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.]
Q. We have a difference of opinion in my company about the capitalization of defined terms in policy and procedure documents.
One group would like to capitalize all defined terms, for example, “All Statements must be mailed on
the 3rd of the month.” This is similar to legal documents and would separate the Statement as a specific
item from a nondefined version of a statement. The other group feels this is distracting and does not add to comprehension.
What does the Oracle of Style say?
A. Form a committee! Chicago, you may know, is famously partial to lowercasing, but there’s no right answer,
so just hammer this out among you, put it in your house style guide, and move on.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. When an author refers to a chapter in the text, such as “You can read more about this in chapter 2,”
the word “chapter” isn’t capped, I believe, since the title
of the chapter isn’t itself “chapter 2” but something else.
What about if the author refers to an appendix whose title is “Appendix A”? Thanks
heaps.
A. Chicago prefers to lowercase the parts of a book, even if they’re titled generically, so in running
text we would refer to “appendix A.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. CMOS says that you’re supposed to capitalize after the colon when the colon introduces (1) a quotation or
(2) multiple sentences. But when sentences follow the colon how do you know if they’re sequential enough
to warrant the capital? It’s usually really hard to tell.
A. You have to use your judgment. I’m sorry if that’s not very helpful, but rules
can’t cover every instance. Don’t waste time overthinking: if it’s
that hard to determine, it probably doesn’t matter.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]