I saw a japanese tabloid from the 1980s about Paul McCartney getting arrested for pot. The cover called him “P. マッカートニー”. I then looked up magazine covers for John Lennon, but they seemed to fully transliterate his name (although these seemed less gossipy). What is the practice in the Japanese press for abbreviating english/foreign names? Is this just in more sensational channels, or is it universal? Is this just a stylistic choice? I’ve just seen this in other places, and I’m curious about its usage.
by PopeNixon