The Review Stylebook
modified and updated by Ryan Mignone
Spring 2004
This comprehensive list compiles any style points, which are
particular to The Review and may or may not appear in the Associated Press
Stylebook. This should not be used in any way to replace or negate AP style;
it should be used as a supplement to clear up any confusion and ensure
accuracy and consistency in every page of The Review. Some entries were
drawn from the AP Stylebook. I highly suggest buying the latest version of
the AP Stylebook, if you don't already own one. Good luck and happy editing!
a cappella
Literally "in the church style." An unaccompanied vocal music style. The a cappella groups on campus are the
Deltones, the Y-Chromes, the D-#Sharps# and the Golden Blues.
abbreviations
Do not use postal abbreviations for states. Do not
abbreviate cities except in direct quotes: "We're going to
he said. When used before a name, abbreviate the following titles when used outside direct quotations: Dr., Gov.,
Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen. and certain military titles (see AP Stylebook). Do not abbreviate president.
See courtesy titles; legislative titles; religious titles; states.
abortion
Use anti-abortion instead of pro-life and abortion rights instead of pro-choice or pro-abortion.
academic degrees
If mention of degrees is necessary to provide credentials, try to avoid an abbreviation: John Smith, who has a
doctorate in psychology.Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc. If necessary to abbreviate, use the following forms: B.A., M.A., Ph.D., etc. Only use after a full name, never just a last name. Do not use a courtesy title if the abbreviation
follows the name: Dr. Paul Rogers, Ph.D. is wrong.
accused
A person is accused of, not with, a crime. To avoid any indication that the person is being judged before a trial,
avoid phrases such as accused rapist John Gray. Instead, use John Gray, accused of raping.
acre
Equal to 43,560 square feet. No abbreviation after number: He owns 14 acres of land, the 14-acre field.
acronyms
In general, spell out on first reference and use the acronym on second reference. Do not put the acronym in
parentheses after the name: Several organizations on campus, including the Black Student Union and the Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Student Union, held events on campus this week. The LGBSU held a poetry reading in Memorial Hall
Thursday evening. See abbreviations.
acting
Always lowercase when referring to a person substituting for another person's position: Present at yesterday's
conference was acting Secretary of State Linda Burns.
addresses
Abbreviate
is not used: Mignoner
arrived at his house on
other street address title is
written out:
adopt, approve, enact, pass
Amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed; laws are enacted.
adverse, averse
Adverse means unfavorable: He predicted adverse weather. Averse means reluctant, opposed: She is averse to
change.
adviser
Not advisor.
Just
affect, effect
Affect, as a verb, means to influence or impact: He had no idea he would affect such a large amount of people.
Effect, as a noun, means result: The show had a tremendous effect on its audience.
afterward
not afterwards.
Afghans are the people of
African-American
The preferred term is black. Use African-American only in quotations or the names of organizations or if
individuals describe themselves so. See black.
ages
Always use figures: He is 9 years old, the 9-year-old boy, the room was filled with hungry 9-year-olds. See
numerals.
AIDS, HIV
Acceptable in all references for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. AIDS is an affliction in which a virus has
weakened the body's immune system and cancer or serious infections have occurred. A person with human
immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, which is the scientific name for the virus, can develop AIDS after serious
symptoms have occurred.
aid, aide
Aid is a noun meaning assistance. An aide is a person who serves as an assistant.
alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
An alumnus refers to a man who has attended a school; an alumna refers to a woman (alumnae when used in
plural); alumni refers to more than one man or woman.
al-Qaida
Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
all right
Never alright. Hyphenate only if used colloquially as a compound modifier: Ryan is an all-right guy.
animals
Do not apply a personal pronoun to an animal unless its sex has been established or if the name is given: The
dog ran to its owner. Or: Princess is afraid of her own shadow.
annual
An event CANNOT be annual unless it is held for at least two consecutive years.
apostrophe
When using singular possessive case, apostrophe goes before the "s." For plural possessive case, apostrophe
goes after "s." It affected the team's ability to perform. The Hens' leading scorer was out with a knee injury. Watch
out for titles: Hens head coach Tubby Raymond, the Hens' head coach.
arrested
To avoid indication that a person is being judged before a trial, do not use the phrase arrested for. Instead, use
arrested and charged with, or arrested in connection with.
Arts and Sciences, College of
Always capped.
assassin, killer, murderer
An assassin is a politically motivated killer. A killer is anyone who kills with a motive of any kind. A murderer is a
person who is convicted of murder in a court of law.
atheist, agnostic
An agnostic is a person who believes it is impossible to know whether there is a God. An atheist is a person who
believes there is no God.
attorney general, attorneys general
Never abbreviate. Capitalize only when used before a name: Attorney General Jane Brady.
attribution
Always put verb after name: Smith said, not said Smith. The only exception is if the person's title is long: "He is an
excellent businessman," said John Bishop, assistant vice president for student life.In most instances in news stories, said is preferred. In feature stories, use present tense (says) unless otherwise specified.
Bury attribution in longer quotes or quotes that have a natural break: "I always thought she would become
successful," Smith said, "but I never expected her to become a celebrity." Or: "The fire broke out at around
To avoid repetition, use pronouns he or she instead of speaker's name.Attribute leads unless it states common knowledge.
bachelor of arts, bachelor of science
A bachelor's degree or a bachelor's is acceptable in all references. See academic degrees.
ballpark, ballplayer, ballgame, ballroom
Always one word, no hyphen.
bands
Refer to bands in singular form: Blink 182 released its (not their) third album in 2001. Also applies to any other
group or organization when describing the group as a whole.
barbecue
Not barbeque, Bar-B-Q or BBQ.
benefit, benefited, benefiting
No extra "t" necessary.
bi-
Generally, do not hyphenate: Bifocals, bimonthly, biweekly, bipartisan. Important: The Review is a semiweekly, not
biweekly, newspaper.
Bible
Always capitalize when referring to the Scriptures in the Old or New Testament. Lowercase when used as a
nonreligious term: The Review Stylebook is my bible. For standard names and order of books in the Bible, see the
AP Stylebook.
bin Laden, Osama
Leader of al-Qaida terrorist network, prime suspect in Sept. 11 attacks. Use bin Laden on second reference.
bioterrorism
Black Student Union
Can be abbreviated as BSU on second reference. See Registered Student Organizations.
blond, blonde
Use blond as a noun for males and as an adjective for all applications: Agnes has blond hair. Use blonde as a
noun for females: That blonde sitting on the bench is attractive.
brackets
Use only if necessary to clarify quote. Paraphrase if possible, especially in features:
"We have the biggest selection of pastas [in
boasts
brand-new
Hyphenate only as an adjective.
buildings
Always capitalize the name of university buildings. Do not abbreviate.
burglary, larceny, robbery, theft
The legal definition of burglary involves entering a building (not necessarily by breaking in) and remaining
unlawfully with the intention of committing a crime. Larceny refers to the wrongful taking of property. Robbery
involves the use of violence or threat in committing larceny. Theft refers to a larceny that does not involve threat,
violence or plundering.
Career Services
Now known as the
Located on
Do not confuse with the
headlines, do not use The Bob or BCC.
CDs
acceptable term for compact discs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Located in
national agencies for control of infectious and other preventable diseases. CDC is acceptable on second
references.
cents
Spell out and lowercase, using figures for amounts less than a dollar: 5 cents, 75 cents. Use the $ sign for
amounts more than one dollar: $5.40, $1.99.
chairman, chairwoman
Capitalize as a formal title before a name: company Chairman Henry Ford. Do not capitalize as a casual,
temporary position: meeting chairwoman Joan Odell. Do not use chairperson unless specified by the source.
