Ask them what their procedure is. Doesn't matter what anyone else does. They already have a system.

S for Smith-Jones. If they do it differently then fix them all, they’re wrong. 😉

I would confer with someone who works there as to how their filing system is done. Just prevents a lot of future probems. MHO only.

You treat them as one name, filing by the first letter of the first surname. Also in hispanic cultures your would address them by the first name. Senor or Senora Lopez-Arriate would be addressed by the Lopez surname.

Properly? Food is correct.


I was the manager of a file room. What does that mean? I was over people who had to file things away. I have many many years of filing things away. Not that I'm trying to elmerize what I'm saying. This is something I've done myself. I don't know someone who knows someone, this is what I've done.

@rob333 (zone 7b) lol!

I noticed in the Mexico City phone book that names were alphabetized by the first of the hypenated names, and Garcia-Lopez would be in the "G"s. This is a very common hypenated last name in Mexico City.

Rob - You reminded me of my first college internship. First day I walked in and I’m told Frank will give me work. Frank said, ”I don’t know what they told you you’d be doing in this job but it’s going to be clerical.” He pointed to boxes of enrollment forms and told me to alphabetize the forms by last name.

To repeat my comment in my opening post, I AM filing the way they do. I've only recently started and others have been there for years.

I just asked how you think Smith-Jones should be filed. Pretend that I want to open an office and want to know the 'correct' way to file hyphenated names.

My personal thought is confirmed by FOOD, Rob and others. I too would do it that way. She doesn't, but I'm not changing it, so rest easy.

True story. Back in the day, DH had a new secretary, and part of job was filing.

She was away from her desk and he needed to find a memo.

There were a lot of files, but he saw a super large folder nearby - titled SUBJECT.

He would always write "file under subj".

and she was so fast at filing....

true story. we still laugh about that one.

Is the implication that this business is still hand filing physical materials? If not the computer system should sort the entries for you. And they should be searchable by any word. But yes, in an old style system double barrels work as Food said. But if there's no hyphen go by the last name.

The offspring of British parents, my maiden name was hyphenated/double barreled. Everything in my life growing up was sorted/alphabetized/filed by the first initial of the first part of my last name.

I used to work in Public Relations and was faced with a long list of names to be alphabetized in a news release. I was told (by a higher-up that I really didn’t care for) to put Smith-Jones in the Ss. I thought she was wrong. Guess she wasn’t. Who knew? 🙄

Jas, i think you have your answer and I agree. Thats how I would start new files.

Filing brings back so many bad memories of overstuffed office filing cabinets. I can remember pushing old files with all my might to get a new one in. Does anyone ever unfile? I guess more files are kept electronically now.

In one office, files were kept according to type of donor — corporate, foundation, family, etc. Sounds great as long as you know what you’re looking for. Many files met the criteria for several categories. One day we just interfiled them all so if you were looking for the Smith-Jones Foundation you looked under S. ( still dying about elmerize). Yes, this was something in which i truly participated.

Thanks for clarifying, Jasdip - seems like filing under the latter hyphenate would make things a bit more confusing...?

Is it inertia that makes people resistant to changing things to be more functional and efficient? Or is it simply laziness and disinterest?

Thanks for posting this as I got four new cases today with Latino last names. This conversation was helpful!

I have a very dear friend who is a professor of linguistics and etymology. She said that right or wrong, a part time worker should simply follow whatever the established practice is. A labor lawyer in my family told me that failure to do so would be legal grounds for dismissal.

One summer in high school, I got a job as a filing clerk at a state government employment dept. where applications were filed by the first letter of the surnames regardless of single, double or triple. That was the common sense and the rule, I was told. Just made sense. Back then some people attached their photos on the applications to show as if their beauty would give them an edge 🙂

P.S. Just wanna say this is the funniest thread of the day. That’s all.

I spent a decade as a librarian. Cataloguing and filing was done by specific rules but there were always queries. Not to mention people just plain misfiling. Thank goodness filing is pretty much obsolete now. Very few files are still kept in physical form so searching is easy. I'm currently spending a lot of hours transferring an old newspaper catalogue to electronic format. It should take the rest of my life at the rate I'm going. You wouldn't believe the changes of format, indecipherable codes and alternative spellings. Thank goodness for computers.

Reads simple question on online forum, immediately consults dear friend professor of linguistics and a family labor lawyer for answer. There you go rob333 (zone 7b) . Elmerizing at it's finest. My cheeks hurt from laughing.

