By request, today’s tidbit is about backward/backwards and toward/towards. The explanation is from www.quickanddirtytips.com, courtesy of Grammar Girl:

Most references say that, like “towards,” “backwards” is standard in Britain and “backward” is standard in America. The exception is that when you are using “backward” as an adjective, as in “her grandmother’s backward ways” or “the program has backward compatibility,” then you never use the “s.” It is always “backward” as an adjective.

If you are in the U.S., you have it easier because you can just remember that it’s always “backward” without the “s.” We like shortcuts here, such as eating dinner in our cars, so you can remember that we’ve lopped off the “s.” But if you are using British English, you have to remember that it’s “backwards” as an adverb and “backward” as an adjective.

For information on further and farther, see previous postings of Editor’s Corner: https://episystechpubs.wordpress.com/. For forward/forwards/foreword, see the “F” section in Common Errors in English Usage at: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html.

Today I give you the last five symbols from the article “12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know” (on DailyWritingTipscom). I hope you enjoyed your weekend!

# (Number or Pound Sign, or Hash)

This symbol evolved from the abbreviation for pound, lb. (a literal abbreviation for the Roman word libra, meaning “balance”), in which horizontal lines were superimposed on the vertical lines of the letters, producing something like the tic-tac-toe pattern used today. One of many other names for the sign, octotherp (also spelled octothorp or otherwise), was a jocular coinage by telecommunications engineers in the mid-twentieth century. The symbol is seldom used outside informal or highly technical or otherwise specialized contexts. [KC – Okay, folks. This is the most wishy-washy, flip-floppy definition I’ve seen in a long time! “It’s spelled like
this—except when it isn’t spelled that way.” Yikes!]

% (Percent)

The sign for indicating percentage developed in the Middle Ages over the course of hundreds of years, beginning as an abbreviation of percent (from the Latin phrase per centum, meaning “out of a hundred”). Its use is recommended only in technical contexts or in tabular material, where space is at a premium. (Some standards authorities call for a space between a number and this symbol, but most publications and publishers omit the space.)

~ (Tilde)

The tilde is used as a diacritical mark over various letters to indicate a variety of sounds in different languages, but it also appears midline, like a dash (and is sometimes called a swung dash), to denote “approximately” (“Last night’s attendance: ~100”). It has technical connotations as well and is even used as a notation for recording sequences of action in juggling. The name, borrowed into English through Portuguese and Spanish from Latin, means “title.”

/ (Slash, Solidus, Stroke, or Virgule)

During the Middle Ages, this sign of many names, including those listed above, served as a comma; a pair denoted a dash. The double slash was eventually tipped horizontally to become an equal sign and later a dash or hyphen. (The equal sign is still used as a proofreader’s mark to indicate insertion of a hyphen.) The slash — also called the forward slash to distinguish it from the backslash, which is used only in technical contexts — is an informal substitute for or. [KC – In poetry, when writing lines without formatting, a single slash indicates the end of a line; the double slash indicates the end of a stanza.]

_ (Underscore or Understrike)

This artifact from the era of the typewriter was used on such devices to underline words to indicate emphasis in lieu of italics. [KC – Emphasis mine. If you are using underlines for emphasis in this day and age, and you send me work to edit, I will remove them. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, since we do not want to look like a technology company that promotes the uses of typewriters or other “artifacts.” Off soapbox.] As a survival of that function, words are sometimes bracketed by a pair of single underscores in email and other computer contexts to mark a word for emphasis (“That band totally _rocked_ the place.”). Indeed, as I typed this post in Microsoft Word, the program automatically converted rocked to italics. The symbol also appears frequently in email and website addresses and other technical contexts.

Before we start with today’s symbols in writing, I’d like to impart some not-so-grammarly information. I had several people ask me how to make the “cent” symbol yesterday, and like magic, Javier Romero sent me the answer! He suggested I pass on the information, and I think that’s a brilliant idea. Really, all you have to do is search Google for “alt codes” and you get tons of information. To save you time, I’ve previewed some of the sites and selected these three for various reasons. I’m sure there are prettier ones out there, but time is of the essence.

