St Ursula's Magazine Style Guide

Not things, but opinions about things, trouble folk.

Translated from Epictetus, Manual

Ours is a Copious Language, and trying to Strangers.

Mr Podsnap in Dickens's Our Mutual Friend

Compiler's Preface

The main purpose of this manual is to set some arbitrary rules aimed at avoiding inconsistencies of spelling, rather than making a judgment on 'correct' spellings, and at establishing formats for the representation of biblical references, dates, times, telephone numbers, abbreviations, etc, in St Ursula's Church Magazine. However, this manual also contains selected definitions, especially of a biblical, ecclesiastical or religious nature, as well as a few pointers to correct usage, and includes entries covering words that are often confused. It is not intended to be a rigid template to which all contributors must necessarily adhere, although it is hoped that editorial contributions, at least, will be based on British spelling (after all, we are in Europe!).

Thave tried to set a middle course between clinging to outdated usage and an uncritical approval of innovations whose acceptability has not yet been ascertained. Words and phrases move in and out of fashion, sometimes for good reason and sometimes because of institutional misuse. Feedback from users will be welcome.

I readily acknowledge the assistance provided by various works of reference relating to style and correct usage of the English language. In many cases I have quoted entries or parts thereof verbatim. A list of external sources will be found at the end of the manual.

David Winfield
March 2004

abbey

See (i) cathedral, abbey, minster
(ii) monastery, abbey, priory.

abbreviations

In general do not use points in abbreviations with several capitals: BBC, MA, QC; with numbers: 1st; of units of measurement: lb (not lbs), yd, cc, mm. Nowadays it is acceptable to omit points with initials of personal names (H G Wells) and titles such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, and Dr. It is preferable not to abbreviate Professor to Prof, Father to Fr, etc.

accents

Give French, German, Italian, Spanish and Ancient Greek words their proper accents and diacritical marks; omit in other languages unless certain. With anglicized words, no need for accents that have taken English nationality (hotel, depot, debacle, elite, regime, etc), but keep the accent when it makes a crucial difference to pronunciation - café, cliché, communiqué, fête, fiancée, melée, émigré, paté, protégé; also note vis-à-vis, façade.

AD, BC

Note that AD comes before the date, eg, AD35; BC comes after, 350BC. With century, both are used after, eg, 11th century BC/AD.

adjectives

Avoid clichéd adjectives as in long-felt want, serious danger, widespread concern, substantial majority, etc.

adverbs

When adverbs are used to qualify adjectives, the joining hyphen is rarely needed, eg, heavily pregnant, classically carved, colourfully decorated. But in some cases, such as well-founded, ill-educated, the compound looks better with the hyphen. Use the hyphen in such phrases as little as possible or when the phrase would otherwise be ambiguous.

affect, effect

Asa verb, to affect means 'to produce an effect on, to touch the feelings of', or 'to pretend to have or feel (as in affectation)'; to effect is 'to bring about, to accomplish'.

afterlife

One word.

agape

A communal meal in token of Christian fellowship, as held by Christians in commemoration of the Last Supper. Agape love is Christian love or brotherly love as distinct from erotic love or simple affection.

agenda

Although in origin a plural Latin noun, this word is (now) singular in English: We'll have to draw up an agenda for the meeting. The plural is agendas. See data

AGM

Capitals, but use annual meeting in text.

agnostic

A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God. See atheist

Aids

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is not a disease, but a medical condition. Diseases that affect people who are HIV-positive may be called Aids-related diseases. Through custom and practice the rule about never saying died of Aids can be relaxed. Aids (one capital) is now in more general use than AIDS, which tends to be reserved for technical use. See HIV

alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, Allhallows, Hallowe'en

Late autumn festival of religious origin. Hallow means 'holy', so that Allhallows is another name for All Saints' Day on 1 November, when the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches commemorate all the saints, thus including all those who have no day of their own at any other time in the year. The day after this is All Souls' Day, dedicated by the church to the memory of the faithful departed. These are strictly religious festivals. Hallowe'en, originally All-hallow-even, is thus the eve of, or day before, All Saints' Day, 31 October, which in the old Celtic calendar was the last night of the year. The pagan ceremonies of the day were not very\successfully transformed by the church into the eve of a major religious festival. They survive in the form of 'Hallowe'en' parties and other traditional customs smacking of witchcraft and general black magic.

altar

The table in a Christian church at which the bread and wine are consecrated in communion services.

alternative

Alternative of two, choice of three or more.

American spellings

Normally use the British spelling even with offices or institutions such as Secretary of Defense (change to Defence), American Federation of Labor (change to Labour), or with buildings, eg, the Lincoln Center (change to Centre); but Labor Day (which has no UK equivalent) is an exception. Likewise use Pearl Harbor.

analog

Use analog in computer context; but keep analogue as in analogous or parallel thing. See program

Anglican

Of, relating to, or denoting the Church of England or any Church in communion with it.

Anglican communion

The group of Christian Churches derived from or relating to the Church of England, including the Episcopal Church in the US and other national, provincial and independent Churches. The body's senior bishop is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Anglo-Catholicism

A tradition within the Anglican Church which is close to Catholicism in its doctrine and worship and is broadly identified with High Church Anglicanism. See High Church

Apochrypha

Biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture.

apochryphal

(Of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true: an apochryphal story about a former president.

Archdeacon

A senior Christian cleric to whom a bishop delegates certain wear ao responsibilities.

archdeaconry. archdeanery

In the Diocese in Europe, the area watched over by an archdeacon is called an archdeaconry, A similar area in England is often called an archdeanery.

answerphone

One word. Or answering machine.

any more

Always two words.

appendix

Plural appendices, but appendixes in anatomy.

apropos

With reference to; concerning: she remarked apropos of the initiative, 'It's not going to stop the abuse'.

archbishops

The Archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of All England; the Archbishop of York is Primate of England.

Armistice Day

Not the same as Remembrance Sunday (unless 11 November falls on a Sunday).

assure, ensure, insure

You assure your life; ensure means 'to make certain'; you insure against risk

atheist

A person who believes that God does not exist. See agnostic

at the present time, at this moment in time, at this time

Use now; but avoid the phrase as of now.

balloted

Like benefited, budgeted, targeted, etc, has only one t.

Basle

English name for Basel. The traditional English form was Basil until the 19th century, when Basle replaced it; now slowly being replaced by Basel. Use Basle for the time being until usage dictates otherwise.

