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 ☌”), while other publications omit the first letter space but insert another between the symbol and the abbreviation (“45° C”). In references to temperature, the symbol (and the designation of the temperature scale) immediately follows the associated numerical figure (“45☌”). The degree sign appears in technical contexts, but in general-interest publications, the word degree is generally used. 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 sign probably originated to distinguish an ordinary c from one denoting a monetary amount. 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. 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.
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. 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. It’s also used in displays of schedules for competitive sports to identify the event venue. 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.”). 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. It also has many specialized technical usages. 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.”). (“et cetera”), an alternate form of etc.Īmerican 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. 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 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, “. 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. What is the origin of various symbols used in English, and when is the use of each appropriate? Here’s a guide to twelve common signs, including how they developed and in which contexts they are used or avoided. 12 Signs and Symbols You Should Know By Mark Nichol
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