# Abbreviations with Slashes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579 "2000-10-04T03:59:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/1 "2000-10-04T03:59:48Z")
Occaisionally I encounter an abbreviation formatted as capital letters with a slash between them. Examples: C/O = care of O/C = on centre (used in dimensioning construction-plans) B/W = backed with (?) (used to designate the B-side on a 45-RPM vinyl sound recording) I know there’re more, but I can’t think of any at the moment. My question: where did this style of abbreviation come from? Was it more common in earlier years? Was there ever a standard list of these abbreviations? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/2 "2000-10-04T04:06:57Z")
WAG: part of shorthand? Of course, that’s w/o any personal knowledge of the subject… ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/3 "2000-10-04T04:12:38Z")
Ya gotta be careful, b/c it’s easy to be misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![desdemona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@desdemona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdemona)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/4 "2000-10-04T04:41:11Z")
I get a lot of abuse for using f/u. I use it for “follow-up” but people keep laughing at me. Go figure. As far as where it came from…I have no historical, factual basis, but it does seem to come from a period in time before we became obsessed with abbreviations and acronyms (IMHO). df ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/5 "2000-10-04T06:42:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > **… > B/W = backed with (?) (used to designate the B-side on a 45-RPM vinyl sound recording)** Put that question mark away. [The master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/991015.html) ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/6 "2000-10-04T14:04:04Z")
I use w/ to mean “with”. …just my $.02 worth, put down your guns and go home. There’s nothing more to see here. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/7 "2000-10-04T14:11:03Z")
Thanks, douglips! It’s good to know that The Great One is on the job in this little corner of the trivia universe, as well… I went over to Europe this summer to go to a [cultural festival in Helsinki](http://www.esperanto.fi/kef2000), and along the way, picked up a stack of CDs… and _one_ 45. Now I’m trying to find the adapter to play it on my “typewriter”, er, I mean, turntable… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/8 "2000-10-04T16:27:53Z")
Some typewriters have a big fat spindle so you don’t need an adapter. The big fat spindle is on springs, so when placing an LP on the typeface it compresses the big fat spindle and in the middle is a standard small spindle. Of course, that doesn’t help you if you don’t have such a turn,er, typewriter. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abbreviations-with-slashes/35579/9 "2000-10-04T17:14:11Z")
Yes, that’s how they got compressed or extended type faces on record labels. You can also put velcro on the ceiling and also on your LPs, then see how powerful that little spring on your typewriter spindle is. Now what was this thread about?