Usage and Grammar

Q. I’ve agreed to help a friend copyedit his dissertation (Ph.D., history). My friend uses “entitled” instead of “titled” when referring to conferences, books, dissertations, and articles. Examples include: He presented his work at a 1990 conference entitled “History and Education”; and Sam Smith’s 1964 dissertation, entitled “The Literacy Movement,” argues against Brown’s theory. OED marks this use of entitled as archaic. But it is not my dissertation, and I’m being paid only in beer. What would CMOS do?

A. I agree that “entitled” sounds a bit pompous; its overuse could become tedious. CMOS would demand either a little respect or a more reasonable wage.