind WUFKD
first of all FEUFRL
as opposed to SP-T
take into consideration TAEURGS
take into account TAEUKT
due to the fact DAOUFK
right off the bat ROFBT or RAOEUFBT

Interpreted Answers (or Not)!

What is a realtime reporter to do when there's an interpreter that's supposed to be interpreting and a witness who occasionally answers in English?!  Arrghh. 


Steno Wizard is sharing one technique that is working for those bilingual interpreter-resistant witnesses.


Steno Wizard uses the answer bank in conjunction with the I vowel for when the witness answers the question through the use of the interpreter.  So EU-FRPBLGTS is A. (Through Interpreter) and the answer continues. 


What does one do when it's the witness answering the question directly without the interpreter?  You guessed it!  E-FRPBLGTS and define it as A. (In English) and the answer continues. 


Now life is a little less hectic in this steno situation. 

The Numbers Game

How do you write those numbers?  Steno Wizard's method is the numbers that Steno Wizard wants to appear written out are written with the alphabetical part of the steno keyboard.  The numbers that need to appear in numerals are stroked using the number bar.  Many reporters do not care to use the number bar, but the Steno Wizard asks why not use all the keys on your steno machine?! 

Now there are some stroke-saving tips that SW uses.  For example, 11 is 1-E, 22 is 2-E, 33 is 3-E, E-6 is 66, E-7 is 77.  That's fairly common.  Another idea that SW uses is the number reversal method.  That's done by dragging in the EU letters.  For example, 87 is stroked EU78.  91 would be 1EU9. 

Admittedly, upon first incorporation, SW was reversing everything.  Ultimately, the reward was a gaining of control over numbers that get rattled off at Mach speed. 

The Roman numerals are written by dragging in the R- or -R keys with the number.  For example, 1-R is I, 2-R is II, etc.  Works very well for SW.

Using the English Spelling for a Clue on How to Resolve a Potential Conflict

Soundalikes

English spelling will offer a clue on how to resolve 
a potential conflict.

• cash  KARB               
• cache KAERB        
• compliment KPHREUPLT
• complement KPHREPLT
• rational RARBL           
• rationale RAERBL      
• rap RAP
• wrap WRAP
• gene TKPWAOEPB                                
• jean  SKWRAOEPB                          
• cue KAOU
• queue  KWAOU

AND EVEN MORE...

aid  AEUD
aide  AED
aides AEDZ
A.I.D.S. A*EUDZ (imagine the asterisk here for the periods in the abbreviation)
pain PAEUPB
pane PAEPB
mail PHAEUL
male PHAEL
picket PEUBGT
picture PEURBGT
hall HAL
haul HAUL
Hal HA*L (remember the shift key asterisk for capitalization of proper names)
mourning PHOURPBG
morning PHORPBG
roll ROL          
role ROEL      
ball PWAL
bawl PWAUL
balance  PWALS
Francis TPRAPBSZ
Frances TPRAEPBSZ
barns PWARPBZ
Barnes PWAERPBZ
road RAOD
rode ROED
coarse KAORS
course KORS or KOURS
hoarse HAORS
horse HORS

Using the Asterisk Key for Agricultural-Themed Words

Using the asterisk key for many agricultural terms helps Steno Wizard resolve conflicts and actually remember them!


SW shared the sowing seeds idea in an earlier post.  Asterisk reminds SW of seeds, so sown gets the asterisk key.  Sewn does not.

Here's some more ideas:

Kernel - asterisk reminds SW of the little kernels of corn on a cob, so "colonel" doesn't get the asterisk treatment.

Cow - asterisk reminds SW of the clapper of a cow's bell, so "could you" doesn't get the asterisk.

Hay - asterisk reminds SW of hayseed; therefore, "hey" doesn't get the asterisk.

Cat - asterisk reminds SW of the bell on the collar of a cat; therefore, CAT (medical abbreviation) doesn't get the asterisk.  Heifer - same idea.  Therefore, "had he ever" doesn't get the asterisk.

Dog - asterisk reminds SW of the dog tag on the collar; therefore, "doing" does not get the asterisk.

Gilt - asterisk, farm-related.  "Guilt" does not get the asterisk.

Ag - abbreviation for agriculture, so it receives the asterisk to go with the farm-related theme.  "Ago" does not receive the asterisk.

Sow - asterisk, farm-related.  "So you" doesn't get asterisk.

Beet - asterisk, garden veggie (just in case you have a problem writing "beat" PWAET).  Always nice to have options!

Carrot - asterisk, garden veggie.  Caret KRAERT (punctuation symbol), karat, KAEURT, carat KRAEURT. 

Flower - asterisk, garden term.  Just in case you have trouble writing it TPHRAUR.  "Flour" doesn't.

Dew - asterisk, glistening on grass is what SW visualizes.  "Due" does not receive the asterisk.

Pail - asterisk, farm equipment.  Also remember you can "dot the i" in pail with the asterisk.  Another memory device.  PAEUL for "pale" if you write "appeal" PAEL.

Pest - asterisk reminds SW of a bug.  Particularly helpful resolution if you write "period of time" PEFT.

Pistil - asterisk, plant term.  "Pistol" doesn't get the asterisk, PEUFL.

