Ever find yourself finishing a letter or email, hitting send, and then bam – another thought pops into your head? That’s the classic moment for a postscript, or P.S. It’s that little extra bit, tacked on after you’ve already signed off, like a final wink or a whispered secret.
So, what’s the deal with P.S. versus P.P.S.? Think of it like this: P.S. is your first afterthought. If another thought strikes you after that first P.S., then you’ve got a P.P.S. – a post-postscript. It’s essentially an addition to your addition. Some folks even go for P.P.P.S. and beyond, though it starts to feel a bit like a literary game of Jenga at that point!
Now, about capitalization and punctuation – it can get a little fuzzy, can’t it? Generally, P.S. is capitalized, and you’ll often see it with periods after each letter (P.S.) or without (PS). Both are pretty common, especially in informal settings. The Cambridge Dictionary notes that P.S. with periods is more of an American English style. If you’re adding a P.P.S., the same logic applies – P.P.S. or PPS. Some style guides suggest using a colon after the P.S. or P.P.S., like P.S.:, to introduce the afterthought, but it’s not a hard and fast rule, especially in casual digital communication.
Where does this little add-on go? Traditionally, it’s placed right below your signature. In the digital age, for things like text messages or social media posts, it’s often just a separate message or a line added at the very end. It’s a flexible little convention, really.
It’s worth noting that while P.S. and P.P.S. are common for postscripts, you might encounter other abbreviations. For instance, in academic or psychological contexts, PSS can stand for the Perceived Stress Scale. And in the Bible, PSS is an abbreviation for Psalm. So, context is key!
Ultimately, whether you use P.S. or P.P.S., capitalized or not, with or without periods, the goal is the same: to add a final, often personal, touch to your communication. It’s a charming holdover from the days of handwritten letters that still finds its place in our modern messaging.
