#long s

[houghtonlib]

ſ versus f versus s

A question that often comes up in working with early materials is "why is everything fpelled fo ftrangely?"

It turns out that prior to approximately 1800, there were two different ways to write or print a lowercase letter S. They are known as long S and short S and there was a set of conventions about when to use each one. For readers of the time, they represented exactly the same letter, just as capital and lowercase letters do (the shape makes some sense if you think about taking a modern S and stretching it from the top and bottom). They wouldn't have had any trouble distinguishing a long S from an F, but it can definitely cause some confusion to the modern eye.

A long S is typographically different from an F in one main way--it will either have no crossbar or a short one on the left side only. But a pretty good rule of thumb is, if you're expecting to see an S in a word, it's an S.

[dimity-lawn]

From the Trial Account of Margaret Hicks for Royal Offences (seditious words), 8th April 1719. (Old Bailey Reference Number: t17190408-25)

[lizziestudieshistory]

This is not the most original observation, I've definitely read about it somewhere, but reading Donne's The Flea with the standard early modern long s truly...errr...highlights the intention behind the poem. For the enlightenment of those who are unfamiliar with Donne or struggle with early modern text, line three reads "It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee"

Early modern typefaces can be a problem, particularly when scanned poorly. However, in this one instance, I think we should only ever print the poem with a long s just to preserve this experience.

[mewthekitten]

💖💜Long S💜💖

(Long S belongs to @thylawhiskers)

[petermorwood]

I've got an in-family example of the Long S still in 20th-Century use (if only just) - this is my Great-granddad (b. 1838) filling in the 1901 Census of Ireland:

And here's a close-up of that Long S used, as was proper in handwriting, as the first S of a pair.

Yes, Discworld fans, my Great-granny was a seamstreẜs.

She was the needle-and-thread kind, not the seamstress-as-euphemism kind, who would have had little use (except in Very Exotic Circumstances) for a top of the line sewing-machine like this one... :->

Guys we gotta up our game the Georgians said fuck more than us

[incredubious]

MODERN AU ACESAN !!!! first impressions with a guy who barely passes the No Shoes No Shirt No Service rule

[egophiliac]

last chance to guess what the new round of birthday outfits will be!

[sui-imi]

Funeral, right

---

been seeing some discussion about canon/fanon sans re: papyrus' death, and then i thought, unrelatedly, "hey i wonder what he did with the dust"

[chiptrillino-art]

(ID in ALT text)

Something we don't consider enough in Howl!AU zukka. Is Zuko harassing the old man sokka. but he does so with young sokka as well hm...

idk how to post these but crused blond zuko and sokka aged compared to his youthful look side by side

(ID in ALT text) i tried with blond zuko, but i really can't commit to that sorry

[franzias-cave]

CRINGE: The world is ending and you're in love with your best friend who is a nun. and your roots are showing.

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

Being someone who read Under The Red Hood and came out with the firm belief that, for Jason, it's not about killing Joker, it's about Jason wanting proof Batman would choose him over the Joker (bc shelia chose the joker). Makes seeing any other media where it's all about just wanting the Joker dead is a teeny bit frustrating. to be honest

Jason could've killed the Joker himself, really, really easily. Jason kidnaps the Joker before the confrontation. I can't open my comic for a reference right now, but it felt like he had the Joker for quite a bit before the confrontation. He had him. He beat him up with a crowbar. He had every single opportunity to kill the Joker himself, but he didn't because that wasn't his goal. Make no mistake, he did plan for the Joker to be dead by the end of it, but do you see what im trying to say here

Edit: If I knew this post was gonna get 1000+ notes I would've tried to word it better or something, this was a rant I made on the way to the grocery store 😭

It's not about making Batman kill either. When Batman says he won't kill, Jason adjusts and goes, 'Let ME kill the Joker or kill me to stop me' instead. The test is all about Batman choosing him. The whole final confrontation is Jason's first death again. The parent, The Joker, and the explosives. It even ends with Jason unable to move as a bomb goes off right next to him again because the parent didn't choose Jason. And instead tried finding an option that'd benefit them and (consequencely) letting the Joker walk, again, lol, lmao <-in agony

[dimity-lawn]

I’m rereading Hogfather and unreasonably glad to find that the long s on this Hogswatch card is actually a long s. It seems as though most publishers just use an “f” instead of “ſ”*, which I find really quite vexing (because I’m weird, I guess), and some audiobook narrators seem to be unaware that a printing error occurred and simply read it as an “f”, which is even worse. Hurrah for not using “f” in the place of a long s!

*I realize that this font is perhaps less than ideal for the purpose of demonstrating the difference between “f” and “ſ”, but trust me, there’s a difference.

f f f f ≠ ſ ſ ſ ſ

Edit from 10 minutes or so after original post (but only a page later in the book): No!!! They had it and then went and used “f”…

[dawndauce]

season 1 clem is so

[artsymeeshee]

Wasn’t going to post this (because the fear is still there) but I said screw that and upload it anyway

Do NOT tag as ship please :T

[cata613]

Someone: Why do you keep showing me clips from Star Trek TOS all the time?

Me: