Remix.run Logo
▲ epihelix a day ago

> Apparently I once told it to always capitalize the first letter after a colon. I don't remember doing that, but hey, that's basic English grammar, dammit, so I can see myself getting pissy about it.

It's definitely not correct UK English grammar. TIL that the US uses some very odd colon rules.

▲0gs a day ago | parent [-]

yeah this is not a rule in the US either :(

▲russellbeattie a day ago | parent [-]

It's almost as if neither of you wannabe pedants have a access to Google, or even an AI, which could help you out.

It's AP Style, which is used in basically every news article you've ever read.

The rule is simple: You capitalize the first word after a colon when it begins a full sentence.

▲simpleintheory a day ago | parent | next [-]

This is unique to AP and 18th CMOS: MLA and old CMOS versions with grew up with say to do the opposite.

Also, please try to be less dismissive!

▲epihelix 15 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It's a US-specific rule, and only in certain style manuals. Chicago, for example, does not capitalise after a colon. (But perhaps your Google or AI had not heard of the Chicago Manual of Style?)

And there is an entire world out there, outside of the US (perhaps your Google or AI did not know that either?) that does not do this.

▲ 15 hours ago | parent | next [-]
[deleted]
▲russellbeattie 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> "It's a US-specific rule"

And? Calling it a, "very odd colon rule" assumes that British English is somehow the correct one, which it isn't. The United States represents more than 70% of the world's native English speakers. If we have a rule, then it's not the "odd" one.

> "...only in certain style manuals."

And? The two most important style manuals used by millions of people to write billions of articles and papers.

> "Chicago, for example, does not capitalise after a colon."

Did mean "capitalize"? (I'm kidding of course, I know you people like to stick with your quaint antiquated ways of spelling.)

You might want to check that again:

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/search.html?clause=colo...

▲0gs 15 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

if you want to be a pedant, you are. not necessary, but certainly sufficient. and i was saying in real life, not in the Chicago Manual of Style.