BCP, ASB, CW

The Book of Common Prayer, subsequently superseded by the Alternative Service Book 1970 and by Common Worship

benefited

One t.

Beijing

No longer Peking. (The traditional Wade-Giles system of romanized spelling for transliterating Chinese has been largely superseded by the Pinyin system)

Berne

In English the capital of Switzerland (since 1848) is spelt Berne. The Berne Convention (sic) is an international copyright agreement of 1886, later revised. The US has never been party to it, which may explain why Americans tend to spell the name without a second e!
For the sake of consistency it is recommended that we use the standard English spelling. See Swiss place names

between you and I

Between, from and to are prepositions and take the accusative form of the noun. The correct expression is therefore between you and me.

beside, besides

The preposition beside means 'next to, at the side of', as in He was standing beside me. Besides means 'as well as, in addition to, except', as in Is anyone coming home besides John? Besides may also function as an adverb, meaning 'as well, moreover': These shoes are very expensive, and besides, they're too small; She has three sons and an adopted daughter besides.

Bible

Use initial capital for the Bible (but not for biblical), the Apostles, the (Ten) Commandments, the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Disciples, the Gospels, the Scriptures, Holy Scripture, (Holy) Communion, Eucharist, Blessed Sacrament, etc.

Bible Belt

Note capitals.

biblical references

As in John 3: 16–17, i.e. space after colon. Use en rule (not hyphen). Comparison: John 3: 16-17 (hyphen) - John 3: 16–17 (en rule) - John 3:16—17 (em rule)

billion

Nowadays in British English one thousand million (as in American English), not a million million. Write £5 billion, £15 billion (£5bn, £15bn in headlines), three billion, 15 billion, etc.

birthday

People and animals have birthdays; everything else has anniversaries. Write 33rd birthday, 65th birthday, etc (any number higher than tenth). See numbers

bishop

A senior member of the Christian Church, usually in charge of a diocese and empowered to confer holy orders. Bishop Robert Innes (normally called Bishop Robert) is currently Bishop in Europe. His suffragan bishop (or just suffragan) is Bishop David Hamid.

Britain

Britain or Great Britain = England, Wales and Scotland.
United Kingdom (UK) = Britain and Northern Ireland.
British Isles = United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
Take care with these distinctions.

British Isles

See Britain

Broad Church

A tradition or group within the Anglican Church favouring a liberal interpretation of doctrine. See High Church and Low Church

Burns Night

Capitals, no apostrophe.

burnt

Only burned in clichés like "burned with desire"

cannon

Military, same form for singular and plural; but canons (ecclesiastical, both churchmen and church laws), and canon as a collection/list of an author.

cathedral, abbey, minster

A large or important church.
A cathedral - in full, cathedral church - is the principal church of a diocese, where the bishop has his throne or seat (Greek kathedra, 'chair') and in whose city he lives, in either a palace or a more modest residence. An abbey is the term either for a religious community (see monastery) or for an important church as, notably, Westminster Abbey, which was once attached to a religious house. (Officially, Westminster Abbey is neither a cathedral nor an abbey, but a collegiate church. It was built on the site of a monastery called the 'west minster' — that is a minster, that was west of the city of London. It must not be confused with Westminster Cathedral, which is the principal Roman Catholic church in England.) A minster, then, is the title of certain large or important churches that were originally associated with a monastery. A noted example is York Minster - actually a cathedral and famous for its grandeur and fine mediaeval stained glass - which was built on the site of a monastery.

cathedrals

Initial capitals when giving the full name, eg, St Paul's Cathedral, Wells Cathedral; similarly the names of churches, eg, St Mary's Church, Ely, unless we know that the church name specifically excludes it, eg, St Stephen's, Ely.

Catholic

Write Roman Catholic at first mention, then Catholic.

CD-Rom

Compact disc, Read ony memory. CD-Rom is gradually replacing CD-ROM.

Celsius, centrigrade

Celsius rather than centigrade is the standard (OUP - the Times disagrees) accepted term when giving temperatures: use 25° Celsius rather than 25° centigrade (but 25°C).

cenotaph

A monument to someone buried elsewhere, especially one commemorating people who died in a war (from Greek words meaning 'empty' and 'tomb').

centre

Prefer centre on something to centre round or centre around because centre designates a fixed point.

ceremonial, ceremonious

Ceremonial means 'relating to or used for formal religious or public events': a ceremonial occasion; ceremonious means 'relating or appropriate to grand and formal occasions': a Great Hall where ceremonious and public appearances were made / he accepted the gifts with ceremonious dignity.

cf, cp

Standardize on cf for "compare". cp can sometimes imply that the compared document has contrasting views or conclusions, but this is not always the case. Cp is best avoided.

chaplain

A member of the clergy attached to a private chapel, institution, ship, regiment, etc. In the Anglican Diocese of Europe the term chaplain means the priest in charge of a chaplaincy, providing services for English speakers in an alien environment.

cheap

Goods are cheap, prices are low.

christened

People are christened, ships and trains, etc, are named.

Christian, Christianity

Note unchristian, non-Christian, antichristian, Antichrist.

Church

With capital in context of the institution (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, whatever) but not adjectivally.

churchgoer

One word.

shurchwarden

One word. Use churchwarden in text and Churchwarden as title.

co-

The prefix does not normally require a hyphen even before an e or another o unless confusion might result. Thus co-operate (but uncooperative), co-opt, co-ordinate (but uncoordinated), coeducation, coexist. See co-production

Commandments

Initial capital in biblical context, as the Ten Commandments, the Fourth Commandment.

common sense

Common sense (noun), but commonsense, commonsensical (adjectives).

communism, communist

As with socialism and socialist, the best rule-of-thumb is to capitalize only when in specific party context, eg, a Communist candidate, a Communist rally, the Communist mayor of Lille; but communist ideology, communist countries, etc.
(Note Marxist, Stalinist, Nazi and Fascist take initial capitals.)

complement, compliment

As a verb complement means 'to add to or complete something', while compliment means 'to admire or praise (someone) for something'.

comprise

Consist of; be made up of: Switzerland comprises 26 cantons.

consubstantiation

The doctrine, especially in the Lutheran belief, that the substance of the bread and wine coexists with body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Compare with transubstantiation.

continual, continuous

These two adjectives are frequently confused. Continual means 'frequently recurring'; continuous means 'without intermission'.

