358 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
358 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
topics
|
|
about-us
|
|
style-book
|
|
1435307
|
|
-----
|
|
# Telegraph style book: Aa
|
|
|
|
6:57PM GMT 18 Feb 2008
|
|
|
|
**[A][1]** | **[B][2]** | **[C][3]** | **[D][4]** | **[E][5]** | **[F][6]** |
|
|
**[G][7]** | **[H][8]** | **[I][9]** | **[J][10]** | **[K][11]** | **[L][12]**
|
|
| **[M][13]** | **[N][14]** | **[O][15]** | **[P][16]** | **[Q][17]** |
|
|
**[R][18]** | **[S][19]** | **[T][20]** | **[U][21]** | **[V][22]** |
|
|
**[W][23]** | **[X][24]** | **[Y][25]** | **[Z][26]**
|
|
|
|
* [Telegraph style book: introduction][27]
|
|
|
|
a/an: an hour, heir; a hotel, historian (if the H is pronounced, use A).
|
|
|
|
Aborigine: note the cap A. Aboriginal in its specific use to describe the
|
|
native Australian people, should also be capped.
|
|
|
|
abdicate, abnegate and abrogate all have different meanings. The first is to
|
|
renounce high responsibilities; the second to deny oneself or someone else
|
|
something; the third to abolish by an official proclamation. See also
|
|
[prevaricate][28].
|
|
|
|
accents: Accents should be used on all foreign proper names (including
|
|
anglicised names taking an accent - eg John Le Carre) and on all foreign words
|
|
that have passed into regular English usage - for example, cafe and pate. If
|
|
quoting a foreign phrase that includes a word with an accent, use it. Avoid
|
|
accents in headlines: they do not need to be used on capital letters (see also
|
|
[italics][29]).
|
|
|
|
## Related Articles
|
|
|
|
* [Introduction][27]
|
|
|
|
10 Jan 2008
|
|
|
|
accessary for a person (after the fact, for example); accessory for a thing.
|
|
|
|
Achilles' heel
|
|
|
|
acid house parties
|
|
|
|
across: the slang usage of someone "being across" something to suggest they
|
|
are cognisant of it is banned.
|
|
|
|
Act (law) takes a cap at every mention. So does a parliamentary Bill.
|
|
|
|
actress is the term we use for a female actor.
|
|
|
|
AD precedes the year (AD 1066). It follows centuries (fourth century AD),
|
|
although centuries are assumed to be AD unless BC is used.
|
|
|
|
Addenbrooke's hospital
|
|
|
|
addresses: the point of giving an address is usually to give the reader an
|
|
idea of relative geography. If the person concerned lives in a small town it
|
|
is sufficient to name that town and its county. In the case of a village it
|
|
should be related to the nearest well-known town. If he or she lives in a
|
|
large town or city use district names rather than boroughs or postal numbers.
|
|
Do not presume that people outside London know where, for example, Eltham is.
|
|
If it is impossible to clarify in an indirect reference, use Eltham, south-
|
|
east London. Do not give house numbers or names unless there is a compelling
|
|
reason or the address is famous or notorious (10 Downing Street, 10 Rillington
|
|
Place).
|
|
|
|
The words Street, Road, Avenue etc are printed in full and capped.
|
|
|
|
adjournment line: in court cases this is now "The case/trial/hearing
|
|
continues".
|
|
|
|
adrenalin has no "e" on the end.
|
|
|
|
adultery requires one party to be married. Anything else is merely
|
|
fornication.
|
|
|
|
adverbs are the necessary accompaniment of verbs. One does not do something
|
|
quick, one does it quickly; one does not sell something cheap, one sells it
|
|
cheaply; and so on.
|
|
|
|
advertisement, never ad. Advert is allowed when essential in heads.
|
|
|
|
adviser but advisory.
|
|
|
|
Aertex: trade name.
|
|
|
|
AEW (Airborne Early Warning) but Awacs (Airborne Warning and Control System).
|
|
In full or with explanation at first mention.
|
|
|
|
Afrikaner for the people and culture; Afrikaans for the language.
|
|
|
|
ageing/ ageist: not aging/ agist.
|
|
|
|
Agence France Presse.
|
|
|
|
ages: John Smith, 25, not John Smith, aged 25, but 25-year-old John Smith or
|
|
John Smith, who is 25, are more appealing in narratives or descriptive
|
|
writing. Avoid Mary Smith, nine, and John Smith, two months. Whereas the
|
|
adjectival usage is "25-year-old John Smith", the nominal usage is "John
|
|
Smith, a 25 year-old".
