TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

A small box representing a space is denoted by the ▢ symbol.

Some minor changes are noted at [the end of the book].

MANUAL OF STYLE
GOVERNING
COMPOSITION AND PROOF READING
IN THE
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1894.

[CONTENTS.]

[PREFACE.]

Clear and positive rules for composition and proof reading are needed in printing offices to prevent confusion and unnecessary delay and expense. Inflexible rules for style in all works can not be given, but for the general work of the Government Printing Office the rules herein contained will be observed. When important changes are to be made, written or printed instructions will be furnished or there will be a special preparation of copy.

All persons connected with the typographical divisions of this office are requested to preserve this book and study carefully and well the rules and suggestions offered for their guidance.

Department editors are requested to make their copy conform as nearly as possible to the style here presented, and to specify fully when sending work to this office any general deviation therefrom that may be desired.

[SUGGESTIONS TO AUTHORS.]

Authors are advised to so prepare their copy that it can be clearly understood by the printer. Nothing should be left for conjecture. Measurable perfection can be secured by first transcribing copy on the typewriter, and before releasing it for publication giving it as careful revision as is afterwards given proof sheets. In the end this will not only save time, but Department printing funds frequently exhausted in making author’s corrections in proof will be available for other work. Typewritten copy is always preferable, when not on paper too thin, but plain copy is absolutely essential to good work.

The following are offered as suggestions which, if heeded, will enable this office to achieve the best results:

1. All paragraphs should be clearly marked on copy, thus avoiding vexatious misprints due to overrunning in proof.

2. Objects, photographs, or drawings for illustration should accompany manuscript. Each should bear the name of the publication to which it belongs, together with the figure or plate number, and necessary titles or legends for the same should be inserted at the proper place in copy. A complete list of plates and figures should always accompany the paper.

3. When a work is made up of several parts, or papers, a carefully prepared schedule of the desired arrangement should be forwarded with the manuscript.

4. Proper names and technical terms should be plainly and carefully written, using CAPITAL letters if necessary, and each should be verified before the copy is sent to the printer.

5. Details of capitalization and punctuation may be safely left to the printers and proof readers. It is part of their profession; they make a study of the subject, and will generally meet the author’s taste.

6. Write only on one side of the paper. When printed matter covering more than one side of a sheet is used as copy, a DUPLICATE should be furnished; otherwise much trouble is caused in cutting.

7. When, as an afterthought, new matter making more than a line is inserted, it should be written on a separate sheet and the place for its insertion clearly indicated.

8. Galley proofs will be furnished when desired. It is important that all corrections be made on the first proofs; later ones should be used only for purposes of verification.

9. Corrections in stereotype or electrotype plates usually do more harm than good. They weaken the plate and render new errors probable through damaged letters.

10. Authors and compilers are requested to direct those handling their manuscript to transmit the same to the Printing Office in flat form—never to roll it if it can be avoided.

RULES GOVERNING WORK IN THE DOCUMENT DIVISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

(Adopted December 3, 1894.)

[ORTHOGRAPHY.]

1. Follow Webster’s International Dictionary.

2. Observe the spelling of the following words:

Arapahoe

Arapahoes

Navajo

Navajoes

upward

downward

backward

forward

toward

aftward

afterwards

draft, drafting, etc.

manila (city and product)

canyon

embed

waterway

employee

missfire

farther (distance)

further (other than distance)

3. Use the following forms of words:

O. K.

taggers tin

feet, B. M.

Anderson & Co.’s invoice

5 by (not x) 10 inches

by day (not day’s) labor

State (not State’s) prison

quartermaster stores

one-fourth (where ¼ is marked “spell” in copy)

Jones’s (possessive)

can not

waterworks

waterway

cattleman

4. Omit the dieresis in such words as reexamine, cooperation, preemption, zoology.

5. The following is a list of words in common use in which accented letters occur. Follow it, except in works of the United States Geological Survey and United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, in which no accented letters are permissible:

attaché

bête noir

blasé

Champs Élysées

chargé d’affaires

confrère

coup d’état

coup de grâce

débris

élite

en arriére

en échelon

en déshabille

en règle

entrée

entrepôt

eozoon

exposé

façade

fête champêtre

garçon

matériel (Fr.)

mêlée

née

papier mâché

procés verbal

protégé

régime

résumé

rôle

rôle d’équipage

[GEOGRAPHIC NAMES.]

