Section 8.62 in the Spotlight
“The full names of administrative bodies are capitalized. Adjectives derived from them are usually lowercased, as are many of the generic names for such bodies when used alone . . .
Consistency: How Much Is Too Much?
In writing and editing, consistency is assumed to be a good thing. . . . But at some level, consistency should cease to be a goal. First,
Great-Grandma’s CMOS
“If, in addition to this its main object, this Manual of Style may incidentally prove helpful to other gropers in the labyrinths . . .
Section 7.16 in the Spotlight
The general rule referenced by this section comes from 7.15. You’re likely already familiar with the basics: “The possessive of most singular nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s . . .
CMOS Trivia
Which word or phrase did not appear in CMOS 15?
Mary Norris, the New Yorker’s “Comma Queen,” talks about styles, tolerance, and her new book
Mary Norris is a copy editor at the New Yorker, where she has worked since 1978. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she attended Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and earned a master’s in English from the University of Vermont. Her book Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen was published by W. W. Norton on April 6.
Great-Grandma’s CMOS
A look back to 1906, when the more straitlaced 1st edition of the Manual offered intriguing punctuation, puzzling spaces, and curious examples . . .
Andrew Abbott on brute-force research, the future of libraries, and what makes good research good
Andrew Abbott, the Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, edits the American Journal of Sociology. Abbott has twice chaired the University of Chicago’s Library Board and played a central role in planning the university’s Joe and Rika Mansueto Library. His latest book is Digital Paper . . .
Wordnik founder Erin McKean talks about her ideal dictionary
Erin McKean is the founder and CEO of Wordnik. Before Wordnik, she was the editor in chief of American dictionaries for Oxford University Press. She has stated that her life goal is “to make sure every word in English has a place in the dictionary.” In her “free” time, she has written half a dozen…
Proofreading versus Copyediting: What’s the Diff?
Copyeditors read copy before it is in final form in order to fix anything that’s wrong with its grammar, spelling, logic, structure, accuracy, consistency, or coherence. They make corrections, ask questions, and make suggestions. They might rewrite. They usually defer to a style guide (like . . .
