Q. I have been under the impression that extensions on a date (st, nd , rd, etc.) are proper when used simply with a month (January 15th) but are not used in connection with a year (January 15, 2009).
Please advise if this is correct or provide instruction to the contrary.
A. Chicago style doesn't include the extensions in either case. When the ordinal is called for, we spell it out: the fifth of
the month. That said, the style that you describe is common and not incorrect.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. This has to do with page ranges for a bibliography, as described in CMOS. It is clear that 125–29 is correct and 125–129 is not. However, it is not clear
what to do with a range like 145–155. Should it be 145–55 or 145–155?
The trouble comes from the part of the explanation that reads “use two or more digits as needed”
and the lack of examples to address this particular situation. I would think 145–55 is sufficient, but
then, I don’t trust my own intuition because 125–9 seems sufficient to me, too.
And that is wrong. Please help!
A. Using “two or more digits as needed,” a rule of thumb for certain inclusive numbers,
means using more than one digit but no more digits than you need: 145–155 uses more digits than you
need, and 125–9 uses only one digit, so 145–55 and 125–29
are Chicago’s preferred style. However, 145–155 (using all digits) and 125–9
(using only the digits that change) are also perfectly good styles; CMOS includes them as alternatives.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m writing dialogue with blood pressure values. I’m OK with my doc saying, “Your last reading was one twenty-nine.” But what do I do with a reading of 101? “One zero one” sounds like Mr. Spock. “One oh one” is the way people speak, but “oh” may be confused with the exclamation. “One hundred and one” sounds like a temperature, not a blood pressure. Plus, this form would require me to use “one hundred and twenty-nine,” etc., for consistency. “One hundred one” is probably correct, but sounds awkward, and might be confused with repetition: “That’s one hundred—one.” Should I just give up and use numerals?
A. If you want to spell these out the way people talk, consistency isn’t an issue. Write “one twenty-nine” and “a hundred and one.” Alternatively, use numerals. For more guidance, see CMOS 13.44.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. How does a person write out ninety-two thousand, fifty-five dollars in numeral form? I should know this, but I’m
stumped.
Q. CMOS says always use numerals for percentages. Fine. But I’m editing a book of fiction. One paragraph of narration uses a percentage, and then the next paragraph uses a percentage in dialogue. What to do? Here’s an example: Steven was told that 78 percent of the neighborhood had been spared. “Yeah, but what are we to do about the remaining twenty-two percent?” he groaned.
A. You can leave it as you have it, or, if that bothers you, you can spell out the numerals for the sake of “regional consistency.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m editing the autobiography of a delightful, elderly R&B songwriter who writes of his song reaching
“#3” on the Billboard chart, but later writes of having a “top
ten” hit. Are there special rules for documenting music charting, or should we spell out all numerical
positions to be consistent with CMOS? In some paragraphs, he lists the many chart positions reached by his songs, so spelling out makes the section difficult
to read. I don’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him that we should just summarize his chart-topping
accomplishments or put them in an appendix. Egad—am I too tenderhearted to be an editor?
A. A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way. I’m sure you can
find a way to suggest that your author “showcase” (for instance) his stats in
an attractive table in order to eliminate the unsightly boogers (you can put this more delicately) in the paragraph you describe.
Otherwise, yes, it’s a good strategy to modify a style in a particular area of a manuscript if the prevailing
style becomes unwieldy, and in this case you could use numerals rather than spell out the numbers. You might also consider
styling chart position numbers this way throughout the manuscript.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. In a work of fiction, should all numbers be spelled out in dialogue?
A. Spell out numbers in dialogue whenever it can be done without awkwardness. Years, for example, are better rendered as numerals. For more guidance, see CMOS 13.44.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. When hours and minutes are mixed in a sentence that is describing a duration, are all numerals used? For instance, is it
“The spacewalk lasted 7 hours and 54 minutes” or “The spacewalk
lasted seven hours and 54 minutes”?
A. Chicago style allows for mixing numerals and spelled numbers if they describe different categories of objects (like hours
and minutes). All the numbers in a given category should be treated the same way. So both your versions are fine, although
our preferred rendering would be “The spacewalk lasted seven hours and fifty-four minutes.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hi—My Manual of Style is buried in a box at home after a move, and we’re having a debate at work. When should numbers be spelled out, and when should they be written in numerals?
A. Chicago’s general rule is expressed in CMOS 9.2: “In nontechnical contexts, Chicago advises spelling out whole numbers from zero through one hundred and certain round multiples of those numbers.” Since there are numerous exceptions and special cases, however, you really need to finish unpacking and read chapter 9. (I can’t believe you forgot to put CMOS in the “Open Me First” box with the toilet paper, box cutter, and Band-Aids.)
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Our company has always presented costs to clients in both written and numerical form. For example, “The
cost for our services is two thousand one hundred fifty dollars ($2,150).” One client has pointed out
that the number in parentheses is negative and therefore we owe him money. How can we present numbers to clients in both written
and numerical form without using the parentheses, which may indicate a negative number?
A. Parentheses are occasionally used instead of the minus sign in tabular matter (e.g., spreadsheets) to indicate negative quantities.
In most contexts, however, parentheses set off text that explains or qualifies or amplifies the surrounding context—as
in your example and often in contracts and other legal documents. Parentheses used in this way have no bearing on any quantities
they enclose—monetary or otherwise. Continue presenting your costs as you always have.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]