[mykwyner]

I'm assuming that the Mr. Fowler you refer to is H.W. Fowler, whose book Fowler's Modern English Usage was the reference standard of English language usage for most of the twentieth century. I have an excellent copy of the first printing of the second edition (1965) that is always close at hand.

Fowler does indeed list, as matters of style and "personal taste", exceptions such as the one you suggested. He does, at the beginning of the article on capitals, say that these exceptions are outside of the "elementary rules that everyone knows and observes."

People who are learning English will do better if they are given simple rules to memorize. They need to concentrate on learning the types of things that will be asked on standardized tests, or graded by teachers who have never heard of Fowler.

By the way, I'm sorry about yelling at you before. You didn't deserve it.

Mike W.