QRS Studyguide

quotations in the news

R&B

Acceptable in all references to the music genre rhythm and blues

race-related coverage

Avoid broad generalizations and labels; race and ethnicity are one part of a person’s identity. strive to accurately represent the world, or a particular community, and its diversity through the people you quote and depict in all formats

wrack, rack

The noun rack applies to various types of framework; the verb rack means to arrange on a rack, to torture, trouble or torment: He was placed on the rack. She racked her brain.

The noun wrack means ruin or destruction, as in wrack and ruin and wracked with pain. Also nerve-wracking.The verb wrack has substantially the same meaning as the verb rack, the latter being preferred.

radical

In general, avoid this description in favor of a more precise definition of an individual's political views.

Ramadan

The Muslim holy month, marked by daily fasting from dawn to sunset, ending with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Avoid using holiday on second reference to Ramadan.

ranges

The form: $12 million to $14 million. Not: $12 to $14 million. Also: a pay increase of 12%-15% or 12% to 15% or between 12% and 15%. For full calendar years, hyphenated 2015-16 is acceptable.

ratio

Use figures and hyphens: the ratio was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio, 1 in 4 voters. As illustrated, the word to should be omitted when the numbers precede the word ratio.

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

ravage, ravish

To ravage is to wreak great destruction or devastation: Union troops ravaged Atlanta.

To ravish is to abduct, rape or carry away with emotion: Soldiers ravished the women.

Although both words connote an element of violence, they are not interchangeable. Buildings and towns cannot be ravished.

Realtor

The term real estate agent is preferred. Use Realtor only if there is a reason to indicate that the individual is a member of the National Association of Realtors.

recession

A recession is a falling-off of economic activity that may be a temporary phenomenon or could continue into a depression. A common definition is two straight quarters of economic contraction.

record

Avoid the redundant new record.

red-haired, redhead, readheaded

All are acceptable for a person with red hair.

Redhead also is used colloquially to describe a type of North American diving duck.

reign, rein

The leather strap for controlling a horse is a rein, hence figuratively: seize the reins, give free rein to.

Reign is the period a ruler is on the throne: The king began his reign.

Republican Governors Association

No apostrophe.

Republican, Republican Party

GOP may be used on second reference

Rev.

When this description is used before an individual’s name, precede it with the word the because, unlike the case with Mr. and Mrs., the abbreviation Rev. does not stand for a noun. Always use the abbreviation, the Rev., not the full word reverend, before a name.

Rhodes scholar

Lowercase scholar and scholarship.

ride-hailing, ride-sharing

Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft let people use smartphone apps to book and pay for a private car service or, in some cases, a taxi. Ride-sharing refers to app-based services that let people book a shared shuttle. Zipcar and similar companies are short-term car rental services.

rifle, riffle

To rifle is to plunder or steal. To riffle is to leaf rapidly through a book or pile of papers.

right-to-work

(adj.) A “right-to-work” law prohibits a company and a union from signing a contract that would require workers to pay dues or fees to the union that represents them. Use only in direct quotations or with quote marks for the purpose of explaining the term.

river

Capitalize as part of a proper name: the Mississippi River. Lowercase in other uses: the river

rock ‘n’ roll

But Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Rocky Mountains

Or simply: the Rockies

Rollerblade

A trademark for a brand of in-line skates

room numbers

Use figures and capitalize room when used with a figure: Room 2, Room 211.

rooms

Capitalize the names of specially designated rooms: Blue Room, Lincoln Room, Oval Office, Persian Room

runner-up, runners-up

runner-up, runners-up

Rust Belt

Areas of the Midwest and Northeast where factories are old and closed

saint

Abbreviate as St. in the names of saints, cities and other places: St. Jude; St. Paul, Minnesota

Satan

But lowercase devil and satanic

school

Capitalize when part of a proper name: Public School 3, Madison Elementary Schoo

Scotch tape

A trademark for a brand of transparent tape

scuba

Lowercased acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

seasons

Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter and derivatives such as springtime unless part of a formal name: Dartmouth Winter Carnival, Winter Olympics,

seat belt

seat belt

secretary

Capitalize before a name only if it is an official corporate or organizational title. Do not abbreviate.

secretary of state

Capitalize as a formal title before a name

Secret Service

A federal agency administered by the Department of Homeland Security. protects the president

selfie

selfie

sellout

not sell out or sell-out

semiannual

Twice a year, a synonym for biannual. Do not confuse it with biennial, which means every two years.

semitrailer

Or semitractor-trailer, but not semi-tractor trailer.

