Consistency of style is crucial. Following are some of the house style rules that Helium has adopted over time. While Helium generally follows AP Style, the information below will help to clarify rules and explain exceptions that apply to the site. Whenever in doubt, please reference the latest edition of the Associated Press Stylebook or the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

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WORD PRESENTATION

Check the list below to clarify common confusions, including tricky words, phrases, company names and products.

 A

ABCs

ActiveX

after- (Do not use a hyphen after this prefix when it is used to form a noun, for instance aftereffect or afterthought; do use a hyphen when it is used to form compound modifiers, for instance after-dinner drink)

African-American

all-terrain

Amber Alert

April Fools’ Day

ATM

AT&T Corp.

B

backward (not backwards)

backyard

Bank of America Corp.

barbecue (not barbeque or BBQ)

best-seller

bi- (in general, no hyphen)

bifocal

bigwig

bilateral

bilingual

bimonthly

bipolar

brand-new (adj)

break up (v), breakup (n and adj)

Broadway, off-Broadway

BlackBerry, BlackBerrys

C

car pool

CAT scan

cell phone

check up (v), checkup (n)

child care

Citibank

co- (use the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status, for instance co-author and co-chairman; do not use the hyphen in other combinations, such as coexist and coed)

the Commonwealth

co-worker

child care

courthouse

criterion, criteria

cure-all

D

database

daughter-in-law, daughters-in-law

daylight-saving time (not savings; note the hyphen)

daylong

dead end (n)

dead-end job (adj)

dietitian (not dietician)

DJ

dyeing (changing colors)

dying (death)

E

eBay

eerie (not eery)

Electoral College (but electoral votes)

email (no hyphen)

EU (European Union, no periods)

extracurricular

Exxon Mobile Corp.

F

father-in-law

fathers-in-law

fiancé (man)

fiancée (woman)

FedEx

follow-up (n and adj)

follow up (v)

forward (not forwards)

front page (n), front-page (adj)

full-time employee (adj), she works full time (adv)

fundraising (one word in all cases)

G

General Electric Co. (GE)

General Motors Corp. (GM)

getaway (n)

global warming (no caps)

godchild

grown-up (n and adj)

Gmail

Gulf Oil Corp.

H

hand-held

handmade

hangover

health care (two words)

hip-hop

home page (two words)

horsepower

hotspot

I

-in (precede with a hyphen)

in- (no hyphen when it means not, for instance inaccurate)

break-in

cave-in

inbound

in-depth

in-house

in-law

Internet (always cap “I”)

interoffice

inter-related

iPod

Ivy League

J

Jacuzzi

J.C. Penney Co. Inc.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jell-O

JetBlue Airways

J.P. Morgan Chase

K

kindergarten

Kmart

L

LexisNexis

life-size

lifestyle

likable (not likeable)

Little League, Little League Baseball

livable (liveable)

login, logon, logoff (n), log in (v)

Lockheed Martin Corp.

lowercase (one word)

M

Mafia

Medicaid

Medicare

memento (not momento)

monthlong

mother-in-law, mothers-in-law

Mother Nature

MP3

multimedia

multipurpose

MySpace

N

NASCAR

National Guard

newly renovated (usually no hyphen with –ly words)

nightlife

nighttime

nonprofit

O

oasis, oases

offline

offset

offshore

OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OKs (do not use okay)

old-time

old-school

one-sided

P

PayPal

PDA

Photoshop

policymaker

PowerPoint

Q

Q-and-A format

questionnaire

R

re- (the rules in prefixes apply)

re-elect

re-enlist

restaurateur (not restauranteur)

rock ‘n’ roll, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

role-play, role-player, role-playing

S

Santa Claus

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)

second-rate

self- (always hyphenate)

self-assured

self-defense

self-government

Sept. 11 (preferred term for 9 / 11)

7-Eleven

Shell Oil Co.

sizable (not sizeable)

Social Security

Southwest Airlines

startup

stepbrother, stepfather, stepsister

sub-genre

subpoena, subpoenaed, subpoenaing

summertime

Super Bowl

T

3-D

teen, teenager (n) teenage (adj) (No hyphen is a change in AP style. Do not use teen-aged.)

theater (not theatre)

Time Warner Inc.

