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 . . .
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 . . .
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.
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…
Washington Post Editor Bill Walsh on grammar gripes and being a more polite language snob
Bill Walsh has been at the Washington Post’s copy desk for nearly two decades, riding out changes in both the newspaper business and the wider world of publishing. He helms their live grammar and style chat, Grammar Geekery with Bill Walsh, ruling on everything from hashtags to whether puns are encouraged at the Post.
Quotenik founder Sara Bader talks about quotes
Quotations permeate our life and our work, whether formally used in a research paper or informally tacked to an inspiration board. But making sure that a source actually spoke or penned those exact words can be tough. Sara Bader is making it her mission to compile and verify the quotes of the world via her…
Author Anne E. Greene talks about plain English and science writing
Clear, strong writing is a goal that tops many writers’ and editors’ lists. But when the words must convey important information to an audience, such as the results of new research or the terms of a credit card agreement, unclear writing can be a serious problem.
Grammar Girl herself, Mignon Fogarty, talks to CMOS
Every day, Mignon Fogarty takes on questions ranging from where to properly place commas, to what is a gerund, to whether Pig Latin is considered a language.
Nancy Friedman of Wordworking and Fritinancy talks to CMOS
In this month’s Shop Talk, the owner of Wordworking and the author of the language-celebrating blog Fritinancy explains how she approaches the rigorous process of selecting names for companies and products, how she keeps her word skills sharp, and where she draws the grammar line.
The editors of the newest University of Chicago Spanish–English Dictionary talk to CMOS
The editors of The University of Chicago Spanish–English Dictionary talk about their process creating the sixth edition of the decades-old dictionary, and how they decided what words make the cut (hint: this year’s additions included Ponzi scheme, streaming video, and Heimlich maneuver).
