quote Johnson & Johnson, Barnes & Noble, Dolce & Gabbana: the ampersand today is used primarily in business names, but that small character was once the 27th part of the alphabet. Where did it come from though? The origin of its name is almost as bizarre as the name itself.

edit: Image is link.

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 10-28-2011).]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampersand

So cool.

wow i just read that link and that is awesome how it got its name and per se and... i love the interwebs

Very cool. Except that I find it uncomfortable to write.
I use this symbol instead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...nd-handwriting-2.svg

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Very cool. Except that I find it uncomfortable to write. I use this symbol instead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...nd-handwriting-2.svg

Same here, only I always associated it with the "+", not the "&".

cool thread. Helps to get your brain on a different track for a while.

There are many ways to write the ampersand according to Adobe.

I write it in script as a capital E with a vertical line through it similar to ∉ but that doesn't seem to be a recognized standard.

edit: It is shown at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampersand

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 10-29-2011).]

Oh, no no no, that's ALL wrong. That's not called the "ampersand". It's called "and".

"@" is called an ampersand.

"I'm an English major and I know this!" I was told during a conversation on the names of symbols, where I was trying to explain that "@" is "at" and "&" is "ampersand". By that standard, then, we are all wrong and the linked article is totally wrong too.



Ed

PS No, he didn't get his degree from a box of Cracker Jack, but clearly he did not get his money's worth.

It actually took me quite a long time to correctly write an ampersand. I think it's because for quite some time I never really used it, but for some reason whey I got into the "professional" world I used it more and more on notes and handwritten documents.

quote Originally posted by spark1: edit: It is shown at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampersand

That's the way I write it also.

The quote says it was the 27th part of the alphabet, but really I wonder if it was the 26th and 'Z' was 27. Because when you sing the Alphabet song you always end with X, Y, & Z.

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: The quote says it was the 27th part of the alphabet, but really I wonder if it was the 26th and 'Z' was 27. Because when you sing the Alphabet song you always end with X, Y, & Z.

Ha ha Thats a good one!

quote Originally posted by 1988holleyformula: . . . Because when you sing the Alphabet song you always end with X, Y, & Z.

I find most people prefer Dylan.

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: cool thread. Helps to get your brain on a different track for a while.

& your point is ... ?