[Elecraft] "Q" signal trivia

[Mark]

Hi Kevin:

Because an " 's " is the standard way to create a plural of a digit or 
digits in English?  (at least historically)  :-)  It doesn't indicate a 
possessive in this usage.

See, for example, 
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/apostrophe.htm:

"An apostrophe is also used to form some *plurals*, especially the 
plural of letters and digits. Raoul got four _A's_ last term and his 
sister got four 6's in the ice-skating competition. "

Of course, the Chicago Manual of Style disagrees... :-)

73,

Mark, KD4D

On 7/18/2011 12:19 PM, Kevin Rock wrote:
> I have always wondered why it is written in the possessive form.  Why not
> write it 73s instead if you want to make it a plural and not possessive?
>      Kevin.  KD5ONS
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:57:43 -0700, Gary D Krause<n7hts at bresnan.net>
> wrote:
>
>> I think the reason 73's came about is that many of us, myself included,
>> repeat
>> it twice at the end of a CW QSO.
>>
>> Gary, N7HTS
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:46:41 -0600
>>    "Ken - K0PP"<kengkopp at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>> "Q" signals were established to facilitate communication
>>> between stations that don't share a common language.
>>>
>>> In usual usage a "Q" signal without punctuation is considered
>>> a statement.  If it's followed by a "?", it's meant as a question.
>>>
>>> Needless to say, a purist would never use a "Q" signal in voice
>>> communications, but we all do. "The home QTH here is ... (;-)
>>>
>>> Oh ... 73 is correct.  73's isn't.  73's is equivalent to "Good lucks".
>>>
>>> 73!
>>> Ken - K0PP
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