Senate

Capitalize all specific references to governmental legislative bodies, regardless of whether the name of the state or nation is used: the U.S. Senate, the Senate, the Virginia Senate, the state Senate, the Senate.

Lowercase plural uses: the Virginia and North Carolina senates.

Lowercase references to non-governmental bodies: the student senate at Yale.

senator, Sen.

Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names. Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in other uses.

Sept. 11

The term for describing the attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Use 2001 if needed for clarity. Also acceptable is 9/11

service animal, assistance animal, guide dog

An animal, usually a dog, that aids a person with a disability

sheriff

Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name.

sizeable

not size able

sizes

Use figures and capitalize Size: a Size 12 dress, Size 40 long, 10 1/2B shoes, a 34 1/2 sleeve. Also: S, M

sneaked

Preferred as past tense of sneak. Do not use the colloquial snuck

snowdrift, snowfall, snowflake, snowman

snowdrift, snowfall, snowflake, snowman, snowplow, snowshoe, snowstorm, snowsuit

Social Security

Capitalize all references to the U.S. system.

The number groups are hyphenated: 123-45-6789

South

Use South to describe the 16-state region as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau that is broken into three divisions. Capitalize Southern as an adjective describing the region

divisions are: South Atlantic, West South Central, and East South Central

spam, Spam

Use spam in all references to unsolicited commercial or bulk email, often advertisements. Use Spam, a trademark, to refer to a canned meat product.

Special Olympics

Organization that offers 30-plus Olympic-style individual and team sports for people with intellectual disabilities.

Athletes are called Special Olympians

speeds

Use figures. The car slowed to 7 mph, winds of 5 to 10 mph, winds of 7 to 9 knots, 10-knot wind

sports book

Use one word for places where sports bets are accepted either in person or online, unless part of a formal name. The shorthand book is acceptable on second reference: The sportsbook opened in December; the book stopped taking bets just before kickoff.

sport utility vehicle

No plural s in sport; no hyphen. SUV is acceptable on first reference.

stadium, stadiums

Capitalize only when part of a proper name: Dodger Stadium.

stanch, staunch

Stanch is a verb: He stanched the flow of blood.

Staunch is an adjective: She is a staunch supporter of equality

state

Lowercase in all state of constructions: the state of Maine, the states of Maine and Vermont.

state Rep. William Smith, the state Transportation Department, state funds.

Apply the same principle to phrases such as the city of Chicago, the town of Auburn, etc.

state names

The names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base.

The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.

Provide a state identification for the city if the story has no dateline, or if the city is not in the same state as the dateline.

statewide

statewide, not state wide

State of the Union

Capitalize all references to the president's annual address.

Lowercase other uses: "The state of the union is confused," she said.

stationary, stationery

To stand still is to be stationary. Writing paper is stationery.

stock prices

Prices are quoted in dollars and cents. Use active verbs: Microsoft stock fell 10 cents to $38.01 in afternoon trading. Avoid rounding individual stock prices in stories. If individual stock prices are rounded, the story should include context. The stock rose above $100 for the first time. In headlines, rounding down is acceptable.

When writing about indexes, carry out decimals two places. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 78.73 points, or 0.5%, to close at 16,438.91. However, it is acceptable to round down in shorter stories. The Dow rose to 16,438.

strait

Capitalize as part of a proper name: Bering Strait, Strait of Gibraltar.

suicide

Avoid using the phrase committed suicide, which can imply a criminal act. Alternative phrases include killed himself, took her own life or died by suicide. Generally avoid any such phrasing in headlines, unless the circumstances were very public.

Sun Belt

Generally those states in the South and West, ranging from Florida and Georgia through the Gulf states into California.

superintendent

Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name.

Supreme Court of the United States

Capitalize U.S. Supreme Court and also the Supreme Court when the context makes the U.S. designation unnecessary.

The chief justice is properly the chief justice of the United States, not of the Supreme Court: Chief Justice John Roberts.

The proper title for the eight other members of the court is associate justice. When used as a formal title before a name, it should be shortened to justice unless there are special circumstances: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.