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We Like To Abbrev
Pitter Patter Raindrops
Caravan Holidays
Short Letters 7
We Like To Abbrev (14 June 2016)
Pen shorthand is often described as requiring the learner to memorise
vast quantities of arbitrary abbreviations and so dismissed as unwieldy,
unreasonable and outmoded. As a shorthand student* or writer, you now
know that this is not true. Pitman’s, Gregg and Teeline* have a small
number of* strokes and signs to learn, and like longhand, these are
combined in a logical manner, with various other shortening devices, to
form the words. Pitman’s and Gregg follow pronunciation, for example
omitting the silent K in "knife" and writing "cough" with just three
symbols. Some outlines depart from the rules in order not to clash with
others but these are a minority. Teeline, although largely based on
spelling, also finds it convenient to avoid these inconsistencies of
normal spelling, but writers can include as much or as little of each
word as they wish. All these systems are capable of representing the
whole word and all its sounds, but find it more useful to abbreviate the
more common ones, or those that would be awkward or too lengthy to write
in full. This is nothing new as everyone already does this with their
longhand.
* Omission phrase "shorthand s(t)udent"
* "Teeline" Insert the dot vowel, as this has the same shape as
"outline", although the caps marks helps it to be read correctly
* "number of" This is the same outline as "brief" so always insert the
vowel in the latter
With these systems, the shorthand is not really a means of abbreviation
in that they do not require every word to be reduced down to a barely
recognisable fragment of the original, hence the misconception that
everything must be* memorised individually. The symbols for each sound
are very much simpler than letters of the alphabet, and this is why they
are faster to write, straight lines and curves in different lengths and
orientations. Teeline uses cut-down versions of longhand letters and so
is more familiar for the learner, but slower to write as the outlines
are longer.
* Omission phrase "mus(t) be"
In Pitman’s there are only two signs that are not based on a consonant
or vowel sign that matches their sound and these are "and" and the
downward thick dash for "he" which is only used in the middle or end of
a phrase. The short form "why" is written with a variant of the
semicircle W sign, and the short form "beyond" uses the Y diphthong.
Both of these marks were replaced early in the development of Pitman’s
in favour of the full Way and Yay strokes to begin* a syllable. So these
latter two do have a phonetic rationale, although not obvious to the
beginner. The majority of words are written with all their sounds
represented in the outline, with true abbreviation (cutting out some of
the sounds) being reserved for the very commonest words. These are
called short forms and contractions. A short form is like writing the
longhand letter B for the word "be". A contraction generally uses the
first syllable of the word, which is exactly what we do in longhand to
save writing time, but all these could be written in full if the writer
preferred.
* "to begin" Based on the phrase short form "to be" therefore through
the line
The most compact and efficient shorthand that everyone uses without a
second’s thought or hesitation is numbers and other mathematical*
symbols. The signs for plus, minus, times or multiplied by, and divided
by (called an obelus), are all shorthand for these words. There are
signs for "the squareroot* of" (a tick with a horizontal line extended
over the number), a superscript two for "squared", and a superscript
three for "cubed". The list goes on and on, and complicated equations
can be written over a page which would take many pages of text if they
were being described in words. It looks to me like a map or a timeline
with all the relevant points, actions and results marked along the way
in simple symbols, until you arrive at the destination, the final
outcome of the calculations. Because numerals are so quick to write, it
is preferable in most cases to use them rather than their equivalent
outlines.
* "mathematical" This contraction is on the line. With a
circle S it becomes "mathematics". The shortened words "math" (US) and
"maths" (British) are normal outlines written above the line, and should
have their vowels inserted so that they are not misread for the
contraction.
* "squareroot" Note that Ray is never halved when it stands alone
Throughout the history of writing, scribes have used abbreviations in
order to* get as much text as possible on their expensive and scarce
writing surfaces. Texts and books were not produced to be read by the
general population but by the elite few who were literate, such as
royalty, the nobility, priests, officials and administrators. In
religious texts, abbreviations were sometimes used to replace the direct
use of words and names considered holy, to maintain respectfulness and
avoid any semblance of irreverence or worldliness. Heavy use of
abbreviations had the effect of restricting readership to those with
appropriate* training, and so the contents would only be available to
others through the spoken word, which would be accompanied by an
authorised interpretation of the text. This is a world away from our
present-day experience of the publishing and sharing of information,
sometimes ad nauseam* if one does not control one’s internet surfing
time.
