Style guide

Introduction

The Oxford Magazine is a premium English-language publication. We value consistency and accuracy in our work and rely on a style guide to govern everything that we write. Our perspective reflects that of the internet at large, and we regularly update this style guide to ensure it remains relevant and responds accordingly to changes in common and casual usage of language.

Our preferred dictionary for is the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) available online at oed.com. There is a free version available in collaboration with Dictionary.com at lexico.com. In general, use the first spelling of a word (unless it appears in the word list below or is preferred by the Associated Press Stylebook).

Preferred style manual

Our preferred style manual is the AP Stylebook (Associated Press Stylebook). Please consult the Chicago Manual of Style for issues not covered by the AP Stylebook as well as for more detailed information and discussion, where applicable. Generally, AP Stylebook trumps the Oxford Dictionary, but any style point mentioned in this guide overrules those publications.

Please note that this style guide provides a reference to common words and terms used on our website, as well as information on style issues particular to this site. It is not intended to be a comprehensive manual of grammar and style.

Introduction

Preferred style manual

Word list

?! (never !?)

@replies, @mentions (on Twitter)

11th hour (but hyphenate as an adjective, e.g., 11th-hour negotiations)

1D (as an abbreviation for One Direction)

24/7

4chan (use a lowercase C, and avoid using it to start a sentence when possible)

4th of July

7-Eleven

A

A-list, B-list (etc., when referring to an A-list celeb)

ABCs

AC (for air-conditioning)

AF (for as fuck)

afterparty

agender (adj., describes someone who does not identify with a specific gender)

AIDS

Airbnb

airlift

airstrike

aka (unless it starts a sentence, in which case AKA is acceptable — Aka just looks weird)

alcoholic drink names are usually lowercase unless derived from a proper noun (exceptions: Bloody Mary, Old-Fashioned)

Al Jazeera (not italicised)

al-Qaeda

all-nighter

a.m., p.m. (OK to cap in headlines)

Amex (for American Express)

amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research)

amirite

anti-vaxxer

apeshit

the Apple Store

Argentine (preferred to Argentinian as adj. meaning of or relating to Argentina)

A side (n.); A-side (adj.)

AstroTurf

autocorrect

autofill

Auto-Tune

awards season, awards show (preferable to award)

B

baby daddy, baby mama (two words)

backseat (all forms)

backstory

badmouth (v.)

bandana

bandmates

band names: Usually take a plural construction (The band is on tour; but Arcade Fire are playing tonight.).

batshit

BCE, CE (for before common era and common era; not BC, AD)

beatboxer, beatboxing

beatdown (n.)

Beautyblender

Bernie Bros

best-seller, best-selling (e.g., the New York Times best-seller list)

BFF

bi-curious

binge-watch

bitchface

bitcoin (always lowercase)

black girl magic

blonde (adj. and n., all uses)

Bloody Mary, Bloody Marys

blow job

bocce ball

bodycam (n., adj.), body camera (n.), body-camera (adj.)

bodyweight exercises

body slam (n.); body-slam (v.)

bookbag

bougie (adj.); bougiest (from bourgeoisie)

boy band, boy-bander

bread crumbs (for the food); breadcrumbs (for the computer-y term)

breakdance (all forms), breakdancer

breastfeed, breastfeeding (one word, all forms)

Britpop

bro-down

bro-ing

brony

brunette (as adj. and n., all uses)

Brussels sprouts

BS, BS’d, BS’ing

B side (n.); B-side (adj.)

BTdubs

bull dyke (n.); bull-dyke (adj.) — avoid, unless used in a direct quote

bused, busing, buses (for forms of bus)

butt-dial (all forms)

buzzer beater

byproduct

bytes (measure digital storage capacity) — abbreviate and cap kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, etc. when used with a figure, with no space between the abbreviation and the figure (e.g., my iPhone is 64GB, a 128GB storage capacity)

C

caj (for the abbreviation of casual)

camel toe

Cap’n Crunch

cash me ousside, howbow dah

catfight

catfished (v., lowercase)

CBGB (not CBGB’s)

cc’d

ceasefire (n.)

celebricat (for a celebrity feline)

celebridog (for a celebrity canine)

cellphone

cesarean (i.e., C-section)

champagne

ChapStick

chatroom (one word)

cheese: Consult MW, but here’s a list of some commonly referenced cheeses: Asiago, Brie, cheddar, Comté, feta, fontina, Gruyère, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano

checkbox

checkmark (one word in all forms)

child care (all forms)

chile vs. chili: Use chile powder to refer to ground dried chile peppers (like ground ancho chiles or ground cayenne chile); use chili powder for the spice mix of cumin, paprika, and cayenne (and other stuff) that is often added to chili (the stew). (Note: British English generally uses chilli.)

chocolaty (not chocolatey)

chode

chokehold

cinderblock

circle jerk

cis, cisgender (both adj.)

clapback (n.); clap back (v.)

class-action lawsuit

click through (v.), click-through (n., adj.)

cliffhanger

co. (as in TK and company)

Coca-Cola

cockblock

colorblock (one word, all uses; preferred to colorblocked)

color-correcting (one word, all uses)

come (v.); cum (n.) — (omg yes, this is really here)

comic con (for a generic comic con); adhere to self-stylisation for specific cities (e.g., New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic-Con)

coming-out (n., adj.); come out (v.)

company and institution names: Refer to a company as it, not they. In lighthearted, non-News posts, it’s OK to personify brands by using they, especially if the alternative sounds awkward and/or stilted. Omit Co., Corp., Inc., Ltd., etc. Do not capitalise “the” in an organisation’s name, except if it is part of its official title e.g. …read The Oxford Magazine.

