Like every month, the Chicago Manual of Style, our style guide of reference, publishes new questions and answers to clarify gray areas, expand explanations, or address topics that are not addressed by the CMOS. Here are January’s Q&As!

New Questions and Answers

Q. Should we apply headline-style capitalization to band names and other proper names containing prepositions? Is it Rage against the Machine or Rage Against the Machine, for example? Thank you!

A. Good question! Normally, yes, the capitalization rules for titles of books and other works (as described in CMOS 8.159) would apply equally to other capitalized names, including names of organizations and musical groups.

Accordingly, articles (a, an, the), common coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and prepositions (of, for, with, etc.) would all be lowercased in the middle of a name. For example, the National Institutes of Health, Sly and the Family Stone—and Rage against the Machine.

But we’d allow an exception in that last case. Against may be a preposition, but it’s just as long as Machine, putting lowercase at odds with the rest of the name. And the sources that have written about that band would have tended to follow some variation of AP style (the main US style for journalists), which capitalizes prepositions of four letters or more. “Rage Against the Machine” is therefore more likely than “Rage against the Machine” to look right—at least to anyone who hasn’t just edited a forty-five-page bibliography to conform to Chicago style.

Q. What is the stance of CMOS on single-letter abbreviations for days of the week? In US higher education, the single-letter abbreviations (M, T, W, R, F, S, U) are ubiquitous, though I find no mention of these abbreviations being codified (ISO uses numbers). In prose, I often find myself using these abbreviations in lists of upcoming deadlines.

A. CMOS doesn’t cover those single-letter abbreviations, but we’d consider them to be a convenient shorthand. In the same way, “1/5” can be a handy way of writing January 5.

But because the meaning of “U” and “R” especially may not be clear, and because “1/5” means May 1 for many readers, we don’t recommend either of those forms in formal writing. Where brevity is the main consideration, our preference would be for Su, M, Tu, W, Th, F, and Sa. For those options and two others, see CMOS 10.40. For all-numeral dates, see CMOS 9.35.

Q. Sorry if I’ve overlooked a CMOS (or Q&A) answer to this question. I’m reviewing an organization’s bylaws, which contain several instances of a number spelled out followed by the number as a numeral in parentheses: e.g., “two (2).” I think parenthetical numerals are pointless redundancies. Does CMOS have a rule or preference related to this?

A. CMOS doesn’t cover this, but we agree with you, as does legal scholar and grammarian Bryan Garner: “The repetition of numbers by spelling them out and then using numerals typifies legalese and should never be used outside legal drafting. . . . Even in modern legal documents it’s largely uncalled for—the convention harks back to the days of legal scribes, who doubled words and numerals to prevent fraudulent alterations (words controlled over numerals).” See Garner’s Modern English Usage (Oxford, 2022), under “Numerals (G).”

Garner’s parenthetical observation that “words controlled over numerals” is interesting. In “two (3),” for example, the mistake would almost certainly be with the 3 and not the two (it’s easy to press a 1 or a 3 when a 2 is intended). That parenthetical numeral is subject not only to “fraudulent alterations” but to typos.

Q. I recently wrote a book where some headings listed tasks and challenges. For example, “Task 1, Learn as Much as You Can about the Disease” and “Challenge 1, Adopt a New Attitude.” Someone told me the punctuation was wrong and the commas should have been colons. I think that either commas or colons are correct. Am I right?

A. You are right—either mark is correct, but a colon isn’t the only alternative to a comma:

Task 1: Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1. Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1—Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1, Learn as Much as You Can . . .

Those examples are listed in descending order of effectiveness. A comma would be most appropriate as sentence punctuation (and we’re styling task numbers like page numbers here; see CMOS 9.26):

Now let’s turn to task 1, “Learn as Much as You Can . . .”

In a heading or a list, either a colon, a period, or a dash—each of which creates a stronger break than a comma—would work a little better at making it clear that “Task 1” is an enumerator and not part of the enumerated item. So you’re not wrong, but your challenger isn’t entirely wrong either.

Q. I’m having trouble explaining to my organization why “the internet” is now lowercase “i.” We do follow CMOS style, but the Internet Society and some others are insisting otherwise. Can I get an explanation that I can use? Not seeing any in the manual.