· http://www.wikihow.com/Type-Symbols-Using-the-ALT-Key Provides instructions on how to create symbols using a desktop PC, laptop, or Mac; also provides a list of symbols and the associated alt code.

· http://www.altcodes.org/ Provides categorized lists of codes (e.g., alphabet, bullet, and trademark symbols), a “how to” section, and additional information on alt codes.

· http://usefulshortcuts.com/downloads/ALT-Codes Links to categorized lists and a quick-reference guide/list of codes.

Now for the next three symbols, from Daily Writing Tips (www.dailywritingtips.com):

5. ° (Degree Sign)

The sign for degrees of arc or degrees of temperature, which started out as a superscripted zero, was chosen for consistency with use of the minute (′) and second marks (″) employed in geometry and geography; those symbols originally stood for the Latin numerals I and II. The degree sign appears in technical contexts, but in general-interest publications, the word degree is generally used.

In references to temperature, the symbol (and the designation of the temperature scale) immediately follows the associated numerical figure (“45°C”). This style is true of many publishing companies, though the US Government and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures prescribe a space between the number and the symbol (“45 °C”), while other publications omit the first letter space but insert another between the symbol and the abbreviation (“45° C”).

” (Ditto Sign)

The ditto sign, first attested three thousand years ago, signals that text shown above is to be repeated, as in a list in which the same quantity of various materials is intended to be expressed:

Apples 24
bananas "
oranges "

The word ditto, meaning “said,” derives from the Tuscan language, the immediate ancestor of Italian, but was borrowed into English hundreds of years ago. The word, its abbreviation (do.), and the symbol are considered inappropriate for most writing, though the term has often been used in informal spoken and written language to mean “(the same as) what he/she said.” Although the symbol has a distinct character code for online writing, straight or curly close quotation marks are usually employed to produce it.

$ (Dollar Sign)

This symbol for the American dollar and many other currencies was first used to refer to the peso, which inspired the American currency system. Various origin stories for the symbol come in and out of fashion, but it’s most likely that it developed from an abbreviation of pesos in which the initial p preceded a superscript s; the tail of the initial was often superimposed on the s. A dollar sign with two vertical lines is a less common variant.

Most books and other formal publications tend to spell out dollars in association with a (spelled-out or numerical) figure, but periodicals usually use the symbol, as do specialized books about finance or business or others with frequent references to money. In international publications, when the symbol is used, for clarity, it is combined with the abbreviation US (“US$1.5 million” or “US $1.5 million”).

The dollar sign is also used as an abbreviated reference to various functions in computer programming and similar contexts.

Have a great weekend everyone!

While I’m pretty sure everyone is familiar with the symbols on the standard (American) keyboard, this article from Daily Writing Tips (www.dailywritingtips.com) also provides a little history and usage information for twelve of the most common signs. Today we’ll have a look at the first four.

Note: This article contains some awkward phrasing, non-Chicago Manual of Style punctuation choices, and references to a swear word. I have not made corrections because I didn’t want to interrupt the text too many times with [sic]; my apologies to eagle-eyed readers and sticklers.

& (Ampersand)

The ampersand was, at least until well into the nineteenth century, treated as the twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet, but its star has fallen, so that now it is used only informally except in registered names of businesses (“Ay, Bee & See Inc.”), which should be written as rendered; a comma preceding it is extraneous. [KC – Woe to the serial comma.]

The symbol comes from the cursive formation of the Latin word et (“and”), and the name is a slurring contraction of “and per se and,” which used to terminate schoolroom recitals of the alphabet: The phrase means “and by itself and”; instead of reciting, “. . . W, X, Y, Z, and,” children said, “. . . W, X, Y, Z, and per se and” to clarify that “and” referred to a list item rather than serving as a conjunction for an item that was left unuttered. The symbol is also seen in &c. (“et cetera”), an alternate form of etc. [KC – Boy, that ending would certainly take the “oomph” out of the alphabet song.]

American Psychological Association (APA) style allows the ampersand to link author names in an in-text citation (“Laurel & Hardy, 1921”), but other style guides call for using the word and.

