[12.] Authors are the Supreme Authority. There is no doubt that every author has the right to dictate what shall be the typographical form of his work, but no self-respecting publisher’s imprint or hall-mark ever appears on the pages of slovenly work. Even the author who demands his own way should be shown his inconsistencies and slacknesses, if they exist. The productions of some authors, who insist that copy be followed by the printer, betray lack of system before the work has reached the end of a galley; but if a writer urges that his faults be put in type his orders should be followed. Instructions are often obeyed, greatly to the amusement of everybody in the office, including the battery boy and the devil.
ABBREVIATIONS IN GENERAL.
[13.] Anno Domini should be printed with small capitals when abbreviated as A. D.
[14.] Apostrophes for Plural of Letters Wrong. De Vinne aptly says on page 285 of Correct Composition that the apostrophe is not proper to express plurality. Its use in print for this purpose is the repetition of an indefensible colloquialism, even though the dictionaries record the form. Letters should be spelled as follows; aes, bees, cees, dees, ees, efs, gees, aitches, ies, jays, kays, els, ems, ens, oes, pees, ques, ars, esses, tees, ues, vees, ws or dubleyuz, exes, wyes, zees. With the exception of esses this is the form given by the Standard Dictionary.
[15.] Apostrophe to be Omitted. Mida’s Criterion and Dean’s Landing need the apostrophe as a sign of possession, but when referred to as Midas and Deans, the apostrophe is useless, and should be omitted. Harper’s Ferry, but only Harpers when used in the curtailed form for the Ferry, meaning Harper’s Ferry. See De Vinne’s Correct Composition, page 284. Consult paragraph [68] of this book.
[16.] Apostrophe in Possessives. Do not omit the apostrophe in such names as James’s, Banks’s, and Williams’s in possessive use. It is a slovenly newspaper custom to omit apostrophes, except when the sound of a second ess makes a disagreeable hissing. Whenever the second ess is distinctly pronounced it should be inserted after the apostrophe. De Vinne, Teall, Bain, Alford, Moon, and others are firm in demanding the ess and the apostrophe whenever the sound of the second ess is given in speech. Bain says: “We say St. James’s and St. Giles’s, Burns’s, and Douglas’s.” This is also the style of such magazines as the Century. See paragraphs [15] and [68].
[17.] Arabic Numbers. Books should be disfigured as little as possible by arabic numerals in the text. Numbers thus set are always dry and forbidding in appearance. See paragraphs [19], [24], and [Words], under paragraph 27, division (16).
[18.] A. M., etc. Capital and small capital letters are not needed in abbreviating time, as a. m. and p. m. for ante meridiem and post meridiem. It is best to spell out six o’clock, etc. A. M. means master of arts and anno mundi. P. M. means postmaster. If time is meant, confusion sometimes arises. De Vinne uses the period, and says the colon is an ignorant substitution in this sense: 2.30 p. m. and 1.45 a. m., not 2:30, or 1:45. See De Vinne’s Correct Composition, page 82.
[19.] Ages of Persons. Spell out the ages of persons. John Jones is not aged twenty-one years. He is twenty-one years of age, or twenty-one years old—not an aged person. The last use of aged is proper.
[20.] Books. See paragraphs [36], [52]; also see division [twelve] under paragraph 27.