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Last Seven Days

Question on June 24, 2024

For the colloquial term for young people: young 'uns? Young'uns? Something else? 

Answer

Neither the AP Stylebook nor Merriam-Webster appear to address this. I'd go with the style favored by the American Heritage Dictionary: young'un, young'uns.

Question from Chicago, Illinois, on June 23, 2024

How do you style the names of DJs?
"DJ Mikey Mike"
DJ "Mikey Mike" 
DJ Mikey Mike

Thank you!

Answer

Our style on disc jockey says DJ is acceptable in all references. But if a DJ styles their stage name as, say, Deejay Mikey Mike, that's also acceptable. But Mikey Mike is a DJ.

Question from Roselle, Illinois, on June 21, 2024

Would you hyphenate "forward thinking" as a noun? For example, would it be "Our company brings forward thinking to your business" or "Our company brings forward-thinking to your business"?

Answer

Merriam-Webster advises to hyphenate forward-thinking as an adjective. In this case, it's not, so no hyphen.

Question on June 21, 2024

I see entries that say “family style” restaurant, but I also see entries that use a hypen before “style” when used with other words. Do you have consistent guidance? E.g. “Italian style dish” or “Italian-style dish”?

Answer

Other editors might make different choices, but I think it aids comprehension to include a hyphen in compound modifiers like family-style restaurant and Italian-style dish. Many entries in our Food Guidelines back me up: panko is a Japanese-style bread crumb; pot sticker is an Asian-style dumpling.

Question from Worcester, Massachusetts, on June 21, 2024

Hi! I work in university communications, and we have a website listing the media mentions of our faculty. If a professor is quoted in a newspaper, it’s clear that we would list it as “Professor Name in The Boston Globe.” But what about an online-only news outlet like The Hill or Vox? Would it be “Professor Name in The Hill” or “Professor Name on TheHill.com”? 

I realize I’m being pretty pedantic here, but that’s how my copyeditor’s brain works! Thanks!

Answer

No need to include the .com unless it's in the proper name of the publication. You're citing a publication, not its URL.

Question from Brainerd, Minnesota, on June 21, 2024

If it is paradegoer, is it parkgoer, partygoer, concertgoer, and so on? Thanks

Answer

Our guidance in suffixes advises no hyphen in commonly used words such as concertgoer, filmgoer, moviegoer, theatergoer. Parkgoer and paradegoer are not common, so I might include a hyphen in those. Or say something less awkward like park visitor or parade watcher or parade participant.

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