Quick style question

[BlindCamel]

Not in the biz anymore, but stumbled on a style question in my new job and don't have my trusty AP stylebook. Could someone recap the All-American/All-America entry for me?

 

[ondeadline]

A player is named to the All-America team, but he's an All-American.

 

[Ace]

All-America is an adjective (Blind Camel made the All-America team).

All-American is a noun (Blind Camel was named an All-American.)

 

[BlindCamel]

But then what if Blind Camel was an All-American guard, in which case All-American would be an adjective describing guard.

 

[Ace]

But then what if Blind Camel was an All-American guard, in which case All-American would be an adjective describing guard.

He would be an All-America guard.

 

[BlindCamel]

Great. Thanks, Ace and deadline.

 

[thegrifter]

Another style question. Notice a lot of paers have "boys basketball scores," but for college, it's listed "men's basketball scores."
Why the difference and what's AP style for both?

 

[Ace]

Technically, it should be boys' basketball scores (but to be honest, I personally don't think the boys quite meet the possessive requirement).

 

[SF_Express]

Technically, it should be boys' basketball scores (but to be honest, I personally don't think the boys quite meet the possessive requirement).

Papers do this differently everywhere, and I've done it differently a lot of places.

For a long time, I thought boys' should be possessive to match men's, where you have no choice.

But you DO have a choice, and there's no reason it has to be possessive, no more than Reds outfielder.

It's one of those "pick a style and do it the same way every time" deals.

 

[fishwrapper]

Siderbar:
One of the better retorts I've heard on a desk...

Crusty Old Slot Guy peppers veteran Rimmer on a couple of very minor catches in a story.
Rimmer sits back down, and asks the Crusty Old Slot Guy:

"Is 'nit-picking' hyphenated?"

Funnier spoken, I think.

 

[Ace]

Technically, it should be boys' basketball scores (but to be honest, I personally don't think the boys quite meet the possessive requirement).

Papers do this differently everywhere, and I've done it differently a lot of places.

For a long time, I thought boys' should be possessive to match men's, where you have no choice.

But you DO have a choice, and there's no reason it has to be possessive, no more than Reds outfielder.

It's one of those "pick a style and do it the same way every time" deals.

Yes, of course S_F is right. I should have said it's a style issue. Pick one and go with it.

 

[Pops]

Another style question. Notice a lot of paers have "boys basketball scores," but for college, it's listed "men's basketball scores."
Why the difference and what's AP style for both?

Or you could go with the choice of at least one paper in this state: Mens and womens basketball. Probably the only illogical choice out there.