User:Zir/Tardis

Tardis letters from Ariel
WEEK 17 (24/4/7)

Timely reminder

I won’t apologise for being an anorak or a pedant (or for being me). I’ve seen the word ‘Tardis’ in Ariel a few times, most recently in last week’s issue, but as it’s an acronym it should be ‘TARDIS’ – standing for Time And Relative Dimension (though lately Dimensions has been used) In Space.

Unfortunately the Time Lord has been too busy lately to travel back in time to correct anyone before only capitalising the first letter of an acronym became common practice in the British press.

The BBC’s Doctor Who website does get it right, however.

Richard Ellison, London control room

WEEK 18 (1/5/7)

Who cares?

Richard Ellison (April 24) hopes Doctor Who will travel back in time to correct those who capitalise only the first letter of an acronym. However, acronyms pronounced as a word which are in common use – and which are now understood without reference to the constituent letters – are at least equally correct in lower-case form, hence the proper nouns Nato/NATO and Unicef/UNICEF are both fine, and the common noun acronyms scuba, radar and laser would be decidedly odd if capitalised at all.

Rather than waste valuable minutes, the Time Lord should get back in his box.

Jamie Woodward, parliamentary liaison

Here’s the lower-down

May I rescue Richard Ellison from the space/time vortex generated by Tardis/TARDIS?

There’s no right or wrong here; each publication has its own house style. Many adhere to the rule that with acronyms (where initials spell a new pronounceable name) only the first letter is capitalised; but in abbreviations, where each letter is pronounced individually, the whole lot is capitalised. Distinct examples are Bafta and BFI, or Aids and HIV.

The acronym Tardis first appeared in print in the Christmas 1963 Radio Times – a house style rigorously maintained to this day. Indeed, RT often italicised it Tardis to connote a ship’s name. The clunkier TARDIS (preferred by Mr Ellison) was introduced by the Target Doctor Who novelisations in the mid-70s and remains popular with fans even now.

Good old RT (and it seems Ariel) is sticking to its 44-year-old guns with Tardis.

Patrick Mulkern, sub-editor, Radio Times

WEEK 19 (8/5/7)

What’s up doc?

Lots of Doctor Who fans (I count myself as one) have been upset by editors who choose to write TARDIS largely in lower case (May 1). It’s just lazy journalism not to adhere to the proper display of acronyms.

My current gripe, however, is BBC continuity announcers (admittedly Red Bee Media staff) who insist on introducing a Doctor Who episode by saying, for example, ‘And now there’s trouble ahead for Doctor Who.’

I’d just like to point out the following to anyone involved in continuity: ‘Doctor Who’ is the name of the show not the character. The show Doctor Who features a character called The Doctor. I hope this clears up any confusion. Should there be any continuity shifts which need covering as a result of this sad but necessary email, please call my agent who will be happy to discuss my rate. I can bring my own mic if this helps.

Jon Jacob, Red Bee Media