The ampersand, found on the keyboard with #7, is a symbol for the word "and." Yet, there is another--handwritten--symbol for the word "and." I refer to that thing comprised of a little circle attached half-way up to the left of number |. In other words, we can start with the letter "d" and just move the circle on the letter "d" half-way up.
1) What is this thingamagig called?
2) If you can produce this "and" symbol on your keyboard, how did you produce it?
It is called the 'thorn' symbol and is from the Icelandic alphabet
If so, make sure the number lock is on your keyboard then hold down the 'alt' key and type 0254 on the number keypad, when you release the 'alt' key the symbol appears.
I don't know of an "and" sign like that...but I do know one that looks like a plus + with the bottom left connected into a triangle. Still trying to figure out the name for that one.
Posts: 9192 | Location: Atlanta, GA, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Some English people write the Greek letter alpha for 'and' because 'a' of 'and' = alpha.That's a bit like what you describe, Georgia. It looks like a stylised fish swimming from right to left I've always assumed it was a snobby affectation here; a subtle indication that the writer had been taught Classics at a private "public school". (It works; most such students never understood much beyond alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet )
My scrawled apology for an ampersand looks similar to this - ∂ - except that mine carries on to a second tail and they aren't as 'curly' as that. In fact my abbreviated 'and' has a look of a long-tailed Greek letter alpha that has done a 90 degree turn and is nose-diving to earth. (What does that say about my school Fred?!) If it has a name, other than 'illiterate scrawl', I've never heard of it.
By the way, to produce that symbol I typed & part; (but without the space between the & and the p).
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Karrow,
Well, one thing is certain: different strokes for different folks! Oh, well, you all know what I meant about the other "and" sign, only now you all also know that different folks, who know it, write different renditions of it.
Fred, what if I write "and" like ε with a | going through it? Is that snobby too? FYI, signs used to represent words are called logograms. I just found that out today
Posts: 9192 | Location: Atlanta, GA, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Georgia85: Tell us more about the two symbols. How did you make them on the keyboard? I may use them instead.
All: Does anyone know how to make two characters appear on top of one another, as, for example, Georgia85's two symbols? Or, is this a painting or other type of job?
tsaeb, the | is the key just under the backspace key on your keyboard. It's the same key that the \ is on.
The ε is the Epsilon character that you can find using the Character Map. And you can combine the two in a word document. You would highlight both characters, go to Format on your menu and format "Font". Select the "Character Spacing" tab and in the Spacing box decrease spacing by how ever many points you need. I usually do it at 12.5 pts. Hope this helps
Posts: 9192 | Location: Atlanta, GA, USA | Registered: 06-03-02
Are you talking about ASCII? You can put letters on top of one another by pressing the ALT key while typing in the code number.(remember to hold the ALT key until you are done)
If I wanted to type 5 1/2 then I would type the 5 then hold down the ALT key while I typed 171. When I let go, you would see 5½.
If I wanted to say 80 degrees Iwould type 80 ALT 167 to give me 80º.
33 cents would be typed as 33 ALT 155 which would give me 33¢.
You can also use &#(add in here the number code) in HTML
² gives me a squared symbol although I can't see it as I type in this box. 5 squared would be 5 ² (I used &# then the number code 178) Here is a list of some ASCII table codes. More codes For some reason the codes are different with other sites.
We used to use these in the chatroom all the time. Dawg really had us confused until we figured it out.
Posts: 5308 | Location: The Motor City | Registered: 06-03-02
By the way 'thorn' is the letter for a sound which became 'th' in modern English.
That explains why fake old names in tourist places here in Britain are written 'ye', as in Ye Olde Tea Shoppe and visitors and proprietors alike say 'yee old' or 'yee older'. In script the 'thorn' looked rather like modern 'y' and the idea gained currency that our ancestors went around saying 'yee' for 'the'. (This statement was confirmed once by maiku, so is beyond doubt )
That explains why fake old names in tourist places here in Britain are written 'ye', as in Ye Olde Tea Shoppe and visitors and proprietors alike say 'yee old' or 'yee older'.
Damn, and here I thought I was invited to become part owner
Posts: 7680 | Location: On Vacation | Registered: 06-06-02
Georgia85: I suppose that it is time that I opened my Word and learned how to use it. I bet that you are surprised to know that I wrote and typed my last book in Wordpad.
I've always assumed it was a snobby affectation here; a subtle indication that the writer had been taught Classics at a private "public school". (It works; most such students never understood much beyond alpha, the first letter in the Greek alphabet 
)
