Process
Status Items Highlights Done See section below Claims None Questions None Output None
Highlights
Location 1216
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Use the country’s full name in datelines and formal contexts; in later references, normally just Bosnia, Bosnian and Bosnians. The country has two parts — the Serbian Republic (not to be confused with Serbia) and the Muslim-Croat Federation. It is often necessary to append an ethnic identification to the adjective Bosnian: Bosnian Croat; Bosnian Serb (as in a Bosnian Serb militia). But in a clear context, Muslim can stand alone.
Location 1573
centuries. Lowercase and spell out through the ninth: the eighth century, the 12th century. Hyphenate the adjectival form: 18th-century poet. Also, in almost all contexts, the 1700s, not seventeen-hundreds; and mid-ninth century, mid-16th century, mid-1890s. Understandings differ on when a century begins and ends; see years, decades, centuries.
Location 1657
chief executive officer can usually be trimmed to chief executive. Informally the abbreviation is nonetheless C.E.O.
Location 2005
company and corporation names. Generally render a name as the company does; consult the company website. But avoid fanciful use of punctuation or other nonalphabetic characters, which seem more like marketing logos than ordinary names: Yahoo, not Yahoo!. If a company’s common rendering differs from the version in its formal incorporation documents, generally use the name more familiar to readers: Walmart, not Wal-Mart. If a company consistently uses initials as its name, follow that style and omit periods, even if the term was originally an abbreviation: IBM, UPS, AT&T, HP. Include a reference to the full, original name if necessary for clarity or in historical contexts. When a company name calls for unconventional capitalization, heed any preference that requires up to three capitals in a word: eBay (but EBay for the first word in a sentence or headline). If the capitals exceed three, upper-and-lowercase the name except for proper nouns that appear within it. Thus: PepsiCo Inc., GlaxoSmithKline. Capitalize the first letter when a company renders its name all lowercase; all-lowercase names are distracting and hard to read. In articles, normally spell out Company, Corporation, Industries, Brothers, Associates, etc., when they are part of a name (an exception: Warner Bros.). Generally use the full name on first reference, but for major corporations that are widely familiar (Microsoft, General Motors, General Electric), the terms Company, Corporation, etc., may be omitted even from first references. Omit Inc. or an equivalent foreign abbreviation (Ltd., S.A., S.p.A., G.m.b.H., N.V., etc.) in the name of any company that incorporates another company term (Company, Corporation, Industries, etc.). When using Inc. or an equivalent foreign abbreviation, do not surround it with commas (Time Warner Inc. is declaring a dividend). Headlines, charts and listings may freely use the abbreviations Bros., Co. and Corp. in the names of companies. Even in ordinary news copy, listings or enumerations of companies may omit Company, Corporation, etc. Use the ampersand (&) or and in the name of a company, law firm or other entity, according to the company’s practice. For consistency, however, substitute the ampersand for unorthodox internal punctuation, like plus signs (+) or equal signs (=) used by some firms (Wieden & Kennedy, not Wieden + Kennedy).
Location 2026
company officers. Do not capitalize their titles: She was elected president of the company; They complained to the treasurer, Dale T. Kikondoo.
Location 2034
complementary, complimentary. Use complementary and its forms to describe things that fit together to form a whole: Her math skills complemented his writing; they were complementary. Use complimentary to mean flattering. Complimentary is also used in sales literature to mean free, but journalism favors the unpretentious word: free.
Location 2124
consulate (or consulate general). Lowercase when standing alone. But: the United States Consulate; the French Consulate General. (The plural is consulates general.)
Location 2552
dates. Use a numeral for the day when it follows the name of the month: April 1, 1996. In the rare case of a day that precedes the month (usually in a quotation), use this form: the 6th of January. An exception: the Fourth of July. When day, month and year are given together, use a comma after the day, and use a comma or some other punctuation after the year: He said he left New Jersey on April 16, 1995, to return to Burkina Faso. When month and year are given without a day, use no comma after the month, and punctuation can usually be omitted after the year: He said he left New Jersey in April 1995 to sail the Gulf of Kutch.
Location 2613
decades should usually be given in numerals: the 1990s; the mid-1970s; the ’90s; the mid-90s. But when a decade begins a sentence, it must be spelled out (Nineteen-eighties solutions are no longer adequate); often that is reason enough to recast the sentence. Decade nicknames are spelled out and capitalized: Gay Nineties; Roaring Twenties.
Location 2674
department. Capitalize it in the name of a government agency, national, state or municipal: State Department; Conservation Department; Police Department. For most federal departments, the briefer form State Department is preferred to Department of State. Except in quotations, do not use a single word like State or Justice as shorthand to mean State Department or Justice Department. Do not capitalize the names of academic or commercial departments: physics department; English department; customer service department.
Location 2996
e.g., representing two Latin words, exempli gratia, means for example. Not to be confused with i.e.
Location 3049
embassy. Lowercase when standing alone. But: the United States Embassy; the French Embassy; the Argentine and Chilean Embassies; the United States Embassies in Argentina and Chile.
Location 3097
ensure, insure. Ensure means guarantee or make safe: The hit ensured a Yankee victory. Insure means buy or issue insurance: She insured her camera against theft.
Location 3190
everyone, every one. The one-word form is a pronoun meaning all the people, or everybody: Everyone came to the séance. The two words (a modifier and a noun) mean each one of a group: Every one of her predictions came true; Every one of the defendants was heard. Note that everyone (like everybody) is singular: He wanted everyone to become a veterinarian. Not: to become veterinarians.
Location 3194
ex(-). Use the hyphen when ex- means former: ex-champion; ex-president; ex-tennis player. In articles, former is generally preferred,
Location 3274
Far East. Do not use this Western-centric term except for special effect. Ordinarily, use a more specific regional name: East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia.
Location 3330
female, male. In references to people, the nouns woman, man, girl and boy are most natural. If a construction unavoidably warrants male and female, use them as adjectives, not nouns. Avoid affixing male and female to occupational titles (male nurse, female judge) in ways that imply that they “normally” belong to only one sex. Preferably write, for example, women on the faculty or men on the faculty.
Location 3339
fewer, less. Use fewer for people or things that can be counted one by one: Fewer than 100 taxidermists attended. If the number is one, write one vote fewer, not one fewer votes or one fewer vote. Use less for things that cannot be counted: Most shoppers are buying less sugar. Also use less with a number that describes a quantity considered as a single bulk amount: The police recovered less than $1,500; It happened less than five years ago; The recipe calls for less than two cups of sugar.
Location 3475
Foreign Minister (or Secretary) Morgan I. Yagyonak; the foreign minister (or foreign secretary); the minister (or secretary).
Location 3477
Foreign Ministry (for a specific one). In later references, the ministry.
Location 3478
foreign names. Within The Times, all departments should consult the copy desk about individual spellings and usage adopted on the advice of correspondents or at the request of foreign personalities. If a Russian or other foreign cultural figure performs or records often in the West and is the subject of extensive advertising or promotion, use the artist’s preferred spelling. The goal is to avoid inconsistency between highly visible publicity materials and the news columns. More general guides to personal and place names may be found on these websites operated by the Central Intelligence Agency for public use: World Factbook Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
Location 3511
former. It is the preferred modifier before a title (former commissioner),
Location 3658
gentleman. Except in jesting or teasing contexts, gentleman is obsolete for man, just as lady is obsolete for woman.
Location 3671
The first authority for the spelling of foreign place names not listed here is the latest edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
Location 3717
girl. Reserve girl for references to the very young; use it only in contexts where boy would be appropriate. It is a saleswoman, not a salesgirl, and a college student, not a college girl.
Location 3720
girlfriend, boyfriend. While some traditionalists still view them as informal, these terms are now widely accepted for people of any age. Companion and partner are also acceptable. When possible, follow the preference of those involved.
Location 3767
government. Lowercase, as noun or adjective, except in proper names: United States government; Pakistani government; Colorado government; government bonds; government agents. But: Government Printing Office.
Location 3809
gray
Location 3908
handicapped. Use more specific terms for disabilities when possible.
Location 4083
Hindi (language), Hindu (religion).
Location 4456
iPad, iPhone, iPod. But uppercase as the first word of a sentence or headline.
Location 4701
Koran. Spell it Quran instead.
Location 4778
Latino (n. and adj.) is generally interchangeable with Hispanic, referring to people descended from a Spanish-speaking land or culture. The feminine form is Latina. When writing about specific people or groups, choose the term they prefer. Latino, referring broadly to people of Latin America, is often used to include Portuguese-speaking Brazilians as well. When a more specific description is available — Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican-American — use it. Take care with descriptions like Spanish-speaking and Spanish-surnamed because Hispanic Americans do not necessarily speak the language, and some have other kinds of names.
