New York Times Manual: I, J, K & L
A continuation of my notes on the NYT Manual of Style and Usage. Buy the guide here. Email or leave any questions in the comments section!
I
ILL: Hyphenate when used as an adjective before a noun, but not when it follows the noun it modifies.
IMPACT: Means to strike with force, not simply “to have an effect.”
IMPLY, INFER: Speakers IMPLY, readers INFER.
INNOCENT, NOT GUILTY: No one ever pelads innocence, because t’s understood. That whole innocent until proven guilty thing.
INTERFACE: This is a technical term, not to be used with people.
i.o.u.: Is lowercased with periods.
ITS, IT’S: Read the post.
J
JERRY-BUILT: Cheaply built. JURY-RIGGED is the term for an emergency temporary fix.
JUVENILLE DIABETES: Preferred form is type 1 diabetes.
K
KITTY LITTER: This term is trademarked and gets inital caps. Cat litter or cat box filler are the generic terms.
KNOT: Nautical mile per hour, so do not use per hour after KNOT.
L
LACK: A LACK of something is a shortage of it, not an absence. The lack of snow left the skiiers without a mountain. But not: People claim to like Tucson for the lack of rain.
LATE: Use LATE in a sentence to inform readers that the subject has recently passed, not as a blanket term to mean those who are no longer living.
LAUNDROMAT: LAUNDROMAT is a trademark term and is capitalized.
LAY, LIE: Use LAY if an object follows. Check out a post on this here.
LEAVE ALONE, LET ALONE: LEAVE ALONE means leave in solitude. LET ALONE mean to refrain from disturbing someone.
LIP-SYNC: But lip-synched and lip-synching.
LOAN: LOAN is a noun. Use lend or lent as verbs.
New York Times Manual: F, G &H
A continuation of my notes on the NYT Manual of Style and Usage. Buy the guide here. Email or leave any questions in the comments section!
F
FALSE TITLES: False titles are actually decriptions that get slipped in to the title role. To eliminate these, the NYT Manual reccomends the “Good Morning” test. Don’t give someone a title that you would not attach to their name when you said “good morning” to them. So, “Good morning, Senator Smith!” But not “Good morning, Violinist Cho.”
FEWER, LESS: FEWER for items that can be counted individualy, less for things that can’t or bulk quanities. Check out a post on this here.
FIGURATIVELY: Many people say literally (for emphasis) when they mean FIGURATIVELY.
FILET, FILLET: FILET is used with french terms, FILLET with english ones.
FIT, FITTED: FITTED is the preferred Past tense and past participle.
FLOUNDER, FOUNDER: FLOUNDER is to stumble or fail; FOUNDER is to sink or collapse.
FLOUT, FLAUNT: FOUT is to defy; FLAUNT is to show off.
G
GAMUT: A scale of notes
GANLET: A line of tormentors with sticks.
GAUNTLET: A glove that duelists wore.
GAY: Prefered term over homosexual, unless refering to women only.
GRADUATE: People GRADUATE from a school, or are GRADUATED from it; but no one GRADUATES.
H
HANDIPCAPPED: Avoid using this in favor of a more spcific term.
HANGED, HUNG: People are HANGED, clothes are HUNG.
HAWAII: Never abbreviated, unlike the other states, and you’ll notice it’s spelled without apostrophes or accents.
HEALTH CARE: Two words, never hyphenated.
HEART CONDITION: Discard in favor of a more specific term. At the NYT Manual points out, every heart is in some sort of condition.
HANUKA, HANUKKAH, CHANUKAH: With all the other Jewish terms abounding in the NYT Manual (although not noted in my crib notes, as I don’t use them much if at all) I was surprised to note the absence of Hanukkah, a most difficult word in that there are three acceptable spellings available. With NYT declining to comment, one can turn to the L.A. Times, at least, which favors HANUKKAH, as does Hallmark.
HIGH TEA: A hearty, working-class supper.
