An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word, or phrase.
9
votes
2answers
2k views
Differences between e.g., viz. and i.e.
What are the differences between viz. and eg. and in which situations each is used? Please also compare the usage with i.e. if appropriate.
Edit: In response to a comment below: I'm asking this as I ...
3
votes
2answers
388 views
Punctuating “etc.” after a series of questions
How should I terminally punctuate etc. when it's used at the end of a series of questions?
How's your brother? Did you get the job? Are you feeling better? Etc.?
Is this right, or do I use a ...
4
votes
4answers
619 views
How do I manage periods for abbreviations with parentheses, right before a period?
"In the case of medical diagnostics, there is a cost associated with each medical procedure that provides additional information (blood test, x-ray, etc.)."
Should that end with "etc.).", "etc)." ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
How to abbreviate “and other things”?
Which short phrase or abbreviation could I use here to mean and other things?
The medulla oblongata controls respiration and cardiovascular rhythm ____.
Etc. would not fit as it carries the ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
Stock quantity of products — the most proper abbreviation
What is a commonly accepted abbreviation with regard to stock quantity of (countable) products?
As in: "200 units" of sth, just shorter.
I've come across the form "200 pc.", but as it's coming from ...
39
votes
1answer
2k views
What does “c'tee” mean?
I have been seeing the word c'tee frequently. Here are some examples:
Sports minister sets up c’tee to find solution to football crisis
...
0
votes
0answers
71 views
Should I use `a SSTP` or `an SSTP`? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
First of all let me clarify that SSTP is an abbreviation of a technical term.
I want to know, when using ...
6
votes
2answers
16k views
What is the correct abbreviation for the word “numbers”?
What is the correct abbreviation for the words numbers and number?
Nos.
No.
Nos
No
Possible example usage:
"Number of guests" where the word number is abbreviated
"Numbers 10–15 are located in ...
1
vote
0answers
98 views
Ending sentences with “etc” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When “etc.” is at the end of a phrase, do you place a period after it?
What is the proper way to end a sentence with "etc."? Should there be two periods or ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
The use of “e.g.” at the end of a sentence
I was reviewing an English text as an exercise, English not being my mother tongue, and I came to this sentence:
(...) with the two other articles that conclude several things about customers ...
6
votes
3answers
670 views
As “postscript” is one word, why do some abbreviate it as “p.s.”?
'Postscript' is a single word in modern English, and Dictionary.com states that it's even based on a single Latin word, postscrīptum. So, why do some abbreviate it to p.s. (or P.S.), as on this ...
6
votes
3answers
499 views
Is the proper phrasing “SMS” or “SMS Message”?
I know that "SMS" stands for "Short Messaging Service." But,
The term SMS is used as a synonym for all types of short text messaging as
well as the user activity itself in many parts of the ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Meaning of “pcm” [closed]
I'm trying to rent an apartment and the price is written as:
£1,000 pcm.
What does that mean?
0
votes
4answers
5k views
Abbreviation for “announcement”?
Is there a common abbreviation for "announcement"?
If there is, what is it?
0
votes
1answer
506 views
What could “cert 4/52” mean in a clinical record? [closed]
What could "cert" mean in these clinical record extracts?
Work stressful - cert 1/52.
Sent him in to Homerton. Cert 4/52 from 12th March, bus driver.
6
votes
2answers
389 views
Is Wayne's World's (NOT) a modern invention?
Older users of this site may recall the 'Bill & Ted' 'Wayne's World' series of movies of the early 1990s. They were mindless but fairly amusing and their eponymous characters spoke in a unique ...
3
votes
5answers
4k views
Correct punctuation in company names
My father's company is named the following:
Xyz Trading Co. (L.L.C.)
I find the use of periods excessive, at the abbreviation of company and the last period in the parenthesis.
Is it ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Capitalization of explanation of abbreviations
I'm writing a rather tehnical report with a lot of abbreviations such as QoS (quality of service), AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code).
When should ...
9
votes
0answers
967 views
What does “OP” stand for? [closed]
I see the abbreviation everywhere at stackoverflow.com to represent the user who asked the question. I'd like to know the complete form of OP.
1
vote
2answers
294 views
Abbreviation of “(a)synchronous” [closed]
How should one go about abbreviating (a)synchronous? Is the most correct form (a)sync. or (a)synch.?
1
vote
0answers
413 views
Signaling Continuation of Something [closed]
If you are writing something like a section/table in one page of a document and are forced to move part of it to a new place, what word do you use to signal "continuation"? For example,
(Page 1:) ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Are there any general rules or guidelines for creating abbreviations for words?
Are there any general rules or guidelines for how to create abbreviations of a word when there isn't any established abbreviations of it already?
Context: I'm writing an article in which I have to ...
5
votes
3answers
529 views
Abbreviating names that start with a vowel
What are the rules about abbreviating names that start with a vowel? Would abbreviating "Alanis Morissette" to "A. Morissette" be correct or should it be "Al. Morissette"?
0
votes
1answer
458 views
What does “F.I.T.” stand for here?
Context (New York Times),
Despite all the sartorial trappings, guests dressed like any in your typical off-the-rack hotel. On a recent Monday, there were F.I.T. parents in the slate-gray lobby, ...
14
votes
1answer
778 views
Why do some words have “X” as a substitute?
Why do people sometimes substitute x for letters in a word?
Examples:
Xing
Xmas
Xfr
13
votes
3answers
2k views
“open mike” vs. “open mic”
I run comedy shows, and at these comedy shows there is always an "open mike" section.
Frequently I get people saying to me, shouldn't it be "open mic", because "mic" should be the shortened version ...
-5
votes
3answers
941 views
Since “Jap” is a racist/derogatory word, what's an appropriate short form for Japanese/the Japanese language? [closed]
Since Jap may turn out to be derogatory/offensive, what's an appropriate short form for Japanese/the Japanese language?
1
vote
1answer
2k views
Abbreviation for “so-called”
In German there is an abbreviation for so genannt, which is sog.
Is there a known popular abbreviation for the equivalent so-called in English?
0
votes
1answer
123 views
Correct English: “An L.V.” or “a L.V.”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“a” or “an” for words that don't start with vowels but sound like they're starting with a vowel
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Does one use 'a' or ...
5
votes
8answers
672 views
Should Philip have P. or Ph. as an initial?
In the context of scientific articles and technical white papers, references to other publications typically include the author’s surname with, depending on the format of the specific publication, ...
3
votes
4answers
17k views
Which (if any) is correct: est., estd., or est'd.?
A business founded (or a building built or a monument dedicated) in 1854 might have a sign or plaque reading "EST'D 1854" or "EST 1854" or "ESTD 1854", or some other combination I haven't seen or ...
2
votes
1answer
420 views
Abbreviation of EU and associated punctuation
Why doesn't the abbreviation of European Union (EU) carry periods with it as the abbreviation of United States (U.S.) does, for example?
A brief online search turned up little on the punctuation of ...
6
votes
5answers
3k views
Why use BCE/CE instead of BC/AD?
When I was a kid, I was always taught to refer to years using BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini / year of our Lord). However, I somewhat regularly hear people referring to years as in the CE ...
12
votes
7answers
3k views
How do I spell the truncation 'Cas', as in 'Sports Casual/Sports Cas'?
How do I spell the truncation 'Cas', as in 'Sports Casual/Sports Cas'? It may be UK only, and may have been spawned by Alan Partridge. Cash/Cas are not right.
*As in a slang term, "he was acting all ...
0
votes
1answer
385 views
How can I tell when an abbreviation is an acronym?
I know an acronym is an abbreviation that can be pronounced as one word, but when is an abbreviation pronounced as one word?
Making myself clearer, how do we know whether or not it is pronounced as ...
5
votes
5answers
707 views
Please use other door?
"Please use other door" signs are common. But would you ever say this? Or would you say "please use the other door"?
2
votes
2answers
2k views
What does “CP” stand for? (job name)
I saw a person had described his position as "CP at example.com" on Linkedin.
Not someone who I know personally, but I had been in contact when he asked me to publish my Android application on this ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
Can I start a sentence with “i.e.”?
While writing a rhetorical question I ran into a case where it seemed natural to start a sentence with "I.e":
How do we handle the case when the list is empty? I.e., if the filter matched no ...
2
votes
2answers
266 views
Should I abbreviate word starting with “kn” as “K” or “N”?
Imagine you're abbreviating a title that has a kn-word in it (e.g. Should Know).
What is the preferred way? Is it SK or SN?
-2
votes
2answers
1k views
Period before or after short form for inches
When writing a sentence that contains the short version of inches as a double quote, (e.g. the box measured 14") does the period come before, or after the quotation mark?
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Using apostrophe when abbreviating “recommendations” as “reco's”
When abbreviating the word "recommendations" as "reco's", is it proper to use the apostrophe to show that it's an abbreviation, or does it conflict with a possessive apostrophe?
8
votes
1answer
4k views
Ending a sentence with an abbreviation [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Punctuation around abbreviations
When a sentence ends with an abbreviation, should there be two periods or one?
Welcome to ACME Inc. We are glad to have you on ...
11
votes
5answers
787 views
How do you write an ellipsis following an abbreviation?
Consider the following sentence (off of the top of my head just to illustrate an example):
I hate the N.C.A.A....but I understand that it's a necessary evil.
When following an abbreviation with ...
18
votes
3answers
5k views
When a sentence starts with “e.g.”, should the e be capitalized?
When a sentence starts with e.g., should the e be capitalized?
Neverminding that it might be better to start with "For example," ... Thinking of SE posts and comments, should the starting e be ...
45
votes
5answers
3k views
Where did “cc” and “bcc” come from?
I've just realised that CC is "carbon-copy" and BCC is "blind-carbon-copy". Basically I'm wondering, where did these terms come from?
9
votes
4answers
27k views
What does 'Ibid' mean in reference/footnotes?
Every so often I read a book with footnotes, and I've seen them use Ibid. followed by page numbers - but I have no idea what this term means.
At first I thought it was a reference to a classical ...
3
votes
1answer
330 views
Quantity for abbreviations of plural terms
I have two questions which I think are so closely related that they should be grouped together.
Quantity for an abbreviation that stands for a plural
Context: The author is trying to explain what ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is the word 'number' abbreviated to 'No.' in UK English and '#' in American English?
Why the disparity. And why use 'No.'? Is it from the French?
And the hash or pound sign seems a weird choice too, is there a history or any reason involved?
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Is “sb.” a commonly accepted abbreviation? What does it mean?
What does sb. mean? I keep seeing it certain posters' questions and I'm not sure what it's supposed to stand for — the word something, my initial guess, doesn't have a 'b' in it. So my questions ...
1
vote
1answer
4k views
“'n'” as an abbreviation for “and” as in “rock 'n' roll”
I wonder if there are other cases where and is abbreviated in writing as in rock 'n' roll.