See titles.
chief
Capitalize as a formal title before a name: She spoke to Newark Police Chief Gerald Conway yesterday. Chief
Gerald Conway of the Newark Police.See titles.
city council
Capitalize when part of a proper name: The Newark City Council. Lowercase in other uses: The Newark and
clean up (verb) cleanup (noun and adjective)
co-
Hyphenate when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indication or status: co-author, co-host, co-worker,
co-star, etc. Do not hyphenate in other combinations: coed, coexistence, coordinate, cooperate, etc.
collective nouns
Nouns that denote a unit take singular verbs and pronouns: class, committee, club, family, band, team. Do not
use they. The club met yesterday to discuss its upcoming event, the jury reached its verdict, a herd of cattle was
sold.
colleges
Always capitalize with name of college:
Lowercase departments and programs. See departments, programs entry.
commas
The last object in a list is not preceded by a comma: Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks and Christy Turlington are
supermodels.
Commencement
Capitalize when referring to the graduation ceremony.
communication
No s when referring to the major.
compose, comprise
Compose means to create or put together: She composed the concert, the band is composed of five men and two
women. Comprise means to contain, to include all or to embrace. Use only as an active verb followed by a direct
object: The United States comprises 50 states, the band comprises five men and two women. Comprised of is
never acceptable.
Congress
Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Also
capitalize when referring to foreign congresses: the Brazilian Congress.
constitution
Capitalize references to the U.S. Constitution, with or
without
of the Constitution.
contractions
Avoid excessive use, especially in news stories.
controversial issue
Redundant. All issues are controversial.
counseling
The Center for Counseling and Student Development is located
on the second floor of the
courses
Do not capitalize course names in a general sense: general psychology, introductory chemistry. Get exact name to
be specific, and put course number in parentheses after name: Human Heredity and Development (BISC 105).
courtesy titles
Refer to both men and women by first and last name. Do not use Miss, Mrs., Mr. or Ms. except in direct quotations
or when needed to distinguish people of same last name. If person's gender is not clear from first name or story's
content, indicate gender by using he or she in subsequent references.
dash
Use only when necessary to break up sentence: However, she did not have to look far - the dog found her first. On
a PC, hit Ctrl + Alt + minus sign at far right-hand corner.
dates
Use apostrophe for two-digit form: '98, '77. For plurals, no apostrophe: the 1980s, the 1860s.
daylight-saving time
Not savings. Note the hyphen.
decades
The 1990s (no apostrophe) are abbreviated '90s, not 90's or 90s.
Abbreviated DUSC on second reference. See Registered Student Organizations.
The baseball field behind Delaware Stadium.
DELCAT
The university's library database. Always written in caps.
departments
Programs and departments within the university are not capitalized: department of foreign languages and
literatures, department of English or English department. Colleges are capitalized. City, federal or other
departments are capitalized: Delaware Department of Transportation. See colleges; programs.
defendant
Use only if the person has been arrested and charged with a crime.
dependent, independent
digits
See double-digit rule.
dimensions
Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. The man was 5 feet 10 inches tall. They must be no longer than
6 feet by 7 feet. The storm left 4 inches of snow. See AP Stylebook.
Dining Services
The university's food service organization. Always capitalized.
directions and regions
In general lowercase north, south, east and west when referring to direction. Capitalize these words when
referring to a specific region or area. Ex: Stormy weather
is expected today in the
in
discreet, discrete
Discreet means prudent or circumspect. The noun form is discretion. "She told me to be discreet after delivering
the bad news." Discrete means detached or separate.
doctor
Abbreviate Dr. only if the person is a medical doctor: Dr. Joseph Siebold, director of Student Health Services. See
courtesy titles.
dorm
Never used. Always use residence hall.
Double-digit rule
Any number less than 10 should be spelled out. Make sure larger numbers are accurate and consistent.
Du Pont Hall, Amy E. du Pont Music Building, Lammot du Pont Laboratory.
Check spellings carefully. The Wilmington-based company is always DuPont. The family and the hotel are du Pont.
ellipsis
Three periods that represent the omission of a word or phrase within a direct quote: "I haven't seen him . in several
years." Place a single space on either side of the ellipsis.
Always hyphenated. Do not italicize e-mail addresses. Not email. Or Email.
entitled
Not needed when referring to books, movies, etc. Use titled instead. The book, titled "Men are from Mars, Women
are from Venus," is a national bestseller. But, the clerk said she was entitled to a raise after six months.
ethnic groups
If used as an adjective and two words, use a hyphen: the Latin-American community. If used as a noun, do not
hyphenate.
expletives
Only when absolutely necessary.
every day (adv.) everyday (adj.)
She goes to work ever day. He wears everyday shoes.
Faculty Senate
The university faculty's governmental body. Capitalize official names of committees within the Faculty Senate.
fall
See seasons.
Fall Semester
See grading periods.
female, male
Use only as adjectives
fiancé, fiancée
One "e" refers to an engaged man. Two refers to a woman.
FLEX account is the official name of the UD#1 Card account. Do not confuse with points.
flier, flyer
Use flier when referring to both a person who flies and a posted advertisement. Flyer is only used as a proper
name, The Philadelphia Flyers.
fraternities
See Greek organizations.
gender specifications
Use spokeswoman or spokesman, not spokesperson, unless requested by the source.
GPA
Acceptable in all references.
grading periods
Always capitalized: the Fall Semester, Winter Session, the first Summer Session. When referring to university
semesters, Fall Semester and Spring Semester are acceptable. Not the same as the seasons fall and spring.
See seasons.
Greek organizations
Spelled out and capitalized. Use sorority or fraternity to specify gender: Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Alpha Epsilon
Phi sorority. Predominantly black fraternities should be referred to as historically black fraternities. The university's
Greek organizations are listed as follows.
Sororities:
Alpha Chi Omega sorority
Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
Alpha Phi sorority
Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority
Alpha Xi Delta sorority
Chi Omega sorority
Chi Upsilon sorority
Delta Gamma sorority
Delta Sigma Theta sorority
Kappa Alpha Theta sorority
Kappa Delta sorority
Lambda Kappa Beta sorority
Phi Sigma Sigma sorority
Sigma Alpha sorority
Sigma Gamma Rho sorority
Sigma Kappa sorority
Zeta Phi Beta sorority
Fraternities:
Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity
Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity
Alpha Tau Omega fraternity
Kappa Alpha Order fraternity
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity
Kappa Delta Rho fraternity
Kappa Sigma fraternity
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity
Lambda Theta Phi (Latin Fraternity, Inc.)
Omega Psi
Phi fraternity
Phi Kappa Tau fraternity
Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity
Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity
Sigma Chi fraternity
Sigma Nu fraternity
Sigma Phi Delta fraternity
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity
Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity
Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity
Theta Chi fraternity
Theta Xi fraternity
Zeta Beta Tau fraternity
Other (Honor societies, academic, ethnic, etc.)
Alpha Lambda Delta
Alpha Zeta
Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting)
Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society
Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society
Gamma Sigma Sigma
Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society
Mu Iota Sigma MIS Honor Society
Omega Chi Epsilon
Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Honor Society
Phi Sigma Pi National Coeducational Honor Fraternity
Sigma Alpha Iota Society
Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society
Tau Beta Pi
Green, the
Capitalize the grassy field between classroom buildings that
stretch from Brown to
as the Mall).
Hanukkah
Official AP spelling of the Jewish holy day, it occurs around early to mid-December or late November.
The grassy courtyard in the middle of East Campus (surrounded by Gilbert, Harrington and Russell residence
halls) with volleyball and basketball courts. The Beach is acceptable on second reference.
headlines
Avoid passive voice in headlines. Do not abbreviate states with AP abbreviations; use postal abbreviations (PA,
DE not
health care
Two words.
holidays
Capitalize all holidays: New Year's Day, Groundhog Day, etc.
Homecoming Weekend
Acceptable when referring specifically to the university's homecoming. Homecoming is acceptable on second
reference.
impostor
Not imposter.
Interfraternity Council
The governing body for campus fraternities. IFC is acceptable on second references. See Registered Student
Organizations.