TiVo

tornado, tornadoes

touch-screen

toward (not towards)

Toys “R” Us

transsexuals

TV

U

UFO, UFOs

UN (no periods)

US (no periods)

US Airways

user friendly

U-turn (n and adj)

V

VCR

V-8 (the engine)

video game

voice mail

Veterans Day

veto, vetoes (n), vetoed, vetoing (v)

vice versa

Vietnam (not Viet Nam)

VIP, VIPs

voodoo

W

Wal-Mart

war game, war-gaming 

weekend

weeklong

well-being

wheelchair

wildlife

wintertime

workday

workers’ compensation

work force

working class (n), working-class (adj)

workout

workplace

workweek

World Series

World War I

World War II

worldwide

X, Y, Z

X-ray

year-end (adj)

yearlong

YouTube

zero, zeros

ZIP code

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TECH TALK

Helium uses a combination of Wired and Associated Press styles when writing about the Internet. Because we are a web-based publishing company, we feel more comfortable embracing the less formal style of Wired as opposed to the conservative approach of the AP Stylebook.

SPELLING OF FREQUENTLY USED WEB / TECH TERMS
 
dial up (verb); dialup (adjective)

double-click (AP)

dot com

ebook (no hyphen

ebusiness (no hyphen)

ecommerce (no hyphen)

email (no hyphen)

ezine (an online magazine)

high-tech

Internet (always capitalize)

log off (verb); logoff (noun)

log on (verb) logon (noun)

multimedia (one word, no hyphen)

Net (cap "N," no apostrophe)

offline

online

website

webcam

webcast

web-based

webmaster

webonomics

webster

webzine

USEFUL DEFINITIONS

bcc - blind carbon copy
cc - carbon copy
CD - compact disc (plural CDs)
dpi - dots per inch
FAQ - frequently asked question
FPS - frames per second
FTP - file transfer protocol
GIF - graphic interchange format
GUI - graphical user interface (plural GUIs)
HTML - hypertext markup language
IP - Internet protocol
ISP - Internet service provider
JPEG - joint photographic experts group
LAN - local area network
OOP - object-oriented programming
RAM - random access memory
ROM - read-only memory
RSI - repetitive strain injury
TCP/IP - transmission control protocol/Internet protocol
TIFF - tagged image file format
URL - The address of a site on the web. Acceptable on all references.
WAN - wide area network

TECH MISCELLANEOUS

• We don’t “click on a link;” we “click a link”.

• A link is not a button; a button is not a link.

• Use the abbreviations PC and Mac for personal computer and Macintosh platforms.

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ABBREVIATIONS

Guidance on how to use a particular abbreviation or acronym is provided in the AP Stylebook. Entries are alphabetized according to the sequence of letters in the word or phrase. See also Word Presentation

PERIODS

*Exception to AP:

Rarely should you use periods in abbreviations. Use them only when it is necessary to prevent ambiguity. Thus, we have more examples of when not to use a period than when to use it.  

USE A PERIOD for abbreviations of a person's given names, that is, initials:

DO NOT USE A PERIOD in abbreviations of countries:

ACADEMIC DEGREES

Spell out and use the lowercase: bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctor's degree or doctorate. You can receive a doctorate or a doctor's degree; you cannot receive a doctoral degree. If you do abbreviate degrees, do not use periods: BA, MS, PhD, BFA and MFA.

HELIUM HEADLINES / TOPIC TITLES

For SEO purposes, include the full form followed by the acronym in parentheses. Unless, of course, an abbreviation or acronym is so familiar that it is used more often than the full form: BBC, YMCA, CIA, FBI, HIV, NATO.

Remember that EFTA is the European Free-Trade Association, the FAO is the Food and Agriculture Organization, the FDA is the Food and Drug Administration. Remember, too, that the V of HIV stands for virus, so do not write HIV virus.

STATE ABBREVIATIONS

 *Exception to AP

Do not abbreviate. Write out the entire state name. If you must abbreviate, use the two-letter postal code: MA, CA.

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PUNCTUATION PRIMER

SPACING AT END OF SENTENCES

Use a single space at the end of a sentence and after a colon. Double spaces date back to the days of typewriters, when all characters were allotted the same amount of space. Computerized typesetting adjusts the spacing for a good fit. Extra spaces create gaps and look unprofessional.

