A style guide comparing Associated Press style and Chicago style for editors, writers, teachers, students, word nerds, and anyone else who gives a dollar sign, ampersand, exclamation point, and pound sign about style.
Funny Posts
Em Dashes and Ellipses: Closed or Spaced Out?
You might be wondering why I’ve paired the em dash with the ellipsis. Doesn’t the em dash usually get grouped with the en dash and the hyphen?
State Abbreviations: Use Traditional or Go Postal?
In this quick guide to state abbreviations, I will cover the differences between AP style and Chicago style . . .
Titles: Quote Marks, Italics, Underlining, or Naked?
Remember the days when your manual typewriter didn’t have a key for the number 1, so you used a lowercase letter L instead?
Capitalization After Colons: One Sentence or More?
Understandably, many editors are confused about when to capitalize the element directly following a colon. The strategy I happen to use is pretty brain-free . . .
Fun-Free Posts
Nine Obscure (but Useful) Recommendations from The Chicago Manual of Style
Reading The Chicago Manual of Style while on deadline is different from curling up with it for a leisurely read. If you haven’t had time for the latter, not to worry. I’ve compiled a list of lesser-known but useful recommendations.
The New York Times Style: Fine Distinctions beyond the Newsroom
Billed as “the official style guide used by the writers and editors of the world’s most authoritative news organization,” the 2015 edition of The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage contains hundreds of changes made since the 2002 edition, increasing its usefulness to non-NYT writers and editors.
Consistency vs. Flexibility
In The Gregg Reference Manual, William A. Sabin said this of applying one style to all circumstances: “It is the impoverished person who meets every situation with the same set of clothes.” Copyeditors are charged with enforcing consistency, but new editors have a tough time knowing when to be flexible.
What’s in a Logo?
Applying style to a trademark, brand, or company name is tricky when it’s not obvious what the company itself thinks.
