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If I want to make a lowercase abbreviation plural, how do I do it? I've found loads and loads of information about how to pluralise acronyms, written in uppercase, but nothing about lowercase abbreviations. It seems to me that the normal process of simply adding an s doesn't really work in this case?

Examples:

  1. You should be more specific – don't use so many etc[PLURAL]

  2. You need the documents with the following RefNo[PLURAL]

  3. There are so many sic[PLURAL] in this quote it's ridiculous

(I realise that example 2 would be easily solved by simply writing reference numbers instead, but please humour me – if, for some reason, I have to use the abbreviation, then how would I pluralise it?)

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    Nos for numbers is a well-established usage. Nov 14, 2021 at 14:55
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    The short answer is don't do it! There's no reason why English should have "evolved" a "correct" written form for such pathological contexts, and it's easy to rephrase and avoid the problem. For example, You should be more specific – don't use "etc." so often. As @kate points out, pluralising s appended to abbreviations like No, RefNo are well-established conventions that doesn't tax the reader unduly (though No's, RefNo's aren't uncommon). but etcs and sics don't really cut it, being references to things which are very rarely pluralised anyway. Nov 14, 2021 at 15:08
  • @FumbleFingers I totally see your point, but surely there must still be a rule for it? Or is the rule just that it can't (and shouldn't) be done?? I mean, even though it's usually possible to rephrase, it seems odd that there shouldn't be a rule for those cases where it just can't be avoided (not that I can think of such an example now, but still)?
    – Helen
    Nov 14, 2021 at 15:31
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    Pluralised nos is probably the most common abbreviation relevant to this situation, but note that when "No" means "a NO vote", as in The noes have it = The majority voted "No", it's not that uncommon to see it transcribed as nos or no's. When it's an abbreviation, as in [multiple] reference nos, Google Books has page after page of hits for reference no's as well. Either make your own choice, or follow your style guide. Nov 14, 2021 at 16:01
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    You could spell out etceteras, I suppose. Nov 15, 2021 at 10:09

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