the exclamation mark - classic or dud?

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i've noticed i've been ending statements with ! a bit more again after realising how much of a tosser it can make you seem long ago (back when i used to pepper my shoddy music reviews with the lil bastad) and cutting it short as best as i could - do you find the same or is the ! always a warm and re-assuringly earnest symbol of exhuberance and unashamed celebration

i do hope people answer this thread!

( /\ see?)

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:26 (twenty-three years ago)

!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡@#@#@#@#@#

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I've found that I basically end every single sentence with an exclamation point when emailing my grandmother. I guess because I don't want her to worry about me. So, they end up being something along the signs of, "I love you! I miss you! EVerything is great with me!"...

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Hey. Look out. Your head is on fire. I hate you. I don't need no friggin' exclaimation marks.

(OH YES I DO!!!!!)

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:39 (twenty-three years ago)

I WRITE IN CAPS LOCK A LOT.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:42 (twenty-three years ago)

i would use some now but mark s just used up the daily quota (just call him exclamation mark)

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh Minna that was terrible.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I've found that I basically end every single sentence with an exclamation point when emailing my grandmother.

that's so she can hear you.

― michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:46 (twenty-three years ago)

i know!!!!!!!

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

(humblest apologies)

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 14:52 (twenty-three years ago)

I gave my thoughts here:
Exclamation! Marks!!! (!): Classic!!!!!!!!! or Dud!!?!??!!?!!! !

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 15:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I despise exclamation marks, especially on the backs of video covers.. that's how you can tell it's shite because they need a goddamn symbol to work up enthusiasm. Said videos usually contain Alan Thicke coaching some variety of wacky ice hockey team.

― nellskies (minna), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)

ok, starting thread someone else thought of over a year ago, classic or dud...

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 15:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone ever like exclamation point perfume? I wuved it in middle school. It was a number one must-have.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 16:07 (twenty-three years ago)

http://store4.yimg.com/I/perfumesamerica_1720_20369265

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 17:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Weren't you like "I don't want a perfume designed and priced for teenagers - I want a REAL one"?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I like them! I use them alot, I'm not really aware of it, I think maybe they are easier to reach on the keyboard, let me see...yes!

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

In France, the Euro keyboards made it much easier to make !s than .s .

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Is this why European humour is notoriously poor?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:32 (twenty-three years ago)

arf!

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:36 (twenty-three years ago)

N we are in Europe.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I have nothing against exc!amation marks. But it can be strange to see a lot of them in the context of "serious" wrt!ting.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes yes, but 'Continental European' would have sounded weak in the belligerent Europhobic context. Anyway, WHO SAID I WAS EXCLUDING US?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

sheesh

― DG (D_To_The_G), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:48 (twenty-three years ago)

You're not one of "US" Nick. You never will be.

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:49 (twenty-three years ago)

What if N. was one of us?

― joan osborne (jel), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

search: the INTERROBANG!!

― bob zemko (bob), Wednesday, 18 December 2002 19:05 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

Zemko is onto something here.

http://www.splashesfromtheriver.com/images/Lesson_14.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

BEST PICTURE EVER

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, basically I only revived this thread as an excuse to post that picture. Carry on.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

What IS that picture?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

It is a gift from heaven.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, the interrobang was a punctuation mark created in the early 60s as a way of combining the question mark and exclamation point, for sentences such as: "YOU DID WHAT?!" It was extremely popular for a few years (it was even included on new typewriters) and then I guess people just lost interest.

As for the image, I have no fucking clue.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

It actually makes me sad that the interrobang didn't catch on, but at the same time, I don't think there's a way to design it without looking inelegant. (It seems like the top of the exclamation point would always crowd the top of the question mark.)

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Conjoined punctuation is always a good idea.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I was telling a co-worker about the interrobang yesterday. He responded with an Abu Ghraib joke.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:53 (twenty-two years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrobang

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahaha! We had a going-away party for one of our executives and when the entire team gathered for the group digital photo, a good seven or eight people out of 25 struck the point-wink-cigarette-grin pose.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

(21:03:16) WIZARD IS HUNGry: do you know about the INTERROBANG
(21:03:38) papercut451: no, what is it?
(21:03:49) papercut451: sounds like an abu ghraib interrogation technique involving sodomy
(21:04:17) WIZARD IS HUNGry: hahaha
(21:04:26) WIZARD IS HUNGry: funny you should mention that!
(21:04:51) papercut451: why's that?

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

“Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke.”
f. scott fitzgerald

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

I don't remember what the picture was.

― jaymc, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

They just put it in another folder.

http://www.splashesfromtheriver.com/images/punctuation-images/Lesson_14.jpg

― StanM, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 18:14 (nineteen years ago)

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