sack
Avoid in the sense of dismiss.
sacrilegious
(from sacrilege; not sacreligious)
said
Prefer the construction Mr Brown said rather than said Mr Brown.
Saint is nearly always abbreviated to St
salutary (not salutory)
Sam-7
missiles
sanatorium,
sanatoriums
(plural) (not sanitorium )
sanction as a noun, define its use as trade, military, etc.
sandpit (one word)
sarin (as in nerve gas)
sat is the past tense and the past participle of "to
sit".
Never write that somebody "was sat" in his car, her living room,
etc.
Write "was seated" or "was sitting"
Satan,
Satanism (initial
caps), but satanic
scarify
Take care; its meaning is to cut into, to cut skin from.
Its colloquial meaning of to terrify should be avoided wherever possible.
scars do not heal (even metaphorically)
Wounds heal, scars remain.
Schadenfreude
Means the malicious enjoyment of another's misfortunes; do not misuse.
schizophrenic
Never use as a term of abuse and avoid as a metaphor.
schools
Capital when full title is given.
schoolchildren (one word), schoolgirl, schoolboy,
schooldays, schoolmaster, schoolmistress and schoolteacher (rarely); but
school-leaver.
scientific measures
Write out first time with abbreviations in parentheses, shorten
thereafter. The abbreviation takes no point and no “s” in the plural,
e.g., 14km, not 14kms.
Some basic international units and their abbreviations are: metre (m);
gram (g); litre (l); ampere (A); volt (V); watt (W); note also
kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Only abbreviate mile to m in mph and mpg; and gallon to g in mpg
(otherwise gal).
Beware of using m for million or for miles in any scientific context when
it might be taken for metres.
scientific
names
When employing the Latin terminology, we must use the internationally
accepted convention of initial capital on the first (generic) word, then
lower case for the second (specific); e.g., Homo sapiens, Branta
canadensis (Canada goose), etc.
Scotch,
the whisky
Not to be used as a substitute for the adjectives Scottish and
Scots.
But note Scotch broth, Scotch mist, Scotch egg and Scotch terrier; also
note Scots pine.
scrapheap (one word)
Scripture capital as in Holy Scripture, but scriptural
(lower case)
scriptwriter
seabed, seabird, seahorse, seagull, seasick (no hyphens)
seasonal, but unseasonable (not
unseasonal).
seasons
Always lower case when unattached, i.e., spring, summer, autumn, winter;
but Winter Olympics, etc.
seatbelt
second-hand (hyphenated)
seize (never sieze)
sell-off, sell-out (but see buyout)
semiconductor
Semtex (capital)
Senate (US); Senator Edward Kennedy, then the senator;
alternatively, Mr Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator
senior
Abbreviate to Sr (not Snr) in the American context, e.g., Henry Ramstein
Sr.
Avoid the cliché senior executive when you mean executive - nine times
out of ten the adjective is redundant (as major).
septic tanks (never sceptic)
septuagenarian
Serjeant at Arms
serve in a warship (but on a merchant ship), and serve in
(not on) a submarine, even though subs are boats, not ships.
Services, the (capital); or the Armed Services or the
Armed Forces
Also cap Service when used adjectivally as in a Service family (where
meaning might otherwise be ambiguous)
But lower case serviceman, servicewoman
setback (noun); but to set back
sett, as with badgers
set-up
Try to find a synonym such as arrangement, organisation, structure, system,
etc.
sewage is the waste matter
sewerage for the disposal system
sexism
Always be aware of sensitivities and be careful to avoid giving offence to
women.
shake-out, shake-up (but see buyout)
Shakespearean (not -ian)
shall, should
Keep up the vigorous defence of these against the encroaching will and
would.
Good practice is that shall and should go with the first person singular
and plural (I shall, we shall), will and would with the others (he will,
they will).
Shall with second and third persons singular and plural has a slightly
more emphatic meaning than will.
shambles
Take care not to overwork this strong word, which means a slaughterhouse
and, by extension, a scene of carnage
Shankill Road, Belfast (not Shankhill)
shanks's pony (lower case)
Shangri-La
shantytown (one word)
sheikh
(not shaikh)
sheriff
(never sherrif)
ships
Ships should generally be treated as feminine; thus she and her rather
than it and its.
shock waves (two words)
But use sparingly as a metaphor as it is becoming a cliché
shopkeeper,
shopowner, shopfront, shoplift,
etc.
