docbook: [OT] ISO's vs ISOs
Subject:
Re: [OT] ISO's vs ISOs
From:
Alexander Bartolich ####@####.####
Date:
22 Jul 2002 10:29:33 -0000
Message-Id: <29614.1027333745@www32.gmx.net>
Bob Stayton wrote:
> [...] You might check out this page which discusses this very
> subject, and includes "P's and Q's" as an example
> (and URLs as another):
>
> http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm
# We use an apostrophe to create plural forms in two
# limited situations: for pluralized letters of the alphabet
# and when we are trying to create the plural form of a
# word that refers to the word itself.
Oops. This matter _is_ complicated.
# [...] Do not use the apostrophe-s to create the plural
# of acronyms (pronounceable abbreviations such as
# LASER and IRA and URL) and other abbreviations.
UNIX is not an abbreviation at all.
And it's CD, not SEADEE. ;=)
# (A possible exception to this last rule is an acronym
# that ends in "S": "We filed four NOS's in that folder.")
"I installed many OS's on that hard disk."
as opposed to
"MacOS' security features are few and far between."?
I really like these nice, confusing examples:
# Jeffrey got four A's on his last report card.
# Towanda learned very quickly to mind her p's and q's.
# You have fifteen and's in that last paragraph.
But right at the bottom is a footnote that restores
my shallow confidence:
# The jury still seems to be out on whether URL (acronym
# for Uniform [or Universal] Resource Locator), the address
# of a website on the World Wide Web, should be
# pronounced like the name of your Uncle Earl or as a series
# of letters: U*R*L. In either case, though, the plural would
# be spelled URLs.
Anyway, I think part of the problem is the tricks traditional
publishers used to play:
# But when we refer to a word-as-a-word, we first italicize it
# and if necessary, we pluralize it by adding the unitalicized
# apostrophe -s
Yeah. Does not work with plain ASCII.
And just what DocBook tag is that?
http://www.docbook.org/tdg/en/html/wordasword.html
# Processing expectations: Formatted inline.
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