Telex details

The advantages of automatic transmission are obvious.

Telexes should be short, exact and clear. They are often written without the Opening Salutation or the Complimentary Closing and without paragraphs.

Conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns and punctuation marks may be omitted if it does not impair the meaning of the message. To mark the end of the sentence the word "stop" or a fullstop may be used. As a rule no capital letters are used in telex messages.

The messages in telexes are usually abbreviated versions of the sentences we would use in everyday speech or in letters. So words may be shortened (see the list of abbreviations below) or words may be missed out completely— especially words like the, a, is, are, for, from etc.

Below you can see some of the ways in which words may be abbreviated in telexes. Note that it is not obligatory to use these abbreviations. You can write the message out in full sentences, with full forms of the words if there is any possibility that the receiver wilt not understand.

All the points about brevity and clarity in sending cabled messages are relevant to telexing. But there are a number of other points:

Fractions should be typed with a ‘shilling stroke’: 1/2 for ½; 1/4 for ¼; 15/16 for ¹⁵/₁₆; 21–1/3 for 21¹/₃.

Figures, especially large sums, should be repeated in words: 60,000 SIXTY THOUSAND.

S ymbols should be written in words: FIFTY ONE POUNDS STERLING for £51.00; AT for @; 0 0 or PER CENT FOR %.

STRUCTURE OF A TELEX

12/09 11.44

22217 INTR0M I

10404 UXTRAV G Telex NR 3127

ATT: MANAGER

RE: MR/ S JONES/ RESERVATION CHANGE

PLS CHANGE RESERVATION MR/S P JONES FROM 4 NIGHTS IN 21 SEP OUT 25 SEP CP TO 3 NIGHTS IN 23 SEP OUT 26 SEP MAP.

PLS СFМ ASAP. +?

REGDS LUXTRAV

22217 INTROM I

10404 LUXTRAV G

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1

2

1 - The date and time of the massage

2 - The number and code of the receiver

3 - The number and code of the sender

4 - The telex number

5 - The attention line

6 - The introductory reference

7 - The main massage

8 - The ending and the signature

Abbreviations

ABS	Absent subscriber, office closed		NC	No circuits
ABT	about		NCH	Subscriber's number has been changed
ABV	above		NOV	November
ADV	advise		NP	The called party is not, or is no longer, a subscriber
AP	American Plan		NR	Indicate your call number/my call number is...
APPROX	approximately		OCC	Subscriber is engaged
APR	April		OCT	October
ARA	arrive/arrival		OK	Agreed/do you agree?
ASAP	as soon as possible		P* (or Figure 0)	Stop your transmission
ATT/ATTN	For the attention of		PD	Per day
AUG	August		PLS	Please
AVAIL	Available		PP	Per person
BK	I cut off		PPR	Paper
CFM	Please confirm/I confirm		PPPD	Per person per day
CHG	Charge		PYMT	payment
CHQ	cheque		QTY	Quantity
CLD	Could		R	Received
COIL	Collation please/I collate		RAP	/ shall call you back
CP	Continental Plan		RCV/RCVD	Receive/ received
CRV	Do you receive well?/l receive well		REF	Reference
DBL	Double room		REGDS	Regards
DBLB	Double room with bath		REQ D	Required
DEC	December		REYT	With reference to your telex
DEP	Departure or depart		RPT	Repeat/repeat
DPT/DEPT	Department		RTN	Return
DER	Out of order		RYL	Replying your letter
DF	You are in communication with the called subscriber		SEP	September
DT/DTD	Date/dated		SGL	Single room
EEE	Error		SGLB	Single room with bath
FB	Full board		SNGL N	Single room without bath or shower
FEB	February		SNG S	Single room with shower
FIN	/ have finished my message(s)		SHD	Should
FM	from		SUIT	Suit (double room with bath & sitting room)
FYI	For your information		SVC	Service
GA	You may transmit/may I transmit?		TAX	What is the charge?/the charge is...
GRP	Group		TELECON	Telephone conversation
HB	Half board		TEST MSG	Please send a test message
HTL	Hotel		TFF	Tariff
HV	Have		THRU	You are in communication with a Telex position
INF/INFO	Subscriber temporarily unobtainable, call the Information (Inquiry) Service		TKS/THKS	Thanks
INTL	International		TLX	Telex
JAN	January		TPR	Teleprinter
JUN	June		TPR (B)	Triple room with bath
JUL	July		U	You
MAP	Modified American Plan		UR/YR	Your
MAR	March		V	Very
MGR	Manager		VP	Vice President
MNS	Minutes		VIP	Very important person
MOM	Wait/waiting		WD	Would
MR/S	Mister &Missis		W Words
MSG	Message
MUT	Mutilated		WRU	Who is there?
N	and		XXXXX	Error
NA	Correspondence to this subscriber is not admitted		+	End of the message
NBR/NR	Number		?	Please answer