Nine Notable Updates in the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition
Print copies of the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style will officially be released on September 26, but CMOS Online subscribers recently got early access. I’ve read through the updates and made a list of what I consider to be the most notable changes to this essential style guide.
Referring to Different Capitalization Styles
The last edition of the CMOS used the terms headline style and sentence style to refer to two different sets of rules for capitalizing titles. The new edition now replaces those terms with title case and sentence case, respectively (8.159-160).
Title case: To Kill a Mockingbird (book title)
Sentence case: “Wild mockingbirds distinguish among familiar humans” (article title)
The switch to title case and sentence case aligns the CMOS terminology with what some other style guides use, which is helpful. It’s a lot easier to compare rules among style guides when you don’t have to remember the unique term each one uses to talk about the same idea.
Capitalizing Prepositions in Titles
Prior versions of the CMOS dictate that prepositions in titles should not be capitalized unless:
the preposition is the first or last word of the title
the preposition is used as an adjective or adverb
the preposition is part of a Latin expression used as an adjective or adverb (like In Vitro)
In the updated CMOS, the above guidelines only apply to prepositions of fewer than five letters. Prepositions that are five letters or more should now be capitalized (8.160).
17th edition: Much Ado about Nothing
18th edition: Much Ado About Nothing
I think this change is an improvement, if mostly for aesthetic reasons. I’ve always thought it looked weird for longer prepositions not to be capitalized.
Italicizing Terms and Titles Within a Title
In the previous version of the CMOS, words that would normally be italicized in running text (such as words borrowed from other languages, genus names, and names of vessels) are set in roman type when used in a title. In the updated manual, these words remain italicized (8.175).
17th edition: Kawaii!: Japan’s Culture of Cute
18th edition: Kawaii!: Japan’s Culture of Cute
This is a reasonable change. I like that it makes it easier to tell where a title begins and ends.
Note that in both the old and new editions, titles within italicized titles should be in both italics and quotation marks:
Not this: Gilmore Girls: A Cultural History
But this: “Gilmore Girls”: A Cultural History
Italicizing Words from Other Languages
Speaking of words borrowed from other languages, there’s also been an update to how these words are treated in running text. In previous editions, non-English words that can’t be found in a standard English dictionary had to be in italics, at least in the first occurrence. Now, non-English words do not need to be italicized if the word would be familiar to a particular author, narrator, or speaker (11.4). This especially applies to fiction or other related genres, where the use of non-English words adds to authenticity.
17th edition: “Mirabel, is your abuela at la casa Madrigal?”
18th edition: “Mirabel, is your abuela at la casa Madrigal?”
I like this change. While I think it can be useful for non-English words to be set in italics in some nonfiction works, it makes sense to drop this convention in fiction to enhance authenticity.
Starting Sentences with Numerals
In past editions of the style guide, numbers at the beginning of a sentence always had to be spelled out rather than using numerals. Now, numerals may be used if necessary when a year is the first word of a sentence (9.5). This also applies to terms that combine numbers and letters. Note that Chicago still recommends rewording a sentence to avoid beginning with a numeral when possible.
17th edition: Twenty twenty was a tumultuous year.
or
17th edition: The year 2020 was tumultuous.
18th edition: 2020 was a tumultuous year.
17th edition: The best brand of sticky notes—Post-Its—are made by 3M.
18th edition: 3M makes the best brand of sticky notes: Post-Its.
I think this is a great change. While exceptions to rules are annoying, this one is necessary. It was frustrating to have to rephrase perfectly cromulent sentences just to avoid starting with a numeral. And written-out years are just clunky.
Italicizing Website Names
Previously, website titles were only italicized if the publication had ever had a printed counterpart (such as Vanity Fair). In the new edition, any website that belongs to a category that would normally be italicized (such as a book or periodical) would now be italicized, regardless of whether it ever had a print edition (8.193). With few exceptions, all other websites should be in title case but not italicized.
17th edition: Buzzfeed News
18th edition: Buzzfeed News
I always thought it was strange that only websites with print publications were italicized. Seemed a bit outdated. This change makes a lot of sense to me.
Using They as a Singular Pronoun
His or her or s/he used to be the preferred way of referring to a person whose gender was unknown. Otherwise, the preferred option was to rephrase the sentence to avoid using a gendered pronoun. Now, Chicago supports the use of they/them pronouns for persons of unknown gender or individuals who identify as non-binary (5.44-46).
17th edition: Someone left his or her phone on the bus.
or
17th edition: A phone was left on the bus.
18th edition: Someone left their phone on the bus.
I particularly like this change because I believe it reflects how people actually speak in situations where a person’s gender is unknown. His or her and s/he are just awkward.
Capitalizing Hashtags
The last edition of the CMOS did not address how to properly style hashtags. It now recommends capitalizing the first letter of every word in a hashtag to enhance readability (7.86). This approach also improves accessibility for those using screen readers.
Not this: #corgisofinstagram
But this: #CorgisOfInstagram
So much easier to read. Love it.
Capitalizing Titles of Memes
The previous edition also didn’t address how to style the titles of memes. Chicago style now recommends using title case without italics for them (8.203). Quotation marks should not be used unless the name of the meme includes an extended quote.
Not this: the “ridiculously photogenic guy” meme
But this: the Ridiculously Photogenic Guy meme
also
This: the “One Does Not Simply” meme
This is definitely my favorite change to the guide, mostly because they used “Grumpy Cat” and “Ermahgerd Girl” as examples. It cracked me up to see them mentioned in such a serious and well-respected publication. Brilliant.
This is just a sampling of the many changes that have been made in CMOS 18. If you have a subscription to CMOS Online, they’ve shared a full list of updates with links to each section that has been changed or added. What’s your favorite update in CMOS 18?
