# E.G. and I.E

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156 "2001-06-26T01:47:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ISBop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bc79bd/32.png) [@ISBop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISBop)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156/1 "2001-06-26T01:47:56Z")

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What do the commonly used letters e.g. and i.e. stand for? I know what they mean and when to use them, but what do they actually represent? This question has been bugging me for a while now.

😕

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**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156/2 "2001-06-26T02:29:05Z")

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I knew this off the top of my head, but I’ll cite and paraphrase _The Elements of Grammar_, by Margaret Shertzer, p.84:

e.g. stands for _exempli gratia,_ meaning “for example.”  
i.e. stands for _id est,_ meaning “that is.”

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**Author:** ![Rhetoric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rhetoric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhetoric)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156/3 "2001-06-26T02:58:08Z")

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I prefer the i.e. definition of “that is, to say”. It’s easier for me to substitute it in a sentence this way.

Two others that I see people frequently “misuse” are etc. and et al.

Etc., most of you probably know, is et cetera. Not excetera or exetra. It means “and so forth”. Most people get the meaning right but don’t know the correct pronunciation.

Et al. is short for et alii meaning “and others”.

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**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-g-and-i-e/70156/4 "2001-06-26T04:05:18Z")

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Ray Bones:“Momo is dead. Everything he owned belongs to Jimmy Cap, E.G., you do everything I say”  
Chili Palmer:“I think you mean I.E., e.g. means ‘for example’”  
Ray:“Bullshit, it stands for ‘ergo’”  
Chili:“I think your wrong, why don’t you ask your man here”  
Man:"as far as i know, it stands for ‘for example’  
Ray:“E.G., I.E. Fuck you! From now on you don’t hand me a book with with a vis.”