Oak - asterisk reminds SW of acorns.  Therefore, "on the corner" OEBG does not receive the asterisk.

Enjoy your summer SPHER!

A truly favorite and flexible brief idea!

Ever have one of those killer days where the same multi-stroke phrase keeps coming up all day long?  A favorite reporter buddy of the Steno Wizard shared this brief idea and SW has truly loved it so much that SW is sharing it with you!  Read and learn.

This brief is one that is incorporated into a job dictionary that a reporter can define to mean anything the reporter wants.  It's S*OS -- which stands for -- Same Old Stuff.  Isn't that wonderful?

SW likes to use this for long company names or perhaps the street name of the crime scene.  For example, the scene is located at Butterfinger Street, so S*OS becomes Butterfinger Street.  Of course, many times everyone likes to say the street address numbers along with the street name.  SW defines S*OS/S*OS as the complete street numerical and name, i.e., 5143 Butterfinger Street.

Next trial, it may be something else entirely.  Definitely a unique, flexible briefing strategy. 

Suffixes

Happy Easter!  Steno Wizard is sharing those suffixes that every reporter needs to have in their steno database.

Steno is listed above the suffix.  Computer wouldn't cooperate!

Take a gander at these:

-Z

{^s}

-Z HREU

{^zly}

-Z HREUZ

{^zly}{^s}

-D

{^ed}

-G

{^ing}

-GZ

{^ings}

-L

{^le}

-LZ

{^les}

-LD

{^led}

-LS

{^less}

-LG

{^ling}

-LG HREU

{^lingly}

-LGZ

{^ling}{^s}

-PLT

{^ment}

-PLT HREU

{^mentally}

-PLTS

{^ments}

-PB

{^en}

-PBZ

{^ens}

-PBS

{^ness}

-PBSZ

{^nesses}

-RDZ

{^rds}

-RB TPHER

{^shner}

-RB TPHERZ

{^shner}{^s}

-FL

{^ful}

-FLZ {^fuls}

EBG TOPL PHEU

{^ectomy}

EBG TOPL PHEUZ

{^ectomies}

EBG TOEPL

{^ectomy}

EBG TOEPLZ

{^ectomy}{^s}

EBGT PHEU

{^ectomy}

EBGT PHEUZ

{^ectomies}

EPBS

{^ence}

EPBS SEU

{^ency}

EPBSZ

{^ences}

ER

{^er}

ERZ

{^ers}

ERD

{^ered}

ERT

{^ert}

ERTS

{^erts}

ERG

{^ering}

ERGZ

{^erings}

EFT

{^est}

EFTS

{^ests}

EFBG

{^esque}

EFBGZ

{^esques}

EU KWET

{^iquette}

EU TPAOEUD

{^ified}

EUS TEUBG

{^istic}

EUS TEUBGZ

{^istics}

EUT

{^ity}

EUBG

{^ic}

EUBL

{^ible}

EUBLZ

{^ibles}

EUBLT

{^ibility}

EUBLTS

{^ibilities}

EUPBG ER

{^inger}

EUF EU KAEUGS

{^ification}

EUF EU KAEUGSZ

{^ifications}

EUF EUT

{^ivity}

EUF EUT -Z

{^ivities}

EUFT

{^ist}

EUFTS

{^ists}

EUFBG

{^istic}

EUFBGZ

{^istics}

EUFPL

{^ism}

EUFPLZ

{^isms}

EUFRB

{^ive}

EUFRBZ

{^ives}

*PB

{^in'}

*U

{^u}

*E

{^e}

*ET

{^ette}

*ETS

{^ettes}

*EU

{^i}

*EUT

{^ity}

*EURB

{^ish}

OS EUT

{^osity}

OS EUTS

{^osities}

OT PHEU

{^otomy}

OT PHEUZ

{^otomies}

OL SKWREUFT

{^ologist}

OL SKWREUFTS

{^ologists}

OLGZ

{^ologies}

OLGS

{^ologist}

OLGSZ

{^ologists}

OP PAET

{^opathy}

OP PAETS

{^opathies}

OP PAEGT

{^opathy}

OP PAEGTS

{^opathies}

OPL EUBG

{^omic}

OPL EUBGZ

{^omics}

OPL PHEUBG

{^omic}

OPL PHEUBGZ

{^omics}

OPL TER

{^meter}

OPL TERZ

{^meters}

OPL TREU

{^metry}

OPL TREUZ

{^metries}

OPL TREUBG

{^metric}

OPL TREUBGZ

{^metrics}

OR KWRAL

{^orial}

OR KWRAL -Z

{^orials}

OFT PHEU

{^ostomy}

OFT PHEUZ

{^otomies}

OFBG PEU

{^oscopy}

OUS

{^ous}

OE TKPWRAPL

{^ogram}

OE TKPWRAPLZ

{^ogram}{^s}

OE TKPWRAFBG

{^ographic}

OE TKPWRAFBGZ

{^ographic}{^s}

OE SEUS

{^osis}

OEPL PHAZ

{^oma}{^s}

OEUD

{^oid}

OEUDZ

{^oids}

O*

{^o}

O*EPL

{^ome}

O*EPLZ

{^omes}