Cranmer

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556). English Protestant cleric and martyr. After helping to negotiate Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he was appointed the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532. He was responsible for liturgical reform and the compilation of the Book of Common Prayer (1549). In the reign of Mary Tudor Cranmer was tried for treason and heresy and burnt at the stake.

crèche

Not créche.

crescendo

Means 'getting louder, growing in force', not 'a peak' or 'a climax'. Nothing rises to a crescendo. Plural is crescendos.

criterion, criteria

The singular form is criterion and the plural form is criteria. It is a common mistake, however, to use Criteria as if it were a singular, as in a further criteria needs to be considered.

curate

See vicar

currency (general)

Amounts in whole pounds (say) should be printed with the £ symbol, numerals and unit abbreviation close up: £2,542, £3m, £7.47m.
Print 00 after the decimal point only if a sum appears in context with other fractional amounts: They bought at £8.00 and sold at £9.50.
Amounts in pence or cents are set with the numeral close up to the abbreviation, which has no full point: 56p rather than £0.56.
Mixed amounts always extend to two places after the decimal point, and do not include the pence abbreviation: £15.30, £15.79.
Sums of money in dollars and cents are treated like those in pounds

currency (Swiss franc) and pence: $4,542, $3m, 56c.

CHF, Sfr or Fr?
Since the other European countries whose monetary unit was the franc (France, Belgium, etc) have switched to the euro, Fr is sufficient. Write the abbreviation followed by the figure (without space): Fr25m.

data

Strictly plural, but can now be used in singular through common usage. See agenda

dates

Show in the order day, month, year, without internal punctuation, as 6 November 2004. A named day preceding a date is separated by a comma: Saturday, 6 November 2004. There is no comma between month and year: in November 2004. The British all-figure form is 6.11.04, but for clarity's sake months should always be spelt out in text and abbreviated only in notes and references. Do not use the endings st, rd, or th in conjunction with a figure, as in 6th November 2004, unless copying another source: dates in letters or other documents quoted verbatim must be as in the original.

daytime

No hyphen, but note night-time.

deacon

In Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox Churches an ordained minister of an order ranking below that of priest (now, except in the Orthodox Church, typically in training for the priesthood). In some Protestant Churches a lay officer appointed to assist a minister, especially in secular affairs.

deathbed

No hyphen.

debut

No accent.

decades

Use, for example, either the Sixties or the 1960s.

déja vu

Accents but not italic.

demise

Strictly means 'the death of a person', or 'the failure of an enterprise or institution'. Keep to these definitions. It is wrong to refer to the demise of Greg Dyke or Alastair Campbell.

dependant, dependent

In British English, dependant is a noun meaning 'a person who is supported by another' and dependent is an adjective meaning 'depending (on)'. In American English both the noun and the adjective are generally spelt dependent.

desktop

No hyphen.

diagnose

Take great care: illnesses are diagnosed, patients are not. But a patient can be diagnosed as having (rather than with) cancer.

diaspora

Originally referred to Jews living outside Israel, in which sense use initial capital. Nowadays the dispersion of any people from their original homeland: the diaspora of boat people from Asia or the people so dispersed: the Ukrainian diaspora flocked back to Kiev.

diocese

A district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church. This diocese is called the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe, or Diocese in Europe for short.

disc, disk

Use disc in a musical context or to refer to a shape, eg, disc jockey, compact disc, disc brake; but disk in general computing context, eg, disk drive, floppy disk.

discreet, discrete

Discreet means 'unobtrusive, circumspect, tactful'.
Discrete means 'individually distinct, separate'.
Note that the noun from discreet is discretion; the noun from discrete is discreteness.

disestablishment

Deprivation of an organization, especially:a national Church, of its official status.

disinterested, uninterested

Disinterested means 'impartial, unbiased'. Uninterested means 'having a lack of interest'.

distinct, distinctive

These adjectives are sometimes confused. Distinct means 'clearly or easily seen, heard, smelt, etc; a distinct smell of alcohol'; distinctive means 'characteristic, distinguishing one person or thing from others', as in She has a very distinctive walk; the distinctive call of a barn owl.

doctor

The title Dr should no longer be confined to medical practitioners. If a person has a doctorate, and wishes to be known as Dr Surname, he or she should be so titled.

do's and don'ts

Use first apostrophe for the sake of clarity.

Down's syndrome

Avoid terms such as mongol and mongolism, which are likely to cause offence.

drier, dryer

Drier is the comparative of dry; dryer is the noun, as in tumble dryer.

due to

Not the equivalent of 'because of' or 'owing to'. The phrase should be attached to a noun or pronoun: His absence was due to illness is correct; He was absent due to illness is wrong.

each, every

Although singular, now acceptable with plural pronouns, as the plural is increasingly becoming a way of saying 'he' or 'she', or 'his' or 'her'. Hence everyone has what they want, each of us has our secrets but everyone has secrets.

Easter Day

Use in preference to Easter Sunday.

Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus

Ecclesiates is a book of the Old Testament, perhaps written about 250 BC. Ecclesiasticus is a book of the Apocrypha, where it is the longest book in the Bible.

ecumenism

The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian Churches.

, eg

Means 'for example'.
No points, but use a comma before and after. See ie

either

Either is followed by a singular verb: / don't think that either of them is capable of doing it; Either one suits me. Either can only be used when referring to one or other of two people, things, etc; if the reference is to more than two, any must be used. Note: Either Richard or Lynn is wrong; Either Sam or his friends are wrong. See neither

elder, older

Elder as an adjective means 'older' only in family relationships, as an elder brother or sister. Of two specified people it means 'senior', as the elder of two partners. Older means 'older' in all other senses.

elderly, aged, old

Be sensitive in the use of these words, and generally do not use for people under 70.

elicit, illicit

elicit means 'to evoke, bring to light, or draw out'; do not confuse with illicit ('unlawful, forbidden').

e-mail

Write e-mail in preference to email. Use initial capital in titles or at the beginning of a sentence.

epicentre

Epicentre comes from Greek words meaning 'upon a point' and is a technical term for the point on the earth's surface immediately above the point of origin of an earthquake. To use it as if it meant simply 'the centre' is incorrect.

