Q. I am writing a Q&A document with 75 questions and answers. Can I abbreviate common phrases (e.g., mental health [MH]) throughout the document, or should each Q&A be treated as independent with no abbreviations in the document?
A. You are in the best position to decide this. Think about whether readers will read all the Q&As straight through or merely browse. Think about whether they are likely to know what an abbreviation means if they click on a question that doesn’t explain it. Make your decision based on how much help most of your readers are likely to need. If it’s feasible for a list of abbreviations to accompany the document, that’s sometimes a good solution.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Dear CMOS, I’ve often encountered “business process outsourcing” abbreviated to BPO whether it’s used as a noun or as an adjective. To my ear, the abbreviation is fine as an adjective but sounds awkward when used and read as a noun, in which case I use the full form. For example, “The company provides IT support and BPO services”—fine. “The company provides services in IT support and business process outsourcing”—fine. “The company provides services in IT support and BPO”—awkward. Is it just me, or does this preference have a sound grammatical basis?
A. It’s just you. Outsourcing is a noun, so there’s nothing wrong with using the initialism as a noun. If your readers are used to the abbreviation, then by spelling it out you are probably just slowing them down.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. This is a question of some debate in my organization: which way should the following document (and other similar documents) be abbreviated? Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) or Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002?
A. If FISMA refers only to the act of 2002, and no other FISM acts were created in other years, then the first version is correct, although somewhat ambiguous. Otherwise, the second version is correct.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. CMOS recommends spelling out terms on first mention in each chapter. I’m considering spelling out my commission’s name on first mention in each section and subsection. Do you think that’s overkill? I’m thinking about spelling it out in sections that stand out, such as text boxes or highlighted bullets, because I think the reader would be better served to see the whole name in such isolated cases. We have about a hundred mentions of this long name, so I do want to abbreviate as much as possible.
A. You are smart to consider whether this might be overkill. The Chicago guideline is to spell out a name at the first mention in each chapter because most scholarly books have long chapters, and such a name might appear only once or twice in a book, with a lot of pages in between. Readers will appreciate being reminded. However, if your sections are short, the long name appears a hundred times, and you demand that the name appear in full at every first mention—even if it was spelled out in the section just before—I doubt that readers will find it helpful. In fact, they might wonder if the writer thinks they’re witless. The idea is to provide the full name whenever you think readers need a reminder. If you think some readers will skim through just looking at bullet points and text boxes, spell it out there as well, if there is room.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Based on CMOS 10.4, Los Angeles should appear as LA, but this can create confusion between the city and the state of Louisiana. How then do you treat Los Angeles when you need to abbreviate it?
A. Los Angeles is also abbreviated LA. If you spell out Los Angeles at first mention, it’s not likely that readers will suddenly think you are talking about Louisiana when they encounter “LA,” but in any context where the abbreviation is potentially confusing, avoid using it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Which is the correct name for a law degree—juris doctor or juris doctorate?
A. Please see CMOS 10.21, which lists JD as “juris doctor.” You can also use a dictionary to check spellings and meanings.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Is it acceptable to use an acronym for the first time in a subheading? Or should an acronym only be used in the information that follows a subheading even if it’s the second time the word appears?
A. Although our mail reveals some demand for a rule in this regard, we can’t think of a good reason to allow or disallow various placements of an acronym. An acronym may be used anywhere it is helpful and not out-and-out ugly.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. In running text, what is the preferred way to write “Washington, D.C.”?
A. Use commas:
Washington, D.C., was built on what was essentially swampland.
This recommendation holds true when you use the abbreviations recommended by the US Postal Service and now preferred by Chicago:
To me, Washington, DC, is first and foremost the home of the Smithsonian.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Would you please explain when to use “e.g.” and when to use “i.e.?”
Thank you.
A. Certainly. Both are abbreviations for Latin phrases: id est (“that is”) and exempli gratia (“for the sake of example”). So use “i.e.”
when you want to rephrase something you’ve already said, and use “e.g.”
when you want to offer an example. Put a comma before and after; avoid using both in the same sentence; and try not to use
either in formal prose. And (a bonus tip) if you start a list with “e.g.,” there’s
no need to put “etc.” at the end.
If the applicant is currently one of our tuition-paying clients (i.e., a student), the fee may be waived.
The best ingredients for pizza are green—e.g., spinach, artichokes, and green peppers.
The best ingredients for pizza are green: spinach, olives, etc.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. When a person is referred to by first-name initials after the first mention, is it GP (or G.P., or G. P.)? The examples listed
in CMOS only mention all initials (LBJ or JFK). Should there be periods? Should it be spaced or together? This is for a children’s
book.
A. Chicago doesn’t address this situation, and even if we did, it wouldn’t be with
little readers in mind, so you should work with the author and book designer to settle on a style that looks good in print
and won’t confuse children.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]