Con Edison, Con Ed (OK on second reference)

copydesk

copyedit (v.)

Craigslist

cray-cray (as slang for crazy)

creepshot

cringey

crop top

crossfire

CrossFit

cross-post

crow’s-feet (n.)

crowdfund (all forms)

crowdsource (all forms)

crowdsurf

cueing (not cuing)

D

d-bag

dab, dabbing (dance move)

dadbod (and similar constructions, one word for all forms)

dancehall (music genre)

Dark Web, Deep Web

dashcam

day care (two words)

Day-Glo (trademark, used for fluorescent materials or colors); dayglow (airglow seen during the day)

deadlift (one word, n. and v.)

deal breaker (two words)

decadelong

Deep South

deepfake

Deir ez-Zor (for the city in Syria)

die-hard (adj.); diehard (n.)

Disney Princess (for the brand/line of characters); Disney princess (when referring to a specific character from a Disney film)

diss (meaning to disrespect)

Division One, Two, etc. (for sports references)

DIY

DJ (n., v.), DJ’d, DJ’ing

docuseries

“don’t ask, don’t tell” (lowercase, in quotes, with a comma for the US military policy; in subsequent references, no quotes or abbreviate as DADT)

dos and don’ts

douchebag

doughnut (but Dunkin’ Donuts)

down-low (also, on the DL)

Down syndrome

downtime

doxx (not dox)

DREAMer (when referring to advocates and beneficiaries of the DREAM Act)

drive-thru (n.)

Dr.: Do not use the term Dr. to refer to nonmedical doctors who hold a doctorate

drunk driving (n.), drunk-driving (adj., v.); preferred to drunken driving

drunk-text (hyphenate as a compound verb)

Duck, Duck, Goose

duckface

dude-bro

dumbass (n.)

dumpster

du-rag

Advertisement

E

e-book, e-cigarette, e-commerce

Earth (capped only when referring explicitly to the planet; The biggest on Earth but a down-to-earth guy)

eBay

[editor’s note:] (for editor’s notes in running text; cap [Editor’s note:] if it starts a sentence or is its own sentence)

Ecstasy (cap E for the drug)

editor-in-chief

electropop

email

emoji (singular, and as a collective language unit), emojis (plural)

ever closer (no hyphen)

Exxon Mobil

eyeing

eyeroll

eyeshadow

F

F-you (n.)

Facebook-stalk (v.)

facedown (adj.)

facelift

facepalm (one word, all forms)

face-swap (all forms)

face-to-face (adj., adv.)

FaceTime (the Apple app), but face time (n.) (in all other uses)

faceup (adj.); face up (v.)

fanbase

fanboy, fangirl

fansite

fanfiction, fanfic

farmers’ market (n.) – A market where local farmers and growers sell their produce directly to the public.

fast food (n.); fast-food (adj.)

fauxhawk

fave, faved, faving (e.g., I faved his tweet)

FBI (OK on first reference)

fiancé (all instances, regardless of gender)

fieldworker

final girl

first-timer

first-world problem

fist-bump (v.); fist bump (n.)

flashpoint

flat iron (hair tool, n.); flat-iron (v.); Flatiron District

flatscreen (one word, both as n. and adj.)

Fleshlight

flier for one who flies; flyer for the circular/paper

Frappuccino; Frap

freshman 15

friend zone (n.); friend-zone (v.)

Frisco (acceptable on second reference for San Francisco)

frontman, frontwoman

Froot Loops (not Fruit Loops)

froyo

fsociety, (Fsociety in headlines, but avoid if possible)

fuckup (n.), fuck up (v.), fucked-up (adj.)

fur baby

G

Gambia (not the Gambia or The Gambia)

Gchat, Gchatted, Gchatting

GED

gel (v.)

genderqueer

Generation X, Gen X’er

GIF/GIF’d (v.); GIFs, GIFable (pronounced gif with a hard G, NOT like the peanut butter Jif)

GIF set

Girl Scout Cookie

girly (as a synonym for girlish); girlie (featuring scantily clad women)

glowstick

god: Cap only if explicitly referring or alluding to a deity; lowercase otherwise, especially in common phrases (“Thank god she was OK,” “Oh god, he thought,” “And god knows we needed all the help we could get”)

god-awful

goddamn (per OED), goddamnit, goddamned

gonna (not gunna)

goodbye

good Samaritan

Google+ (preferred over Google Plus)

google (v.); Google (n.); google-able

goosebumps

gravesite

gray (not grey)

grown-up (as n. and adj.)

G-spot

Guantánamo Bay

guest star (n.); guest-star (v.)

H

hacktivist

haha (interjection); ha-ha (n.)

hair care (n.); hair-care (adj.)

hair dryer (but blow-dryer)

hairspray

hairstylist

half hour (not half-hour) (n.)

hand job

handover (n.)

Hanukkah

happy-cry (all uses)

hardcore (all uses)

hashtag

hate-watching (n.), hate-watch (v.)

