> > My favorite unrephraseable example: "Aw, Mom, what'd you bring that book I don't like to be read to out of up for?"
> >
> > And, of course, we must always remember the words of Winston Churchill, who, when corrected by another on this very rule, said: "That's the sort of pedantry up with which I will not put."
> >
>
> I remember when these two examples came up months ago in the Site Journal. I've shared them with my Mom ("Mom" must always be capitalized--another oft-neglected rule :-) ), who's quite the grammar buff, herself.
>

I was always told that you only had to capitalize mom when you could replace it with an actual name.

For example, I was taught both of these senteces were correct:

"Where did you put my books, Mom?"
- and -
"My mom stays at home during the day."

Was I taught incorrectly?

famous