Capital?

There's a new anti-amphetamine television ad that ends with the line "Don't let Ice destroy you."

Maggie doesn't think Ice deserves a capital; I do because it's a name. What do you all think because we can't agree? I think it might be an American vs. Australian/British thing.

(note, Maggie has approved this post so I'm not being a smart-ass ;)

11 Comments so far

  1. Aaron on August 20th, 2007

    I would consider it a proper noun and capitalise.

  2. Jimmy on August 20th, 2007

    I’d say it needs a capital, since its a title of a product/item.

  3. Adam on August 20th, 2007

    Not sure… it’s a ’street name’ for something else. If street names for things are capitalised then yes, but i don’t think coke/smack/horse is ever capitalised mid-sentence. I’m siding with Maggie on this one.

    I guess street names can become the actual name after a period of time if the language accepts it, but I don’t think it is yet.

  4. Lanzon on August 20th, 2007

    It depends on whether it is a noun (not capitalised) or a proper noun (capitalised).

    A proper noun is used when the name is a Unique Identity such as Lambie or the Internet. As (thank god) there is only one Lambie and one Internet.

    I don’t believe ice is a proper noun and therefore I don’t think it should be capitalised.

    On a side note; my pet hate is reading Australian documents that use “z” instead of “s” (e.g. capitalized).

  5. Adam on August 20th, 2007

    Lucky we all used ’s’ then ;)

  6. Hale on August 20th, 2007

    I think Lanzon has it right. Slang is not capitalised mid-sentence in the Queen’s English.

  7. Duncan on August 20th, 2007

    I’m with Maggie, ice with no capital. It’s the same as “coke” the drug and “Coke” the drink… or “ice” the drug and “Vanilla Ice” the rapper… ones a noun and one a proper noun.

  8. emma on August 20th, 2007

    But ‘God’ is meant to have a capital, I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of people that think there’s only one of him. Yes, I am a smartarse.

  9. Melinda on August 20th, 2007

    I’m going with blind faith here. As Maggie is a teacher, I believe she knows what she is talking about. Also I am scared she’ll kick me out of being a bridesmaid and replace me with Aaron if I don’t take her side.

    Trust me Maggie I’ll look better in a dress!

  10. Aaron on August 21st, 2007

    I’d cry more though…

  11. kirstie on September 4th, 2007

    i don’t think ice deserves a capital. sorry, matt :)

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