But shop assistant and shop steward.
shortlist (one word as noun or verb)
short-lived, short-sighted
showbusiness (one word)
showbiz is an acceptable abbreviation in quotes and
informal context
showcase avoid using as a verb. Use display or exhibit instead
shrink,
shrank (past tense)
shrunk (or shrunken), past participle.
Shroud of Turin (caps), or the Turin Shroud;
subsequently, the shroud (lower case)
Siamese cats, twins
For Siam use Thailand unless defined clearly in its historical context
(adjective Thai).
sickbed, as deathbed
side-effects
siege (never seige)
sign language NOT deaf-and-dumb language
Silicon Valley, silicon chips
But silicone implants (for breasts etc.)
singeing (from singe), to distinguish it from singing
sink, sank the past participle is sunk,
the adjective sunken
siphon (not syphon)
Sistine Chapel (NOT Cistine)
sit-in
situation
Avoid wherever possible; such phrases as crisis situation, ongoing
situation and no-win situation should not be used.
sizeable
ski, skier, skied, skiing
skulduggery
slay is a biblical word
snowball, snowbound, snowdrift, snowfall, snowman, etc.
sorcerer (not -or)
SOS
soundbite
South Africa never use the abbreviation SA.
The capital is Pretoria, which has the embassies (branches sometimes in
Cape Town when Parliament is sitting) and government ministries.
The legislature meets in Cape Town, and the Appeal Court sits in
Bloemfontein. Pretoria can be referred to as the seat of government. Each
of the new South African provinces has its own capital.
Say southern Africa when referring to Africa south of the
Congo and Zambezi rivers.
South Asia encompasses Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
South-East Asia comprises the nine Asean states -
Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei,
Vietnam, Burma and Laos; plus Cambodia.
South of France
Southern Ocean (capitals)
Soviet Union NEVER refer to the Soviets for the people or
the Government, even in the historical context.
The phrase is an Americanism often with disparaging overtones; a soviet is
a committee, not a person. Refer instead to the Soviet people or the
Soviet Government. See Russia, USSR
space avoid the phrase outer space
species
both singular and plural in plant and animal sense
spelt
(not spelled); note misspelt
spiders
are NOT insects, although like insects they are arthropods
spilt (not spilled)
spin, spun (do not use span as past tense)
split infinitives are banned, except in famous quotes
such as “to boldly go where no man ...” or in limited emphatic
constructions such as “I want to live - to really live”.
spoilt (not spoiled); but despoiled
spokesman, spokeswoman avoid where possible, e.g., “the
ministry said” rather than “a ministry spokesman said”. Official is
a useful alternative.
sportsmen, sportswomen omit the Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms,
etc.
sprang
is the past tense of the verb to spring, e.g., “she sprang into
action”
sprung is the past participle, e.g., “the wind has sprung up”
sprightly (NOT spritely)
spring-clean (hyphen)
stalemate
Try to avoid in the sense of deadlock. It should be confined to chess.
stanch (verb), as “to stanch a flow of blood”
staunch is an adjective meaning loyal or firm
stand-off (noun, hyphen)
But standby (noun, no hyphen)
stationary (not moving)
stationery (writing materials)
statistic(s) do not use as a fancy word for figure(s) or
number(s).
stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter
But step-family, step-parents
Stephenson, George (trains)
Robert (bridges)
Stevenson, Robert Louis, Adlai
still avoid writing the tautologous "still
continues", "still remains", etc.
Stilton (initial cap)
Stock Exchange caps for London and the New York Stock
Exchange, lower case for all others.
Note lower case for the stock market
storey (of a building); plural storeys
storm clouds, two words, but try to avoid cliché of "gathering
storm clouds"
storyteller,
storytelling
straight be sparing in the use of this word to mean
heterosexual.
straight-faced, but straightforward
straitjacket
strait-laced; in dire straits
stratum plural strata
stress prefer emphasise as in “he emphasised the
importance”
stricture
Means adverse criticism or censure, not constraint.
sub-
Like multi-, the hyphen here is often a question of what looks better. A
random sample gives us subdivision, sublet, subnormal, subsection,
substandard, subtext, subcontract(or); in
contrast, sub-committee, sub-editor, sub-postmaster, sub-post
office, etc.
sub-continent, the (lower case) for India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh
subjects, academic
Use lower case for most subjects studied at school or university, e.g.,
“she was reading modern history with philosophy”.
But where a proper name is involved, the capital is retained, e.g., “he
got a first in English literature and German after he dropped Latin in his
second year”.
And always capital Classics and PPE (short for philosophy, politics and
economics).
