h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When the researcher really really balked at making a certain stylistic change in PR, but I know it doesn't belong that way, I change it to how I think it ought to go, right?

Hello

Yes. If you know you're right, then go ahead.

(Having had a little snoop around, if it's the Entry I think it is and this has something to do with subheaders and headers ... then 'yes' is definitely the answer ).

That was it.


While you're here, you don't perhaps know where I could find a comprehensive guide to when to capitalise 'democrat' 'federalist' 'president' and 'secretary of war'? I thought it was simple, but it really isn't.

No I had trouble with 'president/President' a few weeks ago, so I know exactly what you mean: far from simple.

Since there don't seem to be in-house rules on it, a judgment call, I suppose - basically, as long as it's consistent, it should pass muster

We Subbies don't make the rules - we merely apply them

Life goes on.
Really.

I would capitalise "democrat" and "federalist" if it refers to a member of a political party, but not otherwise. "President" and "Secretary of War" would also get capital letters where they refer to those running the country (for a president of a company I would use a capital letter only as in the title President Smith).

I know that President get capitalized like when you're saying President Adams - when you're referring to a specific person, but in general, like if you say the president can veto legislation, it's uncapitalized. Same with Sec of War, I think.

Dem and Fed are always capitalized when referring to the parties.

I don't really want the headers to change, but I won't throw a fit.

That's not the line I took with the Eisenhower article. My dictionary just says "often capital" in the sense of a head of state. Like I say, I'd use your method when dealing with a lesser president.

>>I know that President get capitalized like when you're saying President Adams - when you're referring to a specific person, but in general, like if you say the president can veto legislation, it's uncapitalized. Same with Sec of War, I think.<<

That was my problem with it ... and that was my solution to it as well. I think it gets a capital when it's attached to a name, but also - and here's the tricky bit - when it's implying that specific figure too (so "The President decided to ..." but "when Adams became president" - because, with the latter, it's the role rather than referring to a specific incumbent).

My grammar books always used the rule I mentioned, but maybe it's an American one, I dunno. Trin, I think you're right in the way you describe it.

Meh, too confusing. I'd rather consistently capitalise it or consistently not.

I'd rather go back to Hieroglyphics to be honest

>>too confusing<<

Oh yes!

er... he was the de facto secretary of war. Or whatever the sentence was. so there it's referring to the position, but not the person, so it's lowercase...

Yes, I'll do it Trin's way. I'm going to be rereading a lot of sentences. Rules sound real nice until you try to apply them.

thanks, y'all.

My Chicago Manual hasn't arrived yet, but I guess for the BBC it would have to be the AP manual, or something, no?

Okay. Like Trin said, there's no house rule on it, so do as you will.

my real problem was when democrat and federalist wasn't referring to parties:
A democratic ideal, for example. Lowercase, I believe.
When someone belongs to a party, you upper-case it, eg: He was a Democrat (so saith my book.)

But what about when it isn't a party, it's just a theory, like, "He was a Federalist"? ie: he subscribes to the federalist theory.

No, in theory, I think it would be federalist. I think anyway.

Right. A member of the Democratic Party is a Democrat. Someone who believes in democracy is a democrat.