Q. When making reference to western (occidental) cultures, western media, western identity politics, I prefer to use a lowercase w to de-emphasize the unity of the West (even though it is often convenient in argument to point to it as such) and because capitalization of w would further privilege the West. However, my copyeditor has changed every instance of my use of western to Western. Who is right and why?
A. It’s not necessarily helpful to think in terms of “right,” since stylebooks vary. Chicago uppercases “the West” and “Western” in the senses you describe; on the other hand, we lowercase “traveling west” and “western cowboy boots.” It’s likely that your copyeditor is following The Chicago Manual of Style or another source, and she might not have the authority to flout style. Sometimes these issues can be negotiated, however, so you should let her know your preferences and, if possible, show her that other sources in your field lowercase the term.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. “These are results of two previous double-blind, repeat-dose studies of XYZ (studies 000 and 001).” Although the word studies before 000 and 001 is not capped, do you ever cap a preceding word before the study number, and if the preceding word is a plural, such as studies, should it be capped before the respective number/name? Thanks.
A. Chicago does not cap in such phrases, whether singular or plural. We do cap if the word is part of a proper-noun phrase: Mounts McKinley and Olympus.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I live in the western part of Michigan. My boss thinks we should use West Michigan in a newsletter article, but I think it should be west Michigan. Who is correct? Many thanks.
A. “West Michigan” implies an official political entity like a city, suburb, or state (West Palm Beach, West Chicago, West Virginia). Standard parlance for an unofficial geographical area would be “western Michigan” (capped if the term has acquired a recognized character, like Southern California). However, local usage is also a factor.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. CMOS specifies that academic degrees are lowercased when referred to generically. I infer from the converse that specific degrees then are capitalized. However, I am confused by the examples: a master’s degree and a master of business administration. Wouldn’t the latter be a specific degree? What is an example of a degree that would be capitalized?
A. Capitalize degrees on business cards, on diplomas, or when displayed in a directory or resume. Lowercase them in running text, where they are almost always generic in nature. Some contexts—especially in an academic publication or in advertising—suggest that a specific degree is being named, and it’s common to capitalize: “All applicants for the Master’s in Cerebral Cosmetic Surgery should send $24,000 in unmarked bills to the Bob’s Your Uncle Online University at the address below.” But even then, a master’s in cerebral cosmetic surgery is generic in that anyone with the cash can have one, so lowercasing it (per Chicago style) would also be fine.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. The examples of titles and offices in chapter 8 of CMOS suggest that you would condone these sentences: “The queen had tea with the Queen Mother.” “The president and the First Lady waved to the crowd.” Is that a correct interpretation of Chicago style?
A. Not exactly. Rather, CMOS encourages users to apply its guidelines with flexibility and common sense. When rules bump up against each other, try to think like an editor. “First Lady” is conventionally capped as an honorific because its meaning isn’t always clear if it’s lowercased: In line at the theater, the first lady was wearing no coat. (Who was coatless, the president’s wife or the woman standing first in line?) In your sentence, paired with “the president,” “first lady” may be safely lowercased, since confusion is unlikely. In your paired examples, treat both titles the same, whichever style you choose.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I am writing a report for a U.S. government agency. My contacts want me to capitalize “federal,”
as in “Federally funded.” This looks incorrect to me. I couldn’t
find a specific rule in the Manual, though the examples I saw seem to support my opinion. I would appreciate your guidance. Thanks!
A. Chicago does not cap “federal,” since it’s not a proper
noun, but it’s common for a company to toot its own horn by capping company-related terms (like “the
University”), and the government is no different. If the agency’s house style
is to cap it, then that’s all you need to know.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Should I capitalize specific named academic degrees such as “Master’s Degree
in Built Environment” and “Bachelor of Fine Arts”? This
information will be engraved on a plaque on a prominent painting at our headquarters, so it’s essential
to get it right.
A. In the same way that we lowercase an ordinary phrase like “view from my window,”
we also lowercase “bachelor of fine arts.” But in some contexts, the same words
can be capped—for instance, in a book title (View from My Window) or at the top of a fancy diploma (Bachelor of Fine Arts). Display items like plaques support a number of treatments, none
of which is the only correct choice. You should make your decision and strive for consistency within the plaque.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Should “tea party” be capitalized? I cannot find it referenced in CMOS, but I’ve noticed that AP news stories lowercase “tea party,”
“tea partiers,” and so forth.
A. Since tea partiers have no official party (no officers, no headquarters, no letterhead), we too lowercase phrases denoting
tea parties and their proponents.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hi, Chicago editors. Three of our editors have a question about capitalization of certain military terms: special ops, officers’ mess hall, president of the mess hall. Two of us believe they should all be lowercase—as should American embassy and/or consulate. Thanks for your help.
A. Chicago style is to lowercase all of these, although looking at CMOS 8.112, you might argue for capping Special Ops in some contexts. Likewise, American Embassy would not look odd in many documents. If you’re following Chicago and not capping the pope or the queen, however, President of the Mess Hall is going to look pretty silly.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I understand that the term Other is a philosophical term. I am editing an article where the author uses it capitalized throughout. It looks awkward. Here’s
an example: “The trope of the Other is typically associated with the arousal of negative feelings of
fear and disgust.” My question is this: could it be initially capitalized or in quotes, and then subsequently
written lowercase? What does CMS recommend?
A. In philosophical works, it’s better not to meddle unless the capping is obviously the result of inattention
or a global replacement in a phrase like “On the Other hand.” It’s
always fine to query individual cases. If you choose to edit some of them, track the changes (either on paper or electronically),
so the author can review them and make adjustments.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]