Dollar signs

[abarrach]

Okay, normally, I'm quite respectful of grammar, but the position of currency signs is where grammar and I disagree.

The current standard in English is to put the dollar sign to the left of the number ($5). I think it should be put on the right (5$). Why?

1. When we speak, we say "dollars" after the number.
2. A dollar ($) is a unit of measure just as metre (m), yard (yd), gallon (gal), litre (l), and gram (g) are. Therefore, $ ought to be treated just like the others.
3. It makes more sense when combining with metric prefixes. e.g. $10M vs 10M$, $50k vs 50k$
4. Other languages put the $ to the right of the number. (Well, I know French does, I can't vouch for other languages.)
5. It's more visually pleasing to have the $ on the right when aligning the numbers at the decimal point (like spreadsheets do).

I don't know how other currency symbols are used. I think the British pound (£) is also put to the left of the number, which I think is wrong.

Why in gods' names is the dollar sign so special that it deserves a special nonsensical exception to the rule of putting the symbol after the number?  

[Alexia Angel Holtes]

I agree with you, you support good reasons and obviously, you aren't all that stupid to suggest it either. Grammar and math are two totally different subjects, Grammar belongs to English, and dollar signs belong to Math, but I can see your point. I will concede that they honestly need to put the dollar sign behind the number, but, because we cannot decide this, it will remain this way for years to come. biggrin

 

[Patron with a Mission]

Hmm...never thought of it that way. I was always taught that the dollar sign goes to the left of the number like this: $5.  

[MadnessFreak]

Summary (connect to first post in corresponding numbers):

1. Yeah. I noticed that. Took me several years and a hell of a lot of research, mind.
2. I believe other units of money within the same nationality frame are treated differently, such as pounds and pence, dollars and cents, etc.
3. To be honest, it's both a tradition and a trading identification. You won't misread it and overpay then.
4. Foreign people have their own customs. I wouldn't bend people to the customs of other people, as the Soviets proved was a shitty idea.
5. That's a matter of opinion. I prefer it to be differerent.

The fact that you are referring to a symbol as 'special', makes me want to strap you to a wheelchair and wheel you to the nearest psychiatrist. Letters don't get all offended and start ringing you up and complaining if they believe that you've put them in the wrong place.

I find currency symbols used in that manner better, since I can recognise what currency I'm dealing with by looking at the positioning.

To me it's like saying "I don't think we shouldn't put cars on the road, but in the sea, since the cars don't like the road much."

Besides, writing '5£ 68p' seems stupid to me.  

[SilverBellsAbove]

Huh, I never really thought about that. I'm lazy that way.

I'll look into it, though. sweatdrop  

[abarrach]

MadnessFreak

Summary (connect to first post in corresponding numbers):

1. Yeah. I noticed that. Took me several years and a hell of a lot of research, mind.
2. I believe other units of money within the same nationality frame are treated differently, such as pounds and pence, dollars and cents, etc.
3. To be honest, it's both a tradition and a trading identification. You won't misread it and overpay then.
4. Foreign people have their own customs. I wouldn't bend people to the customs of other people, as the Soviets proved was a shitty idea.
5. That's a matter of opinion. I prefer it to be differerent.

1. research?!
2. I was referring to units of measure. You can measure money, just as you can measure weight, length, volume and time. Yes, the cents symbol is also put to the right of the number when used.
3. I know it's tradition, but to me that's not a valid excuse to continue to do something that doesn't make sense. That's like saying, our ancestors all had slaves, therefore we should continue to have slaves, they're good for the economy. I don't understand your point about overpayment. Can you elaborate?
4. Yes, but are we being different for the sake of being different or being stuborn, or is there a logical reason for the way things are?
5. Okay, I'll concede that the visually pleasing point was weak. It was meant as a bonus feature rather than a primary argument.

Quote:

The fact that you are referring to a symbol as 'special', makes me want to strap you to a wheelchair and wheel you to the nearest psychiatrist. Letters don't get all offended and start ringing you up and complaining if they believe that you've put them in the wrong place.

I meant special in the minds of the language users, not in the mind of other symbols. If I said the order of the alphabet should be "asdfghjkl...", the letters wouldn't care, but a whole lot of people would.

Quote:

I find currency symbols used in that manner better, since I can recognise what currency I'm dealing with by looking at the positioning.

That's the reason the Spanish had for putting ¡ and ¿ before sentences that have ! and ? at the end, so they have a visual cue ahead of time about how they should interpret the sentence. I think that's a valid reason. But I don't think it's sufficient. Besides, numbers, especially when dealing with money, are rarely long enough to warrant this kind of visual cue when there are so many other benefits to having it the way I'm proposing.

Quote:

To me it's like saying "I don't think we shouldn't put cars on the road, but in the sea, since the cars don't like the road much."

No. The better analogy is which side of the road to drive on.

Quote:

Besides, writing '5£ 68p' seems stupid to me.

That's not what I'm advocating. I'm advocating writing something like "5.68£" and "11.16$". However, the sequence of symbols you used is not unheard of. We use it for angles measured in degrees, as in 23°19', and in some cultures, time 13h15.  

[Muffin Manic]

I'm sorry if this sounds rude but what difference would it make?  

[abarrach]

MuffinChick54

I'm sorry if this sounds rude but what difference would it make?

Really? Not much. It's just a pet peeve of mine. I like logic and consistency in the rules I'm to follow, that's all. It bugs me that people follow rules without ever questioning them. Then I'm the one that looks like an idiot when I break the rule, even though I do it on purpose and with good reason.  

[Undertakerfangirl]

The only reason that I can think of as to why the dollar sign should be to the left of the number is in the inevitable instance of change being involved. i.e.: $6.28. Let's face it, many Americans are quite stupid, and would be too easily confused by 6.28$. Therefore, the symbol has to be to the left, as we are a society that caters to the lazy and lackadaisical. Live with it.  

[OtakuStudy]

I can see what you are saying, and even through it would be proper... I dont think they would change it, I am sure that people would still put the $x sign as thats how they have been taught.

For me, I just use the '$' sign to the left or for responses use the word dollar after it.

Still... this isnt a bad argument and I can see what you mean.  

[darkrose_eve]

I've actually thought of that several times myself. It's strange isn't it?