# sub & sup

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 14, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543 "2005-07-14T18:19:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/1 "2005-07-14T18:19:21Z")

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test[sub]post[/sub]

test[sup]post[/sup]

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**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/2 "2005-07-14T18:57:08Z")

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[sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup] **post** [/sup][sub] **post** [/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]**post[/sup][sub]post**[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]**post[/sup][sub]post**[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub][sup]post[/sup][sub]post[/sub]

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**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/3 "2005-07-14T21:56:03Z")

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TEST[sup]_Test_[/sup][sub]_Test_[/sub]TEST

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/4 "2005-07-15T02:15:29Z")

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[del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub]

Well it’s _sorta_ spiral-y.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/5 "2005-07-15T02:20:47Z")

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hello[sub]there[/sub]

🆒

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**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/6 "2005-07-15T04:01:41Z")

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[sub]What’s[/sub] [sup]up[/sup] [sub]doc?[/sub]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/7 "2005-07-15T04:08:04Z")

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sub puts smaller text below the main text.

'sup is a greeting where I used to live.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/8 "2005-07-15T14:18:53Z")

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small[sub]smaller[/sub][sub][sub]smaller[/sub][/sub][sub][sub][sub]smaller[/sub][/sub][/sub][sub][sub][sub][sub]smallest[/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/9 "2005-07-15T15:44:49Z")

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```php
What

The

Hell

Does

PHP

Stand

For?

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/10 "2005-07-15T15:46:12Z")

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and why is the last word in green?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/11 "2005-07-15T16:11:05Z")

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> [@The Sausage Creature](#):
>
> [del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub][del][sup] **A** [/sup][/del][sub] **T** [/sub][del][sup] **C** [/del][/sup][sub] **G** [/sub]
> 
> Well it’s _sorta_ spiral-y.

Watson?..Is that you?

Crick

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/12 "2005-07-15T16:42:51Z")

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Yo man…[sup]sup[/sup]?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/13 "2005-07-15T16:51:15Z")

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> [@Greathouse](#):
>
> and why is the last word in green?

Probably because “for” is a reserved word in PHP. As for what PHP is, I’ve never used it, so I don’t know what good it’s for.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/14 "2005-07-16T15:22:39Z")

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I have no idea what php stands for, but I’m assuming it has phosphorus as one of its elements. 😛

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/15 "2005-07-16T15:33:55Z")

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Ok, this is getting stupid.

From [this page](http://us2.php.net/manual/en/preface.php), on the “official” PHP web site:

> [@](#):
>
> PHP, which stands for “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor”

Those are the very first words in the manual.

So it would appear that the first **P** in **PHP** stands for… **PHP**? :smack:

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/16 "2005-07-16T16:59:12Z")

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> [@Greathouse](#):
>
> So it would appear that the first **P** in **PHP** stands for… **PHP**? :smack:

Yes, and GNU stands for “GNU’s Not Unix”! 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/17 "2005-07-16T17:04:38Z")

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> [@severus](#):
>
> Yes, and GNU stands for “GNU’s Not Unix”! 😃

That’s gnus to me. 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/18 "2005-07-16T18:53:10Z")

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All Gong fans know that PHP stands for Pot Head Pixies.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/19 "2005-07-16T20:19:07Z")

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Speaking of which, I’ve always wondered about PHP as it relates to posting on this board. What does it enable me to do?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sub-sup/312543/20 "2005-07-16T21:02:57Z")

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> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> That’s gnus to me. 😃

No gnus is good gnus!

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