I like this post mainly for its title. It panders to what I optimistically think of as my slightly unconventional sense of humour.  Apart from the assonance there’s the hint of a play there.

There is a more serious message to the subject though. It’s important to distinguish between the two in my view. The Ampersand – or & – sometimes gets rendered slightly oddly in browsers, due, I imagine, to its non-alphanumeric nature. It is not to be used as a substitute or short-hand  for ‘and’, especially in formal business communications. It looks sloppy, in the view of this blogger anyway.

Ampersand should be used to link two words or concepts that naturally and habitually sit next to each other, such that they have become one, almost to the extent that they look a little odd on their own. An example: A & R, the artist and repertoire reps in the music industry. Research & Development is another, as are Home & Garden and Clothing Shoes & Accessories, categories from the retail space.

And can be used pretty much universally, even to replace a genuine ampersand. And one more thing, you shouldn’t really begin a sentence with such a conjunction, although I like to :-).