* Omission phrase "in ord(er to)
* "appropriate" Insert the diphone,
and the first vowel in "proper", as these two are similar in outline and
meaning
* "ad nauseam" Note the spelling,
sometimes wrongly shown as -um
Many of the abbreviations are still with us. The ampersand is derived
from the Latin "et" which means "and". The percent sign is derived from
the numerals for one hundred. The British monetary pound sign is an
embellished capital L, from the Latin word for scales "libra". The
number or hash sign, two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, is a
simplified form of a ligature for the lower case letters L and B, for
the same Latin word. The dollar sign is derived from P written through S
for peso. Diacritics (marks over the top) were also used as a shortening
device, such as a plain or curved line, or extra flourishes attached to
one or more of the letters of the shortened word, but these are now used
to convert an existing letter of the alphabet into a slightly different
pronunciation.
The variety of abbreviations used by scribes and copyists have mostly*
disappeared into the mists of history, but new ones are being created
all the time for similar reasons. The most obvious is texting
"shorthand". Its origin was to save on the cost of sending the phone
message by reducing the number of characters it contained, and later on
to save time and effort* entering the text on the early phone keypads
(before the arrival of touchscreens and text prediction). The initial
flurry of texting inventions has now slowed and it seems to have settled
down to a handful of universally useful terms to be used in informal
settings, such as comments and forum conversations.
* "mostly" Omits the lightly-sounded T
* Omission phrase "time (and) effort"
Our diverse collection of common abbreviations, and the earlier
shorthand systems with their arbitrary signs that must be* memorised en
masse, have got our present systems of shorthand a rather bad press.
This is only dispelled when you actually begin learning it, although if
interest is weak or enthusiasm absent, then any system, however simple,
is likely to appear unacceptably complicated when compared with the
ingrained longhand that has been learned and used since childhood.
Speaking for Pitman’s, I hope you have now discovered that it is a
well-designed logical system that reflects the sounds, syllables and
phrases of normal speech and, when written with reasonable neatness, may
be read many years later by the writer, and by others who know the
system. (1171 words)
* Omission phrase "mus(t) be"
Top of page
Pitter Patter Raindrops (14 June 2016)
We have had some very heavy rain in the last few days and more is
forecast for the rest of the week. We would normally expect fine weather
in the month of June and thunderstorms to come in July, but they are
here now. Our roads are perfect man-made stream beds, and as there are
hills where I live, those roads that point downwards get the water from
all the other ones, providing the spectacle of twin streams racing down
the gutters on both sides, clearing out any debris and jumping over the
drains that cannot handle the quantity. This is unusual enough to be
interesting to watch, but not so much as to pose any threat to the
residents or their property.
Parked in the hangar
until skies clear
We have a particular liking for heavy rain, as long as we are indoors
feeling safe and cosy underneath the dependable and well-built roof,
behind the solid walls and on this side of the two panes of double
glazing, watching the giant drops pelting the plants, jumping up off the
hard surfaces and turning the pond from peacefully* smooth to a spiky
confusion of droplets rebounding up from their* impact with the water.
The fish love it, as flies and other critters* are washed in from the
air, the* branches and the greenery along the edges, and it also adds to
the aeration of the pond, as well as bringing its own fresh flavour to
the pond water for them.
* "peacefully" Insert the final dot, as "peaceful" could also make sense
* "from their " Doubling for "their"
* "critters" Note the outline for "creatures" has an Ar instead of the R
Hook
* "air, the" Not phrased, as there is a pause
I think our little game of triumphing over the rain started when we had
caravan holidays many years ago. The caravans were very small by today’s
standards, but it was a hugely exciting adventure for us children. The
rain would drum on the metal roof and reverberate around the interior,
but we were safe in our little wood and metal box. We could look out of
the window and see through the misty glass all the other little boxy
caravans with their dim lights on. Somehow we felt that if it rained at
night, then the rain was all used up and tomorrow would be fine and
sunny, ready for a day on the beach. If it continued into the day, then
visits to the souvenir shops had to make up for the lack of good beach
weather. There were* always the amusement* arcades to fill any* rainy
hours, or the choppy angry seas to watch, which left us wondering why we
ever thought it was possible or advisable to paddle in it.
