OT: Question for modern Grammar Nazis
This has been one of my bigger pet peeves for a long time, and I want to get some input.
What is the technically correct way to end text inside parentheses with a smiley? I'm of the opinion that it just shouldn't be done, but I'm sure there are no written rules on it.
The problem:
-If you add the closing parenthesis, it looks like an extra smiley smiley or just plain weird depending on the font. (This phrase, for example... :))
-If you neglect the closing parenthesis, either the universe is no longer balanced or you've got an extra colon sitting all alone. (Just like in this case. :)
Either way, my OCD kicks in and I find that I need to just delete the whole thing altogether and find a way to word it that a) will use the smiley earlier in the phrase/sentence or b) avoids the smiley and/or parentheses.
Thoughts?
I don't use smiley's, but if i did, I would probably include a space or more likely 3 between the mouth and the close parenthesis. I really doubt there is a standard etiquette regarding any smiley faces in formal grammarian studies.
That's fair, but I always hate wasting the space. Gotta preserve those bytes!
Use the square brackets or the curly braces instead of standard paren's
Agreed.
/thread
I can't believe we are discussing the grammatically correct way to use smiley faces. Has the whole world gone mad?!!!!!
I live through texts, for better or WORSE, and this is what I do.
I understand not wanting to do this if you (or the receiver) aren't on an unlimited texting plan. Texting without a plan is more expensive than sending the same amount of information to a space shuttle.
I include several spaces when I do it.
(the rest is history! :) )
like you have a double chin.
smiley face.
...it makes a cool optical illusion that the parentheses are different sizes. I vote for spaces.
From an English teacher's standpoint, emoticons are fucking stupid.
Do you have a lot of kids using them in papers? I can't even imagine the tidal wave of crimson ink that would flow from my pen if I were in that situation.
In all seriousness I have no problem with emoticons as shorthand when talking to women. I always feel just... off when another guy includes emoticons in a text or IM. It feels like he's winking at me or something.
In a paper, I would mark this down, but would definitely explain that it does not fit in a formal setting. The explaining would be done while giving the guidelines for the paper. Can you imagine if a college applicant put a ;-) in one of their entrance essays?
I haven't encountered any of these in my experience, but that is very limited since after my student teaching semester I was unable to teach for a year.
chunkums ;)
One of the toughest obstacles I face in terms of grammar is not that students use text-speech or slang or ebonics, but rather that they've been given the license to think it's okay by some malcontent GenEd high school teacher. It can be broken, but it's tough.
Sometimes I get a student from an inner city background who has no concept that the written word is and should be different than how they actually communicate, and next thing I know I'm reading Ima tell u dis or gots 2b a reeson in an actual term paper.
The real problem is that the student thinks I'm coming down on him because it's been acceptable in the past-- their high school teacher would literally give 'em B's and C's for it.
That is just depressing. In some classes at UM, they really tried to stress that students can write in different slang dialects and that it should be socially acceptable. I completely disagree with this, however, as I believe school is a place to set students up to succeed rather than to help them feel warm and fuzzy while being socially promoted to the next grade. I want my students to go to college and get a job, rather than to be told that their shit doesn't stink. Self esteem is great until you realize that your students cannot separate the personal and professional worlds.
And I'm in higher ed-- so what they're literally paying for is to be made into marketable professionals who can land a job. The standards we hold them to must be at least as high if not higher than what they'll face in the real world, so to snowball 'em doesn't help anyone. {/End Teacher Conference}
This is interesting. Some of my favorite threads on the board are when people talk about their different work experiences and methods.
Can you imagine if a college applicant put a ;-) in one of their entrance essays?To be honest, it wouldn't make many of them that much worse. Have you ever gone back and read what you've written? It's terrifying.
Lemme in. kthxbai.
Lemme in. Srsly.
OMG U SUK! Y U NO LEMME IN!!1!11!!!
You're no English teacher... yet.
My Michigan certification disagrees with you.
Why would you ever need to do that. You must be kidding me. Anyway, you could do this (this is so stupid :)...)
(If I was to do it like this) :)
But what happens if the smiley face has nothing to do with what is outside the parentheses?
Example:
I killed someone last night (a horse walks into a bar....) :)
Michigan football didn't win a game this year (but Michigan State lost to the Podunk school for the blind ;))
In both instances, the first part of the sentence does not deserve a smiley face whereas the second does.
and assume he's dating a smoking hot co-ed who loves to text.
Try this ...
Can't wait to pick you up for Blimpy's tonight (and you will definitely be getting the "other" blimpy later :) ....)Or just use brackets. It is March, after all.
I think that one looks like a snowman
hmm...interesting, cant you just put it after?
(I love smileys!) :)
Modern Grammar Nazis? Who were the Ancient Grammar Nazis? Members of the Nazi Party who were really into grammar?
Referring to digital grammar, as this wasn't really a problem before the internet age.
my sarcastic incredulity also didn't translate well over to the internet age.
If only there was a good way that you could have said something sarcastic in your original post in parentheses including an emoticon of some sort...
(This is a sample phrase....
)
Don't worry about size, the bigger it is, the more it brightens the days of others. They'll show that love via negbombing.
)
Don't worry about size, the bigger it is, the more it brightens the days of others. They'll show that love via negbombing.in prison.
I could do that all the time. (If I wasn't worried about losing the MGoPoints 
)
)Yeah Mr. 10.695 MGoPoints, you're pretty borderline. One or two negbombings and next time Henri shows up, you won't be able to post diaries or on the board! The horror.
What is that thing and why do I feel a sudden urge to negbomb your keyboard with a baseball bat to keep from ever seeing it again?
It's the second result when I googled "creepy smile." Yay internet! I was actually going to shrink it down, but now that the comment is locked...
I think it crashed the board. I got a string of 504 Errors right after viewing it and commenting.
best in show
His mouth is smiling but his eyes aren't...Dude looks psychotic, not to mention the huge mess of AIDS on his face. 10/10 on the creepy meter.
I think it's a chick, which makes the goo a little less disturbing, but still, disturbing.
Ok, but then you see the weird page with what looks like a cross in some sort of red-brown markings... blood?
Creepiness factor at 11/10.
I missed that.
use brackets.
This just goes to show what a bad, slow sports year it is for us U-M fans.
And I don't say this to belittle the OP in the least. It's a valid question.
( :o) )
I think you'd use the rule for a parenthetical within a parenthetical. For all intents and purposes, emoticons are parentheticals. They have the distinguishing trait: an 'aside' to express or distinguish a thought with additional information, opinion, or in this case emotion.
The typical rule for parentheticals within parentheticals is to frame out the former with a different symbol, like a bracket. Ex: (this is my best guess, at least [so take with a grain of salt]). IMHE then, the emoticon scenario would look something like: (an emoticon within a parenthetical is a tricky thing [ ;) ]).
Probably best to space out the emoticon from the brackets as well.
[This thread was perhaps the greatest thing I have ever read : )]
I like the brackets.
There a number of people on this board who are grammar fascists but not Nazis in particular.
Can we have grammar communists? People who make sure all posts in a topic are of the same grammatical level? They make you wait in long lines to receive your daily allotment of pronouns.
In Soviet Mgoboard, grammar conjugates you!
is this question's been previously cartooned
[EDIT: apologies for the Weissish size of the image]
