Posts in category: Style on the Go archive

January 11, 2007: Issue 172

When you use an acronym in text, use the full name on first reference.
correct: First prize is a trip to the American Copy Editors Society conference. ACES is known for its raucous, celebrity-studded gatherings.

When the first and second references are far apart, a shortened form of the name might work better than an acronym.
acceptable: The Iguana Fanciers Association has tips for housing your pet reptile in safety and style. … “Just remember, they’re cold-blooded,” says Theresa Bolles, president of the IFA.
preferred: The Iguana Fanciers Association has tips for housing your pet reptile in safety and style. … “Just      remember, they’re cold-blooded,” says Theresa Bolles, president of the iguana association.

In general, you don’t need to put the acronym in parentheses on first reference. If the acronym isn’t clear on its own, think twice about using it.
acceptable: The Special Interest Media (SIM) group will launch a new magazine for rocking-horse                        collectors this fall.
preferred: The Special Interest Media group will launch a new magazine for rocking-horse collectors this          fall.

Exceptions: We always use acronyms in parentheses after these terms:
• National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
• certified kitchen designer (CKD)
• certified bath designer (CBD)

Fun Web site: Find a collection of ridiculous acronyms.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

January 18, 2007: Issue 173

Here are some commonly misspelled words that evoke a moment of revelation:

• ta-da (hyphen, no h’s)
• voilà (accent, no italic)
• aha (no hyphen, one h)

Coming attractions: Check out this movie we all should see.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

January 4, 2007: Issue 171

As we start 2007, let’s talk about how we treat calendar years in text.

Set the year off with commas in a complete date (month, day, year):
She was born May 18, 1972, in Chicago.

Don’t use commas, though, when you list only month and year:
In December 2003 he got the diagnosis.

Use an apostrophe when you drop the first two digits:
A hurricane in ’03 put the home to the test.

To denote a decade, add an s—but no apostrophe:
Mirrors evoke the Hollywood glamour of the 1920s.

And when you drop the first two digits on a decade, remember that the apostrophe still belongs at the beginning:
The style gained popularity in the ’90s.

Computer tip: Some programs will try to make that apostrophe into an opening single quote. In InDesign and Microsoft Word, you can force the apostrophe with option-shift-].

Winner: The winner of our celebrity look-alike contest is Eric Liskey, for his resemblance to Tom Selleck. We’ve ordered a Detroit Tigers cap for you, Eric. Prizes also go to Heather Knowles, who nominated Eric, and to Diane Dubansky Haase and Lauren Luftman, who were very good sports about the whole thing. (Click here to see the entries.)

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

December 28, 2006: Issue 170

Our gift to you? No lecture this week. Instead we offer you some diversions.

Stress relief: Pop virtual Bubble Wrap (and learn what your popping method says about your personality).

Cautionary tales: Check out the terrible mistakes other journalists have made.

Dubious advice: Having trouble making a decision? Consult the Magic 8 Ball.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

December 21, 2006: Issue 169

Be careful about using the term “pie-shape.” Pies are round. You probably mean “wedge-shape,”
like a slice of pie.

incorrect: The pie-shape lot is nestled at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.
correct: The wedge-shape lot is nestled at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

incorrect: This round ottoman splits into four pie-shape pieces.
correct: This round ottoman splits into four wedge-shape pieces.

Remember that as you slice your holiday dessert next week. Have a good one.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

December 14, 2006: Issue 168

Look-alike has a single hyphen. It’s not look-a-like. Remember the root words look and alike; there’s no such word as a-like.

Follow-up: We asked for hints to help remember the difference between principal (money or a leader) and principle (a code or doctrine). Quite a few people suggested remembering that your school principal is your pal. And thanks to freelance CE Angela Renkoski, who suggested that PayPal can help you associate -pal with money.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

November 30, 2006: Issue 166

We’re phasing out the phone number to order back issues of SIM titles. “To Better Serve You” columns (or mastheads) should include a Web address for back issues, but no phone number.

The general Web address for single-copy sales is www.bhg.com/sip. Click here to find Web sites for specific groups or individual titles.

Reminder: In print (cover overlines, mastheads, “To Better Serve You” columns, etc.), we’re still referring to ourselves as Special Interest Publications or SIP.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

December 7, 2006: Issue 167

No, we’re not talking about Lance and Reichen or Pam and Kid. These are pairs of words that are easily confused.

• insure/ensure
Insure means to protect against financial loss: The house was insured against flood damage.
Ensure means to make certain: Two coats of primer ensure the old color won’t show through.
TIP: Remember the word insurance as in insurance policy. If there’s no policy involved, you probably wantensure.

• gleam/glean
Gleam means to shine: She polished the faucet handles until they gleamed.
Glean means to gather: Glean ideas from magazines before you start shopping.
TIP: Think of Gleem toothpaste. Despite the double-e problem, they did get the m right. (Let’s hope you never have to gather your teeth.)

• jibe/jive
Jibe means to mesh: The dull colors didn’t jibe with her bright personality.
Jive means to swing: You gotta jump, jive, then you wail.
TIP: Try to associate the be in jibe with be in accord.

• forego/forgo
Forego means to go before: Having read the foregoing, do you understand the distinction?
Forgo means to go without: In this secluded house, he decided to forgo window treatments.
TIP: Remember that forgo goes without the e. Forego shares its fore with before.

• principle/principal
Principal means money or a leader: Pay a little extra on your mortgage each month, and you’ll pay off the principal much sooner. Uh-oh, the principal of Timmy’s school wants to meet with us.
Principle means a code or doctrine: Symmetry is one of his central design principles.
TIP: We give up. This one confounds people, and even Web 11 says simply, “If you are unsure which noun you want, read the definitions in this dictionary.” Anyone have a better system?

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

November 16, 2006: Issue 165

Our online stylebook has a new name, a new address, and a new lookall to reflect the change of our department name from Special Interest Publications to Special Interest Media.

In our magazines, however, we’ll continue to refer to ourselves as Special Interest Publications or SIP. This goes for cover overlines, mastheads, “To Better Serve You” columns, and any other place our name might come up.

Routing tip: As we move into the season of holidays and vacation days, many of you will have special requests for routing your stories. (“Give my layouts to so-and-so the week of November 20,” “Give me a call at home when layouts come back from the freelancer,” etc.) Please write these requests directly on the routing slips and highlight them. That way the right person has the information at the right time, and we can honor your request.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents

July 20, 2006: Issue 148

In letters and Q&A columns, identify people who wrote the submissions as completely as possible. Our preference is to use name, city, and state. Just a name or just a city and state will also suffice. (Sometimes location is more important than the writer’s name—in a gardening question that refers to specific climate concerns, for instance.) Whichever identification you choose, be consistent throughout the issue.

In some cases, such as a letter that refers to the writer’s health problems, identifying that person might not be appropriate. When there’s a compelling reason to do so, end the letter with “Name withheld by request.”

Do not use “via e-mail” in place of a location. E-mail correspondence has become so common that this attribution is meaningless. If the writer did not include her location in the original letter, verify it before publication.

Back to Style on the Go Archive
Back to BHG Stylebook Table of Contents