October 25, 2007 The Virgule, aka the Forward Slash
Reader Thomas Gould asked me about use in drafting of the virgule, also known as the forward slash.
Here’s what Garner’s Modern American Usage has to say:
Some writers use [the virgule] to mean “per” (50 words/minute). Others use it to mean “or” (and/or) or “and” (every employee/independent contractor must complete form XJ42A). Still others use it to indicate a vague disjunction, in which it’s not quite an or (the novel/novella distinction). In this last use, the en-dash is usually a better choice. In all these uses, there’s almost always a better choice than the virgule. Use it as a last resort.
So the virgule is profoundly unclear. To that I’d add that if you want a given virgule to mean and or or, you’d have to take into account the rat’s nest that is the ambiguity associated with and and or.
So I say never use a virgule in drafting except on those rare occasions when and/or is the least-bad option (that’s something I discuss in MSCD 8.55) or if you need to state a fraction or an informal date (as in 3/17/08).
For what it’s worth, I haven’t found any litigation relating to use of the virgule in contracts. Most opinions addressing the meaning of the virgule deal with who was entitled to cash checks made payable to “[payee 1]/[payee 2].”
October 26, 2007 at 4:26 am
As a side note, it’s intresting to me that the forward slash is called a “virgule” bearing in mind that “virgule” in French, which I assume is where the English use of “virgule” comes from, actually means “comma”…
April 7, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I’m a college writing teacher who recently got an e-mail from someone interested in the use of a row of spaced, centered slashes “/ / / / /” to indicate “end of content on this page.” Are you familiar with any guidelines explaining this usage?
April 7, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Dennis: Nope, that’s a new one to me. Ken