HOPEFULLY: This is often used interchangeably with the phrase “with hope,” but it’s meaning is actually the more subjective “let us hope.” Replace the word with each phrase to figure out if it’s appropriate for your purpose.
HOMEMAKER: Preferred over housewife.
HYPHENS: GAH. Will do my own entry later.
Style Conversion 2.1: Eat Your Heart Out
A continuation of my notes on the NYT Manual of Style and Usage. Buy the guide here. Email or leave any questions in the comments section!
E
EARTH, MOON, SUN: All get lowercased except in astronomy.
EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH: Cap when referring to an actual place: the East Coast (meaning New England), but not when meaning direction. She headed west.
EG: Means exempli gratia, for example. Do not use interchangably with I.E. EG is lowercase and does not get periods.
ELECTION DAY: Gets initital caps, but election night is not capped at all because that is a reference to time of day, whereas Election Day is an event.
ENORMITY: This word refers to horror; enormousness means size.
ENUMERATION: When you are writing in outlines, numbered lists or bullets, the best practice is to make each point a full sentence, even if it’s repetitive, to spare the reader having to look back.
EXECUTE: This is not a synonym for kill; it means a death under criminal sentence. I have to add that the NYT Manual does not specify where the criminal sentence comes from, so it could be that a splinter or terrorist group could execute people under their own laws. However, the point taken should be that it’s a political term and not just another way to say “kill.”
Style Conversion 2.1: The D-List
Here is the section on D from the New York Times Manual of Style and Usage. Check out earlier posts for other sections.
Like I said in earlier posts, this is not a plagiarism of the NYT Manual–if you want to know what it says, buy it yourself here, it’s worth it–I’ll be rephrasing entries to reflect my take on the useage.
D
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: Not savings.
DECIMATE: This word originally meant to kill one-tenth, so do not use with other percentages.
DEFINITIONS: Place definitions ahead of the term being used. I thought this was a good tip because when the reader encounters the definition first, it’s read without judgement. When it appears afterwards it can sometimes appear patronizing, as in, The skyscraper, a tall building, was bigger than any other in the city. Compare with: The tall building, a skyscraper, was bigger than any other in the city. I had never noticed that when the defintion appears first, the term seems more an affirmation than a clarification for us dummies.
DISEASES: DISEASES are diagnosed, not patients. So, The spot on Stephen’s arm was diagnosed as cancer. Versus Stephen was diagnosed with cancer.
DIE-HARD: Hyphenated as a noun AND adjective.
DILEMMA: A DILEMMA is a choice specifcally between two equally bad alternatives, not mrerly a difficult choice.
DISC, DISK: DISC refers to: farm equipment, records, CDs, and brakes; DISK refers to data storage in computers and the verabrae in your back.
DISCREET, DISCRETE: DISCREET means prudent; DISCRETE means separate or alone.
DISINTERESTED, UNINTERESTED: DISINTERESTED means unbiased; UNINTERESTED means bored.
DOUGHNUT: Not donut.
DOWN SYNDROME: Not Down’s.
DUE TO: Ask yourself, WHAT was due? If you can’t answer, use “because of” instead. So, The accident was due to the slippery roads. But: Because of the weather, the game was canceled.
Next is the E section.
Style Conversion 2.1: C-ing Things My Way
These are my notes as I learn the NYT Manual of Style. Check out the previous entries on the A and B sections, and send any questions you have my way via email or in the comments section.
C
CANADA GOOSE: Not Candian geese, since they don’t have citizenship.
CANNON, CANON: A CANNON is artillery, CANON is a group of published works.
CAPTION: Captions should not explain what is going on in the photo! People can see that for themselves. Use captions to impart new information. If you have none, then just name the people in the photo.
CARAT, KARAT: CARAT measures gemstone weight, KARAT measures the weight of gold.
CATER-CORNER: This is the correct term for being diagonally opposite, not catty-corner, or the even further digression, kitty-corner. I hate all these terms, so please quit using them.
CHANNELS: These are capitalized when refering to a local broadcast channel: I saw it live on Channel 13.
