Lifestyle

TOPICS:

Previous

PAGE: 

1 ... 

225 | 226 | 227

 ... 944

Next

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2

Next

Granny

Granny

SUICIDEGIRL

Massachusetts, USA

MAR 22, 2006 06:38 PM

I plan to get a tattoo in the near future with a question mark and an exclamation point. I always thought the correct way to write this was "?!" but I was told today that it's the other way around.
I want to find out which is correct, or if doesn't matter, before getting the tattoo... for obvious reasons.

Which is it? "?!" or "!?" ... ?

Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

MAR 22, 2006 06:39 PM

There's no such thing in punctuation as either "?!" or "!?" so go ahead and get it whichever way you find most aesthetically pleasing.

SonOfAPunk

SonOfAPunk

Maple Ridge, BC
January 2006

MAR 22, 2006 06:47 PM

Well question mark means a question, and an exclamation point is for enthusiasm. In emoticon speak, we can say...

"?!" = " shocked --> mad " or " surreal --> biggrin "

And "!?" = " mad --> surreal " or " biggrin --> shocked"

A rough translation, but to better clarify I think it's like...

"?!" Is like "You bought me a puppy?!" Like, question followed by glee. And "!?" is like "You ran over my fucking puppy!?"

Neither are grammatically proper, but both I am quit fond of! biggrin

Is your tattoo just gonna be the punctuation, or is it gonna have a word beforehand?!

(Heeheehee!) biggrin

Drama

Drama

Columbus, OH
January 2003

MAR 22, 2006 06:50 PM

If you're trying to show exclamation of a question i.e. "Why are you doing that?!"
I would assume "?!" is more correct but even with an english lit degree I don't know for sure.

Granny

Granny

SUICIDEGIRL

Massachusetts, USA

MAR 22, 2006 06:51 PM

Yeah, I didn't think it really mattered, but I've always used "?!" because it just makes more sense to me, I guess.

I'll post pictures of the tattoo after I get it on April 20th biggrin

nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

MAR 22, 2006 06:52 PM

Shalome and SOAP are correct, there's no "correct" way to have both, but I'd go with "?!" It's like extra emphasis on the question, giving it a WTF quality. Looks better too.

[Edited on Mar 22, 2006 by nobodaddy]

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

MAR 22, 2006 06:52 PM

Are you sure you don't want something like this:

"?!!11oneLOL"?

nobodaddy

nobodaddy

Burlington, VT
August 2003

MAR 22, 2006 06:52 PM

.

[Edited on Mar 22, 2006 by nobodaddy]

Granny

Granny

SUICIDEGIRL

Massachusetts, USA

MAR 22, 2006 06:53 PM

Dead_Ringer said:
Are you sure you don't want something like this:

"?!!11oneLOL"?



Alright, I'll give the little quote away as it's only part of the tattoo

"wtf?!"

13Jack

13Jack

USA
September 2004

MAR 22, 2006 06:54 PM

I have missplaced my grammar handbook (I do have one). But I remember that the exclamation point comes first and the question mark comes last. That is because the sentence is a question over all.
There is always the interrobang.

Dead_Ringer

Dead_Ringer

I'm lost
September 2004

MAR 22, 2006 06:59 PM

Granny said:

Dead_Ringer said:
Are you sure you don't want something like this:

"?!!11oneLOL"?



Alright, I'll give the little quote away as it's only part of the tattoo

"wtf?!"


I stand by my previous suggestion.

ckdexterhaven

ckdexterhaven

USA
December 2005

MAR 22, 2006 07:02 PM

Shalome said:
There's no such thing in punctuation as either "?!" or "!?" so go ahead and get it whichever way you find most aesthetically pleasing.


This is the right answer.

Yo_La_Jimbo

Yo_La_Jimbo

Miami, FL
December 2004

MAR 22, 2006 07:02 PM

I concur that the "?!" seems more appropriate, as it emphasizes the question nature of the phrase.

But whichever one you choose, I'm sure someone somewhere will point out that it's wrong. tongue

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

MAR 22, 2006 07:05 PM

Another vote for ?! It's an exclaimed question. Not a questioning exclamation. Of course I am utter crap at punctuation.

Cain

Cain

SUICIDEGIRL

Iceland

MAR 22, 2006 07:11 PM

don't get !? tattooed on you. it looks improper to me.

13Jack

13Jack

USA
September 2004

MAR 22, 2006 07:23 PM

Wikipedia says:
"Many writers, especially in informal writing, have used multiple punctuation marks to end a sentence expressing surprise and question.

* What the....?! Man gets off on watching women vomit (headline from Obscurestore.com) [1]

The question mark frequently comes first (to emphasize that it is a question), although there is no universal style rule on the subject."

That is opposite of my memory but I've forgotten a lot of things.
Wikipedia has also been known to be wrong too.
Hmmm... tough call. If you get it wrong you'll be listening to people who actually know telling you that you got it wrong for the rest of your life. I'd do some more research.

MrStitches

MrStitches

Brooklyn, NY
November 2003

MAR 22, 2006 07:25 PM

RadiantEnergy said:
Wikipedia says:
"Many writers, especially in informal writing, have used multiple punctuation marks to end a sentence expressing surprise and question.

* What the....?! Man gets off on watching women vomit (headline from Obscurestore.com) [1]

The question mark frequently comes first (to emphasize that it is a question), although there is no universal style rule on the subject."

That is opposite of my memory but I've forgotten a lot of things.
Wikipedia has also been known to be wrong too.
Hmmm... tough call. If you get it wrong you'll be listening to people who actually know telling you that you got it wrong for the rest of your life. I'd do some more research.




Concidering all the language wieners on the site, if there is a real rule for it, and no one here knows, I doubt there are many people that do. This place is drowning in english majors.

crispy

crispy

NEWSWIRE

Philadelphia, PA

MAR 22, 2006 07:31 PM

In a case like that, I always use the triple, "?!?".

The first question mark signals that it's a question, the exclamation point adds a bit of emphasis, and the last question mark reminds you that it's a question (as it should as the last punctuation mark in the sentence/fragment).

But, as we all know, I am weird.

Granny

Granny

SUICIDEGIRL

Massachusetts, USA

MAR 23, 2006 04:22 AM

crispy said:
In a case like that, I always use the triple, "?!?".

The first question mark signals that it's a question, the exclamation point adds a bit of emphasis, and the last question mark reminds you that it's a question (as it should as the last punctuation mark in the sentence/fragment).

But, as we all know, I am weird.



Yeah... that's not gonna happen, bud. Thanks tongue

Kindle

Kindle

Houston, TX
March 2006

MAR 23, 2006 05:59 AM

I vote in for ?! since I use it numerous times a day biggrin. Emphasis/enthusiasm of the question.

Doxie

Doxie

SUICIDEGIRL

Oregon, USA

MAR 23, 2006 01:15 PM

Shalome said:
There's no such thing in punctuation as either "?!" or "!?" so go ahead and get it whichever way you find most aesthetically pleasing.


Agreed. kiss

fpkk

fpkk

United Kingdom
June 2003
Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

MAR 23, 2006 01:57 PM

Shal

Shal

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

MAR 23, 2006 02:00 PM

‽



‽

[Edited on Mar 23, 2006 by Shalome]

ureshii

ureshii

Madison, WI
December 2005

MAR 23, 2006 02:00 PM

this looks better "?!" this looks kinda... i don't know unbalenced "!?" to me. i am kind of odd like that though i hate capital letters.

by the way awesome idea for a tattoo.

Previous

PAGE: 

1 | 2

Next