1. In the spelling of geographic names give preference as follows: Decisions of the United States Board on Geographic Names, United States Postal Guide, Lippincott’s Gazetteer, and Rand, McNally & Co.’s Atlas, in the order named.

2. The following are the general rules governing the decisions of the Board on Geographic Names:

The possessive apostrophe is dropped.

The final “h” is dropped from names ending in “burgh”: Pittsburg, not Pittsburgh.

Names ending in “borough” are contracted to “boro”: Boonsboro, not Boonsborough.

Names are not compounded: Alluwe, not Al-lu-we; Hongkong, not Hong-Kong.

“C. H.” is omitted as part of the names of county seats: Fairfax, not Fairfax C. H.

Spell Center, not Centre.

Accented letters are not used, except in rare instances, as Curaçao; Réunion; St. François.

[ABBREVIATIONS.]

1. Follow Postal-Guide contractions for States and Territories (except Oregon, for which use Oreg.) after names of forts, barracks, arsenals, navy-yards, naval stations, post-offices, counties, military or Indian reservations, and Indian agencies. Note the following examples:

Fort Barrancas, Fla.

Vancouver Barracks, Wash.

Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.

League Island Navy-Yard, Pa.

Key West Naval Station, Fla.

Albany, N. Y.

Hudson County, N. J.

Pyramid Lake Reservation, Nev.

Pine Ridge Agency, S. Dak.

Springfield Armory, Mass.

Fort Myer Military Reservation, Va.

POSTAL-GUIDE CONTRACTIONS.

2. Titles of courtesy and professional titles preceding names will be contracted or spelled according to the following list:

Mr.

Messrs.

Mrs.

Dr.

Professor
(with surname)

Prof.
(with Christian name)

Rev. (the Reverend)

Right Rev.

Very Rev.

Hon. (the Honorable)

Right Hon.

* M. (monsieur)

* MM. (messieurs)

* Mme. (madame)

* Mlle. (mademoiselle)

* Mgr. (monsignor)

* Sig. (signor)

* Signora

* Signorita

* Señor

* Señorita

* Señora

* Herr

Note.—When any of the titles marked with an asterisk, with or without the Christian name, precedes “de,” use lower-case “d;” otherwise use capital “D.” This rule applies also to “du,” “von,” “van,” etc.

3. Military and official titles preceding names will be spelled out in text when the Christian name or initial is not used, but in tabular work and where the Christian name or initial is used the annexed list will be the guide:

President

Governor

Supt.

Bvt. (brevet)

Army titles:

Gen.

Lieut. Gen.

Maj. Gen.

Brig. Gen.

Adjt. Gen.

Surg. Gen.

Judge-Advocate-Gen.

Insp. Gen.

Com. Gen.

Q. M. Gen.

P. M. Gen.

Col.

Lieut. Col.

Maj.

Surg.

Chaplain

Capt.

Asst. Surg.

First Lieut.

Second Lieut.

Sergt. Maj.

Hosp. Steward

Com. Sergt.

Q. M. Sergt.

Ord. (ordnance) Sergt.

Sergt.

First Sergt.

Second Sergt.

Orderly-Sergt.

Corpl.

Private

Musician

Navy titles:

Admiral

Vice-Admiral

Rear-Admiral

Commodore

Capt.

Commander

Lieut. Commander

Lieut.

Lieut. (Junior Grade)

Ensign

Surg.

P. A. Surg., etc.

Asst. Surg.

Chief Engineer

Chaplain

4. Distinguishing titles and college degrees, following names, will always be contracted, as jr., sr., esq.; Ph. D., LL. D.; U. S. A., U. S. N. (See also under “[Capitalization].”)

Note.—The contractions “U. S. A.” and “U. S. N.,” for United States Army and United States Navy will be used when so written. When written “U. S. Army” or “U. S. Navy,” spell in full, as—

John L. Worden, U. S. N.

R. W. Meade, United States Navy.

N. A. Miles, U. S. A.

G. G. Crook, United States Army.

5. In parenthetic references to books use “p.” and “pp.” for page and pages, and “sec.” and “secs.” for section and sections.

6. “St.” will be used for Saint, but Fort and Mount will not be abbreviated.

7. Use “etc.” instead of “&c.” Use the character “&” in firm names, but not in titles of companies having geographic or commercial words as part of the corporate name, nor in literary, scientific, artistic, or musical companionships. Examples:

Smith & Brown.

George W. Johnson & Co.

William Greene & Bro.

Wigton Bros. & Co.