Episcopal(ian)

In the United States, Scotland and elsewhere, Episcopal(ian) can treated as meaning 'Anglican', eg, the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA), the Episcopal Church of Scotland.

et cetera

Means 'and other things'. Abbreviation etc; comma before if more than one term precedes.

Eucharist

The Christian service, ceremony or sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.

euro

The European single currency, takes lower case (as franc, pound, mark, peseta, etc).

evangelical(s)

Use lower case in general church contexts except when part of an official title such as the Evangelical Alliance.

evensong

Lower case.

Fahrenheit

See Celsius, centrigrade

farther

Only applicable to distance (literal or figurative); eg, nothing could be farther from the truth. Further means 'in addition to, another', eg, a further point.

Father's Day

Not Fathers'. See Mother's Day

fatwa

Not italic. A fatwa is a Muslim religious edict, not a sentence of punishment.

feminine designations

Words such as authoress, poetess, wardress should be avoided. Although actress is common usage it, too, is coming under threat.

fewer

Of numbers (fewer people, fewer hymns); less, of size, in quantity, or singular nouns (less population, less music). See less

fifty

Write 50–50 chance; note Fifties for the decade, but she was in her fifties.

fighting for his/her life

Avoid this meaningless phrase. Instead say critically ill/injured.

fine-toothed comb

Not fine toothcomb. (What's a 'toothcomb', anyway?)

flaunt

Means 'to make an ostentatious or defiant display', eg, she flaunted her finery'; to flout is 'to show contempt for', eg, he flouted the law.

flotation, floatation

Flotation refers to shares, but floatation refers to (water) tanks.

focused

Write focused and focusing rather than focussed and focussing.

for-, fore-

The general rule is that the e is added only when the prefix has the meaning of 'before'. Thus forbears (refrains), forebears (ancestors); forgo (go without), forego (go before, as in foregone conclusion. Note forswear and foresee(able).

for ever, forever

For ever means 'always'; forever means 'continuously'.

formula

Plural normally formulas, but formulae in mathematical contexts.

fortuitous

Does not mean 'fortunate'. It means 'by chance' or 'accidental'.

forum

Plural forums. See referendum !

Fourth of July

Or US Independence Day (not 4th).

fraught

The original meaning was 'freighted' or 'laden', so that a situation could at least in theory be fraught with delightful possibilities as well as with difficulties. Better to avoid the word unless it is possible to say what something is fraught with. It is never right to say a fraught situation.

free gift

Is there any other kind? The adjective is redundant.

frescoes

Not frescos.

fulfil

But fulfilled, fulfilling. (In American English the correct spelling is fulfill.)

fulsome

Be very careful - and sparing - with the use of this word. It means 'excessive' or 'insincere' (the cliché fulsome praise actually means 'excessive praise', not 'generous or warm praise'.

further

See farther

gender

Strictly a term of grammar; avoid using as a synonym of a person's sex.

General Synod

Initial capitals at first mention, thereafter the synod (lower case). It has three Houses: of Bishops, Clergy and Laity.

God

Initial capital when referring to just one, in any religion. He, His, Him also take initial capital. Many gods, use lower case, as in the Greek gods.

graffiti

Plural of the Italian graffito, meaning, originally, 'a scratched inscription or drawing'. Graffiti should therefore be used with a plural verb. Conversely, a single spray-painted slogan should be termed a graffito.

gram

Not gramme; similarly kilogram.

greengrocer's apostrophe

The term is used to describe the practice of incorrectly forming the plural of a noun by the addition of an apostrophe followed by s, as in potato's, banana's, etc.

Grisons

English (and French) name for Graubünden (in Romansh Grisun).

Habsburg

Not Hapsburg.

hallelujah, hosannah

Exclamation of praise to God. Hallelujah - in hymns usually alleluia - goes back ultimately to the Hebrew haille/u (praise ye) and Jah (Jehovah). Its most famous biblical location is in the opening verses of Revelation, from where come the words of the Hallelujah Chorus that triumphantly closes Part II of Handel's Messiah. Hosannah from Hebrew (save, I pray) occurs in both the Old and New Testaments as well as a number of hymns and was originally an appeal to God for deliverance by the Jews.

heathen, pagan

A person who does not belong to an established religion.
The words have certain overtones. A heathen is by implication a barbaric or unenlightened or - at the least - primitive person, who does not believe because he does not understand the prevailing religion, or who will not understand it. A pagan is perhaps a more civilized person, especially a Greek or Roman in classical times who was not a Christian. Both words have interesting origins. A heathen is so called because he was, most likely, a heath-dweller, that is, a kind of savage. A pagan was so called because he was a 'civilian' - Latin paganus (originally 'country-dweller'): he was called this because he was not a 'soldier of Christ'. (The Roman Christians called themselves milites, 'soldiers'.)

Hebrew, Yiddish

Language spoken by Jews.
Hebrew is both the Semitic language of the ancient Hebrews, in which the Old Testament was originally written, and the revived modern version of this language as used in present-day Israel. Yiddish is the vernacular language spoken by Jews in Europe and elsewhere (the latter by emigrant Jews) and is usually written in the Hebrew alphabet. Historically, it is a dialect of standard German, with some Hebrew and Slavonic elements, that developed in central and eastern Europe in mediaeval times. Its name comes from the German jiidisch (Yiddish yidish) 'Jewish'.

Heaven, Hell

Initial capital in religious context only.

help to

Use with verb, eg, Sharon helped to make the cake (not Sharon helped make the cake.)

High Church

Of or adhering to a tradition within the Anglican Church emphasizing ritual, priestly authority, sacraments, and historical continuity with Catholic Christianity. See Low Church and Broad Church

HM the Queen

The Queen is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, not head of the Church of England.

hoi polloi

Better to avoid using definite article (the term means, literally, 'the many'). Not italic.

Holy Land

See Israel, Palestine, Holy Land

holy orders

The sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the clergy, especially in the grades of bishop, priest or deacon.

hopefully

Try to avoid using in the sense of 'it is hoped that', even though this usage is so widespread. (Probably a lost cause.) ,

house group

Two words (as in house church, house party) See Youth Group

however

When used in the sense of 'nevertheless', always needs a comma after it (and before, when in the middle of a sentence.)

hyperbole

Exaggerated statement or claims not meant to be taken seriously.

hyperthermia, hypothermia

Hyperthermia means 'too cold';
Hypothermia means 'too hot'.

