Capitalization Matters… and What are Pride Caps?
Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a donkey and helping your uncle jack off a donkey. (Interestingly, a male donkey is also called a jack.)
The example above demonstrates the importance of using capitalization correctly. When it comes to capitalization, the biggest problem I see is people capitalizing words where it’s not warranted.
Here are some common capitalization rules:
- The first word in a sentence
- People’s names
- Places – e.g. Niagra Falls, Yellowstone National Park
- Things with proper names – e.g. Pacific Ocean, North Pole
- Months and days of the week, holidays, but not seasons
- Titles that appear before a name – e.g. Mayor Papi
- The word “I”
- Most words in book titles
- Acronyms
- First word of a complete quote
- Cities, countries, nationalities, and languages
- Time periods and formal events – e.g. Middle Ages, Olympic Games, World War II
Misusing capitalization:
People often use capitalization when they feel a particular word is Important. That’s just not how it Works! It’s not a Random Thing to use when you want to. There are Rules for a reason, and that reason is to communicate to your READERS in a way that they Expect. You don’t want to DISTRACT them from your message. (Did you notice that I misused capitalization in this paragraph? If not, you’re probably someone who commits this capital offense.)
This type of seemingly random capitalization actually has a name: “pride capitals.” If you really want to emphasize a particular word, it’s better to use italics, bold, or an underline. And don’t overdo it… one of them is enough.
To make sure your message is clearly understood, it’s important to use best practices of grammar in a manner that’s anticipated and expected. When you introduce unexpected practices into your communication, the effectiveness of your message suffers. And no one who puts the effort into writing something they feel is important wants that result. So, don’t over-capitalize!
Now, to be clear, I’m not talking about using all caps to indicate you’re screaming or pissed off. That’s a style thing, and it’s totally up to you, YOU F*CKHEAD! 😉
Here’s one last example of the confusion incorrect capitalization can cause. If someone says, “Where did the asshole live?” your answer could either be “In the white house” or “In the White House.” One would be true, and the other is just a mistake in capitalization!
Excerpt from the book: Smarten the F*ck Up!
© Copyright 2023 Dave Bastien
Smarten the F*ck Up! uses plain English and humor to help people fix the common mistakes they’ve been making their entire lives.