Location 4968
located is often an excess word: The feed store is located on Bortnicker Road.
Location 5157
married. Got is superfluous: he married; she married. Beware of phrases like has a wife that imply inequality in the relationship.
Location 5181
master’s degree. But: Master of Arts; Master of Science; etc. Also: M.A.; M.S.;
Location 5270
phrase like Hollis M. Cordero and his wife, Lynn, assigns the woman unthinkingly to second rank. Instead write Hollis and Lynn Cordero and, equally often, Lynn and Hollis Cordero. In place of he has a wife and two children, write that Mr. Cordero is married and has two children.
Location 5273
For occupational terms, resist modifiers that imply a “norm” of maleness or femaleness: Use
Location 5307
Mercedes-Benz. In later references, Mercedes. The plural, barely pronounceable but logical enough, is Mercedeses or, a bit more pronounceably, Mercedes-Benzes. The possessive is Mercedes’s or Mercedes-Benz’s — and yes, for the plural, Mercedeses’ and Mercedes-Benzes’.
Location 5322
metric system.
Location 5477
months. Abbreviate the names of months from August through February in news copy when they are followed by numerals: Aug. 1; Sept. 2; Oct. 3; Nov. 4; Dec. 5; Jan. 6; Feb. 7. Do not abbreviate March, April, May, June and July
Location 5493
more than. The phrase is useful in many contexts but is sometimes opinionated. More than 100,000 is more neutral. More than is also imprecise. More than 101,000 or $500,000. Specifics are preferred.
Location 5528
motion pictures. Use quotation marks for their titles, and capitalize principal words.
Location 5761
Netherlands, the. Lowercase the in datelines and articles. Confine Holland to historical references (in art, for example). The people are Dutch.
Location 6062
numbers. In general, spell out the first nine cardinal and ordinal numbers in ordinary copy: He walked nine miles; There were eight applicants; He was the sixth; The game ended in the fifth inning. Use figures for numbers above nine: The table was set for 10; There were 50 in the audience; He owns 63 horses; The game finally ended in the 15th inning. These rules apply even within a single series of numbers: We counted six pigs, eight cows and 12 sheep. The rule of spelling out below 10 does not apply to these cases: • Ages of people and animals. • Building numbers: 1 Fifth Avenue. See addresses. • Figures in headlines, charts and tables. • Figures in some financial contexts: The stock advanced 3 points. • Figures that include decimals: 3.4 inches of snow. See decimals. • Results of voting. See votes. • Percentages. See percent, percentage. • Sums of money. See money. • Times of day. See time. • Days of the month. See dates. • Latitude and longitude. • Degrees of temperature. See temperature. • Dimensions, measurements, weights and proportion when they consist of two or more elements. See dimensions, measurements, weights and proportions. • Numbered expressions: Page 1; Section 3; Chapter V; Article 6; Room 9. • Sports points, scores and times. Also see baseball; basketball; boxing; football; golf; hockey; horse racing; swimming; tennis. • Mentions of the Twelve Apostles and the Ten Commandments. Round numbers are sometimes rendered in numerals and sometimes in words. In the thousands, it is almost always numerals: 5,000; 2,300th. But spelling out is sometimes appropriate: They planned to enlist a million workers; He said his opponent was a hundred percent wrong. In the millions, this is the usual form: four million, 10 millionth. The adjectival form: four-million-year span; 12-million-year span. In the case of dollar and sterling sums: 5 billion to 5 to 5-to-15-billion program). Do not hyphenate the simple modifier form: $10 million loan.
Location 6114
To aid comprehension, long numbers may be rounded. Those in which the first omitted digit is 5 or higher are rounded upward; those in which the first omitted digit is 4 or lower are rounded downward. In general, round off figures in the millions to one decimal place (3.5 million), those in the billions to two places (4.56 billion) and those in the trillions to three (4.765 trillion). When highly similar numbers are compared or contrasted, it may be necessary to retain more decimal places. Use caution, because rounded numbers can be misleading. In an article about a record-breaking 2 million deal might be unfair. And any calculation of a percentage change should be based on unrounded numbers because the distortion from rounding can be significant. If, for instance, a company reports that its earnings rose to 1.23 million, the unrounded numbers yield a change of 51.2 percent. But if the percentage is calculated on rounded figures
Location 6318
only. Place it next to the word it modifies. Only she tasted the rutabaga means that no one else did. She tasted only the rutabaga means that she tasted nothing else. She only tasted the rutabaga means that she did not devour the rutabaga; she merely nibbled at it.
