Abbreviations

In General
Except for common Latin abbreviations, don't use an abbreviation without first spelling it out.

Latin Abbreviations
Don't use Latin abbreviations unless you know what they mean. The two that are misused most often are e.g. and i.e. The abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia, meaning for example. Set the example off with parentheses and put a comma after the unitalicized abbreviation.

Many UO students major in one or more Romance languages (e.g., French, Italian, Spanish).

The abbreviation i.e. stands for id est, meaning that is ("in other words"). Set the clarification off with parentheses and put a comma after the unitalicized abbreviation.

The University of Oregon Telephone Directory is provided
free to UO employees (i.e., faculty members, officers of administration, classified staff members, and graduate employees).

The abbreviation etc. adds no information, so leave it out.

Submit a yellow printing-revision form to change such publication details as quantity, ink color, and paper stock.


not: 
Submit a yellow printing revision form to change quantity, ink color, paper stock, etc.

Two frequently used era designations are A.D. (anno Domini, "in the year of the Lord") and B.C. ("before Christ"). Both are set in small capital letters. If small capitals aren't available, use lowercase letters rather than standard capitals. Notice that A.D. appears before a year number and B.C. follows a year number.

300 B.C.


but: 
A.D. 1250

Latin Honors
Some undergraduates receive Latin honors when they graduate
from the University of Oregon. Latin honors are in italics but not capitalized.

cum laude magna cum laude summa cum laude

"with honors" "with high honors" "with highest honors"

top 10 percent top 5 percent top 2 percent

Certificates and Degrees
See Academics.

Computer Terms
See Using the Dictionary.

Days of the Week or Months
Write out months or days of the week unless space is too limited.

The class meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.


but: 

Mon., April 6 Tues., April 7 Wed., April 8

First class meeting Midterm examination Final examination

Days of the week can be abbreviated in course listings as follows:

M U W H F Sa Su

Mailing Addresses
In mailing addresses, use the two-letter postal abbreviation for states. Except for the hyphenated nine-digit ZIP code, postal regulations require that no punctuation be used in the mailing address. Delivery of U.S. mail to university offices requires the four-digit extended ZIP code before University of Oregon. Do not include building names and room numbers in mailing addresses.

On envelopes or mailing lists, write addresses in capital letters.

OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS
1266 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
EUGENE OR 97403-1266

Within the body of your copy, write the same address as follows:

Office of Admissions, 1266 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1266.

Abbreviate compass directions in complete addresses.

MORLEY JAMES
1811 NW BEACON BLVD
PORTLAND OR 97202

Use the following abbreviations with an address number. If an address number isn't used, don't abbreviate.

Ave. Blvd.

Avenue Boulevard




The Museum of Natural History is located at 1680 E. 15th Ave.


but: 
The Central Power Station is located north of Franklin Boulevard.

General references to streets, roads, avenues, and places, aren't capitalized.

In Eugene most numbered roadways are avenues.


In Springfield numbered roadways are usually either streets or places.

ZIP code stands for Zoning Improvement Plan code. Unless it begins a sentence, ZIP should be in small capitals. Use lowercase letters if small capitals aren't available.

See also Electronic Addresses under Using the Dictionary.

Measurements
Spell out all terms of measurement in the text:

inches

miles

millimeters

minutes

kilometers

percent

Pac-10
Use Pac-10 as an abbreviation for the Pacific-10 Conference.

R.S.V.P.
Use this abbreviation with a telephone number or address and a deadline to request a response. Please is redundant, because the abbreviation stands for the French répondez s'il vous plaît, "please respond."

If in doubt about whether your readers know the meaning of R.S.V.P., use English: Please respond or Please reply. 

State Names
Spell out state names unless space is restricted or when giving a mailing address. Use the two-letter United States Postal Service abbreviations (e.g., OR for Oregon) in mailing addresses; don't
insert a comma between the city and the state.

The university is located in Eugene, Oregon.


but: 
Direct related inquiries to the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, 474 Oregon Hall, 5221 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-5221; telephone (541) 346-3123,
TTY (541) 346-1021.

If space is limited in text other than a mailing address, use longer standard abbreviations with periods (e.g., Oreg. for Oregon). A few states (e.g., Alaska and Idaho) are never abbreviated in this way. Section 14.17 of the Chicago Manual of Style lists both types of abbreviations (e.g., Calif. and CA for California).

Subject Codes
Subject codes are fixed abbreviations for study areas; they appear in all-capital letters and without internal spaces. The UO catalog lists all subject codes.

BI (not Biol) J (not JOUR) MATH (not Math)

biology journalism mathematics

Time
The correct abbreviation for morning times is a.m.

The correct abbreviation for afternoon and evening times is p.m.

Use noon instead of 12:00 p.m.

Use midnight instead of 12:00 a.m.

The class meets at 10:30 a.m.


The lecture begins at 4:00 p.m. and the reception at 5:15.

There are several correct ways of expressing inclusive times. Don't mix and match them.

The workshop lasted from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.


Visiting hours are 8:00–10:00 a.m.


The museum is open between noon and 5:00 p.m.


not: 
The workshop lasted from 8:00 a.m.–10:45 p.m.


Visiting hours are between 8:00–10:00 a.m.

Time

Workshop Lunch Reception Dinner

10:30 a.m.–noon noon–1:30 p.m. 6:30–7:30 p.m. 7:30–9:00 p.m.

The twenty-four-hour clock is used in the University of Oregon Schedule of Classes. For example, the class schedule uses 08:00 for 8:00 a.m. and 16:30 for 4:30 p.m. 

University of Oregon
Spell out the first reference to the University of Oregon. Use the UO, Oregon, or the university to abbreviate subsequent references.

>>Back to Contents