# Spelling: Why does the New York Times put dots in I.B.M and U.S.B.? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948 "2012-02-25T12:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/1 "2012-02-25T12:47:18Z")
This has been bothering me for years. The New York Times will refer to TV networks as “ABC”, “CBS”, “NBC” or “CNN”. But when talking about Big Blue, they write “I.B.M.” . ([Example](http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/what-cameras-inside-foxconn-found/?ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=cta1)) A device can have both a [“HDMI”](http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/3-software-programs-that-add-to-the-ipad-2s-appeal/) output and a [“U.S.B.”](http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/designing-whats-right-for-consumers/) connector (that last link also includes “M.B.A.” and “R.I.M.”). I admit that 97% of what I read in the Times are the technology blogs and articles (David Pogue, etc.). Is there a pattern to this? Or is it just the Style Guide that’s behind the, uh, times? ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/2 "2012-02-25T14:08:13Z")
Papers tend to have a House Style which all articles are supposed to subbed to conform to. This one sounds a bit pedantic. Of course styles can change over time - looking at a piece reprinted from the 1940s I am struck by 'bus for omnibus and 'plane, for aeroplane, pieces of punctuation that scarcely seem comfortable now. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/3 "2012-02-25T14:14:38Z")
I wouldn’t call it behind the times. It’s been a while since I read the NYT style book but I think that TV networks are an exception to the general rule that three-letter abbreviations get periods. Note that the official corporate names are still International Business Machined and Research in Motion, so I.B.M. and R.I.M. are true abbreviations. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/4 "2012-02-25T14:15:06Z")
The NYT is sort of famous for having an idiosyncratic house style - check out their odd rules for using “Mr.”, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/5 "2012-02-25T14:16:11Z")
Yeah. Of course the oddness of the rule is that they use Mr. at all! ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/6 "2012-02-25T14:35:43Z")
The most idiosyncratic house style I can think of is The New Yorker’s use of diaeresis. That seem wilfully perverse. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/7 "2012-02-25T15:31:16Z")
Idiosyncratic, definitely. Perverse? I don’t like relentless standardization of style, so I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/8 "2012-02-25T15:42:06Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > The most idiosyncratic house style I can think of is The New Yorker’s use of diaeresis. That seem wilfully perverse. Yeah, but it’s fun to see something snootily different every now and then. It does kind of drive me nuts the way they write out long numbers, though - it’s like reading a wedding invitation. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/9 "2012-02-25T15:53:03Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > I admit that 97% of what I read in the Times are the technology blogs and articles (David Pogue, etc.). This answers your own question more than anything. Clearly newly developing technologies will have terminologies that have yet to settle into common style agreement–especially when so many abbreviations and acronyms are used. But I suspect also the NT Times sometimes has a perverse sense that because of its stature it must call attention to its style choice just to remind everyone who’s the “top dog.” Still, it is pretty strange for them to continue using “I.B.M” when the company itself has used “IBM” for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/10 "2012-02-25T16:47:48Z")
HDMI and U.S.B. strikes me as most peculiar. What standard do they use to distinguish between these abbreviations? Is one term proprietary perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/11 "2012-02-26T01:37:36Z")
You think periods in abbreviations is bad? Until Feb. 21, 1967, the New York Times had period in the Nameplate (“Masthead” to most people) – the title of the newspaper. It read: > [@](#): > > **The New York Times.** [http://www.typophile.com/node/19590](http://www.typophile.com/node/19590) Interesting – almost 45 years ago to the day! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/12 "2012-02-27T00:47:34Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > HDMI and U.S.B. strikes me as most peculiar. What standard do they use to distinguish between these abbreviations? Is one term proprietary perhaps? That is quite strange. How do they handle HDTV? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/13 "2012-02-27T00:57:42Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > The NYT is sort of famous for having an idiosyncratic house style - check out their odd rules for using “Mr.”, for example. Surely you mean the N.Y.T.? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/14 "2012-02-27T01:12:35Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That is quite strange. How do they handle HDTV? They use the remote. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/15 "2012-02-28T20:41:34Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > The most idiosyncratic house style I can think of is The New Yorker’s use of diaeresis. That seem wilfully perverse. When I read this, I immediately thought, “is there a meaning of diaresis I don’t know?” It turns out: nope, and I’m totally willing to agree that The New Yorker is gleefully perverse in said usage. I’m amazed I was unaware of that. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/16 "2012-02-29T14:26:27Z")
The style I’ve seen in British papers, where acronyms are made words and considered plural for the sake of grammar, is really disconcerting to this American - “Nasa are planning to …”, “Nato are going to …”, and so on ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/17 "2012-02-29T15:09:22Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > The style I’ve seen in British papers, where acronyms are made words and considered plural for the sake of grammar, is really disconcerting to this American - “Nasa are planning to …”, “Nato are going to …”, and so on I see the downcasing in _The Economist_ and I’ve grown to prefer it. I don’t see why we need to keep preserving so many all caps acronym – aids, Unesco, Pubpat – just like scuba, radar, and laser. On the other hand, I still don’t like using plural verbs with singular nouns. I much prefer the American way for that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/18 "2012-02-29T16:15:22Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I’m totally willing to agree that The New Yorker is gleefully perverse in said usage. I’m amazed I was unaware of that. Apparently there was an editor who was planning on ending the use of diaereses but then he died before the change could be put into effect. I would assume subsequent editors took note of this and have been afraid to attempt the change. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/19 "2012-02-29T18:05:29Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > On the other hand, I still don’t like using plural verbs with singular nouns. I much prefer the American way for that. Hey, don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948/20 "2012-02-29T18:19:49Z")
The New York Times Style Guide: > [@](#): > > Ordinarily use periods in an abbreviation when the letters stand for separate words: _F.C.C.; I.B.M.; N.R.A_. Use no spaces after the periods within an abbreviation. (But use thin spaces between personal initials, even those forming part of a company or organizational name:\* J. C. Penney\*.) > > In an acronym–an abbreviation pronounced as a word–omit periods. Ordinarily uppercase such an expression if it is up to four letters long: _NATO; CUNY; AIDS; SALT_. Acronyms of five or more letters are lower-and-uppercased: _Unicef, Unesco, Alcoa, Awacs_. (Lowercased exceptions exist and the dictionary is the guide: _modem; radar; sonar_.) > > If a corporation legally adopts a former abbreviation or other cluster of letters as its full name, without periods, follow that style: _the AT&T Corporation, ITT Industries_. This explains the I.B.M. case. Its formal name is still International Business Machines Corp. > [@](#): > > When letters within a single word are extracted for use as an abbreviation, they are capitalized without periods: _DDT; TV; TB_. (By contrast, _V.D._ requires the periods because it stands for two words.) And that explains U.S.B. > [@](#): > > For consistency in reference to broadcast services, networks and stations, omit periods in all their abbreviations and in call letters (_CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, WNBC, KPFA_). Aha! I was right about that one too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-why-does-the-new-york-times-put-dots-in-i-b-m-and-u-s-b/613948.md?page=2)