[OT] Is it "post code" or "postcode" ?

This sort of thing may not matter most of the time but search engines seem to be quite fussy about the way it is spelt ......

In UK English, which is the correct term?

"post code" or "postcode"

Is it too old fashioned to still say the following?

"postal code" (or even "postalcode")

Does the spelling/spacing in US English differ from UK English?

Reply to
Jim
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Jim had it:

I think we have to take the opinion of the Royal Mail into account since they probably own the copyright:

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use "Postcode" throughout, invariably with the capital P even when it's just a word in the middle of a sentence.

Reply to
the Omrud

I would go with Postcode, as that's the way it's referenced to by Royal Mail.

Reply to
scorpio18

Postcode.

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Is it too old fashioned to still say the following?

"postal code", of course.

All IMO.

Fuck knows. They don't call it a postcode at all do they. It's a ZIP code over there.

Reply to
Carl Farrington

The very first paragraph says "Our postcode and address finder...", no capital there.

Reply to
Carl Farrington

Google gives 33.9m hits on postcode, 13.5m on "post code" for UK sites. Postcode is correct IMO, especially since it's the term used by the Post Office.

Never heard postalcode, and postal code would sound odd.

Reply to
Tony Bryer

"Carl Farrington" wrote in message news:ebfld3$gat$1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.demon.co.uk...

Following up on that.. (from

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"This article is about the United States only. For the equivalent to ZIP codes in other countries, see Postal code. A ZIP code is the postal code used by the..."

I guess this covers it mostly then. Postcode would IMO be a UK word, like a Royal Mail trademark/registered-term. A Postcode, much like a ZIP code, is a type of "postal code".

Reply to
Carl Farrington

Carl Farrington had it:

You're right by golly. They are inconsistent.

For example, the PAF Data page uses the capitalised version throughout:

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"With PAF you can sort your mail with full and correct Postcodes, which could help reduce your postage costs with our Workshare services, Mailsort, Presstream and Clean Mail."

But the "My Mail is Lost" page uses lower case:

"By including a postcode on any letter or parcel we are able to sort and send post quicker and more efficiently."

Reply to
the Omrud

In article , Jim writes

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary recognises "postcode". It doesn't give it an initial capital letter.

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Reply to
John Blundell

anyone, you and me included, can contribute. :-)

Reply to
The Wanderer

I think that's a good summary of the situation. I wouldn't bother with the capital 'P' in postcode - it makes it look odd, like a brand name, and whilst I presume it could be regarded as a brand of Royal Mail, it's so much part of the language that I think most of the time (outside of Royal Mail at least) it's spelt with a lowercase 'p'.

Reply to
Mizter T

Quite right, but I do tend to find the quality of content to be rather good.

Reply to
Carl Farrington

That is how I understand it. Postal code is the generic term. The type of postal code used in the USA is called zip code, that used in the UK is called postcode.

Reply to
thoss

where I live from Milton of Straloch to Milton Cottages.... and on whose authority I'd like to know. I keep getting letters from the TVLRO to say I haven't got a license, I have of course got one. Eventually we worked it out that it was due to this name change. The Royal Mail said they got it from the Local Council, the Local Council say they get it from Ordbnance Survey who in turn get it from................. yes, the Royal Mail. It is just jobs for the Boys as usual, create a mess and your job is secure for another couple of years while "We" sort it out.

We're just run by "Merchant Bankers"

Reply to
mcbrien410

product name chosen by the Royal Mail is Postcode. As opposed to the USPS which used the term Zip (Zone Improvement Plan) code. Or, the Indian post office which uses PIN for Postal Index Number. Incidently the terms used by Spain and Mexico are quite different. I don't have the information to hand just now.

S.

Reply to
Solario

(SNIP)

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Reply to
Neil Barker

Spain and Mexico: Codigo Postal (I have omitted accents throughout)

Portugal: Codigo Postal, Codigo Excepcional for high volume users

Argentina: Numero Postal (officially), Codigo POstal (common usage)

Germany and Austria: Postleitzahl (PTZ)

Brazil: Codigo de enderecamento postal (CEP)

Italy: Codice di Avviamento Postale (CAP)

Singapore: Postal Code

(Merriam Webster's Guide to International Business Communications, Toby D Atkinson)

Owain

Reply to
Owain

referred

Adrian

Reply to
Adrian Bailey

Some US companies have a disastrous habit of putting the UK postcode on the last line of the delivery address. This means the package is returned by the USPS to the sender as undeliverable! No doubt US secretaries are trained to put the ZIP code last, not thinking that the package has to get out of the US for the UK postcode to work.

Hugh

Reply to
Hugh Newbury

It's not the search engine being fussy, "post code" and "postcode" are quite distinct search terms and the search engine will only serch for what you tell it to search for. Garbage in - garbage out. Search engines search against what other people have written not what may be deemed correct.

If it really matters to you, use the advanced search option to search for postcode or "post code". The quotes are significant, otherwise you will get evey document containing "post" or "code".

Try reading

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Reply to
manatbandq

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