western australia

Upper- and lower-case origin

@JudyEv (359904)

Rockingham, Australia

July 23, 2025 7:23pm CST

While we were in New Norcia, Western Australia, we did a two-hour walking tour of the town. New Norcia is Australia’s only monastery town but now has only seven monks as opposed to the 70 that were once there. Apart from the farming activities, there was boarding facilities for boys and girls. The monks had a number of talents between them including a fully operational printing press. The photo shows a cupboard which held the letters used when type-setting. On top of the case is an open holder. Lower-case letters were kept in the lower part of the case and upper-case letters in the top part. And that’s how the terms ‘upper-case’ and ‘lower-case’ came about.

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16 responses

@FourWalls (77276)

• United States

24 Jul

How fascinating! Thanks for sharing that with us!

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@FourWalls (77276)

• United States

25 Jul

@JudyEv — I agree! I mean, we’ve called them “upper case” and “lower case” without any thought as to WHY.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I thought it was pretty special.

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@rsa101 (39547)

• Philippines

24 Jul

I now find it fascinating and never really understood the origins of uppercase and lowercase letters.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I'd like to spend time in a printer's office. It's all very intriguing to me.

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@rsa101 (39547)

• Philippines

25 Jul

@JudyEv I do not know if they still have them. I know it's different now; making press is faster nowadays.

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@Fishmomma (11567)

• United States

24 Jul

I like it and thanks for sharing a photo.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

Printing techniques fascinate me for some reason.

2 people like this

@allknowing (150790)

• India

24 Jul

Unbelievable that those expressions emanated from what the Monks were up to

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@allknowing (150790)

• India

25 Jul

@JudyEv The whole world has recognised that which started in a humble monastery

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@Ronrybs (20938)

• London, England

24 Jul

I gather cleche comes from the early printing industry as well.

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@Fleura (32125)

• United Kingdom

26 Jul

I can't even find it, the search engine just gives me results for 'cliche'

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul

@Fleura That happened to me too but i think I found it on page 2 and linked with another word. It's to do with heraldry.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I had to look up 'cleche'. I've never heard of the word before so that's my thing learnt for today.

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@LindaOHio (196441)

• United States

24 Jul

I didn't know that. You learn something new here every day.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I'm always learning new stuff here. Today, I worked out how to make my cursor black instead of white and I was able to enlarge it a little too. I don't lose it nearly so easily now.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

@LindaOHio I think it was Heather who told me where to go to alter it and DaddyEvil had told her.

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@LindaOHio (196441)

• United States

25 Jul

@JudyEv Aren't you clever?!!!!!

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@snowy22315 (193787)

• United States

24 Jul

Hmm, that is interesting. Who knew?

2 people like this

@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

Simple when you know about the 'cases' I guess. lol

1 person likes this

changjiangzhibin89

@changjiangzhibin89 (16999)

• China

24 Jul

I haven't seen the kind of printing press and the ‘upper-case’ and ‘lower-case’ letters.At present, people use computer-to-plate and digital printing .

2 people like this

@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

Printing has changed a great deal since computers were introduced.

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@LadyDuck (480509)

• Italy

24 Jul

I have seen in person those printing press, but I did not know about lower-case and upper-case, very interesting.

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@LadyDuck (480509)

• Italy

25 Jul

@JudyEv I would love to watch the same.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I'd love to spend time watching someone 'set the type' or whatever it is they do.

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@Tampa_girl7 (53089)

• United States

24 Jul

I learned something new. Thanks

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@Tampa_girl7 (53089)

• United States

25 Jul

@JudyEv Me either.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I hadn't really thought much about it before.

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@wolfgirl569 (120176)

• Marion, Ohio

24 Jul

That's interesting how they got named

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I thought so too.

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@garymarsh6 (23722)

• United Kingdom

24 Jul

Realistically it should be the other way around as upper case are used less frequently than lower case. Their poor backs!

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

I think they would pull out a whole drawer, place it on top of the cupboard then open it up so there wouldn't be much bending.

2 people like this

@Shiva49 (27450)

• Singapore

24 Jul

Interesting information. We have made progress rather fast to come to this stage and the pace is increasing by the day.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

That's true. The world of printing would have changed a great deal.

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@Beestring (15701)

• Hong Kong

24 Jul

Interesting information. Thank you for sharing.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

You're welcome. I love finding out 'how stuff works'. I'd love to know more about how books are printed.

2 people like this

@xFiacre (14033)

• Ireland

24 Jul

@judyev I wondered about that, but never sufficiently to find out. Thanks.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

Perfectly logical once you know, isn't it?

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@Fleura (32125)

• United Kingdom

24 Jul

That is interesting. I learn so many things from MyLot!

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@Fleura (32125)

• United Kingdom

26 Jul

@JudyEv No I missed that, will look for it now, thanks!

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jul

@Fleura It's in the comments, not a separate discussion.

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@JudyEv (359904)

• Rockingham, Australia

25 Jul

Did you read Looeyville's explanation on watching your p's and q's? That comes from the printing industry too.

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