A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.
Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych
Uh... why not just make it "Nilly, Could This Be Mathier?" I mean, the style guides I know would say that the sentence takes a comma instead of an em dash there.
In general, that's true, but not always. It depends on how the speaker is saying it, and what the speaker was going to say. For instance, say the speaker was going to say "Nilly, [insert here that mathematical expression that includes pi, which I've already memfaulted]," but then realized it was getting so damned mathy, that the "could this be mathier?" question just burst out of him. In a case such as that, the em dash would be more apt than the comma.
But that's not easily told in context. Now, if it was "Hey, Nilly -- could this be mathier", my inner editor would be content. But I know I'm being a minority voice here.
I like Jon's...
Ahem, I like Jon's title for Natter 17
We're like a circle jerk of neurotic opinionated fussiness.
Hec said something funny.
Cass, sweetie... that wasn't Jon, that was Hec.
Sean, aren't you just supposed to read my mind and figure out that I am just rapidly changing subjects with no segue? Oh? Not? I'm making more coffee then. And yes, my post was massively unclear.
So, we're confused, grammatically feisty, font particular and think everything could be mathier. That seems appropriate.
Yes, and tangenty.
Though I would use the serial comma.
But I know I'm being a minority voice here.
I think the phrase would be MUCH better with a comma.
Sean, aren't you just supposed to read my mind and figure out that I am just rapidly changing subjects with no segue?
::snerk::
I got up really early today. I always forget to mind read when I get up early.
Oh dear. Not the weeping tantrum.
I may have to change my mind on that blasted comma. I'm visibly weakening in the face of Plei's distress.
Commas, gerunds, and apostrophes, oh my!
Commas, gerunds and apostrophes, oh my!
t weeps
Commas, gerunds, and apostrophes, please please?
shouldn't there be a comma between the two pleases?