HBIC

HBO Go

“he said, she said”

headcanon

head count

headscarf

headshot

heartrending, gut-wrenching, nerve-racking: Via MW, heartrending denotes sadness; gut-wrenching is meant to describe something that causes great mental or emotional pain; and nerve-racking describes something causing someone to feel nervous.

higher-up (n.)

hip-hop

hippie (as in Woodstock, peace and love, and all that)

hippy (as in big-hipped)

hitmaker

hi-top fade

HIV-positive and -negative (hyphenate in all uses, e.g., Are you HIV-positive? vs. the HIV-positive patients)

ho (plural: hos for the derogatory term)

homeowner, homeownership

homepage (also, homescreen, etc.)

homestretch

hoodie

hookup (n.), hook up (v.)

hotspot (Wi-Fi connection place); hot spot (for other uses, i.e., vacation hot spots)

hourlong

hoverboard

H/T (for hat tips, never H/t)

humankind (preferred over mankind)

humblebrag

Houthi rebels

I

ice cream (n., adj.; never hyphenate)

iced coffee (not ice coffee)

ID (for identification)

Ikea (not IKEA)

IMAX

IMDb

I’mma (i.e., I’m going to, as in: I’mma let you finish…)

indie pop, indie rock (but hyphenate as modifiers, i.e., indie-rock band)

Instagram, Instagramming (capped in all forms)

internet

Internet of Things

iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 Plus (use lowercase S, C, etc., with model numbers)

iPad Mini

IRL

IT (OK on first reference for information technology)

It girl, It couple

J

JCPenney

J.Crew

Jell-O (for the trademarked product); jello (as the generic term)

jetpack

JPG, JPEG

JPMorgan

judgy (not an actual word, but preferred to judgey in casual prose)

Juggalo, Juggalette

K

keychain

kimchi

K-9

koozie (for beer/alcoholic drinks)

L

LaCroix

ladies’ night

LARPer, LARPing (for Live-Action Role-Playing)

laundromat (lowercase)

lawnmower

leaker (preferred term for someone who leaks information, regardless of intent)

left-swipe (hyphenate as a v.)

Lego, Legos (plural)

less vs. fewer: Use less when referring to mass nouns, distance, or money; use fewer when referring to things that are quantifiable (e.g., There was a less of a risk with that option, There were fewer people at Jane’s party than at Julie’s).

life hack

lifespan

likable

like: Use commas on either side for an interjection: If you have, like, a really bad day… No quotation marks when used as a self-referential pseudo quote: I was like, we could never do that. And then we did. Don’t set off with commas when used as a substitute for about: There were like five dudes standing there. As a suffix: See Combining Forms section below.

likes (as in, Facebook) — lowercase, not set in quotes

lil’ (for shorter form of “little”)

lip gloss, lip liner, lipstick

lip sync (n.); lip-synch (v.)

listicle: avoid, use list instead

Listserv: Avoid unless referring to the trademarked software; use email list instead

livestream (all forms)

live-tweet

locs (for abbreviated form of dreadlocks)

log in (v.); log-in (n.)

logline (brief summary of a TV program or film); log line (used on ships)

lolcat

LOL’d, LOLing

longform

long-term (adj.)

longtime (adj.)

long-standing (adj.)

longread

lookalike (one word, all forms)

loveseat

lower/upper Manhattan (lowercase L and U)

lunchbox

Advertisement

M

MAC (the cosmetics brand)

mac ‘n’ cheese

maiden name: Avoid, use birth name to refer to someone’s last name before marriage

make do (not make due)

makeout (n., the act of making out)

makeup (when referring to cosmetics)

mama

man-child

manila envelope

mani-pedi

mansplain, mansplaining

manspreading

mashup

mason jar

match-fixing (hyphenated in all uses)

matzoh

MD, MDs (plural)

mecca (lowercase)

meet-cute (n.)

meetup (n.)

megabank

meme, memeing (avoid phrasing like giant meme or viral meme, which are redundant and often hyperbolic; OK as a verb, e.g., Hurry, meme this cat picture!)

memeufacturing

men’s rights activists (no caps)

#MeToo (not “Me Too” for the #MeToo movement)

MIA

mic’d (as the adj. or v. meaning to attach a microphone)

middle-aged (not -age)

midseason

Midtown Manhattan/Midtown (capped)

mile-high club

milkshake

millennials (avoid using this term when possible, except when referring specifically to demographics; otherwise, generally use twentysomethings, twenty- and thirtysomethings, or teens and young adults, depending on context)

mindfuck

mindset

misgender (v. for the use a pronoun or form of address that does not correctly reflect the gender with which a person identifies)

mixtape

M.O. (modus operandi)

ModCloth

mohawk (lowercase as the hairstyle)

Molly (when referring to the drug)

mommy blogger: avoid, use parent blogger or lifestyle blogger instead

more than vs. over: OK to use interchangeably, but typically, use more with quantities and over with spatial relationships. (e.g., There were more than 20 people packed into the apartment, The plane flew over the Atlantic Ocean.)

MoMA (for Museum of Modern Art)

mother-effing for readbility, but motherfucking

mpreg

Muay Thai

mugshot

mustache

N

‘n’ (when using in place of and, e.g., mac ‘n’ cheese)

Nae Nae (dance move)

nap time

NARS (the cosmetics brand)

NASCAR

Nasdaq

National Airport or Washington National Airport: preferred over Reagan National Airport

Native American (not American Indian, unless a person self-identifies as such); Native is also used as an adj. to describe things specific to the population

Necco (not NECCO)

nerdom

Netflix and chill (n. and v.)

never mind

News Feed (when referring to Facebook’s News Feed); newsfeed, one word, in other references

news gathering

New York magazine

New Wave (for film genre); new wave (for music genre)

nip slip

nonprofit (as n. and adj.)

