XPost: sci.lang, alt.usage.english, rec.puzzles
for 30+ years ...
i've often wondered about ubiquitous use of
ALL-CAPITALS in USA Cartoon babbles, and
ALL-CAPITALS in US military: CAUTION/WARNING SIGNS on weapons, etc.
and in City, County, Municipal Code Signs:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81cS+tI76KL._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg
https://esignsunlimited.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/IMG_8684.jpg
On 5/5/2024 2:16 AM, Aidan Kehoe wrote:
Ar an cúigiú lá de mí Bealtaine, scríobh Athel Cornish-Bowden:
> Today there was a headline that read "XI EN FRANCE". What on
earth does that
> mean, I thought? A football team, maybe? Then I realized that it
was a
> reference to Eleven Jinpin, the leader of China. It would have
been so much
> easier to understand at a glance if they had written "Xi en
France". The French
> have yet to learn that mixed-case is much easier to read than
all-capitals
> (especially on road signs, which have had mixed case in the UK
for at least 40
> years). Road signs are better in neighbouring Spain, Belgium,
Switzerland and
> Germany, a bit half-hearted in Italy and Luxemburg, and like
France in Andorra
> and Monaco.
>
> The point of this post is to ask why people don't write things in as
> understandable a way as possible.
You know this, but in this case the unsatisfying answer is that it’s
likely the
house style to put titles in capitals, deviation is not tolerated.
Has this
publication been dragged forwards into the late 20th century enough
to use
accents with its capitals?
(Cross-posted to sci.lang given not hugely relevant to
alt.usage.english.)
> Navi won't agree, as he tries to pack as much
> meaning as possible in as few words as possible, but I hope
others will.
>
> --
> ATHEL -- FRENCH AND BRITISH, LIVING IN MARSEILLES FOR XXXVII
YEARS; MAINLY IN
> ENGLAND UNTIL MCMLXXXVII.
>
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
