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Subject:Re: CMS, Dictionary, UC or LC? From:Susan W. Gallagher <sgallagher5 -at- cox -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 10 Oct 2003 17:50:23 -0400
As a proud owner of CMS 14 and 15, which both languish
at home while I'm at a client's site... ;-)
Mother and father should both be lower case, unless talking
about an official title, as in Mother Mary or Father Joe.
But "my mother" and "my father" should both definitely be
lower case. --Somewhere in the capitalization section, CMS
mentions that initial caps were often used for emphasis, but
this is "old fashioned" and no longer used.
With numbers, it's not an either/or thing. CMS says to spell
out all numbers under 100; others use the convention of
spelling out all numbers under 10. The rule is not to mix
words and numerals -- so six of those, twelve of these --
or 6 of those, 12 of these, and 150 of the other. Also, when
speaking of specific numbers or measurements, use numbers
instead of words -- 5 cups of flour.
If I had a nickle for every time I deleted quotes from docs
that developers write, I'd never have to work again. <sigh>
Quotes indicate a non-standard use of a word -- as in a used
car salesman named "honest" John or my boss gave me some
"friendly" advice.
All that said, remember that you're not editing instructions
for installing and running software -- this is someone's
life we're talking about and your goal as an editor should
be to create a consistent and mostly-grammatically-correct
document in which the author's personality shines through.
HTH!
-Sue Gallagher
>
> From: Michele Davis <michele -at- krautgrrl -dot- com>
> ... I am editing a memoir. For 70 pages the words
> "mother" and "father" are in upper case, and then suddenly on page 75,
> chapter 10, they are lower case. And this is in the middle of sentences.
> Now, my intuitive editor in my brain says lower case always for mother
> and father, not "My Mother said..." or "My Father's thumb..." What is
> the convention? Where do I find the convention when editing? What book
> would have it?
>
> As far as numbers in a memoir, the CMS states that consistency is
> important, either use figures or spell it out, but pick one and stay
> consistent. My client is having a hissy fit because she thinks "some"
> numbers should be spelled out and some should be figures by some
> arbitrary old lady law (old lady=old school, like the 1940s-1950s). In
> addition she randomly uses quotes which make me want to scream! I am
> pulling quotes from things like: "store bought" meaning store bought
> clothes instead of homemade. Or do you all think I should be leaving the
> random use of quotes? And numbers? What's your take?
>
> All help is very graciously accepted.
>
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