>From where I come from;
>'/' = 'slash'
>'!' = 'bang'

Shriek

>and for those of us who have problems pronouncing 'asterisk'....

Ain't that ALL yanks? :-)

>'*' = 'splat'

What's wrong with "star", as we say?
>
>
>>>Terry,
>>>
>>>I'm still wondering about your problems.
>>
>>You suggesting I have mental problems? What is this - irritate Brits week in Germany?
>>
>>>
>>>I myself still stuck with the problem that the backslash is more forward then the slash.
>>>
>>>Our reading direction is left to right top - down.
>>>
>>>So a / points forward from left to right but upwards - and this is back.
>>>A \ on the opposite surely point forward all the way ...
>>
>>My point (from way back) is that the "forward slash" is just "slash", or solidus, or stroke. The expression "back-slash" came in with the PC and IBM's use thereof for directory paths. Before that everyone was happy with "stroke" for "/". A programmer short-cut (like "shriek" for "!") named it "slash".
>>
>>But I've already gone on about this way back.
>>
>>>
>>>Agnes
>>>
>>>www.nationaldrivesafe.co.uk
>>>
>>>
>>>Update:
>>>
>>>The problem with data is that you folk need better education.
>>
>>Meaning us Brits and Yanks compared wit Germany? Or us anglophones?
>>
>>> For all the stuff we call database, table, record, fields or cell there are a lot of wonderfull sienctific words like relation, relationship , attribute or tuple that can be used and make completely clear what is described. Do not ask me why I do not use them ...
>>
>>This is all irrelevant.
>>
>>>
>>>Agnes
>>>
>>>
>>>>There's probably been a discussion about the word "data" being plural and therefore (the purists amongst us would say) one should say "the data are correct" rather than "... is ...". And there've been the laissez-faire types who've argued that it should be treated as singular. Then we get the unwieldy expression "an item of data" rather than just "a datum".
>>>>
>>>>Now I've argued against treating the expression "the media" as singular, when referring to news outlets, such as TV, radio, papers, etc. and some have shot me down. It had to happen eventually but last night I heard a radio reporter stating that we'd heard something "... through the medium of the media". I nearly crashed my car with apoplexy.
>>>>
>>>>I've argued about the expression "forward slash" as totally unnecessary. Well a few months ago I heard an ignoramus of a woman on the radio saying something like "This is useful for children/teenagers" but pronouncing it "This is useful for children - forward slash - teenagers". ARRGGH!
>>>>
>>>>Now this should have all been nipped in the bud but y'all wouldn't listen to me
>>>>
>>>>Nuff said