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All members can access questions and answers about AP style online

The AP Stylebook Web site offers all AP members free access to a database of questions posed to the AP Stylebook editor, along with AP’s answers. The question and answer section can be accessed through the AP Stylebook Web site at: http://apstylebook.com/ask_editor.php. Once you are on the page, you can view the searchable database of questions underneath “Ask the Editor.” Only subscribers to the AP Stylebook Online can submit questions but any member can access the searchable database of questions already submitted, along with answersHere’s a sampling of some recent questions and answers:

• Question: Are names of publications italicized when referring to the Web site, not the printed version? Also, what about Web sites without a printed version such as CNN, CNBC, MSNBC? – from San Diego, California on Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Answer: No, see "italics" entry.

• Question: Is the first word after a colon capitalized? (E.g., "They had the same message: leave the room.") – from MN on Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Answer: Yes, if the word is a proper noun or starts a complete sentence, as in your example.

• Question: Hi- which is correct-- southeast or southeastern? e.g., ...provider to public and private companies located mostly in the southeastern United States, or ...provider to public and private companies located mostly in the southeast United States. Thanks! – from Chicago, IL on Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Answer: Southeastern (adj.) is preferable in this phrasing. Southeast is primarily a noun, though sometimes an adjective or adverb when preceded by a preposition.

• Question: Regarding house/property size, I'm a second guessing myself with hyphens, numbers and tense with foot/feet. In other words, what is the correct usage on: "2,400-square-foot, 5-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home"? Thanks – from Annapolis, Md. on Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Answer: Hyphenate as compound modifiers, spell out five but leave the fraction as a figure: 2,400-square-foot, five-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home.

• Question: Is it acceptable to write "1 to 5 p.m." instead of "1-5 p.m." As in "The four-hour workshop (1 to 5 p.m.) will cover..." (Rewriting to avoid parentheses is not an option.) Thanks! – from Anne, NY, NY on Fri, Jan 30, 2009

Answer: Yes.             

To find out more about the AP Stylebook or the AP Stylebook Online Edition, visit www.apstylebook.com.

Recent Stylebook Updates:

• The entry on CEO has been revised to say that CEO is acceptable in all references for chief executive officer.

CEO

Acceptable in all references for chief executive officer. Use chief financial officer and chief operating officer on first reference, and CFO and COO thereafter. Always spell out lesser-known "C-level" positions like chief administrative officer or chief risk officer.

• Editor's Note: The following entries have been added to the AP Stylebook:

Abu Sayyaf, Al-Aqsa, Ashoura, hajj, Hamas, Haram al-Sharif, Hezbollah, hijab, iftar, intifada, Jemaah Islamiyah, kaffiyeh, niqab, Somali, Temple Mount and Wahhabi.

• Editor's Note: An entry on Al-Quds has been added to say the term is the Arabic name for Jerusalem; it means the holy.

Al-Quds

The Arabic name for Jerusalem; it means the holy.

• Editor's Note: The entry on datelines has been updated to add these international locations as cities that stand alone in datelines: Amsterdam, Bangkok, Beirut, Bogota, Brussels, Cairo, Copenhagen, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Helsinki, Islamabad, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kabul, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Oslo, Panama City, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Stockholm, Sydney, Vienna and Zurich.

• Editor's Note: An entry on Abu Sayyaf has been added to say the term refers to a Muslim separatist group based in the southern islands of the Philippines. The name is Arabic for father of the sword.

Abu Sayyaf

Muslim separatist group based in the southern islands of the Philippines. The name is Arabic for father of the sword.

• Editor's Note: The entry on Caesarean section has been changed to cesarean section.

cesarean section

• Editor's Note: An entry has been added to give the preferred spelling for provinces and provincial capitals in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

   Spelling of provinces, followed by provincial capitals, in Afghanistan:

   Badakhshan, Fayzabad

   Balkh Mazar-i-Sharif, Mazar-e-Sharif

   Bamiyan, Bamiyan

   Ghazni, Ghazni

   Helmand, Lashkar Gah

   Herat, Herat

   Kabul, Kabul

   Kandahar, Kandahar

   Khost, Khost

   Kunar, Asadabad

   Logar, Pul-e-Alam

   Nangarhar, Jalalabad

   Paktika, Gardez

   Uruzgan, Tirin Kot

   Wardak, Maydan Shahr

   Zabul, Qalat

• Editor's Note: The Twitter entry has been corrected to say that to tweet as a verb and a tweet as a noun should be lowercase.

Twitter

A community-based message-distribution system that allows users to post continual status updates of up to 140 characters detailing their activities for followers. The verb is to Twitter or to tweet. A Twitter message is known as a tweet.

• Editor's Note: The entry on car pool has been updated to note that carpool (one word) is the preferred spelling for the verb form.

car pool (n.) carpool (v.)

• Editor's Note: An entry on bondholder has been added as the preferred spelling -- bondholder.

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