"v." versus "vs."

[mangeorge]

@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!

[Meeko]

@Kimmy_Gibbler

Divorce cases here are the same way, being captioned:

_____________________________________________
                                             )
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.

[mangeorge]

You guys like this kind of thing, don’t you?
Go on, admit you do.

[bathsheba]

@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.

[UDS]

@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”.

[Olentzero]

@mangeorge

You guys like this kind of thing, don’t you?
Go on, admit you do.

Minutiæ? Sure thing.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

There are no hairs so small that Doper lawyers will not happily split them…

[spingears]

@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.

[mangeorge]

@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.

[Northern_Piper]

@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…

[R3d_Anonymous]

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.

[Acsenray]

@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.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Always see it with a period after it in American case citation, as in Marbury v. Madison.

[Acsenray]

@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.

[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.

[Thudlow_Boink]

@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.

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

That guy is British, hence his use of “full stop”.

[bob_2]

Periods are something else entirely:)

[hibernicus]

@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.

[Northern_Piper]

Well, the French do, last time I looked:

M. for “Monsieur”

Mme for “Madame”