" Reads simple question on online forum, immediately consults dear friend professor of linguistics and a family labor lawyer for answer. There you go "

So here's the thing, wildchild. No part of my comment was serious. I made it all up. I was intentionally exaggerating and spoofing myself to fit into a caricature others unfortunately mistakenly described. It wasn't intended to be a trap for anyone but you and others who "liked" your comment seem to have foolishly misunderstood and took bait that wasn't intended to be such.

That's even funnier.

Too funny! Lol. It wasn’t the first time elmer set ‘trap’. His pattern of consulting his circle of experts to give his answers has been consistent in his many posts. My memory has not failed me 😂😂😂

P.S. Just wanna say this is the funniest thread of the day. That’s all

No,what people liked was Elmerish and you have just fulfilled your role. I am sorry if it comes off as rude to you but...just sayin. Just a joke. You love to parse and you did see?

I do have to ask what on earth does filing have to do with linguistics. Filing is just an documentary organizational thing so you can reliably find something again. Your method is not within the perview of the law so far as I ever heard. Offices have their systems. I did filing in college and again for the feds as a part of other jobs. One of those required girl things like taking notes at meetings...something I never did by the way. Not one of my strengths.

I have spent a fair amount of time around doctors offices and they all type stuff into the computer which automatically goes into your file. No transcription.

patriciae

" His pattern of consulting his circle of experts to give his answers has been consistent in his many posts. "

I'm curious. I know people in diverse occupations and have a habit of inquiring (in appropriate social settings, never to the point of being a pest). I like to learn more about experiences people have, what they do and what they deal with. I never ask personal questions for free advice - I hate it when people do that to me and I offer the same courtesy to others. More along the lines of - "tell me what a typical day is like as an X", or "what are the good and bad aspects of what you do?" or even "Tell me something funny or annoying that has happened in your work lately". Most people are complimented when someone shows an interest in what they do - they obviously do or wouldn't be doing it, and are usually happy to share. Not surprisingly, that often starts an ongoing info flow such that when I might run into someone at a later date with whom I'd had an interesting conversation, they might say "Hey, I was hoping you'd be here. I had something happen to me last week that I think you'll find interesting". And so it often goes, rinse and repeat.

If you do more talking than listening with people you meet and know, you're missing out.

" I do have to ask what on earth does filing have to do with linguistics. ", and

" Your method is not within the perview of the law so far as I ever heard. "

Are you having a bad day, patricia? Did you miss what I said to explain following wildchild's comment?

I made it up. None of it has to do with anything. I read the comment, thought for 30 seconds or less about how to phrase a somewhat smart-alecky response, and that's what's there. I gave it no further thought. A top of the head instant response.

Filing has nothing to do with anything. Other than, filing.

It's purview, not perview.

I should probably mention that I've found that the ability to be self-deprecating and to make fun of oneself are signs of sincere modesty and humility. I think some of you are sometimes wound a bit too tight and can take things (and yourselves) too seriously.

HOOT

patriciae

And a HOOT back at you.

Elmer, you have opened yourself up for life to charges of self deprecating humor.

patriciae

Note the word "self" in that phrase.

Can we stop?

Yes, you can file this thread away now. File it under subj (that was funny, an example of how little brainpower was applied to filing back in the day)

8 out of 32 comments

Thank goodness filing is pretty much obsolete now. Very few files are still kept in physical form

I was visiting my brother and had to take my dog to the vet so used his. MY GAWD. They started a file on an index card! Then put it in a small index card sized folder in a bank of index card sized metal drawers. The doc prescribed meds in an orange pill bottle. The med name and dosage was written on a slip of paper inside of the bottle. The invoice was written on a carbon paper tablet, the size that a waitress in a diner would use. The only electronic device was the credit card machine. It was also the least expensive vet experience I have ever had.

(I also met a retired cop in the waiting room who has 23 cats in his ranch house and is trying to hunt down the person beheading stray cats in his neighborhood. Once he figures it out his friend from the LA Hell's Angles is going to come dig his grave.)

Kendrah No apostrophe and the E before the L. ;-)

Country vet?

Yeah, excuse the typos. I was half asleep when I posted that comment last night.

City vet!

I was going to wonder what kind of angles one might find in hell- were one to go looking.

o j

There is no such place but I suspect the word obtuse could apply.

I would think acute. Lots of pointy things like horns and tridents.