But note, e.g., Professor of History when the phrase accompanies a name;
see Professor.
sub-let (as in property)
sub-machinegun
submarine always a boat, not a ship.
subplot, subtext, subtitle
subpoena, subpoenas, subpoenaing, subpoenaed
sub-Saharan Africa
subsequently
Prefer afterwards or later, and never say subsequent to when the meaning
is after.
such as do not confuse with like; see like
suing (not sueing), from to sue
summon
The verb is to summon, the noun a summons (plural summonses).
A person is summoned to appear before a tribunal, etc.
But a person in receipt of a specific summons can be said to have been
summonsed.
sunbathing, sunburn, sunglasses, suntan, etc. but sun-care
(products, etc.)
Super Bowl (as in American football)
superhighway (as in information superhighway); similarly,
superconductor
superlatives
Beware of calling any person, event or thing the first, the biggest, the
best, etc. without firm evidence that this is correct. Also, never say
first-ever, best-ever, etc.
supersede
(never supercede)
supersonic (of speeds); for waves use ultrasonic
supervisor (NOT superviser)
supine means lying face-up; see prone
Supreme Court (US)
surprising (not suprising)
Sussex
Always specify whether a place is in East Sussex or West Sussex, two
separate counties.
swansong (one word)
swap
(not swop)
Do not use unless a mutual exchange is involved.
swaths, not swathes (as in “cutting swaths through”)
swathes to be used only as bandages
swatting (flies)
swotting (study)
swearword
swingeing (as in cuts), to distinguish it from swinging
Swinging London, Swinging Sixties (capitals)
sync prefer to synch, as in the phrase "out of
sync"
synthesizer (musical), but synthesise
(chemical etc)
-t
In nearly all cases, where there is a choice of past tense between a final
-t or -ed, use -t, as in burnt, spelt etc. But NEVER earnt.
tad
Heavily overworked as synonym of a little or a bit.
tailback
Tajikistan
takeaway (meals)
take-off (aircraft)
takeover (noun), but to take over (verb)
the
Taleban (or the Taleban authorities, etc.), and use the plural verb
("are" rather than "is", etc.).
Tannoy
is a trade name
Use loudspeaker as alternative
taramasalata (not taramo-)
targeted
task force (as in Falklands)
Tate Gallery
The original gallery on Millbank is known as Tate Britain, and the new one
on Bankside as Tate Modern.
tattoos, tattooed, tattooing
taxman one word as colloquialism for Inland Revenue;
similarly, taxpayer
Tchaikovsky
tea bag (two words), but teacup
teams
Normally plural, e.g., “Manchester United were disappointing when
they lost to Barcelona”.
But sports clubs usually take the singular, e.g., “Manchester City
Football Club was fined heavily for crowd disturbances”.
There is some room for variation in this format, but whatever is decided,
never mix singular and plural in the same item.
Note hyphen in team-mates.
teargas
Technicolor is a trade name.
Use multicoloured as the general alternative.
Teddy
boy
teetotal
temperatures
the style is 16C (61F)
tenpin
bowling
Terminal 1, Heathrow (and Terminal 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.)
Territorial Army, the Territorials (capitals)
terrorist
Take care with this word and the associated terrorism.
Guerrilla is a less loaded word in the context of violent political
struggle.
Never use as a synonym of any dissident group that uses violence, e.g.,
hunt saboteurs, and always try to specify groups as paramilitaries,
gangster organisations or whatever.
Remember, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.
thalidomide (lower case)
Thames Barrier, Thames Estuary (capitals); see rivers
that
Do not be shy of this word after said, denied, claimed, etc; e.g., “he
denied that the evidence was confusing” is more elegant than “he
denied the evidence was confusing”.
That is almost always better than which in a defining clause, e.g., “the
train that I take stops at Slough”. As a general rule, use which for
descriptive clauses and place it between commas, e.g., “the night train,
which used to carry newspapers, stops at Crewe”.
Thatcher
Contemporary use: first mention Baroness Thatcher, thereafter Lady
Thatcher.
In historical context, say Mrs Thatcher or Margaret Thatcher, e.g., “Mrs
Thatcher took quick action in sending the task force to the
Falklands”.
Note Sir Denis Thatcher (not Dennis).
theatregoer
the then
Avoid expressions such as “the then Prime Minister” or (worse) “the
then Mr Callaghan”; say “then Prime Minister”, “who was Prime
Minister at the time” or “Lord Callaghan of Cardiff (then Mr
Callaghan)”.
thermonuclear
they should always agree with the subject.
Avoid sentences such as “If someone loves animals, they should protect
them”. Say instead “If people love animals, they should protect
them”.