Internet
Always capitalized. For more information and related terms, see the AP Stylebook.
in, into
In indicates location: He was in the bathroom. Into indicates motion: He walked into the bathroom.
incorporated
Usually not necessary, but if needed as part of a corporate name, abbreviate and capitalize as Inc.
italics
Generally not used, except in subheds and rarely in Mosaic to emphasize quotes in columns or features.
it's, its
It's is a contraction for it is or it has: From the way it's going, we might never get home. It's been a long day. Its is a
possessive pronoun: The storm was at its worst this morning.
Jehovah's Witnesses is the official name of the religious denomination.
judge
Capitalized before name when it is the formal title of the person who presides over a court of law: Judge Mills
Lane. Do not pile up long court names before name of judge:
Use Judge Joseph Reilly of
junior, senior
Abbreviated as Jr. and Sr. only with person's full name: John Smith Jr., Edward Jones Sr.
larceny
See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft
last
Avoid the use of last as a synonym for latest if it might
imply finality.
last). Do not use last with days of the week. The disaster occurred last Tuesday.
last names
Use last name on second reference. Never use Mr., Dr., etc. If the same last name occurs more than once in a
story, use the person's full name on all references.
legislative titles
Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Within a direct quote,
spell out these titles.Add
President George W. Bush
Gov. Ruth Ann Minner
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., D-Del.
Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del.
Rep. Michael N. Castle, R-Del.
State senators, state representatives, and city council members need DISTRICT NUMBERS Ex: Sen. Liane M. Sorenson, R-6th District, City Councilmen Karl Karbacher, 3rd District
let up (v) letup (n. and adj.)
lyrics
Put song lyrics in quotation marks and italics. Separate lines with slashes: "A long, long time ago / I can still
remember how that music used to make me smile / And I knew." Put single space on either side of each slash.
millions, billions
Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses: I'd like to make a billion dollars.
miles per hour
The abbreviation mph is acceptable on second reference.
months
Abbreviate when used with a date but write out when used alone: The bar will close its doors Oct. 5 and reopen the
following September. They will have to wait until December 2003. Months to abbreviate: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept.,
Oct., Nov. and Dec. All other months are written out in all cases.
Morris Library
Acceptable in all references for the Hugh M. Morris Library.
names
If no preferred title or name is specified, use source's full name including middle initial.
National Organization for Women
NOW can be used on second reference.
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The national governing body for historically black Greek organizations. NPHC is acceptable on second reference.
Do not confuse with Panhellenic Council. See Registered Student Organizations.
naval, navel
Naval is the navy. Navel is the belly button or the orange.
Acceptable in all references. Avoid
city of
NHPC Acceptable on second reference for the National Pan-Hellenic Council. See Registered Student
Organizations.
not only
should be followed with also or as well. Not only was he late, he was also completely unprepared.
numerals
Write out one, two, up to nine, unless used with "million" or measurements such as meters and yards, or "years
old." Use figures for 10 and up. Write out any number if it appears in the beginning of a sentence. Spell out first
through ninth when they indicate sequence in time or location: First base, the First Amendment, he was first in
line. Starting with 10th use figures. Use 1st, 2nd, and 3rd when the sequence has been assigned in forming
names. Such examples are geographic, military and political. Ex: 1st Ward, 7th Fleet and 1st Sgt. Refer to AP
Stylebook for other rules regarding numerals.
off, of should never be used subsequently. The ball bounced off the goalpost, not off of.
offices
Capitalize university offices: Office of Admissions, Office of Public Relations. If clear, the office is acceptable on
second reference.
OK, OK'd, OKs
Do not use okay. "The request was OK'd by city officials at the meeting," he said. "He did OK," he said.
Olympics
Capitalize all references to the international athletic contests: the Olympics, the Winter Olympics, the Olympic
games.
on-campus
Hyphenate only if used as an adjective: The university provides convenient on-campus housing for freshmen. But:
Students who do not live on campus are not provided with a meal plan.
online
Always one word.
organizations
In general, capitalize all administrative, student and academic organizations at the university, including centers,
services, laboratories, institutes, etc.: The Center for Community Development and Family Policy, the Institute of
Energy Conversion, Student Health Services. See Registered Student Organizations.