* Omission phrase "there (w)ere"
* "amusement" It is obvious that it is not "amazement" here, but the
other forms of "amaze/amuse" and derivatives should always have their
vowel in
* "any" Essential to insert a final dot vowel, as "fill in" would also
make sense
In a former house that we lived in as children, some of the boys decided
to make a hut from scraps of wood. They used the existing fence as one
side, and built up their hut from any spare bits of wood they could
find. It was about the size and height of a telephone box and I was
allowed in so that we could all huddle there against the rain, in our
private self-built* bolthole. Some bread and water would complete the
supplies, but most importantly* of all it had to be raining.
Unfortunately* one could only get in through the roof, lifting off one of
the panels. I did manage this several times, although I felt it was not
the best place to put the entrance. Maybe this is where I began planning
what a good house ought to be like, continuing to this day, and starting
with having a door in the right place. Just struggling to get in added
to the sense of adventure and achievement, and I think maybe they put it
there as a security measure, as no adults could climb up and get in!
* "self-built" Outlines beginning "self" are always written in
second
position, to accord with the vowel in "self"
* Omission phrase "mos(t) importantly"
* "Unfortunately" Optional
contraction
Door in the right place - minimum of
six inches from the base to protect
the nestlings from predators
Nowadays I can sit in my greenhouse, which has seats rather than plants,
and listen to the sound of the rain hitting the roof. Unlike the
caravan, the rain can be seen streaming down the glass on all sides, so
I feel that* I am out in it but strangely unaffected by the wet and the
wind. It has a small gutter along each side and the rain shoots out of
them in spluttering cascades when there is too much water for the
downpipes to take. Summer rain is not particularly cold, so it is a
pleasant* way to watch the pond get drilled with the watery* missiles
and the fish making the occasional lunge at flies that have washed in.
Getting back to the house, only twenty feet away, before the rain stops
is another story though and one of my favourite nursery rhymes says it
all:
I hear thunder, I hear thunder!
Hark don’t you, hark don’t you?
Pitter patter raindrops, pitter patter raindrops,
I’m wet through, so are you! (779 words)
* Omission phrase "I fee(l) that"
* "pleasant" Helpful to insert the vowel, as it is similar to "pleasing"
* "watery" Insert the vowel, as "water" would also make sense
Top of page
Our annual caravan holiday in the nineteen sixties was the highlight of
our year, from our home in South London to the seaside towns of Clacton,
Herne Bay, Seaford or Newhaven. What is now a short day trip by car was
then a huge adventure by coach or train. All the luggage was carried by
hand and we waited for what seemed like ages at the coach pickup point
or railway station. Time was passed by playing with the Scoubidou
knotting* toy
which was popular at that time, consisting of lengths of plastic that
could be woven into a multi-coloured chain. This would be undone and
redone several times throughout the holiday, and it helped pass the time
while sitting on a suitcase waiting for the coach to come into view. The
coach was slower than the train but it had the advantage of a halfway
break, although we children wanted that break to be as short as
possible*.
*
"knotting" Always insert the vowel in "knitting, knotting, netting" as
the outlines and meanings are all similar
* "short as possible" Not made an omission phrase, as that might be read
as "short space"
On arrival, there was more lugging of suitcases and maybe the
possibility* of
a short bus ride to the caravan park. At the site office we collected
the key which was always on a very large wooden keyring, about the size
of a smartphone today, to make it impossible to lose. The caravans were
all numbered or
had individual names, and the rows were marked with letters of the
alphabet. There were* some quite large caravans but we knew that ours was
one of the cheapest, so we were not really surprised as they shrank in
size as we got nearer our row. This was all forgotten as we mounted the
three little steps and opened the creaking door, revealing the
delightful prospect of inspecting all the cupboards. We were always very
excited to find the well-used boxes of board games and a few story
books. There were just enough blankets to cover us but not enough to be
entirely comfortable all night. The lighting was by gas mantle which
started off as an impregnated cotton globe. After its first use, it
became very brittle and fragile, and we had to be very careful not
to touch or disturb it during the week.
*
"possibility" Optional contraction
* Omission phrase "there (w)ere"
There were* no
toilets in the caravans, all facilities were contained in the communal
wash block. The shower water was only just warm enough and we did not* look
too hard at the grimy tiled corners and pipework in case we saw the
spiders. Drinking and washing up water had to be fetched from an outside
standpipe and the dirty dish water went down the sink and into a large
galvanised bucket underneath the caravan, which then had to be lugged to
the communal drain for emptying. The grass round the bucket and under
the site water taps always grew longer and greener than elsewhere. All
these were not disadvantages, but added to our enjoyment and sense of
achievement in surviving without the comparative luxuries of home.