Harlan & Hollingsworth Company.

Brown & Jones Mining and Milling Company.

Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company.

Washington and Norfolk Steamboat Company.

Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company.

Washington Flour and Feed Company.

Eastern and Western Transportation Company.

Gilbert and Sullivan.

Cuvier and Valenciennes.

Hay and Nicolay.

8. Comprehensive examples of the use of the word “Company” and its contraction “Co.” are given above. (See also “Contractions” under “[Tabular work].”)

9. Do not use abbreviation “U. S.” except in connection with naval and other vessels of the Government, as U. S. S. Kearsarge, U. S. gunboat Katahdin, U. S. monitor Miantonomoh, U. S. torpedo boat Ericsson, U. S. light-house tender Maple, etc.; but the contraction may be used in signature and address lines where extreme length makes it desirable.

10. Set references to scriptural texts as follows: Genesis xv, 24; II Samuel viii, 9–13; St. Matthew vii, 5.

11. Streets of the District of Columbia: Fifth street NW.; Florida avenue NE.; Four-and-a-half street SW.

12. Where compass directions are contracted, use the forms NE., NNW., etc.

13. Use “F.” for Fahrenheit and “C.” for centigrade when temperatures are given.

14. Use “Pl.” and “Fig.” for plate and figure before roman numerals, as Pl. VI, Fig. XII; “pl.” and “fig.” before figures, as pl. 6, fig. 12.

15. Use “Rev. Stat.” for Revised Statutes, and “Stat. L.” for Statutes at Large, in citations.

16. Set abbreviations for section, township, range, etc., thus: SE. ¼ sec. 5, T. 9 N., R. 2 E.

17. Use “loc. cit.” for loco citato; “op. cit.” for opere citato; “sp. gr.” for specific gravity, and “sp. nov.” for species nova.

18. Where the metric system of weights and measures is used, follow copy, and where contractions occur use roman lower-case or superior letters, according to indicated preference, as “cm. or ^cm,” for centimeter; “mm. or ^mm,” for millimeter; “c. c. or ^cc,” for cubic centimeter.

19. After “per cent” and “viz” omit the period.

20. References to Congressional documents: House Ex. Doc. No. 6, Forty-seventh Congress, second session; Senate Mis. Doc. No. 10, Forty-sixth Congress, first session.

21. Use “v.” (versus) in all cases except “fol.” and “fol. lit.”

22. The symbol “^m/_n,” used in connection with South American financial statements, will be spelled “national money,” in parentheses, immediately following the amount, as $146 (national money); Rs. 146 (national money).

23. English money will be expressed by the use of the symbols “£” “s.” “d.” when amounts are given, as £227 14s. 6d.

(See also “Contractions” under “[Tabular work],” “[Supreme Court records],” and “[Court of Claims opinions, briefs, and decisions].”)

[CAPITALIZATION.]

1. Use caps for roman numerals designating pages, chapters, articles, or plates.

2. Use caps for college degrees, viz, D. D., Ph. D., LL. D., A. M., B. A., etc.

3. Use lower-case “r” in Sr. and Jr., and “sq.” in Esq. in addresses and signatures.

4. Capitalize, both singular and plural, “department,” “bureau,” “survey,” “corps,” and “service,” when referring to an Executive Department or important bureau, of the United States Government; “congress,” referring to the United States Congress; “house,” referring to the United States Senate or House of Representatives.

5. Capitalize, singular and plural, Senator, Representative, Delegate, and Member of the United States Congress and the principal officers of both Houses. Observe the following:

Architect of the Capitol

President

Secretary

Chaplain

Sergeant-at-Arms

Speaker

Clerk

Doorkeeper

6. Capitalize the legislative bodies, with their sections, of Governments:

Parliament

House of Lords

House of Commons

the Lords

the Commons

the Reichstag

Rigsdag

Reichsrath

National Assembly

Corps Législatif

Bundesrath

Skupshtina

Cortes

Legislature (Hawaii)

the Right

the Center

the Left

States-General (Holland)

7. The words “president,” “king,” “queen,” “czar,” “emperor,” etc., when used definitely and referring to rulers of countries, should be capitalized, as the President, the Emperor, the Emperor of China, the Chinese Emperor, etc.

8. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation. Example: Solomon says, “Pride goeth before destruction.” Do not capitalize such indirect quotations as “a wise man says that pride goeth before destruction.”

9. Capitalize the first word of such indirect quotations as the following, but do not quote: