Re: Proper Names - Definition

Yes, I'd say the poor Brits get a bad wrap over here in the states quite a lot. Such as stereotypes about teeth, snobbery, unemotional "stone" like behavior, tendencies to stick "u"s in places they don't belong, etc. All hog-wash I'm sure (other than the "u"). Besides which, we make up for it by how much we love their accents. I've never quite understood why people get so up-in-arms about stereotypes. A key element of human socio-behavior seems to be defining one's self by what one is not, which done on an individual basis would be rather time consuming and well out of the capabilities of the human brain, therefore grouping of types becomes necessary. i.e. What exactly would a "Conservative" be without the opposite "Liberal" to define it's boundaries as a concept? Digression, sorry.

Back to the proper noun bit. I think Dominic's suggestion about the initial letter being a different color is an interesting one. It would lend an emphasis on the initial letter, which is what capitalization does, and therefore signify something unique about the word. I think I'd accept it. It adheres to to the spirit of the rule while throwing in a bit of cleverness that sets it apart from the norm.