A. An explanation is beyond the scope of CMOS, but here’s a summary: In ordinary usage, internet with a lowercase i has been common since at least the introduction of the iPod (in 2001; note that lowercase i). And because ordinary usage tends to determine how tech-related neologisms are styled, many guides now prefer lowercase internet—including not only CMOS but also the latest from Microsoft and Apple (computer tech), AP (journalism), APA (psychology), and AMA (medicine).

Meanwhile, documents published by W3C and related organizations that develop or maintain the standards that determine how it all works still tend to refer to the Internet when they mean the worldwide network of computers (but internet when referring to any interconnected network). And as recently as 2019, Internet was still more common in published books than internet—​though the trend toward lowercase is clear.

So the usage preferred by specialists may be less common than it once was, but it’s far from defunct. And according to CMOS 7.2, any discipline-specific preference (which would extend to capitalization) should be respected.

All of which is to say that if you’re editing for the Internet Society, which is in the same league as W3C, then you should accept the capital I. For most other types of organizations, common usage will likely be the better choice.

Q. Hello. In a book for publication in the US, we are citing a British-published book with single quotes in the title: Julie Hankey, A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the ‘Curse of the Pharaohs.’ Do we change them to double quotes, per US usage? My instinct is to leave it alone, but I want to follow CMOS guidance.

A. CMOS considers the form of quotation marks, whether double or single, to be an arbitrary decision that’s subject to being adjusted to conform to the style in the surrounding text. We’d accordingly change the quotation marks in the Hankey title from single to double to match the usage in a document that follows Chicago (or US) style.

We’d similarly adjust quotation marks in a direct quotation—for example, from single to double in a block quotation of a passage that includes single quotation marks or from double to single in a passage that includes double quotation marks that are themselves quoted with the use of double marks. Such adjustments are at the top of the list of permissible changes at CMOS 13.7. Much of that list would apply to titles of works (but see CMOS 14.88).

We’ll try to clarify this in a future edition of CMOS.

Q. Hello! How does one cite a pamphlet included with a DVD? The pamphlet contains a short essay which has an author but no title. Thank you!

A. Let’s say your text says something like this: “In a booklet accompanying the twenty-fifth-anniversary DVD of Name of Film, So-and-So wrote . . .” Then you would cite the DVD (see CMOS 14.265 for examples).

But because you’ve already mentioned the booklet (the usual word for such an insert) in the text, there’s no need to add it to a citation in a note. If that’s not the case, you can add the word “booklet” to the end of the note. It could also be added to any bibliography entry for the DVD (e.g., “Accompanied by a booklet with an essay by So-and-So”).

Like every month, the Chicago Manual of Style, our style guide of reference, publishes new questions and answers to clarify gray areas, expand explanations, or address topics that are not addressed by the CMOS. Here are January’s Q&As!

New Questions and Answers

Q. Should we apply headline-style capitalization to band names and other proper names containing prepositions? Is it Rage against the Machine or Rage Against the Machine, for example? Thank you!

A. Good question! Normally, yes, the capitalization rules for titles of books and other works (as described in CMOS 8.159) would apply equally to other capitalized names, including names of organizations and musical groups.

Accordingly, articles (a, an, the), common coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), and prepositions (of, for, with, etc.) would all be lowercased in the middle of a name. For example, the National Institutes of Health, Sly and the Family Stone—and Rage against the Machine.

But we’d allow an exception in that last case. Against may be a preposition, but it’s just as long as Machine, putting lowercase at odds with the rest of the name. And the sources that have written about that band would have tended to follow some variation of AP style (the main US style for journalists), which capitalizes prepositions of four letters or more. “Rage Against the Machine” is therefore more likely than “Rage against the Machine” to look right—at least to anyone who hasn’t just edited a forty-five-page bibliography to conform to Chicago style.

Q. What is the stance of CMOS on single-letter abbreviations for days of the week? In US higher education, the single-letter abbreviations (M, T, W, R, F, S, U) are ubiquitous, though I find no mention of these abbreviations being codified (ISO uses numbers). In prose, I often find myself using these abbreviations in lists of upcoming deadlines.

