back up (v.) backup (n. and adj.)
barbecue
Not barbeque or Bar-B-Q.
because, since
Use because to denote a specific cause-effect relationship: He went because he was told. Since it is acceptable when the first event in a sequence leads logically to the second but is not its direct cause: They went to the game since they had been given the tickets.
beside, besides
Beside means at the side of. Besides means in addition to.
best-seller
Hyphenate in all uses.
bi-
The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen. Some examples: bipartisan, bimonthly, bifocal, bilingual
biannual, biennial
Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for the word semiannual. Biennial means every two years.
bimonthly
Bimonthly means every other month. Semimonthly means twice a month.
biweekly
Biweekly means every other week. Semiweekly means twice a week.
Black
Capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense: Black people, Black students, Black literature
blog
A website where short entries are usually (but not always) presented in reverse chronological order with the newest entry first. It can be news, commentary, photos, video, or any combination of the above and other items. Originally a shortening of the term "Weblog," blog is no commonly used.
board of directors, board of trustees
Always lowercase internal elements of an organization when they have names widely used generic terms: the board of trustees for the university, Tacoma Art Museum's board of directors. Capitalize when using the full, official name: University of Puget Sound Board of Trustees; Puget Sound Board of Trustees.
Note: Cabinet is a widely used generic term and should therefore be lowercase. Capitalize internal elements of an organization when they have names that are not widely used generic terms: the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches, the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association.
boardroom
One word in all uses. Exception: Murray Board Room
The Boeing Company
Use The Boeing Company on the first reference. Boeing alone is fine on the second reference.
book titles
See Titles, composition.
brand name
When they are used, capitalize brand names. Brand names normally should be used only if they are essential to a story. The same rule applies to company name and trademark. Also, see Capitalization, proper nouns, proper names.
building names and other named campus spaces and on-campus residential facilities
Also, see Capitalization, building names.
by-
The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen: byline, bypass, byproduct.