No. 1 for official rankings, like on music charts (except in quotes); spell out number one in all other uses (Tuberculosis is the number one cause of death in people living with HIV); #1 also acceptable informally

now: When referring to time, do not use a comma (I used to be completely terrified of heights. Now I’m generally OK with heights). When used colloquially, use a comma (Now, I’d never say that all cats are awesome, but I’ve never met one who wasn’t).

the n-word (style thusly; see more under Profanity)

NYC

O

“O Canada” (for both the national anthem and expressions)

OB-GYN

O-face

offscreen (adv. and adj.)

offseason

OG (no periods)

oh man, oh my god, oh no (all OK without comma after Oh)

OkCupid

okurrr (three r’s, but add more for intensity)

ombré

omega-3

omelet

on-again, off-again

onboard: one word as a modifier (onboard entertainment), but There was a baby on board

on demand (lowercase, unless part of a service’s official title)

onesie

onscreen (adv. and adj.)

Other, Otherness: Capitalise to indicate use of the term as a category, especially when discussing race (e.g., I think people make a clear distinction that [Lupita Nyong’o] is this exotic, fetishised Other — and therefore not ‘black’ like the rest of us.)

P

PA (for personal amplifier)

page 1, page 2, etc. (for references to book pages)

pageview

Paleo diet

partier

pawprint

peekaboo

peeping Tom

pet sitter, pet-sit, pet-sitting

PhD, PhDs (plural)

phone calling (as a v., no hyphen)

photobomb, videobomb

photo op

photo shoot

Photoshop (n., the program), photoshop (n., generically, an image that has been altered), photoshopped (adj.), photoshop (v.)

the Pill: Capitalise when referring to birth control, but only when used as a n. and after the (e.g., She was on the Pill to regulate her period. There’s a new pill on the market with a lower dose of estrogen.)

pinecone

pins, pinners (on Pinterest) are always lowercase

Pizzagate

placemat

Playboy Playmate

playoff

pleaded (not pled, for past tense of plead, per AP)

Plexiglas for the trademarked product; plexiglass as the generic term

plus-one (preferred to +1 in running copy)

plus-size

PJs

Pokémon

pop star, rock star

Pornhub

porta-potty

Post-it Note

pour-over (as in the coffee)

PrEP (for the HIV prevention regimen)

primetime (one word, all forms)

pro tip (don’t hyphenate)

PS (for post script)

pseudo words: Don’t hyphenate (e.g., He rose from Obama stand-in to pseudo strategist)

publicly (not publically)

Pumpkin Spice Latte (capped when referring to the trademarked Starbucks beverage)

punchline

Q

Q&A

quote-unquote (in speech)

Qur’an

R

rainforest

Recode (the tech site)

Reddit (cap in running text), redditor (lowercase, for someone who uses Reddit)

red-light district

reform: Avoid in descriptions of political policy, and instead opt for specificity (e.g., tax-cut plan rather than tax reform)

refriend, retweet, repin

rearview (adj.)

ribcage

rickroll

ride-hail (noun and verb), ride-hailing (preferred over ride-sharing to describe services like Uber and Lyft)

ride-share, ride-sharing (use only when referring to a shared-ride service, like UberPool)

riesling

right-click (hyphenate all forms)

right-swipe (hyphenate all forms)

RIP (no points)

road trip (n.), road-trip (v.)

rock ‘n’ roll

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

roid rage

rom-com

room 1, room 202, etc. (lowercase R in reference to room numbers)

round trip (n.)

roundtable (n., adj.)

royal baby, royal family (lowercase)

RT’d, RTs, RT (on Twitter)

runtime

S

Satan, satanic, satanism

SBD (silent but deadly)

sci-fi (but science fiction in all forms)

Screen Actors Guild (no apostrophe)

screensaver

screencap

screengrab

screenshort (a screenshot of text shared on social media)

screenshot (OK as n. and v.; screenshot as past tense and past participle)

screentime

seahorse

seatbelt

semiautomatic

service member

setlist

al-Shabaab

Sharia: Sharia is defined as Islamic law, and therefore Sharia law is unnecessary/redundant when discussing the general framework of Islamic religious law; the term Sharia law should be used to refer to a code of government-implemented criminal and civil laws that are claimed to be derived from Islamic teachings or a provision of such a code.

Shiite, Shiites (not Shia, for the branch of Islam, but Shia is acceptable in quotes)

ship names: Capped, with only the ship name (not the vessel type) italicised, e.g., USS Awesome; Millennium Falcon

shippers (when referring to fans who yearn for a fictional couple’s romance); ship, shipping (v.)

shit list

shitfaced

shithole

shitload

shitshow

shitstorm

shit talk (n.); shit-talk (v.)

shit ton

shoebox

shoegazer

ShondaLand

shoo-in

shortform

shoutout (not shout-out)

showrunner

showtunes

shrink wrap (n.), shrink-wrap (v.)

shyest

sideboob

sidebutt

side-eye

sideview (adj.)

skin care (two words, all forms)

slideshow

slushie (n.)

smartglasses

smartphone

smartwatch

snowblowed (for past tense of snowblow)

snowglobe

S.O. (for significant other)

softcore

Solo cup

soulmate

soundcheck

soy milk

spacewalk

spandex

spell-check (n. and v.)

spinoff

spoke out: Avoid; said generally works just as well

SpongeBob SquarePants

spray paint (n.), spray-paint (v.)

Sriracha

stand-up (comedy)

Stanky Legg (for dance move)

Starbucks drink sizes: tall, grande, venti, trenta (lowercase)

startup

the States (when referring to the United States)

STD/STI: STI (sexually transmitted infection) is preferred to STD (sexually transmitted disease) in body copy, spelled out on first reference, but STD is acceptable in headlines and when lots of quoted material in a story uses STD and using both terms interchangeably could be potentially confusing to the reader

stepgrandfather, stepgrandmother (close up all step relationships unless next word starts with a vowel)

stop-and-frisk (hyphenate in all uses)

storyline

storytime

straight-up (hyphenate as an adjective before a n., v., etc.)