Panhellenic Council
Capitalize the governing body for campus sororities. Do not abbreviate. If clear, the council is appropriate on
second reference. Do not confuse with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is the governing body for
historically black Greek organizations.
PATRIOT Act
Always refer to it in all caps.
parentheses
Do not use to replace words within a quote. See brackets.
Parents Day
Always capitalized.
per
Use instead of a in phrases such as twice per week and $10,000 per year.
Perkins Student Center
Capitalize the home of The Review, the University Bookstore and The Scrounge. Do not shorten. See buildings.
pill
Do not capitalize in reference to the birth control pill. Use birth control pill on first reference if not clear.
plagiarism
points
Do not capitalize when referring to the UD#1 Card credit dollars. Do not confuse with FLEX.
police
Treated as a title: University Police, Newark Police, New Castle County Police, Delaware State Police, etc. See
Public Safety.
political classifications
Comply with AP standards: Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is appearing in Wilmington today.
popular titles
Place titles of all books, movies, plays, television shows and any other popular art or media forms in quotation
marks: He said he thinks "Castaway" is deserving of an Oscar.
postseason, preseason
No hyphen.
president
President George W. Bush on first reference, President Bush on second reference and Bush on subsequent
references. Also the president, not capitalized. University President David P. Roselle on first reference, Roselle on
second reference.
principal, principle
A principal is the head of a school, or an adjective meaning "important." A principle is a fundamental truth, law or
documenting force.
professor
Do not abbreviate Prof. Capitalize if used before a name without designation of department: Speaking at the
lecture will be Professor Dennis Jackson of the English Department. If used with department, or after the name,
do not capitalize: English professor Dennis Jackson. Dennis Jackson, professor of English. See titles.
programs
In general, do not capitalize university academic programs and majors: women's studies, criminal justice. The
exception is, of course, proper names, including all languages: English, Russian. But do capitalize the following:
the University Honors Program, the Science and Engineering Scholars Program, the Winterthur Program in Early
American Culture, the Dean's Scholars Program, the Medical Scholars Program, the Arts and Humanities Scholars
Program, or any other scholars programs the university provides. See colleges; departments.
Public Safety
Not the same as University Police. No definite article. See police.
RA
Acceptable on second references for resident assistant. See resident assistant.
race
Only note when relevant, as in police reports or missing person stories. Use white and black. African-American
(v.) and African American (n.) acceptable in direct quotes only. Do not use a racial description as a noun, only an
adjective. See ethnic groups.
really, very, very much, so much
Avoid unless in a direct quote. She said she is really looking forward to beating Towson.
Registered Student Organizations
Abbreviate RSO on second reference. Do not attach abbreviation at the end of the full name of the organization in
any case. Here are some popular on-campus RSOs to look out for:
Asian Student Association: Can be abbreviated ASA on second
reference.
Baha'i Club
Ballroom Dance Club
Black Student Union: Can be abbreviated BSU on second
reference.
Business Student Association
Campus Animal Rights Educators: CARE on second reference.
Chabad House,
or
Chinese Students and Scholars Association: CSSA on second
reference.
Circle K
Civil Liberties
Clowns for Medicine
College Democrats
College Green Party: Can be referred to as the College
Greens on second reference.
College Republicans Commuter and Off Campus Organization:
Cultural Programming Advisory Board: CPAB on second
reference.
D-#Sharps#: watch style here!
Dark Arts Performing Dance Company: Dark Arts on second
reference.
Deltones
E-52 Student Theatre
Education Graduate Association: EGA on second reference.
Field Hockey Club
Figure Skating Club
Golden Blues
Golden Key National Honor Society: Golden Key on second
reference.
Graduate Student Senate
Habitat for Humanity
Harrington Theatre Arts Company: H-TAC on second reference.
Hillel Hispanic Organization of
Latin Americans: HOLA on second reference. Indian Students Association: ISA on
second reference
Interfraternity Council
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
Japanese Student Association: JSA on second reference.
