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Monday, September 24, 2007

Celebrate the Colon

posted by on September 24 at 13:20 PM

Not THAT colon; this one: (<-)!

Today is National Punctuation Day (the fourth annual). You might celebrate by reading a newspaper in search of comma errors, introducing your kid to semicolons, buying a new style guide, or taking a Sharpie on a walk in search of shop-sign errors.

More info at nationalpunctuationday.com (motto: “A semicolon is not a surgical procedure”).
semicolon.jpg

Free lesson: Punctuation with Quotation Marks
In American English, periods and commas ALWAYS go inside closing quotation marks. Colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points can go in or out, depending on whether they’re part of the quote or not.

RSS icon Comments

1

Thats what we need; more holiday's.

Posted by frederick r | September 24, 2007 1:51 PM
2

Putting periods and commas inside quotation marks is both counterintuitive and obfuscating at times, however.

It's one of the few rules of English that I don't like.

Posted by supergp | September 24, 2007 1:58 PM
3

I think we should take this day as an opportunity to throw virtual toilet paper at the house of Verlyn Klinkenborg, who recently wrote the following: "The one good thing to say about emoticons — especially the winking happy face — is that it offers the only legitimate use of the semicolon outside academic writing."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/opinion/16observer.html

Fie, I say! Both to that horribly constructed sentence and its ridiculous sentiment.

Posted by Levislade | September 24, 2007 2:13 PM
4

never say ALWAYS...
there are rare instances when the period may and should terminate outside of the quotation marks, even in American usage.

colon. period. semiurinarytract. colostomy mark.

Posted by chops | September 24, 2007 2:20 PM
5

In MLA style, you put the period after the citation. "It's hard to do without feeling like you're doing something wrong" (Fredericksen 24).

Posted by Eric F | September 24, 2007 2:32 PM
6
In American English, periods and commas ALWAYS go inside closing quotation marks.

Such illogical horseshit. Anybody who follows this rule hasn't a brain between their ears.

Posted by shitbrain | September 24, 2007 2:41 PM
7

Fuck "American English".

Posted by Kiru Banzai | September 24, 2007 2:50 PM
8

It all depends on which prescriptivist style guide you prefer to follow(n dash)if you have a preference at all (full stop) Do what makes sense to you and for your reader (full stop)

Posted by QuimbyMcF | September 24, 2007 2:54 PM
9

I add my voice to the chorus against the absurd comma inside the quotes rule. It's "retarded".

They dehyphenated chickpea, who do we have to blow to get this rule changed?

Posted by skweetis | September 24, 2007 2:55 PM
10

I really don't understand why people continue to be confused by the semicolon; it's easy stuff.

Posted by Gloria | September 24, 2007 3:02 PM
11

The comma-inside-the-quote rule almost takes the prize for the most bone-headed American writing convention.

What wins the prize, though, is the Mondy-Day-Year convention for dates. Middle unit, small unit, big unit?! Who came up with that bright idea?

Posted by David Wright | September 24, 2007 3:08 PM
12

I just celebrated my colon about a half-hour ago -- in the shitter!

Next week, an ode to the em-dash.

Posted by Sicko | September 24, 2007 4:00 PM
13

American date writing conventions DO suck, as do American paper sizes.

Posted by Dougsf | September 24, 2007 4:50 PM
14

Thanks Amy Kate!

Posted by Carollani | September 24, 2007 5:19 PM

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