# footer notations of a\*, b\*, c\*?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footer-notations-of-a-b-c/454655>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 29, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footer-notations-of-a-b-c/454655 "2008-06-29T15:51:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Heckity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Heckity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckity)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footer-notations-of-a-b-c/454655/1 "2008-06-29T15:51:18Z")

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In a newly offered Vintage publication of Seven Pillars of Wisdom, there a notations on the bottom left of some pages as my title suggests: a\*, b\*, etc. through to y\*.

Does anyone know what those might indicate? There is no reference to those markers in the index or two appendices. Is it a reference that Lawrence may have made? If so, why did the publisher add the notation without explanation?

Thanks, as always,  
Heckiity

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**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footer-notations-of-a-b-c/454655/2 "2008-06-29T22:20:09Z")

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How often do the markings occur? Is it every 16 or 32 pages, or some other even number? It might be a count of the signatures. (For those who don’t know: Books are printed on biiig sheets of paper that are then folded up. Each group of pages that results from this folding is called a signature. The signatures are then sewn or glued together, the folded ends are trimmed off, and a cover is attached. [Wikipedia description](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookbinding))