USRG Editor's Guide
February 9, 2003

Grammar Conventions

• Commas before conjunctions in a series: part a, part b, and part c.
• Single space after end of sentence period
• avoid passive voice
• spell out acronyms
• avoid the term user. What is the person doing? Diner is better although audience or person is ok.
• don’t use we, you is better, third person best. 1st person can be used when you have an exceptionally complete and intimate experience that you will sign with your name.
• Avoid hyphenated words and contractions. This provides visual clerity. For example:

right                 wrong

• it is        it’s
• do not  don’t
• cannot can't
• does not doesn’t
• online on-line

Search & Replace

the doublespace < >< > with < >

replace the <space><,> with a <,>

replace the <space><.> with a <.>

replace the < ".> with a <.">

replace the < ",> with a <,">

kill space at end of paragraphs

Spelling Glossary

USRG Spellings for commonly misspelled words

1. à la carte
2. ahi tuna
3. aioli
4. art deco
5. baba ganoosh
6. Caesar salad
7. cafe (no accent)
8. Cajun
9. cappuccino
10. chick-pea
11. chili (as in chili pepper)
12. cioppino
13. chow mein
14. coffee shop
15. coffeehouse
16. crème brûlée
17. crème fraîche
18. crepe (no accent)
19. Dungeness crab
20. entrée
21. feijoada
22. fettuccine
23. French fries, French bread
24. Gorgonzola
25. jalapeño
26. Kalamata
27. linguine
28. maître d’
29. mama
30. margarita
31. meat loaf
32. niçoise
33. ocher
34. OK
35. old-world (adjective) but: in the Old World
36. omelet
37. osso buco
38. Parmesan
39. pâté
40. pot-au-feu
41. potstickers
42. risotto
43. San Francisco Bay (but: the bay)
44. Saté
45. Szechuan
46. shawarma
47. spaghetti
48. take-out
49. tandoori
50. tapas
51. tiramisù

Recipe Names

No italics on foreign recipe names. Names of recipes are not capitalized. Exceptions:

• proper names within title are capitalized: eggs Benedict,
  oysters Rockefeller, Peking duck, Avery Island shellfish roast

• recipe names that are fanciful and/or unique to that restaurant: Dancing Shrimp, Boppin’ Hotcakes, Lover’s Delight, Big Guy’s Breakfast

Typography

Rarely should you use italics. It is difficult to read on electronic devices. Use standard HTML 2.0 as much as possible. HTML 3.0 is permitted. For example try to use H2, H3 to organize information rather than FONTS. Avoid tables if you can. The USRG is always set in a sans-serif font, preferably Times Semi-Bold.

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