, ie,

Means 'that is to say'. Use comma either side. See eg

illegible, unreadable

Illegible refers to the quality of writing or printing, and means 'impossible to decipher': illegible handwriting. Unreadable refers to the style, content, etc, of the written or printed material, or to its legibility, and means 'too difficult or boring to read': Unlike Hector's contribution, Wendy's article was so full of jargon, it was quite unreadable.

immanent, imminent

The two words look and sound alike, but should not be confused.
Immanent means 'inherent, pervading (creation of the universe)' and is most often found in religious or metaphysical contexts.
Imminent means simply 'about to happen'.

impacted on

Avoid this Americanism.

incentivize

Anyone with an ear for language will want to avoid this ugly recent coinage. (Shall we soon be expected to say dehungerize. for eat?)

index

Plural is indices, but indexes for books.

in fact

Can almost invariably be omitted.

infer, imply

To infer is to draw a conclusion from a suggestion, to imply is to make the suggestion.
(The following mnemonic may be helpful: we imply things when we speak, we infer things when we listen.)

innocuous

Two ns.

inoculate

One n.

in so far as

Use the four words in this expression; insofar is the American version.

install

Write install, but instalment.

instil

One I.

intense, intensive

Intense means 'very great': intense heat; a feeling of intense bitterness. Intensive means 'concentrated, thorough, taking great care': an intensive search; the intensive care ward of a hospital.

interfaith

One word. Means 'relating to, or between different religions or members of different religions': action to encourage interfaith dialogue.

internet, the

Now lower case, also the net; similarly the web, website.

-ize, -ise

Use -ize (and -ization)
Many verbs in English may be spelt with -ise or -ize, eg, equalize/equalise; terrorize/terrorise. There are some, however, which must always spelt -ise, eg, advertise, compromise, despise, surprise, televise. The form -ize has been in use in English since the 16th century; although widely used in American English, it is not an Americanism. The Oxford family of dictionaries continues to favour the -ize form. Preferring the -ize form for use in the Magazine at least means that our American contributors will not feel the need to change.

islam

The religion of the Muslims. Islamic is interchangeable with Muslim as the adjective, though normally use Islamic with religion and fundamentalism, Muslim with architecture, politics, etc. See Moslem, Muslim, Mohammedan Jew, ,

Israel, Palestine, Holy Land

Country on shores of the eastern Mediterranean.
Israel is the modern republic formed as a Jewish state in May 1948 out of the former British mandated territory of Palestine. Israel originally extended over approximately eight-tenths of this territory, the remainder being occupied after the Six Day War in June 1967, together with the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights in Syria. (In October 1973 these two latter regions became the scene of a new conflict between Arab forces, led by Egypt and Syria, and Israel.) In biblical times 'Israel' was the northern kingdom of the Hebrews, with capital Samaria, the southern kingdom being Judah (Judaea), with capital Hebron. Palestine, now a historic region, was an ancient country that for centuries was closely linked to the Jewish people and to Syria.
In biblical times it was occupied by these same two kingdoms of 'Israel' and Judah - and in the twentieth century has remained the scene of conflicts between Jews and Arabs. Its age-long religious associations have caused it to be known as the Holy Land and a world centre of pilgrimage.
It is a land sacred not only to Christians but, of course, to Jews, for whom it was the 'Promised Land', and to Muslims also, since certain sites are associated with Mohammed. The latter tie has resulted in the keen desire of Arabs, especially members of the Arab nationalist movement, to claim 'Palestine' (as they call 'Israel') as the homeland of the Arab people, who have lived there since the Muslim conquest of the seventh century. Meanwhile, in spite of the initiative of President Carter in bringing about the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, signed in Washington on 26 March 1979, unrest remains, and rival claims to the territory continue to be made with continuing loss of life.

Israeli

A native or national of the modern country of Israel, or a person of Israeli descent.

Israelite

A member of the ancient Hebrew nation, especially in the period from the Exodus to the Babylonian Captivity (c 12th to 6th centuries BC).

its, it's

Do not confuse the possessive its (as in turn the pulpit on its side and put it in the garage) with the contraction it's (short for either it is or it has.

Jew, Israelite, Israeli, Hebrew

A person whose religion is Judaism.
The word Jew has essentially religious connotations, and applies especially to a descendant of the ancient nation of Palestine (called 'Hebrews' in the Bible) whose present-day representatives have found homes in many countries of the world apart from Israel, the 'true' Jewish homeland. Jew as an appellation has lost most of its former derogatory associations, and is frequently used today as a contrast to Christian. An Israelite was a member of the ancient kingdom of Israel, just as an Israeli is a native or inhabitant of the modern state of Israel. The Hebrews were a Semitic people in ancient Palestine, familiar in Old Testament stories. (The 'Hebrews' to whom an Epistle in the New Testament is addressed were probably Hebrew Christians, that is, 'converted' 'Hebrews' from either Palestine or Rome.)
For more about the language, see Hebrew, Yiddish.

judgment

Prefer to judgement.

kilometres per hour

The correct abbreviation is km/h rather than kph.

Koran, the

Initial capital, like the Bible.

last, past

Last should not be used as a synonym of latest; the last few days means the final few days; the past few days means the most recent few days.

lay, lie

A person lays a carpet (transitive verb), but lies on a carpet (intransitive).

less

Less in quantity, fewer in number. It is incorrect to write, for example, less people. See fewer

liturgy, litany

The liturgy is the actual form of public worship followed in a particular church, properly that of the eucharistic service of the Orthodox church. The word - from the Greek leitourgia (public duty) - is also used to apply to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
The litany - from Greek litaneia (an entreating) - is a liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of requests and responses successively repeated. In the Anglican litany, for example, which is often said or sung at the beginning of Lent (the words are not related), the supplication Good Lord, deliver us is repeated eight times, and We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord 21 times.

licence, license

Licence (noun), license (verb), but beware of licensee (noun), licensed, licensing. See practice, practise.

Lloyds, Lioyd's

Lloyds TSB, the bank, but Lloyd's of London (insurance).

lorry, truck

Prefer lorry to truck, but the American truck has become ubiquitous and can hardly be banned.

Low Church

Of or adhering to a tradition within the Anglican Church (and some other denominations) which is Protestant in outlook and gives relatively little emphasis to ritual, sacraments, and the authority of the clergy. See High Church and Broad Church

Lucerne

English (and French) name for Luzern.