A. CMOS doesn’t cover those single-letter abbreviations, but we’d consider them to be a convenient shorthand. In the same way, “1/5” can be a handy way of writing January 5.

But because the meaning of “U” and “R” especially may not be clear, and because “1/5” means May 1 for many readers, we don’t recommend either of those forms in formal writing. Where brevity is the main consideration, our preference would be for Su, M, Tu, W, Th, F, and Sa. For those options and two others, see CMOS 10.40. For all-numeral dates, see CMOS 9.35.

Q. Sorry if I’ve overlooked a CMOS (or Q&A) answer to this question. I’m reviewing an organization’s bylaws, which contain several instances of a number spelled out followed by the number as a numeral in parentheses: e.g., “two (2).” I think parenthetical numerals are pointless redundancies. Does CMOS have a rule or preference related to this?

A. CMOS doesn’t cover this, but we agree with you, as does legal scholar and grammarian Bryan Garner: “The repetition of numbers by spelling them out and then using numerals typifies legalese and should never be used outside legal drafting. . . . Even in modern legal documents it’s largely uncalled for—the convention harks back to the days of legal scribes, who doubled words and numerals to prevent fraudulent alterations (words controlled over numerals).” See Garner’s Modern English Usage (Oxford, 2022), under “Numerals (G).”

Garner’s parenthetical observation that “words controlled over numerals” is interesting. In “two (3),” for example, the mistake would almost certainly be with the 3 and not the two (it’s easy to press a 1 or a 3 when a 2 is intended). That parenthetical numeral is subject not only to “fraudulent alterations” but to typos.

Q. I recently wrote a book where some headings listed tasks and challenges. For example, “Task 1, Learn as Much as You Can about the Disease” and “Challenge 1, Adopt a New Attitude.” Someone told me the punctuation was wrong and the commas should have been colons. I think that either commas or colons are correct. Am I right?

A. You are right—either mark is correct, but a colon isn’t the only alternative to a comma:

Task 1: Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1. Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1—Learn as Much as You Can . . .
Task 1, Learn as Much as You Can . . .

Those examples are listed in descending order of effectiveness. A comma would be most appropriate as sentence punctuation (and we’re styling task numbers like page numbers here; see CMOS 9.26):

Now let’s turn to task 1, “Learn as Much as You Can . . .”

In a heading or a list, either a colon, a period, or a dash—each of which creates a stronger break than a comma—would work a little better at making it clear that “Task 1” is an enumerator and not part of the enumerated item. So you’re not wrong, but your challenger isn’t entirely wrong either.

Q. I’m having trouble explaining to my organization why “the internet” is now lowercase “i.” We do follow CMOS style, but the Internet Society and some others are insisting otherwise. Can I get an explanation that I can use? Not seeing any in the manual.

A. An explanation is beyond the scope of CMOS, but here’s a summary: In ordinary usage, internet with a lowercase i has been common since at least the introduction of the iPod (in 2001; note that lowercase i). And because ordinary usage tends to determine how tech-related neologisms are styled, many guides now prefer lowercase internet—including not only CMOS but also the latest from Microsoft and Apple (computer tech), AP (journalism), APA (psychology), and AMA (medicine).

Meanwhile, documents published by W3C and related organizations that develop or maintain the standards that determine how it all works still tend to refer to the Internet when they mean the worldwide network of computers (but internet when referring to any interconnected network). And as recently as 2019, Internet was still more common in published books than internet—​though the trend toward lowercase is clear.

So the usage preferred by specialists may be less common than it once was, but it’s far from defunct. And according to CMOS 7.2, any discipline-specific preference (which would extend to capitalization) should be respected.

All of which is to say that if you’re editing for the Internet Society, which is in the same league as W3C, then you should accept the capital I. For most other types of organizations, common usage will likely be the better choice.

Q. Hello. In a book for publication in the US, we are citing a British-published book with single quotes in the title: Julie Hankey, A Passion for Egypt: Arthur Weigall, Tutankhamun and the ‘Curse of the Pharaohs.’ Do we change them to double quotes, per US usage? My instinct is to leave it alone, but I want to follow CMOS guidance.

