Chicago Style Workout 11:
Word Usage, Part 2

/ November 29, 2016

Ready . . . aim . . .

This month’s workout, “Word Usage, Part 2,” again centers on section 5.220 of CMOS 16. Writing and editing are more efficient when you never have to look up biennial or dither over between and among.

Because the list of problematic words and phrases in section 5.220 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. For a 30-day free trial of CMOS Online, click here.)

[Editor’s update: These styles have not changed in the 17th edition, although their section numbers may have changed.]

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.

Chicago Style Workout 11: Word Usage, Part 2 (CMOS 5.220)

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} {vector-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.

 

 

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