The Style Book of The Detroit News Part 12

Military and naval t.i.tles should be written thus:

Adjt.

Adjt.-Gen.

Brig.-Gen.

Capt.

Col.

Corp.

First Lieut.

Gen.

Lieut.

Lieut.-Col.

Lieut.-Gen.

Maj.

Maj.-Gen.

Private Q. M.-Gen.

Q. M.-Sergt.

Second Lieut.

Second Sergt.

Sergt.

Sergt.-Maj.

Surg.-Gen.

Surg.-Maj.

_Cla.s.s of '08_ may be used for _Cla.s.s of 1908_.

Abbreviate _degrees_ after a name.

Book sizes, _4to_, _8vo_, _12mo_, should be written without periods.

Use only abbreviations that will surely be understood, such as _Y. M. C. A._, _W. C. T. U._, etc., in referring to organizations.

Never write _Xmas_.

These abbreviations should be used:

Ald.

Atty.-Gen.

Gov.

Lieut.-Gov.

Sen.

Rep.

Cong.

Supt.

Abbreviate _saint_ and _saints_ in proper names, as _St. Louis_, _Sault Ste. Marie_, _Ste. Anne's_, _SS. Peter and Paul's church_.

Write scriptural texts _Gen. xiv, 24_; _II Kings viii, 11-15_.

Abbreviate names of political parties only thus, _Smith (Rep.) defeated Jones (Dem.) for alderman_.

Do not abbreviate street, avenue, boulevard, place or other designation of a thoroughfare.

Abbreviate clock time when immediately connected with figures to _a. m._ and _p. m._

Prefer _for example_ to _e. g._

Prefer _namely_ to _viz._

Prefer _that is_ to _i. e._

Write English money _5 4s 6d_, without commas.

Abbreviate the months thus:

Jan.

Feb.

March April May June July Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Use _don't_ only when you may subst.i.tute do not. Perhaps you have seen the advertis.e.m.e.nt which reads: "Hand Made Tobacco Don't Bite the Tongue."

NAMES AND t.i.tLES

The one infallible way to insult a man is to misspell his name; that is an old newspaper maxim. More care should be taken with the spelling of the names in a story than with any other mechanical detail. Often a name is misspelled because a typewriter is not clean and an _e_ or an _a_ is mistaken for an _o_ or a _u_. It is wise for the reporter to make sure these letters particularly print clearly or he may be held to account for an error. An even better way is to write a proper name in CAPS if it is at all uncommon. When the reporter writes a name such as Willson or Jonnes or Georg, a name which deviates slightly from a familiar name, it is wise to write it thus "... _and Georg (Correct) Brandes who ..._"

then the copy reader knows that the reporter has not left off a letter and the printer and proof reader also know that the word must stand as written.

All proper names should be looked up in the directory, dictionary or encyclopedia unless the reporter or copy reader is sure of the spelling.

To misspell a man's name shakes that man's faith in the newspaper; leads him to believe that if the newspaper can't write his name correctly, it is likely to make other mistakes.

Never use _Mr._ before a man's Christian name. Give his full name and then speak of him thereafter as Mr. Blank. Do not write: Mr. John J.

Blank.

Do not quote familiar nicknames, such as Billy Sunday, Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Jim Corbett.

Do not write: Superintendent of Police Marquardt, but Supt. Marquardt, or Ernst Marquardt, superintendent of police.

Never refer to a woman, no matter how lowly her social position, as "the Smith woman." Call her Mrs. Smith or Miss Smith.

Do not use the t.i.tle _professor_ unless the person spoken of is or was a member of a college or university faculty. Because a man is a princ.i.p.al of a high school, a mesmerist or the trainer of sea lions, he is not for that reason ent.i.tled to call himself Prof. Blank.

Do not use name handles, such as _Butcher Smith_, _Grocer Jones_.