TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: What's The Name of *#* From:Williams Diane <Williams_Diane -at- DOTE -dot- OSD -dot- MIL> Date:Wed, 25 Sep 1996 12:34:55 -0400
> In my Tech Editing class, we've been given the assignment to find out the
> correct name for the number sign or the pound sign (#). It's *not* called
> the commercial sign anymore, I've been told.
>>Then, Eric said: Commercial sign? _Commercial sign??_
The hell? I've never heard that before. I've heard "hashmark" and
"pound
key" (which is what you'll find most often in voice mails) and
tic-tac-toe,
but never "commercial sign." How odd.<<
The Webster's New World Dictionary of Media and Communications 91996)
calls it an octothorp, which we have heard before here on TECHWR-L; and
says the pound sign is also called a "hatch" mark (rather than "hash"
mark).