Location 6333
operas. Capitalize opera titles and use quotation marks: “Aida” is an opera by Verdi. Do not use quotation marks around the names of characters: Aida, Carmen, Violetta, Mimì, etc. Also: opéra bouffe; Opéra-Comique; operagoer.
Location 6420
page numbers. Capitalize them as proper names: Page A1; Page A14; Page B1; Page 112; Pages A18-20. Also: A Page 1 article, but the third page and the front page.
Location 6424
paintings. Use quotation marks for their titles and capitalize the principal words.
Location 6443
paragraph numbers. Capitalize them as proper names: Paragraph 3; Paragraph 16. But: the third paragraph.
Location 6668
The particles de, du, di, da, le, la, van, von, ter, etc., when used, are usually lowercased in foreign names (Charles de Gaulle) and capitalized in the names of United States citizens (Martin Van Buren). But follow individual preferences. (See du Pont, duPont, DuPont.) A lowercase particle remains lowercase when it appears in midsentence without a first name or title: the de Gaulle legend. Capitalize the particle when it begins a sentence or a headline.
Location 6695
Ph.D. for Doctor of Philosophy. Also see Dr.
Location 6727
plays and revues. In news and review copy, use quotation marks for their titles and capitalize the principal words.
Location 6738
plurals. Form the plurals of most common nouns by adding s: hammers; saws; pencils; pens. Form the plural of a word ending in a soft ch by adding es: churches. But after a hard ch, add only s: monarchs. For some words ending in f, simply add s: briefs; goofs; reefs; roofs. But other words ending in f have irregular plurals, with ves: hooves; leaves; lives; shelves. The dictionary is the best guide. When a word ends in is, change the is to es: oases; parentheses; theses; and basis becomes bases. Words ending in o, directly after a vowel, take the s: folios; radios. Words ending in o, directly after a consonant, usually take es: echoes; embargoes; mosquitoes; noes; potatoes. But pianos is an exception. Form the plural of words ending in s, sh, ss, x or z by adding es: gases; dishes; dresses; boxes; buzzes. Common nouns ending in y preceded by a vowel take only the s: alloys; attorneys; days. But if y is preceded by a consonant or by qu, change the y to i and add es: armies; ladies; skies; soliloquies. The plurals of most proper names are formed by adding s: Cadillacs; Harolds; Websters. But if the name ends in s or z, form the plural by adding es: Borderses; Charleses; Mercedeses; Rodriguezes. In forming the plurals of proper names ending in y, ordinarily keep the y: Harrys; Kennedys; Kansas Citys. There are some exceptions, like Alleghenies, Rockies and Sicilies. Some words are the same in the plural as in the singular: chassis; corps; deer; sheep; swine; fowl; etc. The collective plural of fish is the same as the singular, but fishes may be used in referring to different species: Many fishes, including trout and bass, are native to North America. Nouns derived from foreign languages form plurals in different ways. Some use the original, foreign plurals: alumnae; alumni; data; media; phenomena. But form the plurals of others simply by adding s: curriculums; formulas; memorandums; stadiums. For a word not in this manual, consult the dictionary. Use apostrophes for plurals formed from single letters: He received A’s and B’s on his report card. Mind your p’s and q’s. But do not use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations, or for plurals formed from figures: M.D.s, TVs, PCs, DVDs; 1990s, 747s, size 7s. For all-cap headlines, use a small-cap S to avoid confusion in these cases.
Location 6765
Form the plurals of most compound terms by adding s to the more important element: adjutants general; commanders in chief; courts-martial; daughters-in-law; delegates at large; deputy attorneys general; lieutenant colonels; major generals; passers-by; postmasters general; rights of way; sergeants major. When compounds are written as one word, the plurals are formed in the normal way: breakthroughs; cupfuls; handfuls; tablespoonfuls. Some words that are plural in form have singular meanings: measles; news. They take singular verbs. But others — scissors, for example — take plural verbs. And still others (ethics, politics) can be singular or plural. Use a singular verb when these words refer to an art or science: Ethics is a branch of philosophy, while politics is the study of government. But use a plural verb in reference to practices: Her ethics are beyond reproach, but his politics are contemptible.
Location 6842
possessives. Ordinarily form a possessive by adding ’s to a singular noun (the boy’s boots; the girl’s coat), even if the noun already ends in an s (The Times’s article). If the word ends in two sibilant sounds (ch, j, s, sh, x or z) separated only by a vowel sound, drop the s after the apostrophe (Kansas’ climate; Texas’ population). But keep the s after the apostrophe when a name ends in a silent sibilant letter (Arkansas’s; Malraux’s). Omit the s after the apostrophe in certain common expressions that consist of a possessive followed by a word starting with s (for appearance’ sake; for goodness’ sake) and when a singular idea is expressed in words that are technically plural (General Motors’ trucks; the United States’ laws). By custom, the possessive of an ancient classical name also omits the final s (Achilles’ heel; Euripides’ dramas). For most plural words, the possessive form is s’ (girls’ coats; boys’ boots). But for a plural word that does not end in s (women; children), the possessive is formed by adding ’s (women’s; children’s). And when a plural is formed with es (on a proper name and a common noun equally), the apostrophe follows that ending: the Joneses’ house; the buses’ routes; the Mercedeses’ doors. Proper names that are possessive in form often omit the apostrophe (Doctors Hospital; Teachers College); the owners’ preferences can often be checked on websites. But if the basic word is an irregular plural, keep the apostrophe when forming a possessive (Children’s Court; Ladies’ Home Journal). A “double possessive” occurs when ownership is shown twice — first by of and then by ’s or the equivalent: a friend of hers; a student of Mr. Dann’s. While sometimes unnecessary, the construction is proper. Note, for example, the difference between a picture of Matisse and a picture of Matisse’s.
Location 6918
premier. Normally use prime minister instead for the first minister of a national government. But use premier in the context of China and chancellor in the context of Germany and Austria. Also use premier for the heads of some nonsovereign governments, including those of the Canadian provinces, the Australian states, associated states in the Caribbean, etc.: Premier Tracy B. Kikondoo; Premier Kikondoo; the premier. And in a headline, Premier may substitute for Prime Minister.
Location 6923
premier, premiere. Premier means first in rank or importance, or earliest. Premiere means first performance or showing.
Location 6935
president. It is President Lamm (without a given name) in a first reference to the current president of the United States. In later references: President Lamm; the president; Mr. (or Ms., Miss or Mrs.) Lamm. In first references to presidents of other countries, use given names and ordinarily middle initials. For other presidents — of companies, associations, clubs, universities and organizations — lowercase the title and separate it from the name (before or after) with a comma.
Location 6955
Prime Minister Robin E. Cordeiro; Prime Minister Cordeiro; the prime minister. Normally use this title instead of premier for the first minister of a national government. (Exceptions: Use premier in the context of China and chancellor in the context of Germany and Austria.) Also use prime minister if the first minister is formally called something like chairman of the Council of Ministers. Accept premier for such an official if it occurs in an untranslated direct quotation or a text. It may also substitute for Prime Minister in a headline. Otherwise premier is the title to use for the heads of some nonsovereign governments, including those of the Canadian provinces.
Location 6961
Prince Ashley; the prince. Also capitalize with a territorial phrase: the Prince of Wales.
Location 6964
Princess Ashley; the princess. For a princess with a territorial title, or the wife of a prince with one, capitalize as a full name: the Princess of Wales; the princess.
Location 7040
publication names. Use them in roman type, without quotation marks. For consistency, capitalize the article in every magazine or journal name commonly written or spoken with an article: The Atlantic; The Nation; The New Republic; The New Yorker; L’Express; Der Spiegel; The Journal of the American Medical Association (but: Politico; Forbes; Fortune; National Review; New York; Time; Reader’s Digest; Stern; Vanity Fair). Also capitalize in later references: The Journal. But lowercase the when a periodical’s name serves as a modifier: the New Republic article; the Journal editorial; the New Yorker writer. (In such a case, the actually attaches to the following noun — writer, for example.) Append the word magazine, lowercased, if it is needed for clarity or euphony, in reference to either print or digital editions: Time magazine; New York magazine. But: Harper’s Magazine. Use roman type and quotation marks for periodical article names and capitalize the principal words: “10 Days to a Healthier Diet.”
Location 7116
Queen Elizabeth or Queen Elizabeth II. Also, the queen and sometimes Elizabeth. Capitalize Her Majesty, but use it only in direct quotations or for special effect.
Location 7310
reference works. Capitalize the principal words in titles of almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias and similar reference works, without quotation marks.
Location 7332
reign, rein. Reign (n. and v.) refers to a monarch’s exercise of power. Rein (also n. and v.) refers to a horse’s bridle strap and, figuratively, to anything that restrains free movement.
