Once again the June Q&As on the Chicago Manual of Style web site are just wrong and weird. The editors have directed this poor person (below) to lowercase a proper name in a title, just because the proper name is composed of common nouns. It's a glib response that hinges on a stupid comment one of the editors wanted to make ("lowercase the livestock"). I've been in this position where people are asking you all kinds of dumb questions and you just want to answer them any way you can and get on with your life. But this could have taken a bit more consideration.

On a related note, my next public art project will be to stand at the ticket counter of AirTran airlines the next time they cancel a flight out of Philadelphia and listen to people try to reason their way onto a plane that doesn't even exist anymore. We were on such a flight last weekend and accepted our fate, but the guy next to us, who'd read the ticket counter man's name off his badge, wouldn't let up. He kept saying, "Hey, Chris Brophy! What about if the plane is delayed until tomorrow, is that still the same flight? Chris Brophy, what about if I take another plane there and want to take this flight back?"

Q. I understand the general rules about titles (academic, civic, etc.), but I am working on a project that has quite a few instances of the following: “We are pleased to have the Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock here with us today. . . . We appreciate the support of the Prime Minister of India.” I would lowercase “prime minister of India,” but what to do about the minister of food, agriculture, and livestock? Should it be the minister of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock, all lowercase, or title case? Thanks for your help.

A. It wouldn’t seem right to lowercase the prime minister and uppercase the livestock. Chicago style would lowercase everything in your titles (except India).