*
Omission phrase "there (w)ere"
* "we did not" Not phrased, to aid correct reading. If phrased it would
look like "we do not" or "we had not".
Our grandparents had saved coins in a jam jar all year and so we felt
like millionaires with a whole ten shillings* each
to spend. This would equate to about fifty pounds* today,
in terms of what it would buy in the way of beach toys, sweets and
souvenirs. At the site store we bought plastic beach shoes and straw
hats, and invested in a tin of chocolate drink powder that could be
added to milk, which had to last all week. We children had beds that
felt not much larger than a bookshelf, while our parents had the
fold-down double bed that filled the centre of the caravan. We fell
asleep listening to the unaccustomed countryside sounds of farm animals,
seagulls and crows rather than the pigeons and sparrows that we were
used to. There was total darkness outside, apart from the glowing
windows of the other caravans. The day’s activities ensured that we
slept soundly and by midweek we had got used to turning over in bed on
the spot, without rolling off.
*
"ten shillings" There were 20 shillings to the British pound pre-1972
decimalisation
*
"pounds" Always insert the diphthong, as "pence" is similar
Mornings announced themselves through the ancient floral curtains.
Anticipation of the pleasures ahead, the small size of the beds, and the
desire not to waste precious minutes all encouraged us to get up as soon
as our eyes opened. The door was flung wide and the fresh air enticed us
outside while breakfast was prepared, along with the day’s sandwiches.
The sky was studied intently for offending grey clouds and plans for the
day were discussed. Time at the beach was the priority, and going round
the town was reserved for later if the weather turned cooler or rainy.
Rain during the evening, however, would be positively relished as it
pounded on the metal caravan roof, but with the hope that it would be
over by the morning and the sun shining again.
Days at the beach were unhurried* and
consisted of sea, salt, sand and sandwiches. However hot the day, the
sea around Britain is always cold, and so dips in the sea were only
possible on a really hot day. If it was too chilly to go in, the sea
could still be enjoyed by playing dare with the waves as they broke and
advanced up the shingle, or bouncing flat stones off the incoming waves.
The only warm water to be found would be in a shallow rock pool, with
its accumulation of soft sand in which to sink toes, although the
thought of a crab or two hiding did mean it had to be poked with a stick
to ensure it was safe to tread in, or maybe wait for someone else to
clear the way before I set my feet in it!
*
"unhurried" Note the Hay stroke keeps its clockwise direction. The
combination N + Circle S + Ray has an anticlockwise circle e.g. "answer,
nicer"
After the evening meal, we would open the dusty and faded boxes* of
Ludo and Draughts, and the packs* of
playing and Snap cards. My favourite card game was Fish, but the game of
Snap was not restful* at
all. Games by gaslight led to an early night, as staying up late in a
cramped and ill-lit caravan was out of the question*.
Our activities were ruled by daylight and weather, rather than the
electric light bulb and the clock. We had to be well organised with a
last visit to the wash block before darkness, and once the central
double bed was unfolded, there was little chance to move around the
caravan.
*
"boxes" "packs" Insert the vowels, as these two are similar in outline
and meaning
* "restful" Omits the lightly sounded T
* Omission phrase "out (of the) question" using the optional contraction
for "question"
Damp sand gradually* accumulated
in bags, socks and shoes, along with the aroma of seawater and seaweed.
By the end of the week we had a collection of buckets, spades, shells,
and stones with interesting patterns or holes containing glistening salt
crystals. The chocolate powder seldom lasted beyond midweek, and on the
last day we almost convinced ourselves that we were looking forward* to
the greater comforts of home. On the last day inclement weather was our
friend, because we would not be looking wistfully* at
a sunny beach that we were having to leave behind. The sense of
adventure and discovery is permanently attached to the memories of those
holidays, and, in hindsight, we now envy the easy ability to rest
completely from school and work, without the intrusion of mobile phones
and laptops which did not then exist. A week spent finding out that we
could survive, and enjoy ourselves, without our house and possessions,
made us realise that home is people and enjoying activities together,
and not a building. (1226 words)
*
"gradually" has full D, in order to distinguish it from "greatly"
*
Omission phrase "looking fo(r)ward"
* "wistfully" Omits the lightly sounded T
Top of page
Short Letters 7 (29 June 2016)
All the paragraphs
are 100 words
Dear Mr Andrews, Thank you for your email giving us a date when our
representative may call on you to discuss the building work at your
house. I can confirm that he will be arriving at 9 am on Monday 21st
January. He will be bringing with him the amended plans for the
extension and the new layout for the landscaping work. I have attached
these for your consideration so that when he comes, you and he can
discuss any extra alterations you wish us to make. Please email me if
you need to change the meeting date. Yours faithfully (100 words)
Dear Friends, We have
now received the report from our accountants regarding the finances of
the Sports Club and I am happy to attach them for your consideration*. I
trust that you will* find
all of these satisfactory but if you have any questions*,
please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them.
