Whether you’re a self-proclaimed grammar girl or adverb and AP Style averse, you likely know what an ellipsis is (more than one of these little gems: ellipses). The official terminology may be a bit unfamiliar, but in print it’s unmistakable:
… Or . . .
Those three little dots. What do they mean?
It could mean an omission, as in shortening a long-winded quote. It could also represent a trailing off in thought, like so:
I was going to market today . . . but, well . . . I remembered it was Thursday, spaghetti night.
What about the times when we hesitate, or simply pause? Or when we don’t have an answer?
The possibilities are endless. That got me thinking. What other punctuation mark in existence alludes to the realm of the infinite unknown? Nada. Zip. None.
Inspired by this, I decided to christen by blog “The Ellipsis Tamed: Musings on life, love, and writing 'til it hurts”.
Don't misunderstand. I am not one of those people who goes around the office spouting editorial etiquette. Yes, I learned AP Style like all of the other journalism graduates out there, but grammar is not my passion.
Story telling is my passion, and I think the ellipsis has a unique story to tell.
By taming the ellipsis, we are able to make some sense out of life without killing the fun and mystery of it all. The spaces in between those dots . . . that’s where I want to be.
… Or . . .
Those three little dots. What do they mean?
It could mean an omission, as in shortening a long-winded quote. It could also represent a trailing off in thought, like so:
I was going to market today . . . but, well . . . I remembered it was Thursday, spaghetti night.
What about the times when we hesitate, or simply pause? Or when we don’t have an answer?
The possibilities are endless. That got me thinking. What other punctuation mark in existence alludes to the realm of the infinite unknown? Nada. Zip. None.
Inspired by this, I decided to christen by blog “The Ellipsis Tamed: Musings on life, love, and writing 'til it hurts”.
Don't misunderstand. I am not one of those people who goes around the office spouting editorial etiquette. Yes, I learned AP Style like all of the other journalism graduates out there, but grammar is not my passion.
Story telling is my passion, and I think the ellipsis has a unique story to tell.
By taming the ellipsis, we are able to make some sense out of life without killing the fun and mystery of it all. The spaces in between those dots . . . that’s where I want to be.
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