X-ray or X-Ray

[elizabeth siwek]

What is the proper way to refer to x-rays?

Do you capitalize the word, X-ray or X-Ray?
Should X always be capitalized?
Is there a difference (in capitalization of X), if you are refering to an x-ray beam or an X-ray (film/radiograph)?
It is an x-ray, not a x-ray, right?

Thanks.
Elizabeth

[Helen Johnston]

Well, I can answer for astronomers at least: the convention is to always use
"X-ray", capitalising the "X" but not the "r". I can't tell you about usage for
the film/radiograph, as I only deal with the photons! And yes, it's "an
X-ray".

--
Helen Johnston | Astronomye is an harde thynge and yvel forto knowe.
john...@fys.ruu.nl | -- William Langland, Piers the Plowman

[amco...@ulkyvx.louisville.edu]

It should be noted that X ray (no hyphen) is the noun form, X-ray is the
adjective, and x-ray (no capital) is the verb, although the verb usage varies
between x-ray and X-ray.

Connor/Castigat ridendo mores

[Alan Knowles]

In article <1992Aug14...@ulkyvx.louisville.edu>,
amco...@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:

|>
|> It should be noted that X ray (no hyphen) is the noun form, X-ray is the
|> adjective, and x-ray (no capital) is the verb, although the verb usage varies
|> between x-ray and X-ray.
|>
|> Connor/Castigat ridendo mores

Does anyone know the origin of the word codswallop?
Is everyone familiar with its usage?

My OED says it is X-ray in verb and noun form. (Upper case X, hyphenated. No
options. (Actually, I lie. It's the Oxford Paperback Dictionary (OPD?)) ;-}

===========================================================================
Dr. Alan Knowles, Department of Computer Science,
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Tel: +44 61 275 6185
Fax: +44 61 275 6236

email address:-
a...@cs.man.ac.uk
or (if the above fails to work):-
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[amco...@ulkyvx.louisville.edu]

Ignoring the codswallop, we may have here an obscure case of American English
vs. British English, as I just checked Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and it
agrees with my statement. However, it did state that X-ray is an alternative
noun form. Lighten up, Dr. Alan Knowles, and accept the fact that alternate
usages are not unknown.

Connor/Castigat ridendo mores

[dcr...@arachnid.berkeley.edu]

In reference to the word codswallop:

My dictionary lists it not as a bit of information
relating to x-rays, but:

cods.wal.lop [orig. unknown] chiefly Brit.

Nonsense.

This is the `84 edition of the Webster's II.

Have I fallen for someone's sense of humor?
(It's happened before.....)