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by Jim in a Nautilus COAT on December 10th, 2009
Yes. It is used to clearly distinguish the numeral '1' from the '7' and the lowercase letter 'l', and capital 'I'. The '7' is written with a horizontal slash across its middle to further spell out that difference.
Also, they regular put a horizontal slash through the center of the numeral '0' to clearly identify it as a number and not the capital letter 'O'.
Both are great conventions IMHO.
by PrivateGomerSpooner on December 27th, 2009
More common on mainland Europe than in Ireland and the UK. I did computer programming in highschool/secondary school and we were taught to make our numbers 0 with a diagonal line going from top right to bottom left. It was because of not getting it mixed up with the letter O. That has stuck with me for the past 25 years. I also put a line through a 7 again from computer programming to distinguish it from 1 or l or L. I think it is very prominent in German scripts.
by Im Alec has abandoned this account on December 10th, 2009
Yes, it is common on mainland Europe in handwritten script. The 1 has a significant rising diagonal before the vertical (often full height), and the 7 has a crossbar.
by Jadey - Vive la difference on December 9th, 2009
If I am picturing it right in my head (a little bit like a backwards 7?)... yup, it is still very common in Mainland Europe. You also occasionally see that in the UK when written by the older generation.
I am an American jew who wants to live in Europe but I've been hearing a lot about antisemitism there lately. How antisemitic is it?
by daisydo on September 11th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Does Norway share a greater cultural bond with Canada, its trans-Atlantic cousin; or Russia, its Arctic godfather?
by mumpsimus on October 5th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
While bragging about multi party systems in Europe does how long the two party system has worked in America count for anything?
by -O-uknow on October 26th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Best Cities for clubbing in uk? including ireland?
by yummyyummy on July 25th, 2010
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For a tourist wishing to travel around the former Yugoslavia, which of their local languages would be the most effective lingua franca?
by mumpsimus on July 9th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
You're reading I've seen old-timey European photos where the number 1 is written with the doohickey that comes down on the left side of the vertical stroke being very long, and with no horizontal base stroke. Is this still common in Europe or elsewhere?
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Comments
I do the slash thru the zero, but my "1" is just a vertical line, and I'm afraid someone would call me a French sympathizer if I crossed by 7.
by Amorphous Blob on December 10th, 2009