APOSTROPHES

PLURAL NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S:

Add ‘s: the alumni’s contributions, women’s rights.

PLURAL NOUNS ENDING IN S:

Add only an apostrophe: the churches’ needs, the girls’ toys, the horses’ food, the ships’ wake, states’ rights, the VIPs’ entrance.

NOUNS PLURAL IN FORM, SINGULAR IN MEANING:

Add only an apostrophe: mathematics’ rules, measles’ effects. Apply the same principle when a plural word occurs in the formal name of a singular entity: General Motors’ profits.

*Although singular in other respects, the United States, the United Nations, the Philippines, etc, have a plural possessive apostrophe.

SINGULAR NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S:

Add ‘s: the church’s needs, the girl’s toys, the horse’s food, the ship’s route, the VIP’s seat.

SINGULAR COMMON NOUNS ENDING IN S:

Add ‘s unless the next word begins with s: the hostess’s invitation, the hostess’ seat, the witness’s answer, the witness’ story.

SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S:

Use only an apostrophe: Achilles’ heel, Agnes’ book, Ceres’ rites, Descartes’ theories, Dickens’ novels, Euripides’ dramas, Jesus’ life, Kansas’ schools, Moses’ law, Socrates’ life.

PRONOUNS:

Personal interrogative and relative pronouns have separate forms for the possessive. None contain an apostrophe: mine, ours, your, yours, his, hers, its, their, whose.

COMPOUND WORDS:

Add an apostrophe or ‘s to the word closest to the object possessed: the major general’s decision, the major generals’ decisions, the attorney general’s request, the attorneys general’s request. Also: anyone else’s attitude, John Adams Jr.’s father.

JOINT POSSESSIVE, INDIVIDUAL POSSESSION:

Use a possessive form after only the last word if ownership is joint: Beth and Jim’s taxonomy project. Use a possessive form after both words if the objects are individually owned: Beth’s and Jim’s computers.

DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES:

Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a teachers college, a writers guide. An ‘s is required however, when a term involves a plural word that does not end in s: a children’s hospital, a people’s republic.   

DECADES: Do not put apostrophes into decades.

COLONS

The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc. We use colons regularly in topic titles. See Helium Headlines / Topic Titles (page 10).

COMMAS AND QUOTATIONS

We do not use the serial comma: not here, not there and not anywhere. Use a comma only if the last item is a compound idea that requires "and" as part of the item.

Do not use a comma before "Jr." or "Sr." after a person's name: John Smith Jr.

Use a comma to introduce a complete, one-sentence quotation within a paragraph. A colon should be used to introduce longer quotations.

Do not use a comma at the start of a partial or indirect quotation.

Omit the comma before "of" in writing a person's name and address.

Watch for missing commas. If you're using an interruptive clause with a comma at the end, you'd better check and insert the comma at the beginning.

COMPANY NAMES

Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses either word at the end of its proper name. If "company" or "companies" appears alone in the second reference, spell the word out. Do use periods here where the company uses periods. Follow their lead. For possessives: Ford Motor Co.'s profits. Never use a comma before Inc. or Ltd.

DOUBLE QUOTES

Use double quotes in titles:

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CAPITALIZATION

In general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Use a capital only if you can justify it by one of the principles here. Entries in Word Presentation (page 3) that are capitalized without further comment should be capitalized in all uses. Some basic principles:

PROPER NOUNS

Capitalize nouns that constitute the unique identification for a specific person, place or thing: Jon, Boston, England.

PROPER NAMES

Capitalize common nouns such as party, river, street and west when they are an integral part of the full name for a person, place or thing. However, lowercase the common noun elements of names in all plural uses:

Do not capitalize “global warming.”

COMPOSITIONS

Capitalize the principal words in the names of books, movies, plays, poems, operas, songs, radio and television programs, works of art, etc.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

Capitalize the names of departments, divisions and offices. Use lowercase for the words "department," "division" or "office" when they stand alone. Capitalize the field when it's used to mean the department, division or office specifically. Do not capitalize the field when it's used in general.

AM / PM

Use lowercase and do not use periods for “am” and “pm”

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees should be capitalized only when referring to Helium’s board, but "board" by itself is not capitalized, nor is "trustees."

