
That tiny icon that pops up whenever you paste something into a Word file can get pretty annoying for an editor. It obscures the text, gets clicked on inadvertently. It’s really just technology getting in the way.
Here is how to turn it off.* PC instructions follow the Mac instructions.
Word 14, Mac 2011
In Word’s Preferences under “Edit”, deselect the option under “Cut and paste options” that says “Show Paste Options buttons”.


Word 2010 PC

File / Options / Advanced
under Cut, copy, and paste: deselect “show paste options button when content is pasted”
*Your mileage may vary. Word may not cooperate, regardless of your settings.
Here’s an explanation of how to control this hovering paste options box up in Word for PC from my colleague Dawn McIlvain Stahl, over at Copyediting.com.
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