Pound sign (was Re: the Telephone Test)

[Raymond Dunn]

In article <147 at ixi.UUCP> clive at ukc.ac.uk (Clive) writes:
 >
 >The character that looks like:
 >      #
 >is a "number" sign or a "hash" sign. It is NOT repeat NOT a pound sign.
 >A pound sign is what appears on a five pound note, and looks like:
 > etc.

Sorry Clive, but your culture is showing!  You can't blame this one on
US insensitivity etc etc.....

Sterling is not the only sort of "pounds", and the N. American naming of "#"
has nothing to do with monetary units!!

The fact that the pound sign appears on a US keyboard where the sterling symbol
appears on a British keyboard (shift-3) is purely coincidental and, although
adding wonderfully to the confusion, believe me or nay, has *nothing* to do
with it being called "pound"!
-- 
Ray Dunn.                    | UUCP: ..!uunet!philmtl!ray
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