Steadicam

streetwear

struggle bus

student-athlete (also, student-performer, and the like)

subreddit (when naming a specific subreddit, add /r/ in front of it, e.g., /r/thisismylifenow or /r/The_Donald)

sucker punch (n.); sucker-punch (v.)

sugarcane

supercut

superfan

superpredator (when referring to the 1990s crime myth)

supervillain

surfbort

Sweet 16

synthpop

T

tae kwon do

takeout (n.); take out (v.); takeaway (n.)

TARDIS

Taser, tase, tased, tasing (OK to use as a v., contrary to AP)

taste test (n.); taste-test (v.)

tear gas (n.); teargas (v.)

TED Talk

teepee

teleprompter

TfL (as an abbreviation for Transport for London)

The One (as in destined romantic interest)

thinkpiece

third world: Avoid; use developing world/country instead

tick-tock

Time magazine (not TIME)

Time’s Up initiative (but #TimesUp)

time-lapse (adj.); time lapse (n.)

timeline (one word, all forms)

timeshare (one word, all forms)

timeslot

timestamp (one word, all forms)

tl;dr (all lowercase, unless it starts a sentence, in which case, TL;DR; should be followed by a colon if introducing a sentence)

the Today show (not The Today Show)

touchscreen

Tourette syndrome

Toys ‘R’ Us

TP’d (for toilet-papered)

tracklist

tractor-trailer

transatlantic

treehouse

trendspotting

T. rex

tristate (one word, lowercase)

try to (not try and, as in, I’m going to try to call her later.)

Twitter, tweeting, tweets

Twitterstorm

two-buck Chuck

type A, type B (as in personality)

Advertisement

U

ugly-cry (all uses)

underboob

underway (all uses)

unfriend (not de-friend)

unsee

up front (adv.); up-front (adj.); upfronts (n., refers to the meeting held by television executives)

updog (Nothing, what’s up with you?)

upvote/downvote (n. and v.)

USA, US (generally interchangeable, but preference for USA when referring to geography)

username

V

Viner (i.e., someone who uses Vine [RIP💀])

Vine-ing (post a Vine or use Vine is preferred; cap in all uses)

vinyasa yoga

Vitaminwater

V-Day (as an abbreviation for Valentine’s Day)

V-neck

V-shaped

Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia (not “French Vogue,” “Italian Vogue”), but British Vogue

voicemail

voiceover

vs. (with a period, lowercase in list-y posts), versus (spelled out in news articles, longform stories); but v. for court cases

W

wack (adj.), not cool, effed up; whack (n., v.), a hard or resounding blow, to hit with a hard or resounding blow; also gangster (as in Godfather) slang, to kill

Wall Street (spell out, rather than “Wall St.,” in running text, unless talking about a specific address)

Walmart (when referring to the retail store and the corporation)

Washington, DC; the DC area — but in datelines just WASHINGTON

watch list

web, website, webpage

web comic

web forum

weightlifting (but weight lifter)

Western (cap for film or book genre, but lowercase for music genre)

wetsuit

whitelist, whitelisted (one word, n. and v.)

whitewater (adj., as in rafting)

whiz (n.)

whoa

who’s who

wide-awake (hyphenate as an adj. before a noun)

widescreen (one word, both as n. and adj.)

Wi-Fi

windbreaker

wineglass

wine varietals: See AP

workflow

workwear

World Wide Web

writers room

www: Never use in a URL unless you can’t access the site without it (or if the URL requires the odd www1. or www2.) — all very rare instances!

X

Xacto

Advertisement

Y

YA (for young adult lit)

yaaass

Yahoo (no !)

yeah

young’un

YouTube, YouTuber (one word, capitalise T)

zeitgeist (lowercase, even though MW ~often~ caps)

zip code (not ZIP code; postcode in UK i.e. one word)

Ziploc for the trademarked product; ziplock as the generic term

z’s (aka sleep)

Abbreviations and acronyms

Letters (of the alphabet)

Job titles

Countries, regions, cities, towns, villages, etc.

Dates

September 1961, spring 1955 are preferred over September of 1961, spring of 1955 in news stories.
In features and essays as well as most news stories, format full dates as 03 October 1983. Do not use 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., in dates. Use leading zeros in numbers less than 10 i.e. 01 January or 07 September.
Capitalize the names of days of the week and months in all uses.
Abbreviate days of the week as follows Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, and Sat.
Only abbreviate days of the week when used with a specific date. Spell out the days of the week when using alone e.g., he works half-days on Friday or the next open day is Sun 12 April.
Abbreviate months as follows Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec. It is not strictly necessary to abbreviate the shorter months i.e. March, April, May, June, and July, except to ensure consistency with the longer month names. I.e. “from 15 Jan to 24 Apr” looks more consistent than “from 15 Jan to 24 April”.
Only abbreviate month when used with a specific date. Spell out the month when using alone, or with a year alone i.e., 12 Apr, in April, and April 2020 are all acceptable.
Do not use a period after an abbreviated day of the week or month.
Do not separate the day, month and year with commas i.e. 21 March 2020 not 21 March, 2020.
Use a comma to separate the day of the week when used alongside day and month irrespective of whether the day of the week or month is abbreviated i.e. Sun, 12 Apr 2020 and Sunday, 12 April. Do not use the comma when the day of the week is used with only a date i.e. Sun 12 or Sunday 12. Do not use 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.,
Use en dashes to indicate date ranges, e.g., 1999–2005, 1980–83.