Once again* our
membership has increased over the previous year and we are delighted
that our financial situation has improved greatly.
We are now looking forward to being* able to make improvements to our
facilities, buildings and membership rates. Yours sincerely* (100
words)
* Omission
phrases "for your (con)sideration" "I trus(t) that you will" "wu(n)s again" "Yours (sin)cerely"
* "questions" Optional contraction
* "to being" Based on the short form phrase "to be"
Dear Parents, Thank you so much* for supporting our fundraising day at
the school last week*.
It was a great day and I am very pleased to inform you that we raised
more than our target figure of one thousand pounds. As you know, this is
going to be used to redecorate the play areas and update all the
equipment, including the playground games. This will* take
place over the summer months when the school is closed for the holidays.
We hope* to see you in September for our Harvest Fête and show you all
the new improvements. Yours truly (100 words)
* "so much"
Stroke M included in order to join the phrase
* Omission
phrases "las(t w)eek" "we hope"
* "This will" Downward L to make a good join
Dear Miss Wood, I am replying to the complaint which you made about the
washing machine* which
you bought from our Newtown High Street store. Please accept our
apologies for this breakdown of the appliance. Our engineer will be
contacting you very shortly to arrange a date to inspect this. If he
cannot effect* a repair, we will replace the machine immediately with an
identical* model, although if you wish this could be* any model of similar
price that you prefer. I trust that* this action will resolve the matter
for you to your satisfaction. Yours sincerely*,
Customer Services Manager (100 words)
* Omission
phrases "wash(ing) machine" "I trus(t) that" "Yours (sin)cerely"
* "effect" Note spelling, meaning
to make, do or carry out; affect means to cause a change in something
* "identical" Contraction that
omits the N, therefore on the line
* "this could be" Not phrased, so it does not look like "this can be"
Dear Sir David, I am writing to congratulate you on the success of your
recent book entitled "Travels Around The World." I really enjoyed
reading about the places you travelled to and it brought back happy
memories of some of the towns which I visited many years ago when I
lived in the United States of America* for
a year, and in Australia for two years. I wish you all the best with the
next book, which I shall look forward* to
reading as soon as it is available. With best wishes* to
you, Mary and the family, Tom Green (100 words)
* Omission
phrases "United States of America" "look
fo(r)ward"
* "best wishes" Upward Ish to make a good join
Dear Alfred*,
I hope you are* keeping well and that you and Anna are enjoying your
retirement. I think your move to the village was a good one, where you
can both relax a bit more after all those years in the city. One of our
colleagues has decided to write a short history of the company and
wondered whether you would be willing to answer a few brief questions.
If so, I could* forward them on to you to answer at your leisure, and
there is no particular hurry, as it is a hobby* project. Best regards,
Albert* Morris
(100 words)
* "Alfred,
Albert" Care needed to write these accurately, as they are similar
* Omission phrase "I (h)ope you are"
* "I could" Not phrased, so it does not look like "I can"
* "hobby" "habit" Insert the first vowel in these, as they are similar
in outline and meaning, although unlikely to be misread in the above
passage.
Dear Mrs Johnson, Thank you for your application form for the post of
Accounts Assistant in our City office. Please attend for interview on
Monday 28 July at 11.30 am, and bring with you all the certificates that
you listed on your form, so that we can make a copy of these for our
records. You are invited to arrive early so that you can take some
refreshments before being called in. The interview will consist of a
time of questions* with
Mr Black and then a short written test on accountancy, office and
English skills. Yours sincerely*,
Personnel Manager (100 words) (700 words Total)
* "questions"
Optional contraction
* Omission phrase "Yours (sin)cerely"
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