Capitalization question

[madelinemasoch]

Do you capitalize nicknames, especially that are multiple words long? If one character refers to another as "little loser boy" for example, do I capitalize that? Thanks.

 

[Priscilla_June]

I think if the nickname is referring to a specific person place or thing then it would classify as a pronoun and thus yes would be initial capp’ed.

 

[Voboy]

Do you capitalize nicknames, especially that are multiple words long? If one character refers to another as "little loser boy" for example, do I capitalize that? Thanks.

Yep. I do.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Only if it's a repeated nickname. If a character just calls someone "little loser boy", that's not enough to warrant a capitalisation - but that's because it's not a nickname yet.

If it is repeated multiple times, then yes. Little Loser Boy.

I similarly capitalise titles for characters. Captain Smith becomes "the Captain". But on the other hand, Mr. Tanabe (a composer) is just "the composer" (not capitalised), because it's not a name or title for him - it's just a descriptor.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Do you capitalize nicknames, especially that are multiple words long? If one character refers to another as "little loser boy" for example, do I capitalize that? Thanks.

If it's just occasional, I wouldn't. If it's being regularly, effectively becoming a substitute name, then yes.

"Come here, little loser boy" - this to me reads more like an insult than a name, so no caps.

"Next week I'm going to have Little Loser Boy and Dave over for dinner" - this comes across more like a name.

I guess one rule of thumb might be: if you were saving this person's number in your contacts, would you use that nickname as their name?

In a D&S context there's also the "lower case to indicate submissive" thing. I don't go for that myself, but for those who do, that might be a reason to use lower case for something that would otherwise be capitalised.

 

[SimonDoom]

Yes, if it's actually a nickname. No, if it's just a one-time label.

 

[AchtungNight]

Depends on the characters and their relationship. My recurring Female Main Character Lisa calls my recurring Male Main Character Doug Hero, I'll always capitalize that. If it's a girl of the story calling someone she just picked up dear or darling in the heat of the moment, I leave that uncapitalized. Come to think of it, I don't use a lot of nicknames. Hero for Doug, Lisa's sister Stephanie calls him Dougie, those are the only recurring ones. Huh.

 

[KeithD]

If it's used as a direct substitute for a real name/person, then yes. (Chicago Manual of Style 16, 8:33)