Examples (these apply to headlines as well):

March is a good month to begin the project.
04 Feb was the coldest day of the month.
His birthday is on 09 April.
14 Feb 2009 was the worst Valentine’s Day ever.
Episode 3 airs Saturday, 01 February at 10:30 p.m.
They were the editor of the yearbook for the 2018–19 school year.

The coronavirus pandemic

Pregnancy

News posts

Headlines

Bylines

Quotes and attribution

Names

Corrections

Redacted Words/Phrases

Updates

Ampersands

Capitalisation

Combining forms

Closing up or hyphenating combining forms generally depends on readability and whether closing up a word changes its meaning. Follow the guidelines below, and consult OED in most cases to see if a word has its own entry:

anti- (hyphenate, unless it has its own entry in OEDW: anti-gay, anti-labour, anti-terrorism, but antibiotic, antioxidant, antisocial)

-ass (typically hyphenated: wild-ass party; exceptions: badass, dumbass, kickass)

-bait (typically closed up: clickbait, linkbait, tweetbait)

butt- (typically closed up: buttcrack, buttface, butthole)

co- (hyphenate only if readability is an issue, e.g., co-owner, co-creator, co-counsel, but coworker, cofounder; also, be mindful of whether a co- combining-form word is redundant, e.g., copartner

crypto- (closed up e.g. cryptography, cryptocurrency, etc. Do not use as a stand-alone noun unless in a quote, where meaning should be clear from context)

cyber- (closed up unless it affects readability: cyberwarfare, cyberbullying, cybersecurity, etc., but Cyber Monday)

-esque (closed up/hyphens depend on readability: yolo-esque, Kafkaesque)

-fest (most combining forms should be closed up: lovefest, puppyfest, etc.)

-fuck (usually closed up: clusterfuck, bumblefuck)

-gate (close up and capitalise all forms: Pizzagate, Gamergate, Nipplegate, etc.)

-goer (hyphenate only if readability is an issue: beachgoer, theatergoer, fairgoer, filmgoer)

half (follow OED: half-brother, half-court, half mast)

-head (close up [metalhead, pothead] unless it interferes with readability [hip-hop-head, Phish-head])

hyper- (follow OED, typically closed up)

-ian (usually closed up unless doing so makes the word unreadable, e.g., Darwinian

-ish (usually closed up unless doing so makes the word unreadable, e.g., emoji-ish, New Yorkish)

-less (usually closed up; hyphenate if not found in OED: childless, witless, cashless, audience-less, pants-less)

-like (usually closed up unless doing so makes the word unreadable; use OED and good judgment, e.g., childlike, but doll-like, novel-like)

-maker (follow OED: decision maker, dealmaker, policymaker, lawmaker)

-mate (close up most combining forms: tourmates, cellmates, but running mate)

mega- (generally hyphenate new forms, check OED for existing words e.g. megastructure; also megadonor)

mid- (close up most, follow OED for guidance: mid-1950s, mid-Atlantic, but midterm, midday)

mini (use in an open compound, unless closed up in OED: mini cupcakes, but miniseries)

multi- (follow OED)

non- (close up non- words, unless readability is an issue or the next word begins with an “N”, e.g., non-negotiable)

now- phrases (hyphenate: his now-husband, the now-president)

-plus (preferable to +, as in He was 20-plus years old.)

post- (hyphenate, unless it has its own entry in OED: post-college, postmortem, postdoc, postwar)

pre- (follow OED and close up unless doing so makes a word hard to read)

re- (follow OED and close up unless doing so makes a word hard to read or changes its meaning; consider distinctions, e.g., between re-create vs. recreate and re-cover vs. recover)

-seeker (job seeker, asylum-seeker, thrill-seeker)

self- (hyphenate: self-absorbed)

-shaming (hyphenate: fat-shaming, body-shaming; also hyphenate compound verbs like victim-shame)

-size/-sized: generally use -sized to describe the size of something (a nickel-sized spider); -size to describe something’s function or utility (child-size furniture); also, bite-size, oversize, plus-size

smart- (Close up most smart technology compounds: smartglasses, smarthome, smartphone, smartwatch, etc.)

super- (generally hyphenate if it creates a compound modifier, otherwise two words: a super-long line, but that line is super long)

then- phrases (hyphenate: her then-boyfriend, then-senator Obama)

-time (generally close up, unless the preceding word ends in a “t”: naptime, playtime, lunchtime, but breakfast time)

-turned phrases (do not hyphenate, unless it comes before a person’s name: the actor turned lawyer; actor-turned-lawyer John Smith…)

-ward (not -wards, no “s”: afterward, backward, toward, forward)

-wear (close up unless doing so makes a word unreadable: businesswear, streetwear, workwear)

über- (generally hyphenate if it creates a compound modifier, otherwise two words: an über-cool giraffe, that giraffe is über cool)

-worthy (one word; use hyphen only if readability is an issue: newsworthy, Oscarworthy, lustworthy, law-worthy)

Commas

Ellipses

En dash and em dash

Introduction

There are two types of dashes. The en dash is a mid-sized dash (approximately the length of the letter n and slightly longer than a hyphen) and is mostly used to show ranges in numbers and dates. The longer em dash (—) is the length of the letter m and is used to separate extra information or mark a break in a sentence.

En dash usage

Use the en dash (not a hyphen) in sports scores, e.g., 5–3, date ranges, e.g., 1999–2005, 1980–83, and compound noun constructions such as directions “the New York–New Jersey border,” “the US–Mexico border,” “then–national security adviser Michael Flynn,” “the Denver–London flight.”
Keep in mind that if a number or date range is introduced with from, the word to should be used instead of an en dash to keep the construction parallel.
Use the en dash for clarity when using open compound nouns as modifiers, e.g., “a cool tennis shoe–rain boot hybrid,” “a New York–born man,” “a non–high school friend”.
Do not use spaces on either side of the en dash.

