Using 'on'

Please settle this debate in my office.

I have always been taught that you have to use 'on' between proper nouns and dates.The AP says "Use on to avoid an awkward juxtaposition of a date and a proper name."

"Cleveland beat the Steelers on Dec. 12," never "Cleveland beat the Steelers Dec. 12."

My asshole co-workers laughed at me when I told them this like it was the most ridiculous thing they've ever heard and generally made me feel like an idiot, but I'm pretty sure I'm right.

 

You are correct. However, some newspapers have their own style. The Chicago Tribune, for example, seemingly never uses on.

 

You are correct. Your co-workers are assholes. Ignorant assholes.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves.

If possible, rewrite the sentence. But if you must, ALWAYS separate proper nouns.

 

I agree. There should always be separation between proper nouns.

 

Same at my shop. Pisses me off to high heaven.

 

Refer your asshole co-workers to this thread.

 

I agree with the consensus here. "The game is Saturday." "It will be at Yankee Stadium on Saturday."

 

You're correct, Bucknutty. But never put it above a snobby/insecure editor or newsroom to try and laugh at you.

Know that you are correct. Too bad some people never learn.

 

Thanks for the responses, all.

I'd refer them to this thread, but then I'd have to have not called them "assholes" to begin it. That is something I simply won't do

 

Deskers at a paper I used to work for used to hitch proper names together as if they were working on the railroad -- especially in photo cutlines.

... at The Masters Sunday.
... at Daytona Speedway Thursday.
... at the College World Series Wednesday.

The only thing in cutlines that routinely made me cringe more was this type of ID format:

Green Bay Packers Brett Favre throws a pass ...

or

New England Patriots' Tom Brady will miss ...

 

You can edit out the "assholes" part. Or, you could just tell that, coincidentally, there's a thread on the subject at sportsjournalists.com, knowing that they would never, ever, suspect you called them "assholes."

 

you co-workers are ass hats and wrong.