Detective Vance examined a blackmail letter sent to the mayor. The writer threatened to expose a secret unless paid 50,000 dollars. The letter was composed entirely of words cut out from the morning newspaper. Vance noticed that the word 'mayor' was spelled with a lowercase 'm', even though it appeared at the beginning of a sentence. He smiled and knew the blackmailer was a professional journalist. Why?
Journalistic style guide
Most newspaper style guides dictate that titles like 'mayor' are lowercase unless they immediately precede a proper name. A journalist would unconsciously select the lowercase version out of habit.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Hard. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
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