| Re: Passing Image Data :) [message #27433 is a reply to message #27327] |
Tue, 23 October 2001 14:33   |
Mark Hadfield
Messages: 783
Registered: May 1995
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Senior Member |
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From: "David Fanning" <david@dfanning.com>
> Mark Hadfield (m.hadfield@niwa.cri.nz) writes:
>
>> I think the idea is that the period is required only when the
abbreviation
>> removes something from the *end* of the word. Since the abbreviation
"Dr"
>> ends with the same letter as "Doctor", no period is required.
>
> Really!?
>
> That's why I like this newsgroup. I learn something
> new every day. :-)
And you shouldn't believe everything you read in it.
Having publicly pontificated on punctuation of abbreviations, I thought I
should look for some support. For historical reasons, the only style manual
in my office I have is an American one, viz. "Webster's American Style
Manual" (1985). On p 95 it says:
1. A period follows most abbreviations that are formed by omitting all but
the first few letters of a word, eg. bull. for bulletin, bro. for brother,
fig. for figure, Fr. for French.
2. A period follows most abbreviations that are formed by omitting letters
from the middle of a word, eg. secy. for secretary, mfg. for manufacturing,
agcy. for agency, Mr. for Mister.
3. [various others less relevant]
So, Dr. Fanning, I am afraid this authority does not support Andrew and me.
However, it is, as I said, an American authority. Perhaps the "no period [I
mean full stop] when omitting letters from the middle of an abbreviation"
rule applies in British English, as opposed to American English. I am sure I
remember learning it in school. I could ask my school-age children, but I
don't think they learn *anything* in school these days...I better stop here
before I lapse completely into impotent pedantic curmudgeonry.
Cheers, bro.
---
Mark Hadfield
m.hadfield@niwa.cri.nz http://katipo.niwa.cri.nz/~hadfield
National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research
--
Posted from clam.niwa.cri.nz [202.36.29.1]
via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
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