BUILDINGS

All proper names of buildings, such as the Taj Mahal, should be capitalized. Special building projects, such as The Big Dig, should be capitalized.

REGIONS

Use lowercase for general sections of the city, but capitalize widely recognized names for city regions:

COMMITTEES

Capitalize the formal names of groups and committees, such as President's Student Advisory Council. Use lowercase for the words "committee" or "council" when they stand alone.

DERIVATIVES

Capitalize words that are derived from a proper noun and still depend on it for their meaning: American, Christian, Christianity, Marxism, Shakespearean.

DISEASES

Do not capitalize arthritis, emphysema, leukemia, etc. When a disease is known by the name of a person identified with it, capitalize only the individual’s name: Bright’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.

EVENTS

Capitalize historical, quasi-historical, political, economic, and cultural events or plans: Battle of the Books, Boston Tea Party, Great Depression, the Holocaust.

HELIUM HEADLINES / TOPIC TITLES

Helium uses AP style in headlines – first word capped. We also systematically capitalize the first letter after a colon. 

HYPHENATED WORDS IN TITLES

As a general rule of thumb, always capitalize the first unit, but only capitalize the second unit if it (A) is a noun or an adjective, or (B) has equal balance with the first unit.

Examples:

Twentieth-Century poets in South America
City-States in 19th century Europe
Non-Christian religions in North America

The second unit should be in lowercase if (A) it is a participle modifying the first unit, or (B) if both units together constitute a single word.

Examples:

English-speaking people throughout Asia
Re-establishing a youthful outlook

GOVERNMENT

• Use lowercase when the word "federal" is an adjective.: federal court, the federal government.

Example:

federal court
the federal government

RACE

• Capitalize names of races (African-American, Caucasian, Asian, Native American), but do not capitalize "black" or "white" when referring to race. See also Sensitivities.

SEASONS

• Capitalize only when used in a title or as part of a formal name; use lowercase when these words stand alone.

 Example:

Spring Fling
things to do in Paris this spring

TAXONOMY CHANNEL NAMES

• Capitalize words in channel names:

Example:

Consumer Electronics
Vets & Pet Health

• Use “&” instead of “and”.

Example:

Marriage & Divorce
Behavior & Discipline

• Lowercase itty-bitty words (though these should be used minimally).

Examples:

Investing in Health
Problems with Rodents

• Both units in hyphenated words are always capitalized in taxonomy channel names (exception to the helium headlines / topic titles).

 Examples:

Anti-Aging
Acquaintances & Co-Workers

• Use spaces between slashes in titles and headlines.

Example:

Male / Female Communication Styles

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SENSITIVITIES

ETHNIC SENSITIVITIES

• African-American/black: It's acceptable to use these interchangeably to describe black people in the United States.

• American Indian/Native American: These two terms are synonymous. Some indigenous people in the US prefer "American Indian" to "Native American." When possible, use national affiliation rather than the generic "American Indian" or "Native American," for example, Navajo, Hopi, Cherokee. To specify someone was born in the US but is not Native American, use the term "native-born".

• Asians, Asian American: Use Asian when referring to anyone from Asia, but use Asian American when specifically referring to those of Asian ancestry who are American citizens.

GENDER SENSITIVITIES

• Avoid using gender-specific terms; use plural pronouns ("they," "their") and avoid the awkward but gender-sensitive construction "he/she" or "his/her."

 SEXUAL ORIENTATION

• "Gay" is acceptable and preferable as a synonym for homosexuals, primarily males.

• "Lesbian" is preferred for women. When possible, use "gay and lesbian." It's best to use "gay" as an adjective, not a noun, for example, "gay man," "gay people." Where space is an issue, "gay" is acceptable to include both gays and lesbians.

• Gay lifestyle: Avoid this term. There is no one gay lifestyle, just as there's no one heterosexual lifestyle.

• Gay relationships: Gay, lesbian and bisexual people use various terms to describe their commitments. "Partner" is generally acceptable.

•  Homosexual: This is the medical/clinical term for lesbians and gays. "Gay" or "lesbian" is the preferred term in all contexts, except clinical.

DISABLED PEOPLE

• The Disabled Rights Commission use the following terms to describe disability: disabled people, disabled person, wheelchair user, learning disability, visually impaired, hearing impaired or a person who is hearing and speech-impaired. Do not use “the disabled” or any negative words.

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FIGURES

 NUMBERS

• Generally, the numbers one through nine should be spelled out. Use numerals for all numbers 10 and above. Exceptions are noted below.

Example:

nine books
16 paintings
four miles
Barbara teaches sixth grade.

• Use figures for ages, percentages, equipment specifications, page numbers and sums of money (when using the symbol, "$").

Examples:

She has a daughter, 2, and a son, 8.
8 megabytes, 240 RAM
According to the chart on page 4, nearly half of the elementary-age children in Pittsburgh receive a $5 allowance.

DATES

• Months should always be capitalized, for example "January, February and March are winter months."

• When months are accompanied by a specific date, Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Nov. and Dec. should be abbreviated.

Examples:

Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month.
His birthday is May 8.
Feb. 14, 1987, was the target date.

• When months are not accompanied by a specific date or are used with only a year, they should be spelled out.

Example:

January 1972 was a cold month.

• When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate with commas.

Example:

The company will close in June 2012.

• When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas.

Example:

She testified that it was Friday, Dec. 3, when the accident occurred.

• Do not use the word “on” before a date or day of the week when its absence would not lead to confusion.

Examples:

The meeting will be held Monday.
He will be inaugurated Feb. 22.

• Use an “s” without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries, for example the 1890s or the 1800s.
• Years are the only exception to the general rule that a figure is not used to start a sentence, for example "1970 was a good year."

• To describe sequences of dates or inclusive dates, use a hyphen instead of the word “to” or “through.” There should be no spaces around the hyphen.
  

Examples:

Helium is open Monday-Friday.
The Cranky Geeks show will run April 5-12.

• Do not use suffixes with dates, for instance "Oct. 14", not "Oct 14th".
• Use an "s" without an apostrophe after the year to indicate spans of decades or centuries, a plural. Use an apostrophe before the year for class years or abbreviations to indicate the "20" is omitted. Any reference to the decades or classes from the 1900s needs to use the "19."

Examples:

The university was formed in the 1960s.
She belonged to the Class of 1924.
Shannon will graduate with the Class of '03.

• An apostrophe after the year is needed for possessives.

Example:

The presidential election was 1980's biggest news story.

AGES

• Always use figures for people and animals (but not for inanimates).

Examples:

The girl is 15 years old.
The law is eight years old.

• Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as a substitute for a noun.

Examples:

A 5-year-old boy
The boy is 5 years old.
The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.
The toy is for 3-year-olds.
The woman is in her 20s.
Gift ideas for guys 21-26
Gift ideas for women 66+

MONEY

• For amounts less than $1 million, use the dollar sign and numbers, and do not use a decimal and two zeros.

Examples:

The best places to travel on a $500 budget
$50-$200 gift ideas for girls
I got a $500 bill from the dentist.
How could you spend $2000 on groceries?

• Spell out the word cents in lowercase, using numerals for amounts less than a dollar.

Examples:

5 cents
12 cents

• Use the $ sign and a decimal for amounts greater than a dollar.
  

Examples:

$1.01
$2.50

• Spell out the word dollar in lowercase in casual references or amounts without a figure, but use figures and the $ sign in all other uses.

Examples:

Dad, can I please have a dollar?
The book costs $4.

• For specified amounts of more than $1 million, use the $ and numerals up to two decimal places. (Do not link the numerals and the word million (or billion, or trillion, etc.) by a hyphen

Examples:

It is worth $4.35 million.
It is worth exactly $4,351,242.
He proposed a $300 billion budget.
 

PERCENTAGES

• Always use numerals (including the numbers 1-9) and spell out the word "percent" in text. "Percent" takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an "of" construction. Use a plural verb when a plural word follows an "of" construction.

Examples:

Only 8 percent of the class voted.
He believes 50 percent is enough.
He believes 60 percent of the membership is coming.
She believes 60 percent of the members are coming.

RATIOS

• Use figures and hyphens. Always use the word ratio or a phrase such as a 2-1 majority to avoid confusion with actual figures.

