Dialectical differences

On Sun, 3 Aug 2025 07:01:09 +0100, Hibou
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Le 03/08/2025 à 02:29, Peter Moylan a écrit :
>> 
>> I have vaguely noticed that there are punctuation differences between
>> AusE and AmE, but have never seen a place where the difference in rules
>> is explained. The only one that really sticks out for me is the
>> illogical placement of commas and periods on the wrong side of a
>> quotation mark.
>It's usual in AmE to use double inverted commas for speech (and that's 
>also my preference, because of their extra weight on the page), whereas 
>single inverted commas are usual in BrE.

That is my preference too, and it was also they way I was taught to
write at school (in South Africa). I never noticed, until it was
pointed out, when I was in my 40s, that most UK publishers used single
inverted commas. 

>The Americans also use a full stop after abbreviations such as Dr. and 
>Mr.. (That double full stop is a Hibouisme - la logique avant tout !) In 
>BrE, a full stop is used if the last letter of the abbreviation is not 
>the last letter of the word - etc., Feb., Rev., but Mr not Mr. - and to 
>avoid ambiguity - to the relief of the infamous coy. commander.

Again, that is my usage and preference. 

Also, initialisms in upper case (BBC), and acronyms in mixed case
(Nato). 


>That's all that comes to mind for the moment.

-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk