I remember writing ellipses in an email subject line to a guy I was dating, and he wrote back with the subject line, “the three dots that did me in.” Funny how punctuation can say so much. We feature an original illustration by Mari Andrew every Friday morning, and here’s today’s.
P.S. A (surprising) grammar rule, and what words really mean.
I usually don’t worry too much about a period in a text message, unless it’s from my mother-in-law, who ONLY uses periods. Actual example: “Happy birthday.” Makes me uneasy somehow.
This is hilarious. As a lawyer, I spend wayyy too much time thinking about punctuation marks. But doing it right is also super satisfying. I guess I’ve found my calling in life.
I worked with someone who ended every email / message with an ellipsis (…) It drove me crazy! I always read into it that she was trying to argue with me or something! Haha
Another scary one is too many explanation marks!!!!!!!!!
OR USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING
lol. Love Mari’s sense of humor :-)
Explanation marks…made me laugh, sounds so cute. Exclamation!
My mom, an English major and graduate of a publishing course, always taught me to never use more than one exclamation point per email. Cut to my bosses years later, and they use them constantly.
For some reason, an exclamation point after the greeting in an email from my boss makes me feel shouted at… from a friend, lovely. Context totally matters, eg. pretend work email below.
Hi Claire!
Hope you’re having a great week! Could you look at this document? I’d love your feedback on it!
Thanks!
Boss
The ! is so true though I’m guilty of doing the scary . one all the time. I can’t help it. P.S. Since it’s the theme of today’s post, the three dots is an ellipsis.
mari gets it right again.
My boys (ages 13 and 15) tease me for using too much punctuation in text messages. I can’t help myself! I worry that grammar in general is deteriorating because of the reliance on communication via text. I guess I’m showing my age (48!).
I’m 46 and I feel old reading that chart! Just last week my 17 yo daughter told me I sounded mad because I put a period at the end of a text to her friend! WHAT? I thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever heard!
I will use punctuation in a text until I die. The use of punctuation would help eliminate all the text misinformation that happens. I think that punctuation in text communication is to young people what a slip under my dress was to me when I was their age. My mom insisted I needed a slip under my dress to help me look my best in my dress. I disagreed. I did not need a slip. I am now 45. Looking at myself in old pictures, I needed a slip.
Just read my first post again. I sound old. “Get off my grass!” Lol
Hahaha, I love it. I live for grammar memes. The period at the end of a text message? SO TRUE.
Best one yet, Mari!
I use waaayyy too many exclamations points. I’m excitable I guess!!
xo, brittany
So accurate!
I spend waaaaay too much time internally debating if I’ve used too many or too few exclamation points in every correspondence I write.
This is me, too!
I love how Mari Andrew thinks!
On point! Very funny :)
Please do a post on the misuse of the apostrophe. It’s the bane of my existence. (I can’t help myself, I was taught by nuns)
That is exactly why I refuse to patronize Blaze Pizza (“fast fire’d”).
I am guilty of everything in the “scary” column with the exception of using an exclamation point in a sign written in a foreign language, but that’s only because I don’t speak any foreign languages. Can’t people who speak other languages use punctuation too? Sorry, I’m being a curmudgeon.
I think the joke is that if it has an exclamation point, it must be important, but you have no idea what it says. Like if a sign said, “Tap water is poisonous!!” in Russian…I’d be screwed.
oh yes, what anne said — like, if you’re driving down a street and there’s a sign with an exclamation point, and you’re like, am i about to drive off a cliff???
This is too funny!
Briana
This is one of my favorites yet!
This is strangely so simple yet thoughtful. Loving it.
I’m guilty of the period mark in text messages. I’m curious how that one breaks down by age. Let the record show I’m 36 years old. Despite the extra effort it takes, I can’t stop myself. It feels rudely improper without it – not when excluded from other people’s texts, of course. I don’t mean to scare!
I’m also a big fan of dashes. Are there rules for dashes? I don’t care. They make sense to me.
I LOVE this one! So clever and true. :) I guess I’m a weirdo because I do tend to use periods in my texts. Also – you need an apostrophe in today’s. ;) xoxoxo
Haha! Already fixed.
At age eight, I asked my parents, “What is having sex?”
The Brooklyn-based writer on the joy of layering and colorful socks.
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