[KC – One of our YellowHammer coworkers, Valerie Manning, sent me an article about the ampersand, and this link shows you how the symbol emerged from “et.” Thanks,
Valerie! http://www.adobe.com/type/topics/theampersand.html]

* (Asterisk)

The asterisk is used to call out a footnote or to refer to an annotation of special terms or conditions, to substitute for letters in profanity (“Oh, s***!”) or a name rendered anonymous (“the subject, M***”), to serve as a low-tech alternative to a typographical bullet, or provide emphasis in place of boldface (“Do *not* go there — the food is awful.”). It also has many specialized technical usages. Its name is derived from the Greek term asteriskos, meaning “little star,” and it was originally applied to distinguish date of birth from other references to years.

@ (At Sign)

Until the age of e-mail, the at sign was restricted mostly to commercial use, in purchase orders and the like, to mean “at the rate of” (“Order 1K widgets @ $2.50 per.”). It’s also used in displays of schedules for competitive sports to identify the event venue. Now it’s ubiquitous in email addresses and in social-networking usage, as well as computer protocols, but outside of those contexts, it is considered inappropriate for all but the most informal writing.

¢ (Cent)

This symbol for cent (from the Latin word centum, meaning “hundred”), unlike its cousin the dollar sign — it’s also used in many monetary systems other than that of US currency — is rare except in informal usage or for price tags. When it does appear, unlike the dollar sign, it follows rather than precedes the numeral, though as in the case of the dollar sign, no space intervenes. The equivalent usage in a context where dollar signs are employed is to treat the amount as a decimal portion of a dollar (“$0.99”); for clarity, a zero should always be inserted between the dollar sign and the decimal point.

The sign probably originated to distinguish an ordinary c from one denoting a monetary amount.

Today’s Editor’s Corner is borrowed from the Grammar Girl web site (quickanddirtytips.com). I was looking for something related to the 4th of July, but the grammar world comes up short on patriotic “rules and regulations.” Then I saw this sad news about Car Talk. While I lament that I won’t be getting weekly lessons on cars (while practicing my Boston accent), here’s the article on nicknames, just for kicks.

Are Nicknames Capitalized?

by Mignon Fogarty

Tom and Ray Magliozzi just announced that in September they’ll stop producing new episodes for their popular NPR show Car Talk. Tom and Ray also go by Click and Clack.

Capitalize Nicknames

"Click" and "Clack" are capitalized because they’re nicknames—they take the place of a real name. You might say to your brother, “Boy, I’d sure like to meet Tom and Ray,” or you might say, “I’d sure like to meet Click and Clack.” The nicknames are essentially interchangeable with the real names.

Don’t Capitalize Terms of Endearment

Nicknames are different from terms of endearment, however. Terms of endearment aren’t capitalized. For example, let’s say you call your husband "honey." You might walk in the door and say “Honey, I’m home,” but you wouldn’t call your sister and say, “When I got home, honey was already making dinner. What a guy!”

A term of endearment isn’t interchangeable with a name the same way a nickname is, and terms of endearment aren’t capitalized.

Oy vey! You folks ask some tough questions. Today we’ll address the following:

• What is the difference between further and farther?
• Are further and farther interchangeable?
• If the root word for farther and farthest is far, is the root word for further and furthest fur?

Grammar Girl (on http://www.quickanddirtytips.com) gives us some good guidance:

Use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It’s easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously relates to physical distance.

Looking at the definitions on Merriam-Webster.com, you can use either word when your intended meaning is one of the following:

• a considerable distance in space : to a remote place
  Example: The cabin is farther/further away than we thought it would be.
• a considerable distance in time
  Example: The design of the 5000 BC wooden mask is the farthest/furthest from our current technology.
• to an advanced point or extent : a long way
  Example: I’ve never walked farther/further than that in my life!

When you use the root word, however, you’re stuck with far. In other words, it is “this road takes you far beyond the village”; not “this road takes you fur beyond the village.” (Unless, of course, you are talking to a dog.)

And further is the word to use under these circumstances:

• in addition: moreover
  Example: Their super-smoothies are further enriched by bee pollen.
• going beyond what exists: additional
  Example: Further information is provided in the New Employee Handbook.
•  to help forward: promote, advance
  Example: Taking additional courses while you work will further your career.

