OT-Upper Case in English?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson II

If you drop back to pre Victorian times you'd find people capitalising wherever they fancied, and inDeed in the miDDle of words as they Faw sit. They also capitalised to be EMPHATIC.

Many Americans see this annually when they peruse the Declaration of Independence. [:)]

[Alfred]

Not to mention the totally voluntary spelling codes of Shakespeare.

Alfred

[Roger Neilson II]

Shakspear never let a good plot be ruined by having to look up wurdz...... and he made them up if he didn't have enuff handy.


Roger

[Canoerebel]

A few other things along these lines:
 
1.  Internet is capitalized (this was agreed upon after a lengthy debate).
 
2.  I don't believe that compass directions are capitalized when used as a direction. For instance, it would be correct to say:  "The birds flew south for winter."  However, those same words would be capitalized when referring to a place:  North Dakota; North versus South; South Georgia farmer; etc.

[RevRick]

ORIGINAL: Roger Neilson II

Shakspear never let a good plot be ruined by having to look up wurdz...... and he made them up if he didn't have enuff handy.


Roger

Roger, Roger. Rick!

[geofflambert]

Back on compass points:  Capitalize them when abbreviated i.e. NNE, when a title themselves ("North vs. South" as above or "Western Thought") or when they modify another capitalized word or title i.e. "Army Group South"  "Southern Philipines".

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

... I see you defined yours as lower case. Oops on me. Can you give examples?

"radar," although I forget what words the letters stand for.

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

... I see you defined yours as lower case. Oops on me. Can you give examples?

"radar," although I forget what words the letters stand for.

The term RADAR was coined in 1941 by the United States Navy as an acronym for radio detection and ranging

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Empire101

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

... I see you defined yours as lower case. Oops on me. Can you give examples?

"radar," although I forget what words the letters stand for.

The term RADAR was coined in 1941 by the United States Navy as an acronym for radio detection and ranging

OK, but according to the AP Stylebook, it's a lowercase acronym, which suggests there are also uppercase acronyms.

CAP?

[geofflambert]

I believe it's lower case because of it's general usage, and that's because most people think it's a regular word (also see "laser") with an etymology and whatnot.  Most acronyms are all caps.

[Empire101]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

I believe it's lower case because of it's general usage, and that's because most people think it's a regular word (also see "laser") with an etymology and whatnot.  Most acronyms are all caps.

The term radar has entered English and other languages as the common noun radar, losing all capitalization.

[Tiornu]

As I recall, Shakespeare spelled his name a dozen different ways, but never the right way. C'mon, Bill!

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

... I see you defined yours as lower case. Oops on me. Can you give examples?

"radar," although I forget what words the letters stand for.

Gotcha.

I know that one, answered before I could. Also sonar, which is FAR better than ASDIC. [:)]

Did poor AS-D ever live long enough to be asdic? I see UK defense (defence) pros on the Usenet naval science group using "sonar", so I think AS had a stake pounded through his heart.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Empire101

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

I believe it's lower case because of it's general usage, and that's because most people think it's a regular word (also see "laser") with an etymology and whatnot.  Most acronyms are all caps.

The term radar has entered English and other languages as the common noun radar, losing all capitalization.

Unless it's an Amana Radarange. And yes, I dad to go to the Amana site to get the spelling, kids.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Tiornu

As I recall, Shakespeare spelled his name a dozen different ways, but never the right way. C'mon, Bill!

My maternal grandfather, an English immigrant to Canada, had a last name which ended in -horne. So Bill has some copiers.

[Canoerebel]

Another lowercase acronym:  scuba

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Another lowercase acronym:  scuba

Know it AND used it.

I think this is Jacques C's 100th birth year. Just yesterday he was 75 . . .

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Joe D.

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

... I see you defined yours as lower case. Oops on me. Can you give examples?

"radar," although I forget what words the letters stand for.

IIRC: RAdio Detection And Ranging

[Gunner98]

Just to confuse the issue: In military operational documents many words are ALL CAPS for clarity - task verbs, place names, directions, nicknames etc. I.e. CLEAR SOUTH along route MAPLE to CARPIQUET, WEST of RIVER ORNE.

At least that's NATO OSP (operational staff procedures) for OSW (operational staff work)[:D]

Have actually heard briefings where a complete sentence contained nothing but acronyms - shocking [:-]


B

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98

... At least that's NATO OSP (operational staff procedures) for OSW (operational staff work)[:D]

Have actually heard briefings where a complete sentence contained nothing but acronyms ...

What do you expect from an organization that is an acronym?