Non-Gregg letters or words used in Gregg

Several persons here have mentioned studying other shorthand systems. I'm curious if any letters, shapes, or principles have trickled over either deliberately or through habit into your Gregg. Has anyone invented any letters, shapes, or principles that aren't found in a version of Gregg - at least the version you initially learned? Do you use raising or lowering or (ack!) thin vs heavy lines?

On my part, I've found that I continually revert to using a version of a question mark from a system I taught myself over 20 years ago whose name I don't even recall (basically a squiggly Gregg period or XES). I also accidentally invented Gregg forms that don't exist. I checked Gregg out a couple decades ago and over the years had practiced writing the Gregg 'alphabet' from memory, as I've done for the Arabic or Armenian alphabet, not a useless habit for a librarian.

Since Gregg shapes tend to come in three sizes (a la baby/mama/papa bear), I 'remembered' three rounded arcs rather than two: small for TH-S (?), medium for DEF/DIF/TEF/TIF, and large for DEV/DIV/TEV/TIV. The other direction was supposedly: S-TH, PENT/PEND, GENT/GEND. I still tend to write 'devine' larger than 'define.' I also 'remembered' three horizontal arcs, R, L, and LR(?); K, G, and KG(?) Since for years I believed there was a form for LR, I've found myself using it as an ending under pressure. More deliberately, 'learn' for me equals LONG-L + N, a useful shortcut in academia. For some reason I didn't consider the O or U hook to be the starting point for either set, perhaps because they seem like parabolas while the DEF/PENT forms are more horseshoe-shaped and R/L/K/G are arcs.

Lastly, I picked up the form for INCLUDE from Centennial Gregg (revived from early Gregg versions) as raised E + disjoined D. When writing from a presentation that went back and forth between INCLUDE this and EXCLUDE this, I decided EXCLUDE should consist of raised left X + disjoined D, and I still use this.


(by johnnywyzxq for everyone)

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