Is it common to use “A” and “B” to represent something during talking?












1















E.g. I would like to say "Lets call (someone from some department) A, and (someone from some department) B. A and B are....".



Is it common to do it in English?










share|improve this question























  • In my experience, yes!

    – Tim Foster
    13 hours ago











  • That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

    – user647486
    13 hours ago
















1















E.g. I would like to say "Lets call (someone from some department) A, and (someone from some department) B. A and B are....".



Is it common to do it in English?










share|improve this question























  • In my experience, yes!

    – Tim Foster
    13 hours ago











  • That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

    – user647486
    13 hours ago














1












1








1








E.g. I would like to say "Lets call (someone from some department) A, and (someone from some department) B. A and B are....".



Is it common to do it in English?










share|improve this question














E.g. I would like to say "Lets call (someone from some department) A, and (someone from some department) B. A and B are....".



Is it common to do it in English?







meaning-in-context






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked 13 hours ago









AqqqqAqqqq

1608




1608













  • In my experience, yes!

    – Tim Foster
    13 hours ago











  • That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

    – user647486
    13 hours ago



















  • In my experience, yes!

    – Tim Foster
    13 hours ago











  • That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

    – user647486
    13 hours ago

















In my experience, yes!

– Tim Foster
13 hours ago





In my experience, yes!

– Tim Foster
13 hours ago













That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

– user647486
13 hours ago





That thing began at the end of the 15th century and became popular in the 16th, in the Age of Enlightenment with the work of Descartes.

– user647486
13 hours ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















0














I have heard substitute names used more often, plain names like "Sally" and "Jim", but "A" and "B" would not sound strange at all. However, you may want to call them "person A" and "person B", at least the first time you mention each.






share|improve this answer








New contributor




PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




















    Your Answer








    StackExchange.ready(function() {
    var channelOptions = {
    tags: "".split(" "),
    id: "97"
    };
    initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

    StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
    // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
    if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
    StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
    createEditor();
    });
    }
    else {
    createEditor();
    }
    });

    function createEditor() {
    StackExchange.prepareEditor({
    heartbeatType: 'answer',
    autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
    convertImagesToLinks: false,
    noModals: true,
    showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
    reputationToPostImages: null,
    bindNavPrevention: true,
    postfix: "",
    imageUploader: {
    brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
    contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
    allowUrls: true
    },
    noCode: true, onDemand: true,
    discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
    ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
    });


    }
    });














    draft saved

    draft discarded


















    StackExchange.ready(
    function () {
    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f489681%2fis-it-common-to-use-a-and-b-to-represent-something-during-talking%23new-answer', 'question_page');
    }
    );

    Post as a guest















    Required, but never shown

























    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes








    1 Answer
    1






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    0














    I have heard substitute names used more often, plain names like "Sally" and "Jim", but "A" and "B" would not sound strange at all. However, you may want to call them "person A" and "person B", at least the first time you mention each.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.

























      0














      I have heard substitute names used more often, plain names like "Sally" and "Jim", but "A" and "B" would not sound strange at all. However, you may want to call them "person A" and "person B", at least the first time you mention each.






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.























        0












        0








        0







        I have heard substitute names used more often, plain names like "Sally" and "Jim", but "A" and "B" would not sound strange at all. However, you may want to call them "person A" and "person B", at least the first time you mention each.






        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.










        I have heard substitute names used more often, plain names like "Sally" and "Jim", but "A" and "B" would not sound strange at all. However, you may want to call them "person A" and "person B", at least the first time you mention each.







        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer






        New contributor




        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        answered 8 hours ago









        PvtBuddiePvtBuddie

        1024




        1024




        New contributor




        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.





        New contributor





        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.






        PvtBuddie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.






























            draft saved

            draft discarded




















































            Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!


            • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

            But avoid



            • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

            • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


            To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




            draft saved


            draft discarded














            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f489681%2fis-it-common-to-use-a-and-b-to-represent-something-during-talking%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown





















































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown

































            Required, but never shown














            Required, but never shown












            Required, but never shown







            Required, but never shown







            Popular posts from this blog

            If I really need a card on my start hand, how many mulligans make sense? [duplicate]

            Alcedinidae

            Can an atomic nucleus contain both particles and antiparticles? [duplicate]