On Mon, 2 Aug 2010, Ian Jackson wrote:

In message , Antonio Vernucci
writes
Well, "m" is reserved for "milli". Using a QWERTY typewriter (remember
them?) or ASCII computer keyboard IMO "u" is the better substitute for
"micron". But "p" and "n" are on all those keyboards. So there was/is
no need for the above "mmF" construct, or awkward notations like .005uF
when 5nF would say it much nicer.

73, Eddi ._._.
--

Yes, but for some reason 5nF was not of common use before about 25 years
ago. .005uF or 5kpF was the standard, who knows why..

For some reason, Americans find the British use of 'puff' and 'puffs' (the
colloquial 'pronunciation' of 'pF') highly amusing!

I think the reality is that many/most of us do look at "pf" and "rtty" and
turn it into a real word. But we generally keep it to ourselves.

Only when someone else blurted out "puff" or "ritty" did I realize I
wasn't the only one who did it. I simply wasn't the one who said it out
loud.

Michael VE2BVW

k