Chicago Style Workout 11:
Word Usage, Part 2

/ November 29, 2016

Ready . . . aim . . .

This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 2,” again centers on the usage list under paragraph 5.250 in CMOS 17. Writing and editing are more efficient when you never have to look up biennial or dither over between and among.

Because the list is so long, we’re breaking it into parts for the workout series. Today’s quiz focuses specifically on words beginning with the letters b and c.

Advanced editors might tackle the questions cold; learners can study those sections of the Manual before answering the questions. Take your time—this one is a little tricky!

(Subscribers to The Chicago Manual of Style Online may click through to the linked sections of the Manual. We also offer a 30-day free trial of CMOS Online.)

Note: Dictionaries and style guides sometimes disagree. These questions are designed to test knowledge of The Chicago Manual of Style, which prefers Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. Other style guides may follow a different dictionary.

[Editor’s update: This quiz has now been updated to refer and link to the 17th edition.]

Chicago Style Workout 11: Word Usage, Part 2

1. backward(s). Chicago style is backward (also toward, forward, afterward), without the s.
a.
b.
2. bemused. A synonym of “amused” {they hid the ball and watched, bemused by the puppy’s confusion}.
a.
b.
3. between; among. Between is often appropriate for more than two objects {trade between members of the European Union}.
a.
b.
4. biannual; semiannual; biennial. Biannual and semiannual both mean “twice a year.”
a.
b.
5. born; borne. Borne—the past participle of bear—is used to form compound terms in the sciences {foodborne} {mosquito-borne}.
a.
b.
6. cite; site. As a noun, cite is colloquial for citation; a site is a place or location.
a.
b.
7. climactic; climatic {a chirping cell phone that interrupted the climatic moment}
a.
b.
8. contemptuous; contemptible {feeling contemptuous of someone so contemptible}
a.
b.
9. credible; credulous {an outcome so incredible it strained credulity}
a.
b.
10. criteria {one criterion, two criteria}
a.
b.

 

Photo: tableatny, Javelin Thrower in Action at a Competition

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