With apologies to William Penn

I have a love-hate relationship with the AP Stylebook. It's my work bible.

Looking for shorthand for "until"? It's not "til." It's "till." I can back that up with Stylebook passage.

I'm well-versed in it, but like most followers, I still uncover surprises. And Norm, the AP god who deigns what is proper and improper in The Book for its annual publication, sometimes changes his mind. It drives me mad when he does that.

Here's an example: For years, Norm declared that "fund raising" was two words; "fundraiser," however, was one. Until 2005, when the AP god wed "fund" to "raising" and decreed it one word.

(I still wonder why it took him years to merge the words "teen" and "ager" to make one word. I think he finally did it when he realized that every editor, including me, ignored his edict and blended them anyway. Like some Christians, we editors can become rather cafeteria-minded when it comes to what we want to believe.)

One place I won't deviate, however, is in the case of state abbreviations. Norm, not the U.S. Postal Service, has it right. It's "Tenn.," not "TN" for my state of domicile. "Ohio" should be spelled out in its entirety (come on, people; it's only two more letters. Are we really that lazy?)

In one instance, USPS and Norm are in complete concert. "Pennsylvania," according to both PTB, is abbreviated "Pa."

I once had an editorial assistant who abbreviated it "Penn." It set my teeth on edge. We went round and round. I flung The Book at her, showing her the correct passage. She'd smile and nod ... then abbreviate it "Penn." the next time. Grrrrrrr.

So you can see why my teeth were set on edge when I read the article about the passing of Werner von Trapp, one of the von Trapps from Sound of Music fame. As I read about his life, I came across the following:

After the Trapp Family Singers retired, von Trapp helped to found a music school in Reading, Penn., called the Community School of Music.

I don't even remember the rest of the article. I stumbled on that abbreviation and choked.

Do I even have to mention the article's source? The Associated Press. Yes -- the one and the same. The one that cuts Norm his paycheck for being its deity and editing its holy grail that we, the lowly editors of newspapers, must adhere.

What kind of editors are looking over AP copy? In my not-so humble opinion, the answer is either A) None; or B) Ones who suck.

Furthermore, why aren't the reporters checking their abbreviations? State abbreviations are taught in Copy Editing 101.

Go get 'em, Norm!