# "v." versus "vs." **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847 "2009-06-05T17:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/41 "2009-06-07T15:54:57Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Yes. As has been stated before, _v._ is merely a style choice within a certain profession. It has nothing to do with literacy. Whew! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/42 "2009-06-07T15:56:06Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Divorce cases here are the same way, being captioned: > > ```auto > > _____________________________________________ > ) > In re the Marriage of: ) > ) > CARL WINSLOW, ) > ) > Petitioner, ) > ) > and ) > ) > ) > HARRIETTE WINSLOW, ) > ) > Respondent. ) > _____________________________________________ ) > > ``` > > Gracious, work is boring this afternoon. Yes. This would appear to be the favored way in Family Matters. It would be one way to reduce a Full House. There, I knew I could make that joke, if I just took it Step By Step. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/43 "2009-06-07T16:22:53Z")
You guys _like_ this kind of thing, don’t you? Go on, admit you do. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/44 "2009-06-07T23:42:30Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > True it is. In countries still historically or closely connected to the UK system, the convention is to pronounce the “v” as “and” (or sometimes “against”) in court proceedings. You learn this early in law school, and it becomes second nature. Yes, in Australia also. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/45 "2009-06-08T03:31:09Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I’m unsure if Canada, with its curious hybrid of US and English spellings and words, and an accent closer to American than English, can be said to use the Queen’s English. But certainly in Canada, the usual practice is to pronounce “and” instead of “vee.” For example, a case styled Smith v. Brown would be spoken of as “Smith and Brown.” > [@ruadh](#): > > Ireland too. In _civil_ matters, but in criminal matters it’s “against”. Thus _Flynn v Flynn_ is “Flynn and Flynn”, but _DPP v Flynn_ is “DPP against Flynn”. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/46 "2009-06-08T07:07:14Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > You guys _like_ this kind of thing, don’t you? > Go on, admit you do. 😉 Minuti_ **æ** _? Sure thing. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/47 "2009-06-08T16:57:40Z")
There are no hairs so small that Doper lawyers will not happily split them… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/48 "2009-06-15T11:50:21Z")
- > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > There are no hairs so small that Doper lawyers will not happily split them… 😃 \*There is no question so trivial but that it will be posted on The Straight Dope rather than taking a minute to seek the answer. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/49 "2009-06-15T12:55:20Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > \*\*There is no question so trivial but that it will be posted on The Straight Dope rather than taking a minute to seek the answer. There is no joy too small to share. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/50 "2009-06-15T14:31:49Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > \*\*There is no question so trivial but that it will be posted on The Straight Dope rather than taking a minute to seek the answer. If only there were a forum where one could ask general questions of the teeming millions… ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/51 "2013-06-10T23:29:45Z")
Is there supposed to be a period after “vs” or “v”? I see it there sometimes and other times not. I have almost always put the period there. ETA: Oops, sorry for zombifying this. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/52 "2013-06-11T02:16:05Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > Is there supposed to be a period after “vs” or “v”? I see it there sometimes and other times not. I have almost always put the period there. That’s another style choice. The tendency in America is to use periods with abbreviations. The tendency in Britain is to omit them. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/53 "2013-06-11T02:34:14Z")
Always see it with a period after it in American case citation, as in _Marbury v. Madison_. ---
**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:** [June 11, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/54 "2013-06-11T02:42:39Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Always see it with a period after it in American case citation, as in _Marbury v. Madison_. That’s because American legal stylebooks, like the Bluebook, choose to use a period. Same with American newspaper style guides. That’s the point: These issues are merely style issues. The only way to answer them is to refer to the style guide that applies to what you’re writing. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/55 "2013-06-11T12:58:28Z")
It used to be the case that abbreviations, Ltd, Mrs, etc, were always followed by a full stop. That no longer seems to be the rule. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/56 "2013-06-11T15:29:08Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > It used to be the case that abbreviations, Ltd, Mrs, etc, were always followed by a full stop. That no longer seems to be the rule. I’m pretty sure the current convention is to use a period after Mr, Mrs, etc. in American English, and not in British English. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/57 "2013-06-11T15:52:42Z")
That guy _is_ British, hence his use of “full stop”. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/58 "2013-06-11T15:55:25Z")
Periods are something else entirely:) ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/59 "2013-06-11T19:25:30Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > It used to be the case that abbreviations, Ltd, Mrs, etc, were always followed by a full stop. That no longer seems to be the rule. For as long as I can remember, the style in British and Irish publications such as the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Irish Times and the Economist (to mention a few) has been to omit the full stop after abbreviations such as “Dr”, “Mr”, “Ms”, “Fr”, “Prof”, “Rev”, “Ltd”, and so on. The rule I was taught (and still follow) is that the full stop should be omitted only where the final letter of the abbreviation is the same as the final letter of the abbreviated word. “Prof.” is written with a full stop, as are “Rev.” and “Ave.”, but “Mrs” and “Blvd” are not. “St” meaning “saint” is distinguished from “St.” meaning “street”. I don’t know where this style advice originated or whether anyone other than me still adheres to it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847/60 "2013-06-11T21:54:53Z")
Well, the French do, last time I looked: M. for “Monsieur” Mme for “Madame” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/v-versus-vs/498847.md?page=2)