Location 7680
seasons. Do not capitalize spring, summer, autumn, fall or winter.
Location 7718
semiannual, semiyearly. These words mean twice a year, as does biannual. Biennial means every two years. For comprehension, avoid the prefix forms when possible and use twice a year.
Location 7815
1700s, 18th century. In almost all contexts, use numerals for centuries after the ninth. Also: mid-1800s; mid-19th century. When
Location 7987
songs. Use quotation marks with the titles of songs, popular or classical, including national anthems.
Location 8062
spelling. Words listed in this manual without explanation should be spelled and capitalized or lowercased as shown. For words not listed, spelling is governed by the latest edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary (John Wiley & Sons). If that dictionary shows more than one spelling of a word, use the one that is given with a full definition. If a word appears neither in this manual nor in the New World, consult the latest printing of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (G.&C. Merriam Company), but only for spelling, not for usage. This manual is also the first authority for the spelling of place names. Different reference sources — one group for foreign names and one for domestic — govern place names not shown here.
Location 8118
stage names. Generally use only letters of the alphabet in rendering performers’ names, and use conventional capitalization. Fanciful use of punctuation marks, dollar signs or other characters is distracting and may look like an error.
Location 8662
time. Use numerals in giving clock time: 10:30 a.m.; 10:30. Do not use half-past 10 except in a direct quotation. Also avoid the redundant 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning and Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. Midnight refers to the end of one day, not the beginning of the next. References to midnight should elaborate on which day is meant: The strike deadline is midnight Tuesday, and labor talks are expected to continue late into the evening on Tuesday. Avoid 12 a.m. and 12 p.m.,
Location 8666
which are confusing. Use noon and midnight instead.
Location 8856
T-shirt.
Location 8867
TV for television.
Location 8869
tweet (n.,v.), lowercase, referring to a message or other content on Twitter.
Location 8914
U.N. for the United Nations,
Location 8929
Unesco for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Location 8972
United States
Location 8989
units of measure are usually lowercase if metric, even if named after a person: watts, volts, kelvin and ohms. But: degrees Celsius (note that Fahrenheit is also capitalized). Prefixes such as milli-, kilo- and mega- can be added: milliwatt (one thousandth of a watt), megaohm (one million ohms), kilojoule (1,000 joules).
Location 9064
venue. When possible, use a more specific term: club, theater, arena, stadium. Venues is acceptable as a plural in reference to different types of settings: None of the Olympic venues were ready. Venue is appropriate in the legal expression change of venue
Location 9209
web, the. This form (lowercase) is acceptable in all references to the World Wide Web.
Location 9213
website, lowercase, one word. It may often be shortened to site or replaced with a more precise term: blog, gallery, page
Location 9419
years, decades, centuries. Use numerals for specific years (1492; 1995; mid-1997) and decades and centuries (the 1990s; the 1800s; the mid-1700s). Use an apostrophe when reducing a year or decade to two digits: the class of ’93; the ’60s (but drop the apostrophe in mid-60s). First references in articles should usually give all four digits (1990; the 1980s), but the shorter forms (’90 or ’90s or mid-90s) are acceptable in later references and in headlines. Nicknames of decades should be spelled out and capitalized: the Gay Nineties; the Roaring Twenties. Give spans of years this way: 1861-65; 1880-95; 1895-1900; 1903-4 (not 1903-04). Spell out and lowercase the numbers of centuries from first through ninth: the first century; the eighth century. Use numerals from 10th on: the 12th century; the 19th century. Hyphenate the modifier form: eighth-century ruins; 17th-century house. If, rarely, a year or a decade must begin a sentence, spell and capitalize the numbers: Nineteen sixty-seven was not his lucky year; Nineteen-eighties answers are no longer valid. More often, in such a case, the sentence can be rephrased: The answers of the 1960s … or The year 1967 was not … Omit commas when a year is used with a month alone: the January 1995 issue of Gristle, the magazine of meat cutting. But punctuation is essential before and after the year when it follows a specific date: the March 5, 1994, proclamation.
Location 9450
Yugoslavia. Use only in historical references. The final incarnation of Yugoslavia, comprising the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, was dissolved when Montenegro declared its independence in 2006. The other republics that had formed the Yugoslav federation became independent nations in the 1990s: Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992); Croatia (1991); Macedonia (1992, generally recognized in 1995); and Slovenia (1991).