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The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
Is the deejay a wannabe?
Or does the D.J. just want to be?
When is heaven capitalized?
Do you stand in line or on line?
For anyone who writes—short stories or business plans, book reports or news articles—knotty choices of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and meaning lurk in every line: Lay or lie? Who or whom? None is or none are? Is Touch-Tone a trademark? How about Day-Glo? It’s enough to send you in search of a Martini. (Or is that a martini?) Now everyone can find answers to these and thousands of other questions in the handy alphabetical guide used by the writers and editors of the world’s most authoritative newspaper.
The guidelines to hyphenation, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling are crisp and compact, created for instant reference in the rush of daily deadlines. This revised and expanded edition is updated with solutions to the tantalizing problems that plague writers in the new century:
* How to express the equality of the sexes without using self-conscious devices like “he or she.”
* How to choose thoughtfully between African-American and black; Hispanic and Latino; American Indian and Native American.
* How to translate the vocabulary of e-mail and cyberspace and cope with the eccentricities of Internet company names and website addresses.
With wry wit, the authors, who have more than seventy-five years of combined newsroom experience at the New York Times , have created an essential and entertaining reference tool.
Or does the D.J. just want to be?
When is heaven capitalized?
Do you stand in line or on line?
For anyone who writes—short stories or business plans, book reports or news articles—knotty choices of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and meaning lurk in every line: Lay or lie? Who or whom? None is or none are? Is Touch-Tone a trademark? How about Day-Glo? It’s enough to send you in search of a Martini. (Or is that a martini?) Now everyone can find answers to these and thousands of other questions in the handy alphabetical guide used by the writers and editors of the world’s most authoritative newspaper.
The guidelines to hyphenation, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling are crisp and compact, created for instant reference in the rush of daily deadlines. This revised and expanded edition is updated with solutions to the tantalizing problems that plague writers in the new century:
* How to express the equality of the sexes without using self-conscious devices like “he or she.”
* How to choose thoughtfully between African-American and black; Hispanic and Latino; American Indian and Native American.
* How to translate the vocabulary of e-mail and cyberspace and cope with the eccentricities of Internet company names and website addresses.
With wry wit, the authors, who have more than seventy-five years of combined newsroom experience at the New York Times , have created an essential and entertaining reference tool.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 23, 2008
This is a great reference for proofreading, editing, or keeping one's own non-fiction writing à la mode, grammatically infallible, and politically up-to-date. I use it for all my translation and editing work, and for that I find it far more useful than Strunk and White's guide, which is too conservative for me on many counts and inflexible to the point of being inapplicable to academic theses in computer science or other jargon-laden works. Somewhere among the definitions and guidelines, the New York Times authors mention that their writers' goal is to "not insult the intelligence of the reader." With a credo like that, I can't help but put my faith in this book.
July 2, 2019
I originally bought this when re-releasing my novel Mitch Rebecki Gets a Life. The POV character is a New York-based reporter, so I figured this Style Guide would help me in his use of language. All well and good! As I edited, I looked up all the things that it occurred to me to look up. ... Alas, it was only after I hit the publish button, and started browsing through the Style Guide for interest's sake, that I found something I hadn't thought to look up: "all right (never alright)."
Botherations! I was brought up with a very UK-centric use of English, and it was drummed into me at a young age that we used "all right" and Americans spelled it "alright", and never the twain shall meet. So, alas, my Mitch got that wrong, because I didn't even think of querying it. (I shall update the contents at some stage!)
Curious now, I started reading through the Guide from start to finish. Obviously it took me a while, and it did help with insomnia occasionally, but I enjoyed it. I do read some reference books from cover to cover, rather than only browse or refer to them, even though life is short. This one is leavened by particularly clear and succinct prose, and dashes of whimsical humour.
I love this statement of intent, from the introduction: "We are journalists — not scholars or poets, entertainers or advocates. In The Times, our goal is clear, precise, literate prose that effectively conveys important information to busy readers. Those readers should not be misled by error, distracted by sloppiness or annoyed by pedantry, polemic, slang, jargon or heedless incivility. In fact, the only time they should notice our writing at all is if, occasionally, they pause to admire it."
Consider me paused in admiration! What fluency!
Seriously, though, I really do love this approach - and even though I write mostly fiction, this fits very nicely with my own approach to writing. Early in my creative writing courses, it was suggested to me that prose should be "accurate, brief, clear, and simple - unless there's a good reason not to be". That's been my touchstone ever since, and is probably why much of this Style Guide resonated with me.
Also, the Guide expresses a desire for grace in writing: "will often require graceful explanation for readers unfamiliar with ..." and "must gracefully indicate the device and the reason", for example. How perfect!
There's a lot of stuff in here that doesn't have anything to do with what I write, of course. How to report bridge games and scores, for example. (Though, as the minds of fiction writers often do, mine is immediately pondering "what if...?" What if they met over a game of bridge? What if they met while chasing butterflies...?)
There's an enormous lot of stuff that is directly relevant, too, and a surprising amount of it fits well with UK usage. If you're looking for advice on when to use lay or lie, how to form plurals and possessives, how Roman numerals work, how to form compound words, and so on - I can't think you'll find more clear or succinct guidance. If you need to tweak some details to fit your local usage, of course that is absolutely fine - but I suspect you'll find much of use and relevance in here.
I quibbled over a very few things: "soccer is what the rest of the world calls football", for instance. Well, no. In NSW Australia, rugby league is what we call football. But that's me being pedantic, and the authors may well have had their tongues in their cheeks. After all, I'm sure they know that one does not joke about football. And I did love their whimsical use of examples such as a "rhubarb festival", and "Parsnip Week; Mildew Week". ... Are those real things? Google doesn't help me, so I'll assume they're delightfully imaginary.
So ... this is probably a longer review than some would expect for a Style Guide. But it deserves all this and more. Many thanks to the New York Times journalists and editors!
Botherations! I was brought up with a very UK-centric use of English, and it was drummed into me at a young age that we used "all right" and Americans spelled it "alright", and never the twain shall meet. So, alas, my Mitch got that wrong, because I didn't even think of querying it. (I shall update the contents at some stage!)
Curious now, I started reading through the Guide from start to finish. Obviously it took me a while, and it did help with insomnia occasionally, but I enjoyed it. I do read some reference books from cover to cover, rather than only browse or refer to them, even though life is short. This one is leavened by particularly clear and succinct prose, and dashes of whimsical humour.
I love this statement of intent, from the introduction: "We are journalists — not scholars or poets, entertainers or advocates. In The Times, our goal is clear, precise, literate prose that effectively conveys important information to busy readers. Those readers should not be misled by error, distracted by sloppiness or annoyed by pedantry, polemic, slang, jargon or heedless incivility. In fact, the only time they should notice our writing at all is if, occasionally, they pause to admire it."
Consider me paused in admiration! What fluency!
Seriously, though, I really do love this approach - and even though I write mostly fiction, this fits very nicely with my own approach to writing. Early in my creative writing courses, it was suggested to me that prose should be "accurate, brief, clear, and simple - unless there's a good reason not to be". That's been my touchstone ever since, and is probably why much of this Style Guide resonated with me.
Also, the Guide expresses a desire for grace in writing: "will often require graceful explanation for readers unfamiliar with ..." and "must gracefully indicate the device and the reason", for example. How perfect!
There's a lot of stuff in here that doesn't have anything to do with what I write, of course. How to report bridge games and scores, for example. (Though, as the minds of fiction writers often do, mine is immediately pondering "what if...?" What if they met over a game of bridge? What if they met while chasing butterflies...?)
There's an enormous lot of stuff that is directly relevant, too, and a surprising amount of it fits well with UK usage. If you're looking for advice on when to use lay or lie, how to form plurals and possessives, how Roman numerals work, how to form compound words, and so on - I can't think you'll find more clear or succinct guidance. If you need to tweak some details to fit your local usage, of course that is absolutely fine - but I suspect you'll find much of use and relevance in here.
I quibbled over a very few things: "soccer is what the rest of the world calls football", for instance. Well, no. In NSW Australia, rugby league is what we call football. But that's me being pedantic, and the authors may well have had their tongues in their cheeks. After all, I'm sure they know that one does not joke about football. And I did love their whimsical use of examples such as a "rhubarb festival", and "Parsnip Week; Mildew Week". ... Are those real things? Google doesn't help me, so I'll assume they're delightfully imaginary.
So ... this is probably a longer review than some would expect for a Style Guide. But it deserves all this and more. Many thanks to the New York Times journalists and editors!
December 20, 2018
Riveting, a true page turner. There were times I didn't even know where it was going next. Feel like I've already read it a thousand times yet still find myself opening it up again and again every single day.
April 27, 2007
This book has pulled me out of a couple of tight spots, copy-editing wise, but my heart still belongs to the AP Stylebook :D
Read
May 9, 2015Great fun to have this on the phone to page through when you have a few extra minutes. The apostrophe entry alone will last an entire 20-minute bus ride.
August 1, 2020
One of those handy writing guides that can only help
I bought this writing guide to more formalize my writing. Nice to have a Kindle version for speedy reference. Easy to go in and highlight points of confusion for future reference.
I bought this writing guide to more formalize my writing. Nice to have a Kindle version for speedy reference. Easy to go in and highlight points of confusion for future reference.
November 10, 2020
Great resource. For a few it’s hard to follow since some words are cross-referenced. A few others are listed with no explanation. Mostly it’s great at explaining how words should be written.
December 20, 2020
Spend your money on The Chicago Manual of Style instead where you will find EVERYTHING you need. This has only some information and what is included is VERY brief without examples. Just meh
January 21, 2023
A Must Have For Writing
I will be using this book when I start proofreading. So useful and very informative. Definitely a must for writing and proofreading.
I will be using this book when I start proofreading. So useful and very informative. Definitely a must for writing and proofreading.
Read
January 6, 202411506183
Shelved as 'bibliophile'
January 6, 202411506183
December 3, 2024
A book of fun facts for grammar nerds.
April 17, 2013
I hate typos. They make me insane. This book saves me from having a bad day. I love this book. It is always within arms reach when I write.
March 7, 2016
تعلمت منه الكثير .. أفادني فوق التصور
June 10, 2016
A hodgepodge of bits of an encyclopedia, bits of a dictionary, bits of a grammar book, and bits of journalist best practices.
June 26, 2007
Revised and expanded edition. Easy to follow. Never boring as far as style guides go. Very helpful.
November 8, 2008
Is your work too purple? With these pages you may polish your phrases to poignancy.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews