#lang pollen

◊(define-meta title "ampersands")
◊hanging-topic[(topic-from-metas metas)]{Use sparingly}

The ◊em{ampersand} is typographic shorthand for the word ◊em{and}. The ampersand is halfway between a ◊xref{ligature} and a contraction, a stylized depiction of the Latin word et.

The ampersand is one of the jauntiest characters. Font designers often use it as an opportunity to show off. Traditional ampersands take the shape of the word et. Modern ampersands are more stylized.

◊image[#:border #f]{ampersands.gif}

Ampersands are completely correct when they’re part of a proper name (◊em{Fromage & Cracotte LLP}) or an official citation format (◊em{Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200}).

Past that, ampersands should be handled like any other contraction: the more formal the document, the more sparingly they should be used. Here and there, but not everywhere.