cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation
capitalization—In general, capitalize the formal name of an office, department, or organization on first reference (as a proper noun) and lowercase its common-noun equivalent on subsequent reference: The Mathematics Department will hold a series of workshops in June. In November, the department will evaluate the success of the workshops. (See also headline-style capitalization and titles, composition.)
capitalization for emphasis—"Initial capitals, once used to lend importance to certain words, are now used only ironically. Capitalizing an entire word or phrase for emphasis is rarely appropriate." (3)
catalog (not catalogue)
centuries—Spell out; do not capitalize: twentieth century, eighteenth century. (See century.)
century—Compound adjectives with century are hyphenated: fourteenth-century scholar. When early, mid, or late is added to the compound, it, too, should be followed by a hyphen: mid-eighteenth-century poet, late-twentieth-century painter. (See mid.)
chair (not chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson)
Chancellor's Award—Use SUNY Chancellor's Award.
Chautauqua Institution (not Institute)
clean up (v.), cleanup (n., adj.): She told him to clean up the mess. The cleanup is the worst part. She volunteered for the cleanup committee.
co- (prefix)—Generally closed, no hyphen: coauthor, coeducational, copayment. Use a hyphen between repeated vowels or if the omission of the hyphen causes confusion or ambiguity: co-chair, co-create, co-director, co-edition, co-opt, co-organize, co-teach, co-workers, co-wrote; but, coordinate, cooperate, cooperation. (See prefixes and suffixes.)
coatroom
comma (serial)—Use a comma before the word and or or in a series: He brought a sleeping bag, a flashlight, and batteries. When the elements of a series are simple and all are joined by conjunctions, no commas should be used: She needs a math or science or history course.
committee—Do not capitalize unless part of a formal name: Commencement Committee.
compound modifiers—"When a compound modifier—two or more words that express a single concept—precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb very and all adverbs that end in ly: a first-quarter touchdown, a full-time job, an easily remembered rule." (4)
counter- (prefix)—Generally closed, no hyphen: counterclockwise, counterculture, countermeasures. (See prefixes and suffixes.)
course name/course prefix—Use the three-letter prefix before each course number; separate letters and numbers with a single space; repeat prefix with each reference: MUS 218 and MUS 230 (not MUS 218 and 230; not Music 218 and Music 230).
course titles—Capitalize the titles of academic courses. Do not italicize or enclose in quotation marks: Abnormal Psychology, Intermediate Photography II, Principles of Urban and Regional Planning.
coursework
court—Generic terms designating the courts are frequently used in place of full names. They are lowercased even when they refer to a specific court: traffic court, family court, juvenile court. The word court, when used alone, is capitalized only in reference to the U.S. Supreme Court.
courtesy titles—See titles, courtesy.
credit hours, credits—Use figures: 3 credit hours, 6 credits.
cross- (prefix)—Most compound adjectives with cross are hyphenated: cross-cultural, cross-grained, cross-listed. Compound nouns with cross can be open, hyphenated, or closed. Check the dictionary: cross product, cross section, cross-country, cross-purpose, cross-pollination, crosscurrent, crossroad, crosswalk. (See prefixes and suffixes.)
currency (American)—Use numerals and the symbol $ or ¢: People paid $5 to attend. The committee raised $325. I gave him 50¢. Whole-dollar amounts are set with zeros after the decimal point only when they appear in the same context with fractional amounts: The price of gold rose from $35 an ounce to $375. Tickets sold for $10.00 and $15.50. (See numbers.)
curriculum (singular), curricula (plural) (but see practicum.)
curriculum vitae (singular), curricula vitae (plural)
(3) Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (2003), 7.50
(4) The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (2000), p. 331