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Student Union: LGBSU on second
reference.
Men's Crew Club (also lacrosse, rowing, rugby, ultimate disc
and volleyball, all same format)
Muslim Student Association
NAACP Newark Collegiate Chapter
National Pan-Hellenic Council Outing Club
Panhellenic Council Pre-Law
Student Association
Presbyterian Campus Ministry
Resident Student Association: RSA on second reference.
Public Relations Student Society of
Secular Student
Society of Automotive Engineers
Spectrum Players, The
Student Advisory Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters
Student Labor Action Committee: SLAC on second reference.
Students Acting for Gender Equality: SAGE on second
reference.
Students Creating Exciting New Events: SCENE on second
reference.
Students for the Environment: S4E on second reference.
Turkish Student Association
University Mentors Vision Women's Lacrosse Club (also rugby,
soccer, ultimate disc, all same format)
Word of Life Campus Ministry
WVUD
Y-Chromes
Yoga Club
Young Americans for Freedom
Rehoboth Beach
residence hall
Not a dorm. Capitalize hall when referring to specific residence halls. Russell Dining Hall, Smyth Hall.
resident assistant
Do not capitalize. RA is acceptable on second reference.
Rev.
When this description is used before an individual's name, precede it with the word "the" because, unlike the case
with Mr. and Mrs., the abbreviation Rev. does not stand for a noun.
Review, The
The university's student-run, independent newspaper. Do not italicize. Do not capitalize the when The Review is
used as an adjective: The party honored the Review staff and its accomplishments. But: Craig Sherman is a sports
editor for The Review. See Registered Student Organizations.
robbery
See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft entry.
Rosh Hashana
The Jewish New Year. Occurs in September or October.
Route not Rt. or Rte.
Always spelled out and capped when used with route numbers. "The accident occurred on the corner of Routes 4
and 273.
runner-up, runners-up
Always hyphenated.
Rush
Capitalize the official sorority and fraternity recruiting event. Lowercase as a verb.
said, says
Follow the Yoda rule: said or says follows the subject unless the source has a long title. ".," said Richard Dieter,
executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center. For when says is appropriate, see tense.
Saint Thomas More Oratory
seasons
Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter in all references except Summer Session, Fall Semester, etc. When used
with years, no "of" needed. Construction will be completed in fall 2003. See grading periods.
semiweekly
Means twice per week. Do not confuse with biweekly.
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the
Use Sept. 11 on second reference, 9/11 only in direct quotes
serial commas
See commas.
SCPAB
Acceptable on second reference to the Student Center Programs Advisory Board. See Registered Student
Organizations.
sororities
See Greek organizations.
sports facilities
See Carpenter Sports Building, Bob Carpenter Center.
sports teams
Do not capitalize the names of sports: the volleyball team, Delaware football.
spring
See seasons.
Spring Semester
See grading periods.
states
Following a city or town in datelines or text, abbreviate as such:
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are not abbreviated. Do not use postal abbreviations except in headlines. When writing a city with a state, ex: The store was located in Elkton, Md., and offers numerous price bargains. Do NOT use attach the state for a town in Delaware.
She is from Newark. He is from Newark, N.J.
street names
If the street is a number, always use figures: He lives on the corner of 4th and Oak streets. See addresses.
student centers
See Perkins Student Center, Trabant University Center.
student classification
Always denote school year: Junior Mike Jones said his bicycle was stolen when he left it unlocked in front of his
house. Or, "My bike was stolen after I left it unlocked in front of my house," junior Mike Jones said.
student identification card
Acceptable in all references for UD#1 Card. Student ID card is acceptable on second references.
summer
See seasons.
Summer Session
Always capped. Indicate first or second session, but do not capitalize first or second. See grading periods.
suspect
Watch for this in police reports. Never say "an unknown suspect broke into." Use person instead.
teenager
tense
The general rule is that news stories are always past tense, and Mosaic features, reviews and scene pieces take
present tense.
that
Avoid when paraphrasing, unless the phrase is incomplete without it. Ross said his band has been rehearsing for
months needs no "that." Cases where "that" is necessary: Ross said that although his band has been rehearsing.