Lutheran Church

The Protestant Church accepting the Augsburg Confession of 1530, with justification by faith alone as a cardinal doctrine. The Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant body, with substantial membership in Germany, Scandinavia and the US.

malapropism

Mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, eg, dance a flamingo.

matins

Lower case.

media

Plural as in mass media, but mediums (spiritualists).

meet

Prefer meet to meet with.

memorandum

The plural is memorandums (not -a).

metaphor

See simile

metre, meter

These two words should not be confused: metre is a unit of measurement, meter an instrument for measuring (eg, a gas meter). In American English, both words are spelt meter.

Middle East

A region previously referred to as the Near East. Comprises Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen. In a general sense, it also takes in the countries of the Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara. Do not abbreviate to Mideast.

minister, priest, pastor

A person authorized to conduct religious worship.
Minister is normally the title assumed by a Nonconformist clergyman, as a Methodist minister. Strictly speaking, the title can apply to any clergyman, even an Anglican one. (See various rubrics in the Book of Common Prayer, where, for example, the Minister shall read with a loud voice, or Then shall the Minister kneel.) In practice, in the Church of England, a minister is normally regarded as the conductor of a religious service - whether a 'priest' or not - with a priest in turn often being regarded as one appointed, and ordained, to represent the people before God. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word minister was used at first chiefly by those who objected to the terms 'priest' and 'clergyman' as implying erroneous views of the nature of the sacred office. A pastor - the word deliberately evokes a shepherd - is used in some churches (non-Anglican ones) as an alternative to minister.

minster

See cathedral, abbey, minster.

monastery, abbey, priory

Residence of a religious community.
A monastery is usually a community of monks - as a nunnery is of nuns. An abbey which is or was centred on an abbey church or cathedral, is acommunity of monks or nuns under an abbot or abbess. Many abbeys disappeared with the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, and all that was left was the abbey church. This is what happened with Westminster Abbey in London. The status of an abbey is that of an important monastery. A priory, thus, is normally a smaller monastery or nunnery governed by a prior or prioress respectively, and may also be subordinate to an abbey. (A prior belongs to a mendicant or 'begging' order, as does a prioress. Apart from being the head of a priory or nunnery, a prioress may be the title of a 'second-in-command' in an abbey, where her superior will be the abbess.)

more than

Always use rather than over with numbers, eg, more than 1,200 people attended St Ursula's Christmas Bazaar, not over 1,200...

Moslem, Muslim, Mohammedan

Both Moslem and Muslim are correct, but the second is now more common than the first. The term Mohammedan is not acceptable to many Muslims, and is therefore better avoided altogether lest one cause offence.

Mother's Day

Not Mothers'. A celebration (originating in 19th century America) in early May (known in Switzerland as Muttertag / Fête des Mères / Festa della Mamma). Do not confuse with Mothering Sunday, a pre-Reformation English celebration on the fourth Sunday of Lent (also known as Refreshment Sunday).

nave

A central space in a church. Men who misspell the word are knaves, women who misspell it might be konfused.

nearby, near by

The first is adjectival, eg, the nearby school was convenient; the second is adverbial, eg, he sat on a bench near by.

nearly one in three ... is

Prefer singular to plural are in these constrtictions. See one.

neither

Neither takes a singular verb: Neither of them is free. Neither should only be used when referring to one of two people, things, etc; with larger numbers use none or no.
Note: Neither you nor I am going; Neither Martin nor Belle is going; Neither Brian nor his friends are going. See none.

Neuchatel

English (and French) name for the town known in German as Neuenburg. Also white or red wine from there!

no one

Two words, no hyphen.

none

Almost always takes the singular verb, eg, none is available at present. However, occasionally a plural is appropriate, eg, None of them are better singers than the Welsh or none of them have done their best (where the inelegant alternative would be none of them has done his or her best). See neither

numbers

In descriptive matter, use words for numbers below 21, figures for 21 or above except when they are single, unhyphenated words or approximations, eg, fifty people turned up; about thirty-five voted in favour. At the start of a sentence, write all numbers in full.

of

Avoid expressions such as all of the people attending, half of the children replied; say simply all the people, half the children, etc.

Old Catholic

A member of any of various religious groups which have separated from the Roman Catholic Church since the Reformation, especially the Church of Utrecht, and a number of German-speaking Churches which refused to accept papal infallibility after the First Vatican Council

one

Use the singular verb in structures such as one in three says that ... Try to avoid the use one as a synonym for I.

on to

Unlike into, two words invariably better than one, as in she moved on to better things, though he collapsed onto the floor could be considered acceptable. As a general rule try to stem the advance of onto.

ordination

The action of ordaining or conferring holy orders on someone.

over

Do not use as a synonym of more than when followed by a number, eg, Hector waited over four hours for the train should be ...more than four hours...; there were over 60 victims should be ... more than 60... See more than

over as prefix

Wherever the word does not look too ugly, dispense with the hyphen, even when this leads to a double r in the middle; thus, overcapacity, overestimate, overreact, override, overrule, overuse, overvalue; an obvious exception where the hyphen is essential is over-age.

oxymoron

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction, eg, faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.

p's and q's

Use an apostrophe to indicate the plural of single letters.

Palestine

See Israel, Palestine, Holy Land.

parable

A narrative of imagined events used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

parson

See vicar

pastor

See minister

past

Use rather than last in such phrases as the past two weeks. See last

past tense of verbs

Almost always prefer the shorter form using final -t where appropriate; eg, spelt not spelled, dreamt not dreamed (though never earnt for earned).

Patriarch Aleksiy II

Head of the Russian Orthodox Church (not Aleksei).

pejorative

Not perjorative.

people

Use rather than persons wherever appropriate; exceptions would be the law is no respecter of persons or missing persons.

per cent

Two words. Always takes figures rather than the word, eg, 3 per cent (not percent). Use decimals rather than fractions (3.25 per cent rather than 3¼ per cent). Use % sign in headlines, never pc, and spell out per cent in text. Note percentage is one word.

