Hi, English isn’t my mother tongue so I was asking myself that question since I first encounted a w/… Back then I was like: “What tf does ‘w slash’ stand for?” And when I found out I was like “How, why, and is it any intuitive?” But I never dared to ask that until now

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    Abbreviate using the first and then any choice of following letter that differentiates it from the other possibilities in a specific group: AL, AR, AK, AZ… MA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT… WA, WI, WV, WY!

    • Wifimuffins@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Well tbf those are post codes designed by the postal service to represent states. I wouldn’t really count it as a naturally developed abbreviation like the ones above, it’s no different from .fr, .es, .co.uk, etc.

      The abbreviations for states used before the two-letter ones, however, are much weirder! E.g. Penna. for Pennsylvania

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Tbf iirc the USPS had to make sure they didn’t conflict with other previously existing abbreviations. Although as someone living in LA, CA* they didn’t quite succeed

        (Not Louisiana, Canada but the other one)