Stylebook

Here is language advice and tips for writers and editors.

A

affordable

• Almost everything is affordable to someone. Replace with low-cost or lower-cost if that is what you mean.

accused, alleged

• Potentially libelous in a construction such as alleged killer. One option is who is accused of killing ...

arrested for

• Potentially libelous. One option is who was charged with ...

attitude

• Some attitudes are positive and some are negative. But the only people who don’t have an attitude are comatose.

C

cliches

See separate page.

comma

• Use to indicate a pause.
• Use commas or other appropriate punctuation on both sides of nonessential clauses and appositives. Examples:
  • The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks killed about 3,000 people.
  • Acapulco, Guerrero, is a city and major sea port.
  • Charles, Prince of Wales, weds Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

condo

• Slang. Spell out as condominium.

could care less

• Incorrect.
• Correct: couldn't care less

could of

• Incorrect.
• Correct: could've or could have.

crisis proportions

• Redundant.

crisis situation

• Redundant.

E

early-morning hours

• Redundant

elementary

• This is an adjective. A child may go to an elementary school, but not an elementary, or even Joe Schmuckattelli Memorial Elementary.

emergency situation

• Redundant.

entities

• Limp word. Agencies or organizations is better.

epidemic proportions

Redundant.

exclamation point

• Rarely appropriate in newswriting.

expected

• If something is expected, indicate who expects it.

F

facility, structure

• Limp words. Better: building, campus, or center.

fatality, fatalities

• Death or deaths is more concise.

false range

• A range can be indicated by from ... to ... If the items listed do not form a continuum, it is a false range, and should be rewritten.
• Examples: A to Z is a true range. Diapers to tools is a false range; there is nothing that would obviously come between them.

first

• See "superlatives."

forces

• See troops.

from ... to

• See false range.

G-N

general consensus

• Redundant.

gonna

• This is not a word! It should only rarely be used in print. The argument "We don’t change quotes" is a misapplication of a basic principle. The key is that it’s not a matter of meaning, but enunciation. Do we record all instances of nonstandard enunciation? "I dunno."

hours

• Often redundant, as in "early-morning hours."

in color

• As in "The suspect fled in a car that was blue in color." What else would it be, blue in weight? Just say "a blue car."

kick off, kicked off, kicking off

• Trite when used figuratively.

launch, launched, launching

• Trite when used figuratively.

last

• See "superlatives."

months

• See "(season) months."

most

• See "superlatives."

newest

• See "superlatives."

O-R

(season) months

• Why not just say "winter" or whatever?

old adage

• Redundant.

oldest

• See "superlatives."

on the ground

• Often adds little or no meaning.

only

1. See "superlatives."
2. Beware of improper placement.

parent

• In the singular, this is nonconversational. People refer to a group of parents in general or an individual's parents, but no one ever says, "Meet my parent."

quotes

• Do not clean up grammar in quotes. Paraphrase if needed.

rain showers

• Redundant.

relationship

• A hermit could be "in a relationship," although he would likely relate to the forest instead of a romantic partner. In other words, probably everyone is "in a relationship."

relocate

• Limp word. Move is shorter and usually better.

rolled out, rolling out, roll out

• Trite. Introduce, release or start are often better.

S

said

Most neutral form of attribution.

slang

• Usually not appropriate in formal writing.

slash (/)

• OK as part of a proper name, Web address or other appropriate computer context. Otherwise, replace it. Try and, or or at least a hyphen. Replace and/or with xxx, yyy or both" or "xxx, yyy, zzz or a combination."

so-called

• Use only to show doubt.

solutions

• Business buzzword. Tells readers little or nothing.

strangled to death

• Redundant.

structure

• See facility.

substance

• If drugs or alcohol is meant, that should be specified. (If I abused mayonnaise, would you send me to a "substance abuse" counselor?)

sued for

• Potentially libelous. One option is "sued and charged with ..."

superlatives

• Beware of superlatives and absolutes. It is often difficult to know or verify whether something is the only, first, last, newest, oldest, or most put-any-adjective-here.

suspected

• Potentially libelous in a construction such as "suspected killer." One option is "who is suspected of killing ..."

sworn affidavit

• Redundant.

T-Z

titles

• Capitalize formal titles when used before a name. Formal titles are those that a person could be addressed with, either before the name or instead of the name.

troops

• As a noun, this means "units of people." In Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, it’s specific. In a military context, "40,000 troops" does not mean "40,000 soldiers."
• Even if used correctly in a military story, it’s usually too broad to be meaningful. A troop or unit might range in size from a fire team (four people) to a division in the U.S. Marine Corps (one-third of the Marines’ active-duty infantry, plus I don’t know what else).

tux

• Slang. Spell out tuxedo.

veggies

• Slang. Spell out vegetables.

wait on

• This means serve. It is not the same as wait for.

Sources and other external links

• Grammar Wikia
• Overused and Misused, compiled by Neil Holdway with help from editors and reporters at the Daily Herald of suburban Chicago; via ACES Midwest Chapter.
• Wikipedia category

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