Michael's Reviews > Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

yes. but how do you feel about quotation marks? WILL SOMEBODY TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT QUOTATION MARKS! Because Sarah seems to think this is a boring topic and i for one am curious, are we (you, me, anybody) comfortable with the evolving use of quotation marks
as denotation of uncomfortableness with a word as a descriptor. I mean, i know it's a given that the in-the-air quotation marks are dorky but what about in writing are we ok with it in writing?!?! come on somebody. give it up people this is fascinating, no?

I, for one, do not like punctuation inside quotation marks unless the punctuation specifically refers to the quote.

Fascinating is right...

it's no "algebraic notation for chess" , but it works for me.

Oh, poo. Now I'm not so sure about the punctuation outside the quotation mark. That looks weird, Marie. I mean, "Marie."

Amanda, no. no. the question is, how do you feel about the use of quotations around words that don't truely need them but are just used to denote a certain level of uncomfortablness with a word? For example I posted a blog once where i used the word "dating". It felt extremely uncomfortable for me as I am 37 years old, divorced, and new to the "dating world" (see there it is again) and "dating" seems like such a first time around word. So for me using quotes was my acknowledgment that i am a little old for this "dating" stuff. I'm pretty ok with the use of it myself because i think it tells you something more about the person that's doing the writing (ok it just tells you about their insecurities but still, it's something) and the more i can know about you the happier i am.
Robert,
me tell you about commas? ha! that's rich. you've obviously not known me long or you would understand that my ponderings over punctuation are completely grounded in theory and proper use of puncuation in real life is something i've given up on a long time agon (that's one of sarah's arenas - she is friend AND editor).
so fuck em up all you want i wont notice one way or another.

This throws off my theory that puncuation is an exstension of your personality. You are typically not prone to throwing in an extra thought, or trying to cram in one more point here and there and everywhere (as I am). You tend to be more susicent in your speach and not overly populating it with ideas that might clutter the original intent (a trait, I admire in you).
And the elipses?! So sinister...so cohersively dramatic...so unlike you.
but ha-ha, cuz you talked about puncuation (I knew I'd sucker you in...eventually)!

I haven't read the book, and I'm ignoring whatever the above posters are talking about, but Michael - you have a strange definition of "famous" (and also the readership of the New Yorker).

Just saw this comment from Vis from two years ago. You are right: "famous" overstated it, so I've edited that word out. Was famous only among a few friends of mine who enjoy Menand.

Not sure what your comment about the New Yorker is pointed toward, though.

It's been two years, I don't remember either :P