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Baitball Blogger

(51,654 posts)
Wed Oct 1, 2025, 06:48 PM Oct 2025

Question about using italics in writing.

I'm writing a book based in a foreign country. Though most of it is in English, I do let it be known that the general conversations are taking place in the foreign language. One of the ways I do this is to interject some of the phrases in that language. When I do this, I use italics. Now, here's the question. Since I'm dealing with a college campus, the teachers are referred to profesors or profesoras. If it's used like, "Profesor Reyes" or if the student calls him, profesor, in those instances, do I still have to use italics? I'm asking because it looks odd. I'm afraid I'm going to always have a shot gun splatter of profesor, Profesor Reyes and Reyes.

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Question about using italics in writing. (Original Post) Baitball Blogger Oct 2025 OP
Suggestion Alice Kramden Oct 2025 #1
That would resolve the problem. Thank you for the opinion. Baitball Blogger Oct 2025 #2

Alice Kramden

(2,874 posts)
1. Suggestion
Wed Oct 1, 2025, 07:05 PM
Oct 2025

Perhaps references to Reyes and Professor Reyes can be treated as English (not italicized), and where "profesor" occurs it can be italicized. This would mean "professor" is spelled the English way when needed

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