Does an initial - if it is not an abbreviation - take a period? John Q Public? Harry S Truman?
Does an initial - if it is not an abbreviation - take a period? John Q Public? Harry S Truman?
This varies with countries and regions. Some use the period or full stop if the initial is an initial of a longer name and some don't. The same applies with the short forms of ranks and titles etc.
With names like John Francis Kennedy would become J.F.Kennedy of John F.Kennedy, but some would write it as J F Kennedy or John F Kennedy.
With ranks and titles Colonel David Smith would be Col. D.Smith while some would have it as Col D Smith.
It gets even more mixed up within dialogue as I was always taught dialogue should have the would spelled out as it sounds, while some people use abbreviations in the dialogue. So where I would have: John said, "Hi, Doctor Smith." Others would have: John said, "Hi, Dr. Smith."
There's so much variation in the various forms of English in common use that you should go with what seems right for you.
you should go with what seems right for you.
And be consistent. Do it the same way all the time. That will be the beginning of your style guide.
I personally would put in the period. But my pen name for novels is S.W. Blayde. Some would say I need a space to be S. W. Blayde, but I chose not to have the space. It's my choice.
Harry S Truman
In this case no period or full stop. President Truman didn't use one with the explanation that periods in that location indicated an abbreviation. The "S" in his name stood for nothing. It wasn't a shortening of Sherman, Silas, etc.
The "S" in his name stood for nothing. It wasn't a shortening of Sherman, Silas, etc.
I'd like to see someone dig up his birth certificate and verify that. It seems odd that his parents would give him a middle name of just 1 letter, so why not go with just Harry Truman?
ETA: Apparently, there is no birth certificate, but I found this:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-truman-period-exploring-the-presidents-middle-initial/2013/05/11/0cdc6002-b976-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html
Apparently Truman himself throughout his life was inconsistent about using or not using the period.
Apparently Truman himself throughout his life was inconsistent about using or not using the period.
Was he anorexic? That can lead to irregular periods.
AJ
In this case no period or full stop. President Truman didn't use one with the explanation that periods in that location indicated an abbreviation. The "S" in his name stood for nothing. It wasn't a shortening of Sherman, Silas, etc.
Ok, it's Wikipedia but there it's stated: "His middle name, "S", honors his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young."
He used a period himself in his signature: trumanlibrary.gov
There are more people out there with a middle name simply an initial (they have the period after it, though.
Michael J. Fox โ his middle name is Andrew. There was already a Michael Fox in the Screen Actor's Guild so he needed to register with a middle initial. For obvious reasons he didn't want to go by Michael A. Fox so "J" was chosen after actor Michael J. Pollard.
Ulysses S. Grant โ his real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He was accidentally nominated to the Military Academy as Ulysses S. Grant. They think the congressman who nominated him was confused because his mother was Hannah S. Grant.
J.K. Rowling โ her publisher wanted her to use initials so no one whould know she was female. She didn't have a middle name so she used "K" to honor her grandmother Kathleen.
David O. Selznick โ he added the "O" just for the heck of it.
David X. Cohen โ like Michael J. Fox, the name David S. Cohen was already taken by the Writer's Guild so he had to change it. He chose "X" because it sounded Sci-Fi. He's the head writer for Futurama (and the Simpsons).
Again, they all used a period after the initial.
There are more people out there with a middle name simply an initial
I wouldn't count actors/actresses or authors. The use of pseudonyms is too common in both groups.
David X. Cohen โ like Michael J. Fox, the name David S. Cohen was already taken by the Writer's Guild so he had to change it. He chose "X" because it sounded Sci-Fi. He's the head writer for Futurama (and the Simpsons).
And all he could conceive of, at that point, was an "X"? Why not use an Interabang? I can guarantee that NO actor has even used that as their middle initial. Hell, even a "Q" is more original and uncommon than an "X".
Hell, even a "Q" is more original and uncommon than an "X".
From what I read, he wasn't looking for originality. He wanted something SciFi and thought the X was it.
Hell, even a "Q" is more original and uncommon than an "X".
Despite a recent upsurge, perhaps thanks to X-Men, I believe more people have a middle name beginning with 'Q' than 'X'.
AJ
Despite a recent upsurge, perhaps thanks to X-Men, I believe more people have a middle name beginning with 'Q' than 'X'.
Middle names? Yes, of course, since proper names beginning with X are extremely rare, but as the many references to stage names demonstrates, everyone thinks 'Gee, no one is EVER likely to use X', yet everyone does!
Again, if you think like everyone else, you'll always be just a part of the crowd. To truly stand out, you need to stand alone, or at least branch out, trying new things. Thus, if everyone else thinks 'X!', it's best to think 'Q', or as Prince demonstrated, go with the Interagang anyway, as it's much more likely to garner (unwanted) attention.
Prince demonstrated, go with the Interagang anyway, as it's much more likely to garner (unwanted) attention.
The symbol Prince used was not the interobang.
https://www.bustle.com/articles/156173-what-did-princes-symbol-mean-it-was-both-a-contractual-tool-meaningful-emblem
The symbol Prince used was not the interobang.
I know, and I never said that it was, only that Prince's name change illustrates the popularity pitfalls of replacing a well-known name with an unpronounceable (or unprintable, for the typical computer user) symbol.
I was taught to use the period in names for formal writing. Doesn't mean I did so, but that was what I was taught.
I was taught to use the period in names for formal writing. Doesn't mean I did so, but that was what I was taught.
And I was always taught, by my peers way back in the 60's, to call everyone Dude (as in "Hey, Dude?") or even 'Dudette' for girls. So what's your point? Lots of people do pointless things to attract attention (either parental or the fairer sex's), but that doesn't make it correct behavior, by any stretch of the imagination.
But, getting back on point, I run into this constantly whoever I use epigraphs, which I do a LOT now. The standard rule of publishing, which in authentication is stricter than it is for writing, is that you ALWAYS use a period with ANY initial, UNLESS the individual routinely signed their name without it in publications, like J.R.R. Tolkein (no spaces between periods).
Their birth certificate, legal name or what they used in private (or in the military) doesn't matter, what does is what they used in publications (not counting when they published using a pseudonym, thus when they acknowledged in print that they'd written under an assumed name all along).
Thus, if someone (and many do) use lowercase, non-full stop initials all jumbled together as their blog signature, that's what you use.
Oh my, you do like to see yourself type...
And I was always taught, by my peers way back in the 60's, to call everyone Dude (as in "Hey, Dude?") or even 'Dudette' for girls. So what's your point?
Taught as in school, not as in hanging on a street corner.
I always wondered why Lieutenant is only usually pronounced lef-TEN-ษnt, then I realised that colonials don't speak proper like wot we do.
The British use Left Tenant instead of Loo Tenant because they call their toilet area a Loo.
The British use Left Tenant instead of Loo Tenant because they call their toilet area a Loo.
No. We speak English whilst the colonials butcher it.
We speak English whilst the colonials butcher it.
Oddly enough, I've always used loo-tenant - even when I was at achool. I suspect lef-tenant is military parlance.
AJ
You didn't pay attention to John Snagge, did you.
I was completely unaware of his existence.
What did he say about 'lieutenant'?
AJ
Kind of hard to butcher minced meat.
It can't be that hard... colonials manage it.
:)