CMOS FAQ Questions

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:05:28 GMT

Q. In dialogue, when a character says “Nam” referring to Vietnam, is an apostrophe necessary? The official name is one word, yet “Viet Nam” is more historical. That would suggest the apostrophe is not needed?

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:03:40 GMT

Q. Should a local geographic place-name retain the original apostrophe, such as Lund’s Gulch in Snohomish County, Washington?

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:02:34 GMT

Q. Hello! In fiction, when describing what a sign says, should that text be in italics? Example: “The sign on the wall said NO DOGS ALLOWED.” If the answer is yes, where can I find this in CMOS? Thank you!

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:01:48 GMT

Q. We are naming a maths series for classes 1 to 8 as ‘Revel in Maths’. The sales team is a little hesitant to accept this name as they find the word ‘revel’ associated with drinking and dancing. The general dictionary meaning of the phrasal verb ‘revel in something’ is ‘to take a great pleasure in something’. Kindly suggest an alternative.

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:00:31 GMT

Q. When an abbreviation is first mentioned in a footnote, should the abbreviation be spelled out in both the footnote and at the first mention of it in the body of the text, or is spelling it out in the footnote alone sufficient?

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:58:48 GMT

Q. I’m finishing a book manuscript that includes uncommon fractions (such as 1/72) for which there aren’t single Unicode characters. How should I render my fractions? Using superscript for the numerator and subscript for the denominator results in inconsistent spacing. Even the existing Unicode fractions aren’t consistently kerned. Is there a way to have uniform-looking fractions regardless of the specific numbers? Thanks for your help.

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:57:11 GMT

Q. I am citing an author who has two last names. The first is her maiden name, and the second her married name. I am aware that, ordinarily, one should go by the second surname. However, I am citing articles by this author from both before and after she was married, meaning that some of her articles only have the first last name and some have both last names. In this circumstance, what is the best way to cite her in both footnotes and in the final bibliography?