Rulebase

Time Zone Abbreviations Only When Spoken as Abbreviations

Abbreviations

Rulebase Summary

Standard time and daylight saving time have abbreviations often used in schedules: EST, CST, MST, PST, EDT, CDT, MDT, PDT. The court reporter will use these only if they are said as abbreviations. The abbreviations are written without periods. If abbreviations are not used, spell the words out, using a capital on the word of location only (Pacific daylight time, Mountain standard time).

Morson's Rule 263 · p.149

Examples

A. We arrived at 3 p.m. central standard time.

A. We arrived at 3 p.m. Central standard time.

Capitalize the location word only when the speaker spelled it out.

A. Patty's son, Sean, called her at 9 a.m. P.D.T.

A. Patty's son, Sean, called her at 9 a.m. PDT.

Time zone abbreviation — all caps, no periods.

Transcript Notes

When the speaker spells out the time zone, capitalize only the location word — not 'standard' or 'daylight.' When said as an abbreviation, use all caps with no periods.

Style Guide References (1)

Morson's

Rule 263 Page 149
See also (3)