A. CMOS considers the form of quotation marks, whether double or single, to be an arbitrary decision that’s subject to being adjusted to conform to the style in the surrounding text. We’d accordingly change the quotation marks in the Hankey title from single to double to match the usage in a document that follows Chicago (or US) style.

We’d similarly adjust quotation marks in a direct quotation—for example, from single to double in a block quotation of a passage that includes single quotation marks or from double to single in a passage that includes double quotation marks that are themselves quoted with the use of double marks. Such adjustments are at the top of the list of permissible changes at CMOS 13.7. Much of that list would apply to titles of works (but see CMOS 14.88).

We’ll try to clarify this in a future edition of CMOS.

Q. Hello! How does one cite a pamphlet included with a DVD? The pamphlet contains a short essay which has an author but no title. Thank you!

A. Let’s say your text says something like this: “In a booklet accompanying the twenty-fifth-anniversary DVD of Name of Film, So-and-So wrote . . .” Then you would cite the DVD (see CMOS 14.265 for examples).

But because you’ve already mentioned the booklet (the usual word for such an insert) in the text, there’s no need to add it to a citation in a note. If that’s not the case, you can add the word “booklet” to the end of the note. It could also be added to any bibliography entry for the DVD (e.g., “Accompanied by a booklet with an essay by So-and-So”).

Lead foot

Despite its reputation, lead is not the heaviest of the naturally occurring metals. That honor belongs to osmium (if you’re going by density) or plutonium (if you’re going by its atomic mass). But lead, traditionally used in weighted objects such as plumb lines (the Latin plumbum means “lead,” after all) has historically been the go-to element when you want to describe something as immoderately heavy.

She was all alone in her misery, and could see no way out of it. The diamonds were heavy as a load of lead within her bosom. And yet she had persevered.
— Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1871

In the 16th century, the adjective leaden-footed described one who moved slowly. But when you give such a foot to a person operating a vehicle with an accelerator pedal, the image becomes one of a motorist driving at high speeds.

If you’ve been known to have a lead foot, you might want to watch out. Drivers in Lexington will soon see several city roads transition from having a 35 mph speed to a 25 mph limit.
— WKYT.com, 5 Dec. 2018

Gold standard

The term gold standard refers to a system that uses a supply of gold as the backing for a currency to regulate its value. The United States stopped using the gold standard during the Great Depression, but the phrase still gets used for a successful thing against which others are judged.

One seemingly obvious answer is positive train control. The federally mandated safety system, which relies on radio and satellite-based technology to control speeds and prevent crashes and derailments, is considered the gold standard for safety on the nation’s railways
— John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2019

Gold’s status as an element of value was propelled chiefly by its luster and scarcity, and gold is often reserved for top-ranking achievements (such as gold medals awarded to victorious athletes in the Olympics) or objects of desire, such as the Golden Fleece.

Tin ear

Tin is a malleable silver-white element used in a number of alloys, including bronze and pewter.

The phrase tin ear has come to be equated with deafness—whether demonstrated in a lack of appreciation for the subtleties of tone (as in music) or obtuseness to the nuances of what someone is saying.

Yet, while reviewers argue theme and technique in great detail, when it comes to humor they seem to have a collective tin ear. If humor is noticed at all, it is often dismissed as simply slick or clever.
— David Kirby, The New York Times Book Review, 23 Dec. 1990

The choice of tin likely has nothing to do with the properties of tin. (It’s a good conductor, which would seem to help in the delivery of electrical signals.) Some have ascribed the phrase to the onetime use of metal ear trumpets by the hard of hearing; others connect tin to tinnitus, the medical term for ringing in the ears.

The term cauliflower ear once was used with the same meaning as tin ear, but the former now more often means an ear that is bruised and swollen (as from receiving a boxer’s punch).

Iron fist

To rule with an iron fist (or hand) is to preside over a country or group in a very strict and often cruel way.

Iron is one of Earth’s most abundant metals, and consequently among the most frequently used. In its pure form it is also silver-white and relatively soft and malleable.

The association of iron with mercilessness likely comes from the metal’s use to make sturdy alloys such as steel and cast iron (as used in cooking skillets). British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was given the nickname “The Iron Lady” due to her reputation for being fierce and unyielding.

Silver screen

Silver is often mentioned alongside gold for its luster and value, and hence appears in a number of expressions pertaining to opulence. But while silver screen does evoke the glitz and glamour of Hollywood stardom, the term did in fact refer to a kind of projection screen used in the early years of the industry. The surface of the screen was embedded with silver (more often aluminum) to enhance its reflective capacity. By the 1920s, silver screen had become an alliterative metonym for the movie business.

Use your intelligence, Jeeves. Reflect what proposing means. It means that a decent, self-respecting chap has got to listen to himself saying things which, if spoken on the silver screen, would cause him to dash to the box-office and demand his money back.
— P. G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves, 1934

Platinum blonde

Platinum is a silver-white precious metal often bought as an investment, just like gold and silver, and while platinum is scarcer, its price tends to fluctuate due to supply and demand. The recording industry values platinum over gold in its sales rankings: an album achieves gold-record status when it sells 500,000 copies, while one that sells a million copies is certified platinum.

The term platinum blonde uses the metal’s color as a comparison for the color of hair that has been bleached. One of the first actresses labelled with the term was Jean Harlow, who starred as the title character in the 1931 film Platinum Blonde, directed by Frank Capra. While the color can be achieved through treatments such as hydrogen peroxide, Harlow’s stylist purportedly used actual chlorine bleach on the actress’s head, which some have speculated led to health problems for Harlow, who died at age 26.

Brass tacks

Brass tacks are details of immediate practical importance. The term is often found in the phrase get down to brass tacks.

“Oh, I know what you’re wondering!” he flared out. “Would I a-spit on it in the pinch? That’s what’s eating you. I’ll answer. Straight out, brass tacks, I WOULD. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
— Jack London, “Whose Business Is To Live,” 1922

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, used in plumbing fixtures, musical instruments, and fastening items (such as pins, bolts, and screws). Brass also carries the association of boldness; to be brazen is to be bold and self-assured to the point of disrespect, but brazen can also mean “made of brass.”

Although no one knows for certain, some have attributed get down to brass tacks to the brass-headed fasteners used to secure upholstery to the framework of furniture. A craftsperson needing to pull out the tacks to remove the upholstery might be equated with the act of getting to the heart of the matter. But that is only one of many theories circulated about the phrase.

Lead foot

Despite its reputation, lead is not the heaviest of the naturally occurring metals. That honor belongs to osmium (if you’re going by density) or plutonium (if you’re going by its atomic mass). But lead, traditionally used in weighted objects such as plumb lines (the Latin plumbum means “lead,” after all) has historically been the go-to element when you want to describe something as immoderately heavy.

She was all alone in her misery, and could see no way out of it. The diamonds were heavy as a load of lead within her bosom. And yet she had persevered.
— Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1871

In the 16th century, the adjective leaden-footed described one who moved slowly. But when you give such a foot to a person operating a vehicle with an accelerator pedal, the image becomes one of a motorist driving at high speeds.

If you’ve been known to have a lead foot, you might want to watch out. Drivers in Lexington will soon see several city roads transition from having a 35 mph speed to a 25 mph limit.
— WKYT.com, 5 Dec. 2018

Gold standard

The term gold standard refers to a system that uses a supply of gold as the backing for a currency to regulate its value. The United States stopped using the gold standard during the Great Depression, but the phrase still gets used for a successful thing against which others are judged.

One seemingly obvious answer is positive train control. The federally mandated safety system, which relies on radio and satellite-based technology to control speeds and prevent crashes and derailments, is considered the gold standard for safety on the nation’s railways
— John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2019

Gold’s status as an element of value was propelled chiefly by its luster and scarcity, and gold is often reserved for top-ranking achievements (such as gold medals awarded to victorious athletes in the Olympics) or objects of desire, such as the Golden Fleece.

Tin ear

Tin is a malleable silver-white element used in a number of alloys, including bronze and pewter.

The phrase tin ear has come to be equated with deafness—whether demonstrated in a lack of appreciation for the subtleties of tone (as in music) or obtuseness to the nuances of what someone is saying.

