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Chapter 8
When the plural form of an acronym appears in parentheses, a lower case 5 is included within the parentheses.
- (MPDs)
- (IPOs)
- (MP3s)
- (SUVs)
- (JPEGs)
8.12.
The apostrophe is omitted in abbreviations, and also in shortened forms of certain other words.
- Danl., not Dan'l
- Halloween, not Hallowe'en
- phone, not 'phone
- copter, not 'copter
- coon, not 'coon
- possum, not 'possum
but ma'am
8.13.
The plural of spelled-out numbers, of words referred to as words, and of words containing an apostrophe is formed by adding s or es; but 's is added to indicate the plural of words used as words if omission of the apostrophe would cause difficulty in reading.
- twos, threes, sevens
- ands, ifs, and huts
- ins and outs
- the haves and have-nots
- ups and downs
- whereases and wherefores
- pros and cons
- yeses and noes
- yeas and nays
but
- do's and don'ts
- which's and that's
8.14.
The possessive case is often used in lieu of an objective phrase even though ownership is not involved.
- 1 day's labor (labor for 1 day)
- for charity's sake
- 12 days' labor
- for pity's sake
- 2 hours' traveltime
- several billion dollars' worth
- a stone's throw
- 2 weeks' pay
but $10 billion worth
8.15.
The possessive case is not used in such expressions as the following, in which one noun modifies another.
- day labor (labor by the day)
- State prison
- quartermaster stores
- State rights