CHAPTER: These are capped as proper names: Everything stopped in Chapter 16.
CHEAT: CHEAT, not cheater, for someone ho cheats.
CHILI, CHILLI: CHILI is a pepper, CHILLI is a dish.
CHOCK-FULL: This is always hyphenated, and has no -ED. “Chock” is actually an older word for “choke” meaning that something is so full of something else it would be choking.
CLIMAX: This is always a noun, never a verb.
COHORT: COHORTS are not peers, but a group with similar interests. So a criminal taking off down a back alley does not leave his COHORTS behind, but a hunter who accidentally gets shot by a buddy does.
CONSISTS OF: Only use this phrase when you are about to introduce a full list. Use “includes” for partial lists.
CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS: CONTINUAL means over and over, CONTINUOUS means unbroken.
Style Conversion 2.1: Busy B’s
As I have mentioned in the previous post, the below is a continuation of my learning process as I unwrap the NYT Manual of Style. I am posting my musings and FYI-type discoveries here for your benefit. Enjoy, and send any questions you may have my way! You can email me or leave them in the comments.
B
BABY-SIT: Always hyphenated! Had no idea. Also in any related forms, such as baby-sitter. Also, you sit FOR someone, you don’t “sit” them.
BACKWARD: Not backwards.
BAIL: Non law-abiding citizens are freed ON bail, but held IN bail.
BARRED, BANNED: People are BARRED, but actions are BANNED.
B.C./ A.D.: B.C. appears after a year; A.D. appears before it, unless referencing a century. So, A.D. 13, but the 12th century A.D.
BEG THE QUESTION: I hate this phrase, and NYT even says because it’s so confusing due to misuse, it’s better to avoid it. When I hear it, I often spend so much time trying to figure if it’s been used right that I forget what was even being said. In short, most people use it to mean “to pose the question,” but it actually means that your conclusion rests on the idea that your intial assumption is correct. GAH.
BIMONTHLY: I thought this was odd, because bimonthly means every two months, while biannually means twice a year. Use semimonthly when attempting to convey twice a month, or you can just say “every two weeks,” or “once fortnightly” if appropriate for your audience.
BIG TIME: Not hyphenated as a noun, hyphenated as an adjective. So, He blew it big time, BUT He’s a big-time loser.
BLAME: NYT says blame the CAUSE, never the EFFECT. You’ll see this misused often in your local news, as in Local authorities blamed the high number of freeway accidents on the weather.
BLIND: Preferred over visually impared.
BOAST: Do not use as a synonym for “to have”: The police department boasts three new squad cars.
BRING: BRING implies movement toward the speaker or the speaker’s location, TAKE implies movement away. The symphony is bringing Ursula Oppens to Texas. BUT His travels are taking him to Europe.
Style Conversion 2.1: The ABCs of New York Times Style
Language is so complex, I feel that every time I read a new guide I only begin to understand all that I do NOT know about writing. But after I get over the initial shock of how I ever wrote a word without knowing this stuff, I feel even more empowered to write better, more clearly and precisely than ever before. As I begin reading the NYT Manual of Style, I am going to include here a list of the elements I found interesting, I did not know, or that I think many others don’t know.
This will not be plagiarism of the NYT Manual–if you want to know what it says, buy it yourself here, it’s worth it–I’ll be rephrasing entries to reflect my take on the usage.
A
ADVOCATE: Never use this word with diseases, such as AIDS ADVOCATE or Cancer ADVOCATES. It sounds like the person advocates the disease. Instead, rephrase to indulde what the person is acutally advocating, such as awareness or research.
AIR BASE: Means a U.S. base overseas. AIR FORCE BASE is a base at home.
AIR: As a verb, AIR, meaning play or broadcast, is TV jargon.
AND: Do not use to link unrelated matters, such as in The senator is a democrat and avid baseball fan.
AS IF: Use AS IF instead of LIKE when a clause with its own verb follows: He felt lonley, like the kids didn’t think he was good enough.
ATM: This acronym means automated teller machine, so saying “ATM machine” is redundant.