 Examples:

The ratio was 2-to-1.
A ratio of 2-to-1
A 2-1 ratio

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USAGE

AFFECT and EFFECT: Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings. Affect, as a noun is best avoided. It occasionally is used in psychology to describe an emotion, but there is no need for it in everyday language. Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company. Effect, as a noun, means resulting: The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the effect of his actions. It was a law of little effect.

AGGRESSION is an unattractive quality, so do not call a keen salesman an aggressive one (unless his foot is in the door or beyond).

AGREE: Things are agreed on, to or about, not just agreed.

AGGRAVATE means make worse, not irritate or annoy.

ALTERNATIVE: Strictly, this is one of two, not one of three, four, five or more (which may be options).

AMONG / BETWEEN: The maxim that between introduces two items and among introduces more than two covers most questions about how to use these words: The funds were divided among Ford, Carter and McCarthy. However, between is the correct word when expressing the relationships of three or more items considered one pair at a time: Negotiations on a debate format are under way between the network and the Ford, Carter and McCarthy committees.

ANARCHY means the complete absence of law or government. It may be harmonious or chaotic.

ANTICHRIST and ANTI-CHRIST: Antichrist is the proper name for the individual the Bible says will challenge Christ. The adjective anti-Christ would be applied to someone or something opposed to Christ.

ANTICIPATE and EXPECT: Anticipate means to expect and prepare for something; expect does not include the notion of preparation: They expect a record crowd. They have anticipated it by adding more seats to the auditorium.

ANYBODY, ANY BODY, ANYONE, ANY ONE: One word for an indefinite reference: Anyone can do that. Two words when the emphasis is on singling out one element of a group: Any one of them may speak up.

BEING: Not appropriate after regard … as. Bad: He is regarded as being the best dancer in the club. Good: He is regarded as the best dancer in the club.

BOTH ... AND: A preposition placed after both should be repeated after and. Thus, both to right and to left; but to both right and left is all right.

CIRCUMSTANCES stand around a thing, so it is in, not under, them.

COMPARE: A is compared with B when you draw attention to the difference. A is compared to B only when you want to stress their similarity. (“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”)

COMPRISE means is composed of.

CONTINUOUS describes something uninterrupted. CONTINUAL admits of a break. If your neighbors play loud music every night, it is a continual nuisance; it is not a continuous one unless the music is never turned off.

CONVINCE: Don't convince people to do something. In that context the word you want is persuade. The prime minister was persuaded to call a June election; he was convinced of the wisdom of doing so only after he had won.

CRISIS: This is a decisive event or turning-point. Many of the economic and political troubles wrongly described as crises are really persistent difficulties, sagas or affairs.

CURRENTLY: In the sense of now with a verb in the present tense, currently is usually redundant; emphasis is better achieved through a more precise reference to time. Bad: We are currently reviewing your application. Good: We are at this moment reviewing your application.

CYNIC and SKEPTIC: A skeptic is a doubter. A cynic is a disbeliever.

DEMOGRAPHICS and DEMOGRAPHY: These have different meanings and should be used accordingly.

DIFFERENT from, not to or than.

EFFECT: As a noun, means “result”; as a verb, means “to bring about,” “to accomplish” (not to be confused with affect which means “to influence”).

Eg: For example

ie: That is to say

Etc: Etcetera: and other similar things.

EMIGRATE is to leave a country; IMMIGRATE is to arrive in one.

FREE is an adjective or an adverb, so you cannot have or do anything for free. Either you have it free or you have it for nothing.

GENDER is a word to be applied to grammar, not people. If someone is female, that is her sex, not her gender.

GET: an adaptable verb, but it has its limits. A man does not get sacked or promoted, he is sacked or promoted.

HOPEFULLY: This once-useful adverb meaning “with hope” has been distorted and is now widely used to mean “I hope” or “it is to be hoped.” To say, hopefully I’ll leave on the early plane” is silly. Do you mean you’ll leave on the early plane with a hopeful frame of mind? No. You mean you hope you’ll leave on the early plane.

IN REGARD TO, not in regards to. But as regards is correct, and means the same thing.

REGARDLESS, not irregardless. The error results from failure to see the negative in –less.

LIKE: Not to be used for the conjunction as. Like governs nouns and pronouns; before phrases and clauses the equivalent is as. Bad: We spent the evening like in the old days. Good: We spent the evening as in the old days.