To create the en dash:

Keyboard shortcut – hold down one of the Alt keys and type 0150 on the numeric keypad. The dash appears when you release the Alt key.
In MS Word – Ctrl + Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled) will give the en dash.
In Pages – Option/Alt + Hyphen or Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled)

Em dash

Use spaces on either side of the em dash.
Try to avoid use of the em dash when parentheses, commas, or a semicolon would work just as well.
If an em dash is used to indicate interrupted speech, set it flush with the text and closing quotation mark: “I’m throwing my dog a bar mitz—”
Use an em dash to set off appositives that contain commas, to bring focus to a list, or to mark sharp turns in thought. Examples:
- Four of us—Mike, Amanda, Katy, and I—went to the conference last week.
- Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla—all ice cream tastes good, especially on a hot summer’s day.
- Mary, could you—no, Mikey, don’t touch the sharp knife!—Mary, could you please set the table?
- Where the heck is my—wait, what was I looking for?

To create the em dash

Keyboard shortcut – hold down one of the Alt keys and type 0151 on the numeric keypad. The dash appears when you release the Alt key.
In MS Word – Ctrl + Alt + Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled) will give the en dash.
In Pages – Option/Alt + Shift + Hyphen or Minus Key (with Num Lock enabled).

Emojis

Hyphens

Do NOT use a hyphen after an adverb (not limited to but including most words ending in “-ly”), e.g., “It was a poorly written book,” NOT “poorly-written”.
Note that other adverbs besides ones ending in “-ly” don’t need hyphens (“the almost empty glass,” “an often misunderstood rule,” “a very strong beer,” etc.) unless their meaning is ambiguous, e.g., “a little-regarded athlete,” “a still-unknown number,” “a well-known presenter.”
Do use hyphens for clarity in the following situations (per Chicago Manual of Style) when compound modifiers such as “open-mouthed” or “full-length” precede a noun, hyphenation usually lends clarity. With the exception of proper nouns (such as “United Kingdom”) and compounds formed by an adverb ending in “ly” plus an adjective, it is never incorrect to hyphenate adjectival compounds before a noun, e.g., “A First-Rate Movie,” “Five-Alarm Chili.”
Hyphens are usually not used when a phrase is made up entirely of nouns, e.g., “video game console,” “crime scene cleanup,” “health care reform,” “toilet paper roll,” especially when the modifying compound noun can be found in the dictionary.
When adding a prefix before a compound adjective, use hyphens between all components, e.g., “a non-habit-forming drug” — but in extreme cases, it’s better to reword the sentence to avoid awkward punctuation.
In a list where an element of the modifying phrase is not repeated, use a suspended hyphen, like so: “a university-owned and -operated bookstore”; “second-, third-, and fourth-grade teachers.”
Slashes are OK in specific contexts (like “and/or”), but use hyphens for basic compounds and double titles like “singer-songwriter” (not “singer/songwriter”) or “writer-director.”
When a modifying phrase is longer than a couple of words, quotation marks can sometimes be easier to read than a ton of hyphens, e.g., He heaved a “back to the drawing board” sigh.
When a hyphenated compound noun is part of a modifying phrase, use an en dash after the hyphenated noun, e.g., “an editor-in-chief–approved plan.”

Italics and quotation marks

Except in page titles, headings and sub-headings, use italics for the names of movies, television shows, books, album titles, plays, art exhibitions, collections, web series, podcasts, radio programs, media franchises, and video games (including console, browser, and arcade; apps, however, should be roman and capped).
Names that should be italicised (movie names, TV shows, books, etc.) can be set off with quotes in headlines (since they should not be italicised as per above guideline), only if it lends clarity to the headline.
Use quotations for names of movie/play scenes, television episodes, articles, chapters, song titles, individual pieces of art, and names of studies except in page titles, headings and sub-headings.
News publication names (both print and digital), magazine and journal titles, news organizations, and local news affiliates should be in roman (normal) type.
Italicise titles of newsletters that contain more than one article and will be broken down into article-like sections, but use roman type (no quotation marks) for other (typically shorter, less dense) newsletters.
Board games, card games, and spoken games should be capitalised and in roman type, e.g., Monopoly, Uno, Never Have I Ever.
Titles of issues and editions (including the words “issue” and “edition”) should be capitalised and in roman type, e.g., Now Toronto’s Body Issue or The Coffee Edition.
Do not, however, put ship or vessel names in quotes in headlines! Use good judgment, especially if readability is an issue.
Keep all punctuation that follows italicised, bolded, or coloured (via links) words in roman.
When using binomial nomenclature, i.e., scientific names, italicise both genus (capitalised) and species (lowercase) names, e.g., Homo sapiens; E. coli.
For non-English words: If a word or phrase could be unfamiliar to an English-speaking audience, use good judgment when deciding whether or not to italicise it. Traditionally italics have been used to indicate a potentially unfamiliar word, but these italics can often be distracting and especially, more importantly, can be othering. Consider audience and context — usually you can lose the italics without losing any meaning.

Quotation mark and punctuation

General

Addresses

Ages

Dates

Decades

Demographics

Fractions

Grades (as in School)

Headlines

Millions and billions

Money

Pregnancy

Percentages

Ratings

Sizes

Speed

Sports

Telephone numbers

Temperature

Time

Weights and measures

Mental Health

Disability

The word ‘disabled’ is a description not a group of people. Use ‘disabled people’ not ‘the disabled’ as the collective term.
Avoid medical labels. They say little about people as individuals and tend to reinforce stereotypes of disabled people as ‘patients’ or unwell.
Don’t automatically refer to ‘disabled people’ in all communications – many people who need disability benefits and services don’t identify with this term. Consider using ‘people with health conditions or impairments’ if it seems more appropriate.
In general, do not describe an individual as disabled unless it is clearly pertinent to a story.
If a description must be used, try to be specific. An ad featuring actor Michael J. Fox swaying noticeably from the effects of Parkinson’s disease drew nationwide attention. Avoid descriptions that connote pity, such as afflicted with or suffers from multiple sclerosis. Rather, has multiple sclerosis. Do not use the word handicapped to describe people.
Do not use the term mentally retarded. Mentally disabled, developmentally disabled, or intellectually disabled are preferred.
Use wheelchair user rather than confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound. If known/when possible, say why a wheelchair is used.
However, many deaf people whose first language is British Sign Language consider themselves part of ‘the deaf community’ – they may describe themselves as ‘Deaf’, with a capital D, to emphasise their deaf identity.
In other words, the lowercase deaf refers to someone with no hearing. The capitalised Deaf is used by members of the Deaf community in relation to identity and culture. Avoid using hearing-impaired; use phrasing such as hard of hearing or partially deaf.
Do not use the term deaf-mute; the preferred phrasing is that an individual cannot hear or speak. (A mute person may or may not be deaf.)
The term sign language is lowercase, but capitalise British Sign Language (abbreviate to BSL on the second and further reference). Someone who communicates in sign language is a signer, e.g., a BSL signer.
Finally, our golden advice is to listen to how people talk about their disability themselves and take your cue from them.

LGBTQ

Community

When referring to the broader community, “queer” (as in “queer people” or “LGBTQ” as in “LGBTQ people”) is appropriate. “Gay” is not. “LGBTQ” is only appropriate when referring to the broader community or groups of people, not when referring to individuals. Discrimination
Opt for “anti-gay” rather than “homophobic”; “anti-trans” rather than “transphobic.”
In place of “homophobia,” use “anti-trans/anti-gay/anti-LGBTQ prejudice/discrimination/bias,” etc.

Identification

Unless you already know based on research, it should be standard to ask how people identify themselves: gay, bi, genderqueer, queer, trans, etc.
A person can be trans WITHOUT also being gay or lesbian. Don’t assume.
Use “cisgender” (rather than “non-trans”) to refer to a person who is not transgender. “Cis” is also acceptable shorthand.
“Trans” and “transgender” are generally interchangeable.

Marriage

Use “marriage equality” and “marriage for same-sex couples” rather than “gay marriage.” Avoid “gay marriage” and “same-sex marriage” — as GLAAD notes, these terms “can suggest marriage for same-sex couples is somehow different than other marriages.”

Pride

Lowercase “pride” if not part of a proper name, e.g., “a pride event.”
Capitalise in Pride Month and as shorthand for a proper name or event after first full reference, e.g.: The NYC Pride Parade is Sunday; We went to Pride on Sunday.
Use “pride flag” instead of “rainbow flag” or “rainbow pride flag.”

“Openly” vs. “Out”

“Openly” is preferred over “out” as a modifying phrase, e.g., “openly gay” or “openly trans,” but the terms can be used interchangeably if a writer or subject prefers. Be mindful, however, of whether a modifier is necessary given a story’s or sentence’s context; using it may be redundant.

Pronouns

Always defer to the pronouns a person uses for themself. (It’s not rude to ask. In fact, it’s encouraged to ask, “What pronouns do you use?”)
If it is unclear what pronoun a person uses and it’s not possible to ask them, use “they”/”themself.”
Instead of saying “preferred pronoun,” describe the pronoun with which someone identifies in neutral terms, e.g., “Sam Smith uses ‘they’/’them’ pronouns.”

Transgender Terms:

Some of these are adapted from the GLAAD Transgender Glossary of Terms.

Transgender: An umbrella term (adj.) for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, so use the descriptive term preferred by the person. Transgender people may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.
Transsexual: An older term (NOT an umbrella term), which originated in the medical and psychological communities. Use as an adjective and only if preferred by an individual.
Cross-dressing: To occasionally wear clothes traditionally associated with people of the other sex. “Cross-dresser” should NOT be used to describe someone who has transitioned to live full-time as the other sex or who intends to do so in the future.
Always use a transgender person’s chosen name. It is never appropriate to put quotation marks around either a transgender person’s chosen name or the pronoun that reflects that person’s gender identity.
Deadnaming: The preferred term in the community for using a trans person’s assigned name at birth. Generally avoid the practice of deadnaming in stories, unless it is preferred by the subject.
Please use the correct term or terms to describe gender identity. For example, a person who transitions to become female is a transgender woman, whereas a person who transitions to become male is a transgender man.
Avoid pronoun confusion when examining the stories and backgrounds of transgender people prior to their transition. It is usually best to report on transgender people’s stories from the present day instead of narrating them from some point or multiple points in the past.
Use “anti-transgender bathroom bill” (“anti-LGBTQ bathroom bill” is OK in a heading or where space is limited) to describe legislation geared at banning transgender/nonbinary people from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.
Use sex reassignment surgery (SRS) or gender affirmation surgery.

Organisational names and collective nouns

Style guide

Introduction

Preferred style manual

Introduction

Preferred style manual

Words and spellings

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Structure and formatting

Initials

Grammar and punctuation

Introduction

En dash usage

Em dash

Numbers and numerals

Collective terms and labels

Community

Identification

Marriage

Pride

“Openly” vs. “Out”

Pronouns

Transgender Terms: