NH> What is the plural of RDBMS.

JB>probably RDBMSs (following the rule for pluralising the noun system)

There are two kinds of acronyms:  those that are pronounced as whole 
words themselves (ANSI, for example) and those whose initials are 
pronounced individually (RDBMS, for example).  Would those both be 
pluralized the same?

JB>However esr uses both BBSs and BBSes interchangably in the jargon
JB>file.

I thought esr was what a person had (extra sensory reception).  Anyway, 
your example makes the answer as clear as mud.

NH> Is there an apostrophe involved?  Why?  I'm not interested in
NH> the possessive, only the plural.

JB>No. apostrophy-"s"es are possessive except when meaning
"is"
JB>all possesives end with 's  except its

So I would take it that a contraction trumps a possessive.  Hmmm... 
interesting.

þ CMPQwk 1.42 999

--- Maximus/2 3.01