Philistine, Pharisee

Nickname for a despised person.
The original Philistines were the warlike people who occupied the southern coast of Palestine and harassed the Israelites. The term is now applied to anyone looked down on as lacking in culture or aesthetic refinement, or any 'boor' in general. The Pharisees, from a Hebrew word meaning 'separated', were the Jewish sect who observed the religious law strictly and claimed a consequent superior sanctity. The word is now used of any self-righteous or hypocritical person.

phoney

Not phony.

pilgrims

Use lower case, but the Pilgrim Fathers; note The Pilgrim's Progress.

plurals

Make corporate bodies and institutions singular unless this looks odd. Thus The National Trust is... but sports teams are plural, eg, Arsenal were worth their 8–O lead. Whether singular or plural, always maintain consistency within an article. 26

plus, minus

Do not use as variants of and or without.

Pope, the

Not usually necessary to give his full name, eg, Pope John Paul II, (unless several Popes are mentioned in a story), but always initial capital. Note papacy, pontiff (lower case).

possessive case in personal names

An apostrophe followed by s should be used for the possessive case in personal names except where the resulting sound is unacceptably odd. This can be the case where, for example, there is an internal S in a name also ending with that letter or the final $ is soft; hence Lucy's, James's, Ellis's, Dickens's, but Moses', Ulysses', Jesus', Rabelais', Delors'.
Greek names of more than one syllable that end in s, do not use the apostrophe s, eg, Achilles' heel, Socrates' life, Archimedes' principle.
Beware of organizations that have variations as their house style, eg, St Thomas' Hospital, where we must respect their wish.

postcode

No hyphen.

postgraduate, undergraduate

Noun and adjective both one word.

potatoes

Plural, as tomatoes.

practice, practise

In standard British English, the noun is spelt practice; the verb is spelt practise.

priest

See minister

principal

This noun or adjective means 'chief, main, important, head', etc. Do not confuse with principle, which is a noun meaning 'concept, ideal, rule', etc. For example, Tricia's Christian principles.

provincial, parochial

Narrow-minded. The references are to the inhabitants of, respectively, a province and a parish, both limited areas. When used to mean 'narrow-minded', provincial has a connotation of the rustic or 'country-bumpkin', and parochial the implication that the outlook or opinion is not only narrow but limited. These nuances are brought out in phrases such as provincial manners and parochial interests.

PCC

Short for Parochial Church Council (although St Ursula's technically has a Chaplaincy Church Council).

prior to

Avoid wherever possible; use before.

priory

See monastery, abbey, priory

proffer, proffered

Not profer, proferred.

program

Use program in computing contexts; otherwise programme.

prone

Prone means lying face-down; supine, face-up.

prophecy

Prophecy is the noun, prophesy the verb.

pros and cons

Lower case, no apostrophe.

proverb, saying

Popular quotation embodying a familiar truth.
A saying is an everyday, fairly homely thing, which may be colloquial and not even a complete sentence. Most clichés are sayings. A proverb is less colloquial and normally a complete sentence, and is often of considerable antiquity, even to the extent that its original meaning may have been lost, or the original wording altered. This happened with, More haste, less speed, which is now loosely used as a cliché to mean, if you unduly hurry or skimp something, it will take you more time, not less; originally it was, More haste than good speed, implying that something was done unnecessarily quickly.

provided that

Not providing that.

queueing

Note middle e.

quicker

Do not use as an adverb - always say more quickly. Quicker should be confined to adjectival comparison, eg, he started at a quicker pace.

Quinquagesima, Quadragesima

Sundays in the church calendar.
Quinquagesima is the Sunday before Lent. Latin quinquaginta means 'fifty' and this Sunday is fifty days before Easter, reckoning inclusively. Quadragesima is the following Sunday, ie, the first in Lent. Although quadraginta means 'forty', the Sunday is not forty days before Easter, however reckoned. Possibly the name was given on an analogy with Quinquagesima, or refers to the forty days of Lent. See also the even more illogical Septuagesima.

ranges

For a span of numbers generally, use an en rule, eliding to the smallest number of figures possible: 30–1, 42–3, 132–6, 1841–5. But in each hundred do not elide digits in the group 10 to 19, as these represent single rather than compound numbers: 10–12, 15–19, 114–18, 214–15, 310–11.

referendum

Plural referendums, as with conundrums, stadiums, forums and most words ending in -um. But note millennia, strata.

Remembrance

Use Remembrance Sunday rather than Remembrance Day.

retreat

A period of seclusion for the purposes of prayer and meditation: the bishop is away on his annual retreat / before his ordination he went into retreat.

Revd

Abbreviation for (as the title of a priest) Reverend.

rhetoric

The art of effective speaking or writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.

rhetorical

Adjective meaning 'of, relating to or concerned with the art of rhetoric', eg, repetition is a common rhetorical device. A rhetorical question is one asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information.

Roman Catholic

Always write Roman Catholic at first mention; thereafter Catholic is acceptable.

sanctuary

The part of the church where the altar stands (as opposed to the nave, where the congregation sit, and the chancel where the choir sit (thoughnot at St Ursula's).

saying

See proverb

Scotland

In Scotland, distinguish the Free Church of Scotland (the "Wee Frees") from the established Church of Scotland ("the Kirk") and also from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Note the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (not Moderator of the Church of Scotland).
See Episcopal(ian)

Septuagesima, Sexagesima

Sundays in church calendar.
Septuagesima is the third Sunday before Lent, Sexagesima the second before. The names derive from Latin septuaginta (seventy) and sexaginta (sixty). This cannot refer to the number of days before Easter, since Septuagesima is sixty-three days before Easter. Possibly the words were formed on an analogy with Quinquagesima. Or, as the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary points out, perhaps the reference is to the seventy days between Septuagesima Sunday and the octave of Easter ~ the Sunday next after it. But that would throw Sexagesima out. ...

simile, metaphor

Figures of speech comparing one thing to another.
A simile uses a direct comparison, however hackneyed, bizarre or inept, usually with the word 'as' or 'like', so cool as a cucumber and like a bat out of hell are both similes. A metaphor (from the Greek for 'transfer') is rather more subtle: it is saying that something is another, although of course it literally is not, so to speak of your mother-in-law (or whoever) as a real old gas-bag or to call someone a red-bellied son of a yellow-livered caterpillar (children are experts in the genre) is to indulge in metaphors. A sustained form of this (a gas-bag filled with laughing gas, a caterpillar who will never turn into a butterfly, and more) is an extended metaphor. A specially enjoyable form of it is a mixed metaphor, when two or more elements of the comparison are absurdly incongruous - often quite unintentionally so - as to set the ship of state on its feet, or the much quoted specimen allegedly perpetrated by the Irish politician, Sir Boyle Roche: Mr Speaker, I smell a rat: I see him forming in the air and darkening the sky; but I'll nip him in the bud. Mixed metaphors can, however, be used most effectively, with no comic effect, as take arms against a sea of troubles (instead of 'host of troubles'), in Hamlet's famous To be or not to be speech. Many metaphors are proverbs, as Time flies, or clichés, as out of the frying-pan into the fire.

