Full stop (period) after abbreviation

[keenanbr]

I always thought that a full stop was required after an abbreviation (e.g. Rd. for Road). I have been asked to change our address on all company letters from 70 St. Stephen's Green to 70 St Stephen's Green. Which is correct?

 

[KenCunningham]

As far as I know, your understanding is correct. That said, it seems to be very hit and miss these days, as with commas between the address lines (the latter being no bad thing if you're thrying to parse a CSV of course!!).

I don't mind people who aren't what they seem. I just wish they'd make their mind up.

Alan Bennett.

 

[CajunCenturion]

Traditionally, abbreviations involving lower case letters required periods. However, 'open punctuation' styles, which would not call for the period, are become more prevalent.

To answer your question, "which is correct?", I would suggest that the correct answer is: if your boss asked you to remove the commas, then it's correct to remove the commas.

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[2ffat]

The US Postal System asked that all puntuation be removed from addresses. Thus 70 St. Stephen's Green should be 70 St Stephens Green and Burley, Idaho should be Burley ID. Also all envelopes should be printed or, better yet, typed and not in cursive handwriting.

I'm assuming that's because they are trying to use optical readers to read the addresses and their computers can't read punctuation. I prefer the traditional way (Rd. vs Rd) since I can read it better but who's to argue with USPS?

James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[PaulTEG]

Is that Hainault House?

Paul
------------------------------------
Spend an hour a week on CPAN, helps cure all known programming ailments ;-)

 

[Lunatic]

http://www.usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/labelsandaddressing/usingthecorrectaddress.htm

The company I'm at sends thousands of items a week and they also CAPITALIZE all text for mailing purposes.

So in the example above, we would ship it:

70 ST STEPHENS GREEN

 

[columb]

Boy, do you guys need post codes. I know you have zip codes which are close but all the UK post office requires is that the house number/name and the post code are legible. Indeed large businesses, like the one I work for, have unique codes.

If you want to write to me then
Columb Healy
FY9 9YP
UK
is sufficient.

Ceci n'est pas une signature
Columb Healy

 

[Sympology]

Glad I wasn't the only UK person who thought your postal
hardware is lousy...


In fact, in the uk, it is possible any postcode by number & postcode.

e.g

33
B11 2LE

Althought the postie may get a mood...

Infact.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/5341572.stm

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[AnotherHiggins]

In defense of our Post Office....

The Zip Code has a four-digit modifier that, if you know it, narrows the address to a single mailbox.

For example, the Zip Code for my office is 27703.

But given the full zip code, 27703-8998, the post office can find the city, state, street number AND suite.

Likewise, the Post Office might not like it, but I'm willing to bet that a letter addressed to
[tab]Another Higgins
[tab]27703-8998
would find its way to my office.

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

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[rjoubert]

Actually, John, the 4 digit modifier in a Zip+4 does serve to narrow the address down, but NOT to an individual mailbox...

A ZIP+4 code uses the basic five-digit code plus an additional four digits to identify a geographic segment within the five-digit delivery area, such as a city block, a group of apartments, an individual high-volume receiver of mail or any other unit that could use an extra identifier to aid in efficient mail sorting and delivery.

 

[AnotherHiggins]

[southern]
Well cover me in gravy and call me breakfast!
[/southern]



[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

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[sha76]

Ah, who needs postcodes? A few years ago I wanted to send a postcard from Morocco to some friends back in England. Had no idea of the house number, let alone the postcode. The great people at Royal Mail not only deciphered my handwriting (a feat in itself) but managed to deliver to "Americans with Landrovers, street, town, England"!


"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Stella740pl]

I believe, the address is matched against some USPS database that doesn't have the punctuation, for verification purposes or to find out that additional 4-digit code as in ZIP+4 (since not many people actually put that 4-digit code in the address, or even know it).

If you ever tried to find directions from one point to another on some Internet map services, like Yahoo; or, especially, to find a 4-digit for the ZIP+4, and so on, you might have seen that many of those systems can understand addresses in particular format only, with some specific abbreviations only.

 

[flapeyre]

When I was in in High School (1973 or so), we had a good familiy friend who sent my father a birthday card. At the time we lived on Coliseum Street in New Orleans. He taped a picture of the Flavian Amphitheatre to the envelope after the street number, and it got to my dad within 1 day.

Feles mala! Cur cista non uteris? Stramentum novum in ea posui!

 

[columb]

As we drift even further off topic...

My favourite Post Office story is the address that was aparently meaningless until one of the postal workers shifted all the letters one key to the left on a typewriter keyboard. The letterbox where this had been picked up was near a home for the blind.

Back on topic, aren't we up against the correct/conventional difference. I'm not sure there is a 'correct' way to lay out an address, just the locally observed convention. For what it's worth I was taught

1, High St.,
ANYTOWN,
County,
UK.

But right justified, of course.

Ceci n'est pas une signature
Columb Healy

 

[SilentAiche]

College, mid-1980's:

It once took 11 (ELEVEN) freaking days for a Christmas card to get from Winston-Salem to Raleigh, a 2-2 1/2 hour drive by car.

Stamp me unimpressed.

Tim



[blue]_______________________________________________________
"As a former farmer, I try to grow the best formers around."[/blue]

 

[Skie]

Where I work the punctuation would be removed, the address would be in all caps, and the numeric would be modified because it precedes street. 70 St. Stephen's Green would be 70TH ST STEPHENS GREEN.

However, the modification would depend on whether the person inputting the address thought "St." was an abbreviation for "street" or "Saint".

 

[mmerlinn]

How about 6 DAYS for Payroll checks to move less than 6 miles in the SAME city? Had that problem 15 years ago and it drove me and my employee nuts several times per year. And, yes, it was a U.S. Postal problem, not a problem caused by late mailing.

I eventually solved the problem by personnally taking an hour every payday to pick up the check. What a royal pain!


mmerlinn

"Political correctness is the BADGE of a COWARD!"

 

[Stella740pl]

I eventually solved the problem by personnally taking an hour every payday to pick up the check. What a royal pain!
Didn't they offer direct deposit?
It will come to you bank account in a day or two, and you wouldn't care that much if the paystub would make its 6 miles in 6 days or even 10.

 

[Lunatic]

Was direct deposit an option in 1991? Sorry too young to know ;p