|
|
|
The dog days of summer are almost here, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Here are some tips:
- Neither dog days nor summer are capitalized. Never capitalize seasons.
- Dog Star is the nickname of the star Sirius. Both words in Dog Star are capitalized.
- The traditional dates of the dog days of summer are July 3 to Aug. 11, dates that coincide with the rising of Sirius.
- The dog days are also so named because they generally are the hottest, driest days of the year.
*****
Does your newspaper subscribe to the “Smith said” rule that AP suggests? These days I see so much “said Smith” that AP’s preference seems archaic. I’ve also seen AP's rule inappropriately applied (i.e., in all cases), which leads to awkward sentences. For example: “I like bees,” Smith said, who’s a beekeeper. What do you think?
From the latest AP style changes to timely copy editing reminders, check out everything you need to know to make your copy clean.
