When you use the term "TV" in a story, do you capitalize it? I'm talking about television, not Tennessee Valley. I'm getting conflicting results from different editors and spell checkers.
I told you it was unimportant.
When you use the term "TV" in a story, do you capitalize it? I'm talking about television, not Tennessee Valley. I'm getting conflicting results from different editors and spell checkers.
I told you it was unimportant.
FWIW I was taught to use capitals, and in my daily newspaper it seems to always be capitalised (UK).
I've seen 'tv' a few times in informal usage. You can find it on SOL but it's very rare compared to 'TV'.
My advice would be to use 'TV'. It's not wrong and you'd be in the majority.
AJ
When you use the term "TV" in a story, do you capitalize it? I'm talking about television, not Tennessee Valley. I'm getting conflicting results from different editors and spell checkers.
There is a long trend in English to 'decapitalize'. For example, SONAR and RADAR were originally preesnted in upper case, but now are almost always rendered 'radar' or 'sonar'. Similar 'X-ray' is often 'x-ray' and, at least in the UK, NATO is now 'Nato'.
Personally, I still render 'TV' in upper case, but given how English often works, it might well be trending to 'tv' in lower case.
English has, for quite some time, discarded diacritical marks, hyphens, and capitals. E.g coöperate --> co-operate --> cooperate and the aforementioned RADAR and SONAR.
at least in the UK, NATO is now 'Nato'.
I checked in today's newspaper and you're right. But we yerpeens have always undervalued it.
AJ
at least in the UK, NATO is now 'Nato'.
From The Guardian Style Guide:
"Use all capitals if an abbreviation is pronounced as the individual letters (an initialism): BBC, CEO, US, VAT, etc; if it is an acronym (pronounced as a word) spell out with initial capital, eg Nasa, Nato, Unicef, unless it can be considered to have entered the language as an everyday word, such as awol, laser and, more recently, asbo, pin number and sim card."
However, I got this from Google's AI when asked the question, but I don't know if the AI is correct:
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, "NATO" is capitalized because it is the acronym for a well-known organization, following the guideline to capitalize abbreviations when the full word would be capitalized.
Key points about Chicago style and acronyms:
Capitalize well-known acronyms:
Acronyms representing established organizations like NATO, UN, or CIA are typically written in all caps.
OK, maybe the Google AI is correct. I found this:
While acronyms have historically been written in all-caps, British, Finnish, Swedish and some German usage has moved towards capitalizing only the first letter in cases when these are pronounced as words (e.g. Unesco and Nato), reserving all-caps for initialisms (e.g. UK, USA, UNHCR).
So the Guardian Style is British. The Chicago is American. Spelling it "Nato" seems to be a British (and Finnish, Swedish, etc.) thing only. I would spell it "NATO" as an American.
pin number
A newspaper that uses THAT in its style guide isn't even fit to line a birdcage!
PIN = Personal Identification Number
Just as bad is 'ATM Machine'
ATM = Automated Teller Machine (cashpoint, to you Brits)
A newspaper that uses THAT in its style guide isn't even fit to line a birdcage!
This is what Google AI says about it:
"Yes, PIN is capitalized when it stands for "personal identification number". PIN is an acronym that is capitalized because it is not yet commonly used in everyday English."
Note the "because it is not yet commonly used in everyday English." The Guardian Style guide says: "unless it can be considered to have entered the language as an everyday word, such as awol, laser and, more recently, asbo, pin number and sim card." So the Guardian Style guide believes PIN is now used in everyday language. That's where the two differ.
. That's where the two differ.
You missed my point. It had nothing to do with case, it had to do with writing 'pin number' when 'pin' stands for 'personal identificaiton NUMBER'.
It had nothing to do with case, it had to do with writing 'pin number'
Yep, I missed that. And Google's AI agrees with you:
"RAS Syndrome"::
This phrase refers to the tendency to repeat words from an acronym, like "PIN number" or "ATM machine," and is often considered poor style in writing.
ATM = Automated Teller Machine (cashpoint, to you Brits)
In Wisconsin, early on it was TYME machines (Take Your Money Everywhere). Tyme was the first ATM network in Wisconsin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TYME
In Wisconsin, early on it was TYME machines (Take Your Money Everywhere). Tyme was the first ATM network in Wisconsin.
At least one manufacturer of such machines used RTM (Remote Teller Machine).
In Wisconsin, early on it was TYME machines (Take Your Money Everywhere). Tyme was the first ATM network in Wisconsin.
Fully aware. Lived in WI for a couple of years in the mid 80s and had a TYME card. :-)
Before that, had a Jeannie Card (5/3 Bank).
A newspaper that uses THAT in its style guide isn't even fit to line a birdcage!
Who cares about birdcages. What the world needs to know is whether it's fit for eating fish'n'chips out of :-)
AJ
awnlee jawking 🚫
1/17/2025, 6:29:00 AM
@Michael Loucks
A newspaper that uses THAT in its style guide isn't even fit to line a birdcage!
Who cares about birdcages. What the world needs to know is whether it's fit for eating fish'n'chips out of :-)
AJ
I suspect that something that is not fit for birdcages is also not fit for eating fish'n'chips out of ;-)
I suspect that something that is not fit for birdcages is also not fit for eating fish'n'chips out of ;-)
Okay, but is it fit to wipe your ass with it?
Okay, but is it fit to wipe your ass with it?
Cheap newsprint and cheap ink will transfer ink. And newsprint probably shouldn't be flushed.
Ouch... Have you ever tried using either one for that purpose?
I haven't. However, if that's all you've got...
My mother grew up on a farm with an outhouse. She claims to have used dried leaves once.
Yes I have. I wish we had saved the old Sears catalogs that were printed on non-glossy paper. They are worth some big bucks last time my wife checked.
You missed LCD display (liquid crystal display display)
Note that OLED display is OK, as that's organic light emitting diode display.
In Canada they began life as ABMs - automated banking machines. Our trend to Americanize everything has mad ATM more common.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, "TV" should be capitalized when used as an abbreviation for "television."
I capitalize "TV" because, unlike "radar", "sonar", "laser", and so on, the letters are pronounced individually.
Well, there turned out to be more to this topic than I expected. As always, you folks always have lots of interesting comments.
A good reason to capitalize "TV" is so that you can make it plural:
"I have two TVs."
"two tvs" wouldn't work.