Yet, while reviewers argue theme and technique in great detail, when it comes to humor they seem to have a collective tin ear. If humor is noticed at all, it is often dismissed as simply slick or clever.
— David Kirby, The New York Times Book Review, 23 Dec. 1990

The choice of tin likely has nothing to do with the properties of tin. (It’s a good conductor, which would seem to help in the delivery of electrical signals.) Some have ascribed the phrase to the onetime use of metal ear trumpets by the hard of hearing; others connect tin to tinnitus, the medical term for ringing in the ears.

The term cauliflower ear once was used with the same meaning as tin ear, but the former now more often means an ear that is bruised and swollen (as from receiving a boxer’s punch).

Iron fist

To rule with an iron fist (or hand) is to preside over a country or group in a very strict and often cruel way.

Iron is one of Earth’s most abundant metals, and consequently among the most frequently used. In its pure form it is also silver-white and relatively soft and malleable.

The association of iron with mercilessness likely comes from the metal’s use to make sturdy alloys such as steel and cast iron (as used in cooking skillets). British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was given the nickname “The Iron Lady” due to her reputation for being fierce and unyielding.

Silver screen

Silver is often mentioned alongside gold for its luster and value, and hence appears in a number of expressions pertaining to opulence. But while silver screen does evoke the glitz and glamour of Hollywood stardom, the term did in fact refer to a kind of projection screen used in the early years of the industry. The surface of the screen was embedded with silver (more often aluminum) to enhance its reflective capacity. By the 1920s, silver screen had become an alliterative metonym for the movie business.

Use your intelligence, Jeeves. Reflect what proposing means. It means that a decent, self-respecting chap has got to listen to himself saying things which, if spoken on the silver screen, would cause him to dash to the box-office and demand his money back.
— P. G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves, 1934

Platinum blonde

Platinum is a silver-white precious metal often bought as an investment, just like gold and silver, and while platinum is scarcer, its price tends to fluctuate due to supply and demand. The recording industry values platinum over gold in its sales rankings: an album achieves gold-record status when it sells 500,000 copies, while one that sells a million copies is certified platinum.

The term platinum blonde uses the metal’s color as a comparison for the color of hair that has been bleached. One of the first actresses labelled with the term was Jean Harlow, who starred as the title character in the 1931 film Platinum Blonde, directed by Frank Capra. While the color can be achieved through treatments such as hydrogen peroxide, Harlow’s stylist purportedly used actual chlorine bleach on the actress’s head, which some have speculated led to health problems for Harlow, who died at age 26.

Brass tacks

Brass tacks are details of immediate practical importance. The term is often found in the phrase get down to brass tacks.

“Oh, I know what you’re wondering!” he flared out. “Would I a-spit on it in the pinch? That’s what’s eating you. I’ll answer. Straight out, brass tacks, I WOULD. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
— Jack London, “Whose Business Is To Live,” 1922

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, used in plumbing fixtures, musical instruments, and fastening items (such as pins, bolts, and screws). Brass also carries the association of boldness; to be brazen is to be bold and self-assured to the point of disrespect, but brazen can also mean “made of brass.”

Although no one knows for certain, some have attributed get down to brass tacks to the brass-headed fasteners used to secure upholstery to the framework of furniture. A craftsperson needing to pull out the tacks to remove the upholstery might be equated with the act of getting to the heart of the matter. But that is only one of many theories circulated about the phrase.

8 / 30

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

‘Avenge Pearl Harbor’

This dramatic call to arms asks Americans to take action following the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy on December 7, 1941. With Uncle Sam raising his fist at warplanes overhead, the appeal marked a key moment in the war when Americans became motivated to spurn isolationism and join the cause.

9 / 30

David Pollack/Corbis // Getty Images

‘Defend Your Country’

Uncle Sam is rolling up his sleeves, flexing his muscles, and clenching his fist in this U.S. Army “Defend Your Country” recruitment poster. Simple and bright, it presents a sense of confidence and strength.