singular, plural

Numbers are made plural without an apostrophe both as words and figures: the 1960s, temperature in the 20s, many of my records are 78s, twos and threes, in the Nineties. Plural phrases take plural verbs where the elements enumerated are considered severally:
Ten miles of path are being paved.
Twenty people are in the lift (elevator).
Eight oarsmen and their cox are coming to tea.
Plural numbers considered as single units take singular verbs:
Ten miles of path is a lot to repave.
The lift's maximum capacity is twenty.
Eight oarsmen and their cox is all the boat will hold.

soi-disant

Means 'self-styled', not 'so-called'.

spoonerism

A verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect, eg, you have hissed the mystery lectures.

St

Correct abbreviation of Saint. So use St Ursula's Church (no point). (St. is the abbreviation of Street)

stadium

Plural stadiums (modern use) referring to a sports ground.
In ancient Greece stadium was a measure of length (about 185 metres) or a racecourse, in which contexts only the plural is stadia.

supine

Supine means lying face-up. See prone.

Swiss place names

The names of countries and the world's main cities and natural features have always been translated into other languages: Rome is the English form for the city its inhabitants call Roma and the Germans call Rom, just as London is Londres in French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Likewise, München becomes Munich, Wien becomes Vienna, Köln becomes Cologne, etc. The following list provides examples of current Oxford University Press (and The Times) preference for the names of some Swiss cities when given in general - as opposed to specialist or historical - context:
Basle
Berne
Geneva
Lucerne
Neuchâtel (with circumflex accent) or NEUCHATEL (without)
Zurich (no umlaut)
For the sake of consistency, it is recommended that we stick to these. See entries for individual cities.

synod

An assembly of the clergy and sometimes also the laity in a diocese or other division of a particular Church.

Synoptic Gospels

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, which describe events from a similar point of view, as contrasted with that of John.

targeted

Not targetted.

tautology

The saying of the same thing twice over in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style, eg, they arrived one after the other in succession.

telephone numbers

As adopted on Ministry Team page of magazine.
For example: 031 352 85 67

temperatures

Do not refer to temperatures as hot or cold; they are high or low.

times

Use the twenty-four-hour clock because it avoids the use of am and pm (or a.m. and p.m.) and the possible resulting confusion between 12 am and 12 pm. Do not use leading zeros, eg, 8.30 rather than 08.30.

transubstantiation

The conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearance of bread and wine still remaining.

under way

Two words. Underway is not a proper word.

unique

Unique is unique (ie, the only one of its kind, having no like or equal). Either something is unique or it isn't, it cannot be more unique, very unique, fairly unique or slightly unique. Even informal uses, such as: he's got a pretty unique job; this is a rather unique picture, should be avoided in formal writing (eg, for the Church Magazine).

United Kingdom (UK)

See Britain

vicar, rector, parson, curate

A vicar is a parish priest, historically in a parish where tithes were appropriated, or where he was acting as priest in place of the rector or parson, i.e. acting 'vicariously'. A rector, by contrast, was a parish priest in a parish where tithes had not been appropriated - that is, they went to him. A parson, properly, was the holder of a benefice who had full possession of its rights. In other words, he was a 'rector'! The term is now used, sometimes somewhat condescendingly, of any clergyman. A Curate, now an assistant clergyman, especially one working with a parish priest, is historically the title for the clergyman who had the 'cure' or charge of a parish - otherwise a vicar or rector. (They order these matters rather better in France, where /e curé is the parish priest, and /e vicaire his assistant.) The residences of the first three became respectively the vicarage, the rectory and the parsonage. For some reason there is no 'curacy' - not as a residence, at any rate.

visitors' book

Note position of apostrophe.

weights and measures

Note that in compound adjectives denoting weights and measures, such as two-foot, the noun forming the second part of the compound is always in the singular: a six-foot plank of wood; a three-pound chicken; a ten-gallon drum. However, in phrases denoting weights and measures, the noun must be plural: this plank is six feet long, not six foot long, this chicken weighs three pounds, NOT three pound.

Xmas

Avoid this ugly abbreviation for Christmas.

Yiddish

See Hebrew

youth group

Two words. See house group.

zeros

Prefer to zeroes as plural.

APPENDIX I

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

Names of the books of the Bible should be abbreviated as follows:

Old Testament (Authorized Version)

New Testament

Apocrypha

Reference Sources

In compiling this House Style Manual the following works of reference have been consulted; in some cases either partial or complete entries have been used.
In order of first publishing date:

1870 (1991 edition) Brewer's Twentieth Century Phrase & Fable, Cassell
1893 (1989) Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford
1906 (2002) The King's English, H.W. and F.G. Fowler, Oxford University Press
1942 (1975) Usage and Abusage, Eric Partridge, Hamish Hamilton
1948 (1987) The Complete Plain Words, Sir Ernest Gowers, Penguin
1968 (2000) The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, Oxford University Press
1983 (1989) Oxford English, Oxford University Press
1985 Chambers Pocket Guide to Good English, Chambers
1985 Dictionary of Confusing Words and Meanings, Routledge and Kegan Paul
1986 Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster
1986 (2003 edition) The Economist Style Guide, Profile Books Ltd
1988 Bloomsbury Good Word Guide, Bloomsbury
1994 Thesaurus of Alternatives to Worn-Out Words and Phrases, Writer's Digest Books
1994 Questions of English, Oxford University Press
1996 The Oxford English Grammar, Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford University Press
1996 Clear English, F & A St George, Bloomsbury
1998 The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Clarendon Press, Oxford
1998 The King's English, Kingsley Amis, HarperCollins
2000 The Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors, Oxford University Press
2002 The Oxford Guide to Style, Oxford University Press
2003 The Times Style and Usage Guide, HarperCollins
2003 Between You and I (A Little Book of Bad English), Icon Books
2003 The Oxford Style Manual, Oxford University Press

Also (CD-Rom) The Concise Oxford Dictionary (Ninth Edition)