ATTRIBUTION: Often when working for less-than-authoritative news sources, I have found it’s been permissible to use the phrase “sources say” as a way to attribute common knowledge. But NYT points out that using that phrase is about as reliable as printing “somebody said.” So if you are going to use it, at least qualify your somebody by saying, “local news sources” or “city government sources” so that people have some idea where this common knowledge lies.
Check back for section B, coming soon.
Style Conversion 2.1: The New York Times Manual of Style
When I begin using a new style, the first thing I do is read the stylebook from cover to cover. I did this when I learned AP, too, and although it is a bit like reading the dictionary, you do run across some interesting things.
One paragraph in the preface really struck me. It appears after several example paragraphs from striking NYT stories:
Look back, now, at all the examples. Verbs work hardest, and adjectives little: the welfare worker checked; the gunfire snapped; the pitcher was ready to fire a ball. Sentences are nearly all short; exceptions are rare, purposeful and easily navigated. And what is missing? No one example speaks of implementing anything, or funding an on-going program. Nothing is prior to something else, or hitherto, No sentence creaks under the tread of bureaucracy or recycles prefabricated originality: no one gets a wake-up call or puts anything on hold. No one is in-your-face.
I’m a runner, and when you run it’s important to change up your workouts and your routes, because your muscles have memory. If you do the same exercises or run the same course too much, your muscles learn the most efficient way to do it and you quit progressing.
The same thing happens when you write for a living. Our writing muscles have memory too, and unless we challenge them and keep them sharp, we get lazy and take the easy route. Whether you learn new styles, join a writing group or read books on writing by other writers, find ways to keep your approach fresh and stay excited about what you do.
Style Conversion 2.1: Countdown to New York Times Style
The conversion to Chicago style was short lived. The day I started my new job, I was informed that we would be using NYT style instead. New York Times Style is basically a variant on AP Style, since it originates from a newspaper itself, so I won’t be learning a ton a new stuff.
Style guides aren’t anything fancy, just mainly a question of taste when a grammatical gray-area appears. At large publications or originators of content, such as the Associated Press or The New York Times, it becomes useful to compile a list of black and white answers to the gray areas for consistency’s sake. Many small publications will adopt one of these larger guides, and also answer in-house needs with a smaller style sheet that serves an addendum.
Chicago style is different in that it originated from the original University of Chicago press in 1906. It was always intended for book publication, and therefore long-form writing, which is probably why we are not going to be using it.
Style Conversion 2.0: Countdown to Chicago Style
As a broadcast news writer and then later a magazine editor, I lived and breathed AP style. MLA was a thing of my college days, a style I had outgrown and moved past. No more bibliographies for me, pal!
And now I am about to grow once again. I recently got a job as editor for a non-profit, and they use Chicago style, which is commonly used in arts and humanities writing. Warning: Nerd Alert! I am really excited about learning a new style.
Over the next few posts I will be blogging about my conversion from AP to Chicago style, what the main differences are, and the areas I find similar or tricky. Hopefully this will be of use to future converts. I’ve read that the Chicago manual is a little more unwieldly than my trusty AP book, with its greasy thumb-smear down the middle where I anchor to flip through it. Yes, I know it sounds gross, but it’s a badge of honor among editors. A past coworker who used to work at Rolling Stone in NYC actually envied my thumb smear.
So along the way I’ll share with you the cheats and shortcuts I use to become a Chicago master in no time. I’ll be doing some serious cheating right off, because I learned lesson number one today:
Lesson #1: Buy your Chicago manual online. Today my first stop was Half-Price Books, where I found no style books at all. Next, I went to Barnes and Noble, where I found Chicago at the front of the store, not in the Writing reference section. It was $55. Finally, I came back home, hopped on Amazon.com and bought the 14th edition (current is 15th) for $18 and change including shipping.
For those of you new to style guides, getting a recent one is important, but having the most recent one is not. If you can find a used one that is one or two editions behind, it’s better to buy that than go broke on the newest one.
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