10 / 30

National Archives // Getty Images

‘We Can Do It’

Rosie the Riveter, declaring “We can do it!” in this poster, is one of the most recognizable U.S. icons to emerge from World War II. Yet the poster was only displayed for two weeks in Westinghouse factories. It was decades later when modern-day feminism emerged that the image enjoyed widespread popularity, showing that women could perform jobs traditionally held by men.

11 / 30

Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS/Corbis // Getty Images

‘Is YOUR Trip Necessary?’

The “Is YOUR Trip Necessary?” poster of the bright-eyed, eager faces of troops gathered in front of a train was used by the U.S. government’s Office of Defense Transportation to remind civilians that the railroad was needed in the war effort. By 1943, the government restricted leisure use of automobiles and busses to conserve fuel and rubber, leaving just trains for traveling long distances. Commercial artist Montgomery Melbourne, who made the image, is credited with designing advertising images for Kool cigarettes, Morton Salt, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum.

12 / 30

U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons

‘Keep Us Flying!’

“Keep Us Flying! Buy War Bonds” by an unidentified artist portrays Lt. Robert W. Dietz, a Tuskegee Airman. Black men who registered for the draft served in segregated units like the Tuskegee Airmen of the U.S. Army Air Corps. It was highly decorated for bravery and distinguished service.

13 / 30

Galerie Bilderwelt // Getty Images

‘This is Nazi Brutality’

The U.S. poster “This is Nazi Brutality,” showing a hooded prisoner in chains, tells the story of the Czech village of Lidice, where all the men were shot and the women and children sent to camps in retaliation for the assassination of SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Initial German intelligence indicated the villagers had helped the resistance, but eventually, there was no evidence they were involved. The poster was created by Lithuanian-born American artist Ben Shahn, known for his portrayals of social and political topics.

14 / 30

Galerie Bilderwelt // Getty Images

8 / 30

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

‘Avenge Pearl Harbor’

This dramatic call to arms asks Americans to take action following the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy on December 7, 1941. With Uncle Sam raising his fist at warplanes overhead, the appeal marked a key moment in the war when Americans became motivated to spurn isolationism and join the cause.

9 / 30

David Pollack/Corbis // Getty Images

‘Defend Your Country’

Uncle Sam is rolling up his sleeves, flexing his muscles, and clenching his fist in this U.S. Army “Defend Your Country” recruitment poster. Simple and bright, it presents a sense of confidence and strength.

10 / 30

National Archives // Getty Images

‘We Can Do It’

Rosie the Riveter, declaring “We can do it!” in this poster, is one of the most recognizable U.S. icons to emerge from World War II. Yet the poster was only displayed for two weeks in Westinghouse factories. It was decades later when modern-day feminism emerged that the image enjoyed widespread popularity, showing that women could perform jobs traditionally held by men.

11 / 30

Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS/Corbis // Getty Images

‘Is YOUR Trip Necessary?’

The “Is YOUR Trip Necessary?” poster of the bright-eyed, eager faces of troops gathered in front of a train was used by the U.S. government’s Office of Defense Transportation to remind civilians that the railroad was needed in the war effort. By 1943, the government restricted leisure use of automobiles and busses to conserve fuel and rubber, leaving just trains for traveling long distances. Commercial artist Montgomery Melbourne, who made the image, is credited with designing advertising images for Kool cigarettes, Morton Salt, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum.

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U.S. National Archives // Wikimedia Commons

‘Keep Us Flying!’

“Keep Us Flying! Buy War Bonds” by an unidentified artist portrays Lt. Robert W. Dietz, a Tuskegee Airman. Black men who registered for the draft served in segregated units like the Tuskegee Airmen of the U.S. Army Air Corps. It was highly decorated for bravery and distinguished service.

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Galerie Bilderwelt // Getty Images

‘This is Nazi Brutality’

The U.S. poster “This is Nazi Brutality,” showing a hooded prisoner in chains, tells the story of the Czech village of Lidice, where all the men were shot and the women and children sent to camps in retaliation for the assassination of SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Initial German intelligence indicated the villagers had helped the resistance, but eventually, there was no evidence they were involved. The poster was created by Lithuanian-born American artist Ben Shahn, known for his portrayals of social and political topics.

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Galerie Bilderwelt // Getty Images