How (and why) to Ramble on your goat sideways
07-16-2014, 09:54 AM
Excellent. One of your own sources mentions that until recently the form "ABC's" was quite common and only that most current texts do not recommend it.
I quote:
The Grammarphobia Blog: Alphabet soup: ABC or ABCs?
Apostrophe - Grammarist
Abc - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Abc's | Define Abc's at Dictionary.com
Lynne Truss's 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' (2003), p46
So the "ABC's" form has been quite common for over a century, and moreover, there remains a general guideline that using the apostrophe to form the plural of abbreviations with lower case letters is still acceptable for the purpose of clarity.
Therefore, I remained unbowed in defense of Weird Al Yankovic's good name.
I quote:
The Grammarphobia Blog: Alphabet soup: ABC or ABCs?
[T]he OED has 15 examples of “ABC” used in this sense and only one is plural, from a 1961 translation of Fidel Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” speech in 1953:
“Who among us has not learned his ABC’s in the little public schoolhouse?”
However, we’ve found many earlier plural examples in Google Books, including this one from an 1898 report by the New York State Superintendent of Public Instruction:
“They receive in one room pupils of all ages and all degrees of advancement, from ABC’s upward, sometimes even to algebra and Latin.”
“Who among us has not learned his ABC’s in the little public schoolhouse?”
However, we’ve found many earlier plural examples in Google Books, including this one from an 1898 report by the New York State Superintendent of Public Instruction:
“They receive in one room pupils of all ages and all degrees of advancement, from ABC’s upward, sometimes even to algebra and Latin.”
Apostrophe - Grammarist
3. Pluralization
Apostrophes are sometimes used to pluralize acronyms, numbers, or letters—for example, 1970′s, ABC’s, FAQ’s. But this type of apostrophe is becoming less common, and many English authorities now recommend against it. Many 21st-century publications instead use 1970s, ABCs, FAQs.
Apostrophes are sometimes used to pluralize acronyms, numbers, or letters—for example, 1970′s, ABC’s, FAQ’s. But this type of apostrophe is becoming less common, and many English authorities now recommend against it. Many 21st-century publications instead use 1970s, ABCs, FAQs.
Abc - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1 ABC noun \ˌā-(ˌ)bē-ˈsē\
: the letters of the English alphabet
: the most basic or important information about a subject
plural ABC's or ABCs
: the letters of the English alphabet
: the most basic or important information about a subject
plural ABC's or ABCs
Abc's | Define Abc's at Dictionary.com
ABC [ey-bee-see] Show IPA
noun, plural ABC's, ABCs.
noun, plural ABC's, ABCs.
Lynne Truss's 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' (2003), p46
[O]nly one significant task has been lifted from the apostrophe's workload in recent years: it no longer has to appear in the plurals of abbreviations ... . Until quite recently, it was customary to write "MP's" and "1980's" - and in fact this convention still applies in America.
So the "ABC's" form has been quite common for over a century, and moreover, there remains a general guideline that using the apostrophe to form the plural of abbreviations with lower case letters is still acceptable for the purpose of clarity.
Therefore, I remained unbowed in defense of Weird Al Yankovic's good name.
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07-16-2014, 01:09 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: OKC, OK
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A lot of the guys reading our stuff MAY have graduated college, so I don't refer to the Chicago Manual of Style as often as I should.
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07-16-2014, 02:23 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Round Pond, ME
Posts: 1,064
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Must really rattle the jimmies at family reunions.
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07-17-2014, 07:34 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Posts: 3,214
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Just did a ton of work on my suspension.
Replaced the sway bars, installed handmade links for starters..
Then, I installed a set of Tein Street Advance Coilovers, AND EDFC Active Pro.
Took a couple days to program just the speed parameters, but the result is magic.
The car is very comfortable on old, cobblestone streets. Like Cadillac comfortable.
It goes over speed bumps with grace. On the freeway, it has a whole different personality. Holds on to turns, and is more "fun" to drive.
Rears soften up when I take up drive, and progressively come back to default setting at 40 mph, and then they go harder or back to normal depending on the speed and G forces the car is subjected to.
And, I haven't even touched the G settings yet. Just default values for G input so far.
Bought the whole setup from Japan for almost half the asking price in the US. I am very happy with the results.
Replaced the sway bars, installed handmade links for starters..
Then, I installed a set of Tein Street Advance Coilovers, AND EDFC Active Pro.
Took a couple days to program just the speed parameters, but the result is magic.
The car is very comfortable on old, cobblestone streets. Like Cadillac comfortable.
It goes over speed bumps with grace. On the freeway, it has a whole different personality. Holds on to turns, and is more "fun" to drive.
Rears soften up when I take up drive, and progressively come back to default setting at 40 mph, and then they go harder or back to normal depending on the speed and G forces the car is subjected to.
And, I haven't even touched the G settings yet. Just default values for G input so far.
Bought the whole setup from Japan for almost half the asking price in the US. I am very happy with the results.
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07-17-2014, 11:47 AM
First day of my new job- working in semiconductor manufacturing. My shift is from 6:30am to 6:40pm...meaning I'm up at 5am.
I'm starting to slightly regret going to the Local-H/Helmet/Filter show last night that ended at midnight.
I'm starting to slightly regret going to the Local-H/Helmet/Filter show last night that ended at midnight.
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07-17-2014, 06:18 PM
Actually, you're quite right. MF are my actual initials. So yes, I have been a m-f my whole life 
Gallium-arsenic wafters. My specific job is removing a protectant glass layer used for transporting them during their initial stages. Once the glass disc is removed, we clean the bonding agent off of the wafer and send it to the next station for cutting.
Gallium-arsenic wafters. My specific job is removing a protectant glass layer used for transporting them during their initial stages. Once the glass disc is removed, we clean the bonding agent off of the wafer and send it to the next station for cutting.
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