Or: Lee said that if anyone had ever broken Johnson's record before. Also, do not use "that" to replace "who." The seniors who will be present to accept the award are.
theater, theater groups
Do not use British spelling unless part of a proper name. Campus theater groups are Black Student Theatre, E-52
Student Theatre and The Harrington Theatre Arts Company. BST, E-52 and H-TAC acceptable on second
reference.
theft
See burglary, larceny, robbery, theft entry.
their, they're, there
Their is a possessive pronoun: It belonged to their dog. There is a contraction for they are: They're arriving at the
ballpark at noon. There is an adverb: He went there for dinner. There is no indication of a break-in. When referring to a band, company, business, group, fraternity, sorority use its not their.
Example: Wrong: The company has tried to accommodate all their merchants.
Right: The company has tried to accommodate all its merchants.
time
Use figures except noon and midnight: 1 p.m., 11 a.m. Avoid redundancies such as 9 a.m. this morning or 3 p.m.
this afternoon.
titles
Capitalize precise official titles only when used before the name: Dean of Students Timothy F. Brooks retired in
Spring 2001. Or, Betty Paulanka, dean of the College of Health and Nursing Sciences, said the shortage of nurses
is cyclical. University President David P. Roselle or without University if clear. President George W. Bush, not just
President Bush. Follow these standards: dean of, director of, head of, but vice president for. But: Dennis Jackson,
professor of journalism, said.
Capitalize named professorships: a H. Rodney Sharp Professor.
Use Dr. only if it is a medical doctor: Dr. Joseph Siebold. Never use courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Miss).
Never capitalize common or occupational titles: library assistant Nancy Cosetti, Dining Services assistant manager Jeanette Rengers. See courtesy titles; legislative titles; popular titles; abbreviations.
Trabant University Center
Capitalize the neon temple on South College Avenue. Trabant is acceptable on second reference.
today
If the event is to be held the day the paper comes out, remember to use today, not the day of the week.
too, to, two
Too means also or as well. He, too, will be successful, I was there with him, too. To is a preposition: He went to
the store. Two is the number after one.
toward, towards
Always use toward. Bikes will parade toward the Harrington Beach on Oct. 12.
UD
Only use in headlines. Always refer to the University of Delaware as the university, unless other universities are
mentioned. See university.
UD#1 Card
Capitalize the students' personal identification card, but student identification card is also acceptable.
UDPhone
Acceptable in all references for the university's telephone information service.
university
use the university, but do not capitalize, in all references for the University of Delaware, except when other
universities are mentioned. Use official names of other schools on first reference: Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University before Virginia Tech. Use Delaware when referring to a university team but only in sports
contexts: Delaware softball, etc. In general, do not capitalize common offices and organizations at other educational institutions: The Honors Program offers tutoring programs for students at the university. But: The University of Maryland's honors program stinks.
University Honors Program
Capitalize the university's honors organization. Acceptable on second reference: the Honors Program, the UHP.Do not capitalize individual degrees and awards within the Honors Program: the advanced honors certificate, the
honors degree, a degree with distinction.
versus
Abbreviated v. when referring to court cases. Roe v. Wade.
Washington, D.C.
Web
Acceptable in secondary references for the World Wide Web.
Web site
Acceptable in any reference to a World Wide Web site. Web is up; site is down.
whether
Avoid using or not; it is implied. He is not sure whether he will attend the meeting.
winter
See seasons.
Winter Session
See grading periods.
World Wide Web
Capitalize when referring to the Internet graphic hypertext transfer network. Do not use WWW. See e-mail; Internet.
yearlong
yesterday
Do not use when referring to specific days unless in direct quotes. Use day of the week if it happened the day before the issue comes out. "We had a pretty good time yesterday," he said.
YoUDee
the university mascot-- a big, androgynous chicken: YouDee was seen in the bleachers posing for photos with its fans.