Third World (capitals)
threshold
throne
Use capital sparingly, only in terms of the institution, e.g., “he
deferred to the wisdom of the Throne”.
In other contexts, as with the chair itself, use lower case, e.g., “The
Queen came to the throne in 1952”.
thunderbolts
Are mythological and do not exist; lightning bolts and thunderclaps do
exist and can also be used metaphorically.
thus far avoid; prefer so far
Tiananmen Square, Beijing
time bomb, but timescale, timeshare
titles
The most common error is to write Lady Helen Brown, etc., when we should
say simply Lady Brown. As a quick rule of thumb, no wife of a
baronet or knight takes her Christian name in her title unless she is the
daughter of a duke, marquess or earl.
Some titles include a place name, e.g., Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, Lord
Archer of Weston-super-Mare, while others do not.
ALWAYS check if in the slightest doubt.
titles
of books, films, discs, programmes, etc,
Avoid initial capitals for every word (e.g., do not write The Hound Of The
Baskervilles).
As a rule of thumb, use lower case for prepositions, conjunctions,
definite and indefinite articles.
together with
Avoid; prefer simply with; also beware such tautology as blend together,
meet together, link together etc.
tomatoes (plural, as potatoes)
tons,
tonnes
Prefer to use tonnes in most modern contexts, though in historical
passages tons would be more appropriate.
tornado, plural tornados (storms)
also Tornado, Tornados (aircraft)
torpedo, but plural torpedoes
Tory, Tories
Acceptable alternative for Conservative(s).
Do not write Tory Party with cap “P”, but Tory party is
permissible.
touchpaper
towards (not toward)
townhouse (one word)
tracksuit (one word)
trade-in (noun or adjective), but to trade in
trademark (one word)
trade names
Many names of products in common use are proprietary and must be given a
capital letter (at risk of legal action if we fail to do so); e.g., Biro,
CinemaScope, Dictaphone, Hoover, Jeep, Kodak, Land Rover, Lycra, Perspex,
Polaroid, Rollerblade, Tannoy, Technicolor, Thermos, Walkman, Xerox, Yale
lock.
Be especially careful about drugs; try to use non-proprietary words such
as aspirin, sleeping pills, etc.
trade unions (plural), not trades unions; but Trades
Union Congress.
trainspotter,
trainspotting (no hyphens)
tranquilliser, tranquillity
transatlantic, transcontinental
But cross-Channel
transpire
Means to come to light or to leak out.
Do not use as an alternative of to happen or occur.
transsexual (no hyphen)
But trans-ship
trauma, traumatic
Avoid in the clichéd sense of deeply upsetting, distressing, etc.
It should be confined to its medical meaning of severe shock after an
accident or stressful event.
travellers, New Age travellers; see Gypsy
Triads (capital) in Chinese gangster context
Tricolour
Capital for the French flag, lower case in more general context.
trillion
American for a thousand billion (or a million million, 1,000,000,000,000),
and should be explained as such.
trolleys (plural of trolley, not -ies)
Trooping the Colour (not of the Colour)
Also, beating retreat
Tropics, the (capital)
Note also the Tropic of Capricorn/Cancer, but tropical, subtropical lower
case.
troubleshooter (one word)
Also troublespot
try to
The verb try must be followed by to before the next verb, never
by and, e.g., “I will try to cross the road”, not “I will try and
cross the road”.
Tsar
(not czar), Tsarevich, Tsaritsa (not czarina)
Capitals with the name, lower case in general sense.
tuberculosis
the adjective is tuberculous, not tubercular
TUC the Trades Union Congress.
Note, first mention, General Council of the TUC, thereafter general
council.
General Secretary of the TUC should be capped (as leader of the national
body), but general secretaries of individual unions retain the lower case.
tug-of-war
Turin Shroud (capitals), then the shroud (lower case)
turn
down prefer reject or refuse (except of beds)
turn-off, turn-on (nouns)
But no hyphens in turnout, turnaround, turnabout
Tutankhamun
Tutsis see Hutus
twin towers
(of the former World Trade Centre)
The northern tower and the southern tower (all lower case).
twofold,
threefold, fourfold, tenfold, etc.
two thirds, three quarters, etc,
But a two-thirds share (hyphenate adjectival use). Such expressions
usually take the plural verb, e.g., “three quarters of the children
prefer horror films”; the same applies even in “a third of the
children prefer blancmange”. But note “two thirds of the bus was
empty”.
typify, typified etc (not typefy)
Back to top