|
|
|
|
Aids: initial cap only. Since it is a condition rather than a disease, write
|
|
"died of an Aids-related condition", not "died of Aids".
|
|
|
|
aircraft, which covers helicopters and airships, is the preferred usage, but
|
|
planes is acceptable in headlines. Where possible be precise: airliner,
|
|
fighter, trainer. Aircraft types: BAe-lll, DC-lO, F-lll, F-5E, Tu-144, MiG-21.
|
|
But Boeing 727, Boeing 747-400. The use of hyphens between letters and figures
|
|
is needed for consistency, although the use of hyphens by manufacturers
|
|
follows no set pattern. Tornado becomes Tornados in the plural; the cap
|
|
differentiates the name from the wind and enables us to follow RAF style.
|
|
Concorde.
|
|
|
|
Airfix: trade name.
|
|
|
|
Akela
|
|
|
|
Albany, Piccadilly, not The Albany.
|
|
|
|
A-level: lc l
|
|
|
|
alibi is not an excuse; it means proof of being elsewhere.
|
|
|
|
Alitalia
|
|
|
|
al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya: Egyptian terrorist group.
|
|
|
|
allies and allied take caps only in established contemporary usages such as
|
|
Allied Forces, in historical usage (the Allied Powers) or in titles (Supreme
|
|
Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe, which is normally abbreviated to Shape).
|
|
The Nato allies, Britain's allies.
|
|
|
|
alleged is not a magic incantation against libel and contempt of court. It
|
|
means said or claimed, but, because of its criminal connotations, can be
|
|
unfair when used in reporting controversies. Alleged and kindred words are
|
|
often redundant as in "Police charged him with allegedly murdering..."
|
|
|
|
allelulia: hallelujah is preferred.
|
|
|
|
all-time high: see tautology. Avoid.
|
|
|
|
allude to: it means to speak of something without mentioning it directly.
|
|
|
|
al-Qaeda
|
|
|
|
alright is an abomination. It is all right.
|
|
|
|
alsatian/ Alsatian: lc dogs, cap people.
|
|
|
|
alternatives: there can only ever be two. Where there is a choice of three or
|
|
more, they are options.
|
|
|
|
amaze, amazing: avoid.
|
|
|
|
Americanisms. Do not use an Americanism when there is a reasonable word of our
|
|
own: i.e. candidates "stand" for office, they do not "run". But "running mate"
|
|
is permitted in American election stories. American courts do not contain
|
|
witness boxes, so witness stand is acceptable in reports of American trials.
|
|
|
|
People live "in" not "on" a street. "Movie" is allowed in stories about the US
|
|
industry... otherwise use "film". We do things "at" the weekend, not "on" it.
|
|
|
|
America's Cup
|
|
|
|
amok: no Daily Telegraph style book would be complete without the observation
|
|
that only Malays can run amok. See also [berserk][30].
|
|
|
|
ancestor: an earlier generation of a family. The opposite is descendant.
|
|
|
|
Andrews liver salts: St Andrews University.
|
|
|
|
anger: use sparingly.
|
|
|
|
angler/fisherman: the difference between the pleasure fisherman and the
|
|
professional is worth pointing out when writing about people missing off the
|
|
coast. In one case we may be talking about two men in a dinghy and in the
|
|
other about an ocean-going trawler.
|
|
|
|
animals: these are neuter even if we are well aware of their gender.
|
|
Anthropomorphism has no place in balanced news reporting.
|
|
|
|
annex: verb
|
|
|
|
annexe: noun
|
|
|
|
anonymous quotes: under the parliamentary lobby system these are, regrettably,
|
|
sometimes inevitable. In other circumstances they should be avoided wherever
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
_An Phoblacht_: Sinn Fein/IRA newspaper.
|
|
|
|
anticipate is not a synonym for expect; it conveys the meaning of acting in
|
|
expectation of an event. A reporter who expects to be sent to Zaire may
|
|
anticipate the assignment by buying tropical clothes. A couple who anticipate
|
|
marriage may, for instance, open a joint bank account.
|
|
|
|
any more/anymore: we do not want any more errors in the newspaper; we will not
|
|
put up with this anymore.
|
|
|
|
apostrophes should not be used in shortened words that have ceased to be
|
|
regarded as slang or informal such as "flu" and "cello". "Phone" is acceptable
|
|
for headlines but keep "telephone" in text. The apostrophe is used to indicate
|
|
the omission of letters, and in plural forms of lower case letters standing
|
|
alone (crossing the i's and dotting the t's).
