M - Editorial Style Guide

Feb 17 2010

M

Magistrates’ Court: Note apostrophe

Marquee: Tent, but Marquis: English nobility, Marquise of foreign nobility

Mayday: International distress call, one word, but  May Day

Mayor: The Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Jim Jones, then the mayor or Mr Jones

McCartney: As in Paul

McDonald’s: As in burger

Measurements and numbers: 2ft 3in tall but two feet of debris.

- Also 2mm (millimetres), 100m (metres

- 3 sq metres/ft (always a number

- 6m long, 12ft high, four miles wide, 16 miles long, 3km deep, weighed 22kg, - 12lb, eight stone, 14 stone, he was 5ft 11in tall

- He was eight stone, but he was 8st 4lb (stones and pounds)

- one to nine then 10, 11 etc

- 20mph (no space)

- 25C, 75F

Medieval: Not mediaeval

Meet: Not meet with

Meningitis: Note spelling. Meningitis can be referred to as a disease or viral infection

Metres: Metric measure, Meters as in parking

Metropolitan Police, Ealing Police, Uxbridge Police etc: with caps

Midday: No hyphen as midweek

Middle Ages: Cap up both words

Million: Style for money is £2.5million for the first mention and then £2.5m thereafter (no spaces or fractions) In full for three million people. See money and numbers

Minibus: One word

Miniskirt: One word

Miracle: Do not use unless something truly miraculous happens!

Money:  Style is £31.95 and £2m, but £1billion which is £1,000 million pounds. Note £100K is not allowed, write in full

More than: More than 500, not over 500

Mother’s Day

Motorbike: Not motorcycle

Motorways: Use M25 not M25 motorway. M-way acceptable in headlines

MoD: Ministry of Defence abbreviation

MoT: Ministry of Transport but MOT certificate. See abbreviations

MP3: Is the file, read by an MP3 player

Muslim: Not Moslem

Muhammad Ali: BUT there are many ways to spell Muhammad so always check correct spelling for particular individuals