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: the pound sign (#) From:Romay Jean Sitze <rositze -at- NMSU -dot- EDU> Date:Thu, 10 Aug 1995 11:29:57 -0600
I was born and raised here in the Southwest USA. Regarding the (#) sign,
I have heard it called the pound sign when used to designate weight, not
money, as in 25#. Note that the # follows the number in this usage. It
is used as a substitute for the word number when it precedes a numeral as
in #3 can. Until relatively recently, I had not heard it called a hash
mark--and have no idea where the term originated. Does anyone know?
(BTW, my Webster's New World Dictionary lists this symbol with the
definitions agreeing with what I grew up hearing--either "pound" or
"number" depending upon placement in relation to the number it accompanies.
