If I want to express the time signature for common time in inline text (like the text you're reading), without the use of special graphics or symbols, I find it tempting to type it this way:
4/4
But wait a minute. Where does that slash come from? It's not a fraction. It's a time signature. There is absolutely no reason for using a slash, and this can send the wrong message, especially to learners. The slash gives me a bad vibe.
Is anyone aware of a standard way to type this in-line, preferably from some style source? I'm actually wondering what the book Behind Bars would say about this, if anything, but that's more for standard notation. I don't have a copy, but I know it's become a pretty solid reference.