i.e.g., a perfectly cromulent t.l.a.
When I draft my e-books, my editor often complains about my use of the abbreviation “e.g.”. She prefers me to write “for example” and, even then, there is always a struggle for me to get the commas in the right places.
Even worse, “for example” often is not all that I wish to say; often I’m trying to say something of the style “that is, for example”, so I wind up doubting whether I’m really wanting to “i.e.” or “e.g.”
I’ve decided to cut the Gordian knot; from this day hence, when appropriate I will use the newly coined T.L.A.* “i.e.g.”, meaning “that is, for example,”. I’m sure you will find i.e.g. a perfectly cromulent T.L.A.
* T.L.A. = Three Letter Abbreviation.
Tags: languages