Have a good weekend! I have nothing further to say. 🙂

Kara Church

Senior Technical Editor
S Y M I T A R
8985 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123

And here are the verses again, this time with the answers:

Without her I know that there wouldn’t be me; (ma)

Turn her around, she’s a word from ‘to be’. (am)

Detractors will say I’m too greedy by far; (avid)

Turn me around, I’m an opera star. (diva)

If I bore you by boasting and putting on airs, (brag)

Turn me around, and I’m something one wears. (garb)

A river will do this, though shallow, though deep; (flow)

Turn it around, and it likes eating sheep. (wolf)

This is not so much a quiz as it is a puzzle. There is no need to send your answers to me—we’ll work on the honor system. I will send the answers out this afternoon so you can see how you did.

These are “Reverse Verses” from The Game of Words, by Willard R. Espy.

Each of the couplets below defines two words, the first is the reverse of the second in spelling but otherwise unrelated to it.

KC – For example:

“It’s used on your luggage to fasten about;
Turn it around, and your clothes may fall out.”

In this case, the answer to the first line is strap; the answer to the second line (the reverse) is parts. Solve one line, solve the other.

Good luck!

Without her I know that there wouldn’t be me;
Turn her around, she’s a word from ‘to be’.

Detractors will say I’m too greedy by far;
Turn me around, I’m an opera star.

If I bore you by boasting and putting on airs,
Turn me around, and I’m something one wears.

A river will do this, though shallow, though deep;
Turn it around, and it likes eating sheep.

Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
S Y M I T A R
8985 Balboa Ave.
San Diego, CA 92123

This is something I wrote about before, back when the Editor’s Corner went to about 20 people. Since I’ve had some questions and comments on these recently, it’s time to take them for another spin.

Frequently confused nouns (sometimes used as noun modifiers) and verbs:

· login = noun; log in = verb

Click the login field and enter your user name.

To log in to the system, you will need the secret password.

· backup = noun; back up = verb

If you don’t run a daily backup, you may lose important information.

After you back up your car, I will park my lovely ’76 Gremlin in the driveway.

· checkup = noun; check up = verb

Margarita’s checkup was great; the scrofula had disappeared!

He asked me to check up on Grandpa and make sure he wasn’t teaching the kids how to play mumblety-peg.

· holdout = noun; hold out = verb

During deliberations, the only holdout was Joey the baker; he wanted more information before he decided the woman’s fate.

As it snowed, Pepper’s father told her to hold out her hand to catch the flakes.

· standby = noun; stand by = verb

The standby travelers looked glum; it would be thirty hours before the next flight out of Reykjavik.

If you stand by Clara, she will try to hold your hand.

There are others, but this should get you off to a good start.

Note: Some of the nouns have alternate spellings that include hyphens. The option you use would be defined by your house style guide. Additionally, if you run into other pairs like this, and can’t remember which one is the noun and which one is the verb, the dictionary is always willing to tell you!

Good morning,

Today I have a request to go over the terms any time versus anytime. Silly me, I thought this was going to be an easy one. 🙂

I thought this article summed it up the best, so I’m leaving it to the anonymous professionals at the Grammarist web site (www.grammarist.com) to explain. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph!

anytime vs. any time

Dictionaries list the one-word anytime as an adverb meaning at any time, and they don’t assign it any other functions. But the word is also frequently used as a subordinating conjunction, synonymous with whenever and usually meaning every time that.

Anytime is a new word. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary lists 1926 as the year of its first known use (though earlier instances are easily found in historical Google searches). The Oxford English Dictionary doesn’t list it at all. Some sources say it is an Americanism, and while it’s true that the word is especially common in American publications, it is used throughout the English-speaking world.

There are a few situations in which any time is two words. When it is embedded in the adverbial phrase at any time, it’s two words because at must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase, and anytime doesn’t work as a noun. It’s also two words in constructions like I don’t have any time to spare because any is an adjective modifying the noun time, and the words together don’t directly modify anything.

If you have trouble with anytime and any time, the easy solution is to always make it two words. Garner’s Modern American Usage calls the newly formed contraction a casualism (and indeed many of the examples we find in news sources are in quoted speech), and the fact that it is not listed in the OED or in other British dictionaries shows that it has yet to gain full acceptance. No one questions any time.

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