NOR: Often used wrongly for or after negative expressions. Bad: He cannot eat nor sleep. Good: He cannot eat or sleep. He can neither eat nor sleep. He cannot eat nor can he sleep.

NOTORIOUS: A bad thing! About 500 years ago it meant "famous" — adapted from the Latin term notoria, which stood for "notice" or "news." But by 1579 the word was used in a much more specific and negative way, to label someone or something as "well known for being bad."

PENULTIMATE: The second to last thing, not the last thing.

POPULACE: This is a term for the common people, not a synonym for the population.

PROPAGANDA (which is singular) means a systematic effort to spread doctrine or opinions. It is not a synonym for lies.

PROTAGONIST means the chief actor or combatant. If you are referring to several people, they cannot all be protagonists.

REPORT on, not into.

STATIONARY: Still. STATIONERY: Writing paper and so on.

TIMES: Three times more than X means four times as much as X.

WHICH and THAT: Which informs, that defines. This is the house that Jack built. But this house, which Jack built, is now falling down.

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CHANNEL SPECIFIC STYLE

AUTOS

Car reviews Car review titles should mention the year, make and model of the car. Unless the review is about a specific antique car, we should always seed reviews for the current year, for example:

Car reviews: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg

Otherwise, choosing another year would be too arbitrary and seeding titles for all the years seems unrealistic. If users would like to review cars for years that are not seeded, they are very welcome to submit a new title through topic admin.

CREATIVE WRITING

Titles must begin with a writing genre. Helium's writing genres include drama, essays, humor, memoirs, novel excerpts, poetry, reflections, satire, short stories and songs. Titles should be formatted as "[Genre]: [Title of piece]", for instance:

Poetry: Losing love
Short stories: Paranormal

ENTERTAINMENT

• Movie reviews Titles should be formatted as "Movie reviews: [Movie name] ([date if there is more than one movie with this name]), for example:

Movie reviews: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Movie reviews: Trainspotting
Movie reviews: The Wickerman (2005)

• TV show reviews  Titles should be formatted as "TV show reviews: [TV show name]", for example:

TV show reviews: Korgoth of Barbaria

• Album reviews  Titles should be formatted as "Album reviews: [Album name], by [Band]", for example:

Album reviews: We're Coming For You All, by Anthrax

• Concert reviews Titles should be formatted as "Concert reviews: [Band] at [Venue, Location] ([date])", for example:

Concert reviews: Social Distortion at The Venue, Salt Lake City, Utah (2002)

• Video reviews  We use “Video reviews” rather than “DVD reviews” for reviews of videos that don’t fall in the movies category (for instance sports videos), because a video can exist on supports that are not DVDs. In some instances, it may be more appropriate to put the title into a different channel altogether; for instance a review of a golf video would go in the golf channel. Video review titles should be formatted as "Video reviews: [Name of video]", for example:

Video reviews: Turn and Burn, Inside the World of Barrel Racing

HEALTH & FITNESS

• Diseases  Do not capitalize the names of diseases such as arthritis, emphysema and leukemia; however, when a disease is known by the name of a person identified with it, capitalize only the individual’s name, for instance Bright’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

HOBBIES & GAMES

• Video game reviews Titles for video game reviews should follow the format "Video game reviews: [Video game name] ([Platform])", for example:

Video game review: Dead Rising (Xbox)
Video game reviews: World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)
Video game reviews: Mario Party 8 (Wii)

 

PETS & ANIMALS

• Dog and cat breeds Titles for dog and cat breeds should follow the format "Dog (or Cat) breed: [Breed]", for example:

Dog breed: Cocker Spaniel
Cat breed: Maine Coon Cat

TRAVEL

• Hotel Reviews Hotel review titles should be formatted as "Hotel reviews: [Hotel name] in [Location, Location]", for example:

Hotel reviews: Red Top Mountain Lodge in Cartersville, Georgia 

• Destination Guides Destination guide titles should be formatted as "Travel destinations: [Location]", for example:

Travel destinations: Disney World, Orlando, Florida
Travel destinations: Paris, France

• Travel Diaries & Adventures Travel Diaries & Adventures titles should be formatted as "Travel diaries: [Location]", for example:

Travel diaries: Paris, France
Travel diaries: Life on the road with a traveling band