CDs and CD's

SpaceFlight   Tue Dec 27, 2005 4:53 pm GMT
Which do you use? I use the first one.
Guest   Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:00 pm GMT
If you're referring to the plural for CD (or most upper-cased abbreviations), I believe the modern style is CDs. We used to use CD's years ago, but this may still be a matter of style that can vary from place to place.

The possessive/genitive of CD would be CD's (as in "The CD's top surface was scratched.") I suppose the plural genitive/possessive would be CDs'??
SpaceFlight   Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:02 pm GMT
I'm talking about the plural, not the possessive. For the plural, I use CDs.
SpaceFlight   Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:08 pm GMT
<<If you're referring to the plural for CD (or most upper-cased abbreviations), I believe the modern style is CDs. We used to use CD's years ago, but this may still be a matter of style that can vary from place to place.>>

I think ''CDs'' makes more sense, and fits with the normal rule that plurals do not take apostrophes.
César   Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:14 pm GMT
CDs is the correct one. However, CD's is still accepted (as far as I know).

I don't like it, though.
andre in usa   Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:33 am GMT
The comma in "CD's" is used for clarity. The same goes for years, for example, 1960's. But a lot of people think leaving out a comma is more correct. It really doesn't matter one way or the other.
Kirk   Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:40 am GMT
Either way is fine. I personally use 'CDs' and '1960s'.
SpaceFlight   Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:45 am GMT
<<The comma in "CD's" is used for clarity.>>

Why would you need an apostrophe in ''CDs'' for clarity? It's a plural, not a possessive or a contraction.
SpaceFlight   Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:48 am GMT
<<But a lot of people think leaving out a comma is more correct.>>

That's because plurals generally don't take apostrophes.
SpaceFlight   Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:49 am GMT
<<That's because plurals generally don't take apostrophes.>>

Typo.

That's because plurals usually don't take apostrophes.
Lazar   Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:27 am GMT
Like Kirk, I would usually write "CDs" and "1960s".
Mxsmanic   Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:59 am GMT
I skip the apostrophe because it may cause confusion with possessive constructions.
Guest   Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:46 am GMT
Another example:

Something like "the '60s" looks better to me than "the '60's".

But then we have counterexamples:

There are two As and three as in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".
There are two A's and three a's in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".
There are two As and three a's in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".
Travis   Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:33 am GMT
>>But then we have counterexamples:

There are two As and three as in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".
There are two A's and three a's in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".
There are two As and three a's in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".<<

In this case, it'd probably be better to say something along the lines of:

There are two "A"s and three "a"s in the password: "A1A2a3a4a5".