Doonsbury predicts punctuation doomsday?

Chase

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
9,239
Reaction score
2,316
Location
Oregon, USA
In the second panel of Garry Trudeau's Sunday "comics":

"JUSTFIGUREDWAY2SAVECHARCTERSDONTUSESPACEORPUNCTUATIONALTOUGHPOSSIBLETHATTHISANNOYING4FANS"

I'm totally surprised Roland used double quotation marks in his tweet, as single quotation marks are so anti-grammar establishment, and thus so entirely cool.
 
Last edited:
alleycat

alleycat

Still around
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
72,887
Reaction score
12,236
Location
Tennessee
This must be Down with Stinking Punctuation Day. There's another thread about little punctuation being used by a certain writer.
 
RJK

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
3,415
Reaction score
440
Location
Lewiston, NY
For those who think punctuation (and capitalization) should be optional, or isn't important, try to make sense of the below statement:

THAT THAT IS IS THAT THAT IS NOT IS NOT THAT IS IT IS IT NOT
 
Duncan J Macdonald

Duncan J Macdonald

Plotting! Not Plodding!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,882
Reaction score
455
Age
66
Location
Northern Virginia
RJK said:
For those who think punctuation (and capitalization) should be optional, or isn't important, try to make sense of the below statement:

THAT THAT IS IS THAT THAT IS NOT IS NOT THAT IS IT IS IT NOT
Click to expand...

I prefer the equally enigmatic:

buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo
 
Chase

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
9,239
Reaction score
2,316
Location
Oregon, USA
RJK said:
THAT THAT IS IS THAT THAT IS NOT IS NOT THAT IS IT IS IT NOT
Click to expand...

How about: That that is is. That that is not is not. That is it, is it not?

Duncan J Macdonald said:
buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo
Click to expand...

Mac, I get the first four words mean that certain buffalo from the town of Buffalo intimidate other buffalo. But I can't figure all eight words. Help!
 
Duncan J Macdonald

Duncan J Macdonald

Plotting! Not Plodding!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
1,882
Reaction score
455
Age
66
Location
Northern Virginia
Chase said:
How about: That that is is. That that is not is not. That is it, is it not?



Mac, I get the first four words mean that certain buffalo from the town of Buffalo intimidate other buffalo. But I can't figure all eight words. Help!
Click to expand...

Check your reps.
 
RJK

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
3,415
Reaction score
440
Location
Lewiston, NY
That that is, is. That that is not, is not. That is it, is it not?

Chase was closest, but it reads better with the commas.
 
RJK

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
3,415
Reaction score
440
Location
Lewiston, NY
I think I have the first five Buffalos, but the badgers have me stumped.
 
Elias Graves

Elias Graves

Unrealistically Optimistic
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
430
Reaction score
27
Shouldn't that be "Oh, dear?" :D

EG
 
Chase

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
9,239
Reaction score
2,316
Location
Oregon, USA
Elias Graves said:
Shouldn't that be "Oh, dear"?
Click to expand...

Going on the theory that we are allowed only so many commas in life--sort of like predetermined heartbeats--many here at AW remove the commas around interjections to save for reflexively placing before any use of "and," no matter how it's used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.