# Capitalizing words in song/book/show titles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 23, 2000, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294 "2000-09-23T19:38:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294/1 "2000-09-23T19:38:29Z")

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In high-school English we were taught to capitalize, in titles, the first word, the last word, and any other important words in between–presumably excluding articles and prepositions.  
What if it’s a verbal preposition? Like in the comic strip: Is it _Bringing Up Father_ or _Bringing up Father?_ Or a fictitious murder-mystery novel: _Rigor Mortis Sets In Tonight,_ or _Rigor Mortis Sets in Tonight?_  
Should prepositions thus used be capitalized?

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294/2 "2000-09-23T19:47:52Z")

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\<copyeditor hat on\>

Yes, Dougie, if they are an integral part of the verb. Thus

_Bringing Up Father_

but

_The Man Who Went up a Hill and Came down a Mountain_

\<copyeditor hat off\>

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**Author:** ![Catrandom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@Catrandom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catrandom)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294/3 "2000-09-23T19:48:50Z")

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Per newspaper style, no, though most newspapers cap anything of four letters or more regardless of part of speech. Most University presses and literary publishers seem to follow your style, however.

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**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalizing-words-in-song-book-show-titles/34294/4 "2000-09-23T20:21:40Z")

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Thanks to both…🙂 I wish I had asked my teachers (I was in high school in the 60s) about this matter…