|
|
|
|
apparatchik
|
|
|
|
appeal, as a verb, requires the preposition "against": only Americans appeal
|
|
verdicts and sentences; we appeal against them.
|
|
|
|
Apple (Macintosh)
|
|
|
|
aqueduct, not aquaduct
|
|
|
|
Aran: one r for knitwear
|
|
|
|
arc lamps: outmoded. Use TV lights, floodlights, searchlights, as appropriate.
|
|
|
|
archaeology.
|
|
|
|
Argentina: Argentine for the citizen and the adjective, not Argentinian
|
|
|
|
Argyle: knitwear
|
|
|
|
Argyll: the county
|
|
|
|
Armed Forces: uc if British
|
|
|
|
artefact, not artifact.
|
|
|
|
arts: to protect the paper, criticism should refer to the performance rather
|
|
than the performer. It is safer to say that, on a particular night, an actor
|
|
did not display the qualities demanded by a role than to say that he is
|
|
incapable of playing it. Comment must be fair - not inspired by malice - and
|
|
"on a matter of public interest", which means that discussion of the subject
|
|
benefits the public, not merely that it satisfies curiosity. Critics and
|
|
reviewers have as much right as anyone else to express honestly held opinions
|
|
- but no more. In law no additional rights are conferred on them because they
|
|
are invited to attend performances or receive books "for favour of review".
|
|
Conversely the freedom to comment is not restricted by the lack of free
|
|
tickets.
|
|
|
|
ASB: Alternative Service Book
|
|
|
|
Asperger's syndrome
|
|
|
|
assume in an abstract sense is to take something for granted, presume is to
|
|
make a supposition on the basis of probability.
|
|
|
|
assure lives, insure property.
|
|
|
|
Asprey: the jewellers
|
|
|
|
as to, as in "as to what", "as to which", etc is pointless and is banned.
|
|
|
|
at a point or a village, in an area, town or city
|
|
|
|
Attorney General: no hyphen
|
|
|
|
autarchy: absolute sovereignty
|
|
|
|
autarky: self-sufficiency
|
|
|
|
author is a noun. The American habit of using it as a verb is to be studiously
|
|
avoided.
|
|
|
|
Ayatollah Khomenei (dead), Khamenei (living)
|
|
|
|
Aykroyd, Dan
|
|
|
|
axe: this is an implement used for chopping wood and a weapon of choice for
|
|
certain murderers. It is not a verb. While the usage may just about be
|
|
tolerated in headlines, bear in mind that if someone is axed they have been
|
|
sacked, if spending is axed it has been cut and if a television programme is
|
|
axed it is dropped.
|
|
|
|
[X][31] Share & bookmark
|
|
|
|
Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
|
|
|
|
Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
|
|
|
|
[What are these?][32]
|
|
|
|
* Share: [Share][31] [ ][33] [ ][34]
|
|
|
|
[Tweet][35]
|
|
|
|
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/about-us/style-book/1435307/Telegraph-style-
|
|
book-Aa.html
|
|
|
|
Telegraph
|
|
|
|
## [Style Book][36]
|
|
|
|
* ### [News »][37]
|
|
|
|
[X][31] Share & bookmark
|
|
|
|
Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
|
|
|
|
Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
|
|
|
|
[What are these?][32]
|
|
|
|
Share:
|
|
|
|
* [ ][31]
|
|
|
|
* [ ][33]
|
|
|
|
* [ ][34]
|
|
|
|
* [Tweet][35]
|
|
|
|
* Advertisement
|
|
|
|
![][38]
|
|
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
[EDITOR'S CHOICE »][39]
|
|
|
|
### [Gil Scott-Heron: 'A voice for Shakespeare'][40]
|
|
|
|
[![Gil Scott-Heron][41]][40]
|
|
|
|
Composer, musician, poet and author whose writing provided a vivid commentary
|
|
on the black American experience.
|
|
|
|
### [Beekeeping diary: the new colonies arrive][42]
|
|
|
|
### [Spectacular light show dazzles Sydney][43]
|
|
|
|
### [WS Gilbert: a knight for our times][44]
|
|
|
|
### [The Telegraph's Matt is Hay Festival star][45]
|
|
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
Classified Advertising
|
|
|
|
* [Services][46]
|
|
|
|
* [Property][47]
|
|
|
|
* [Motoring][48]
|
|
|
|
Loading
|
|
|
|
[Find your ideal job with Telegraph Jobs][49]
|
|
|
|
var puffs_8120657 = new Array();
|
|
|