September 24, 2008
Grammar lovers, today’s our day!
Hooray! Today is one of my favorite days of the year: National Punctuation Day®.
Founded in 2004 by former newspaperman Jeff Rubin, this annual event exists to draw attention to the importance of proper punctuation—from the ampersand to the slash.
I’ll be observing this “holiday” by copyediting. With my red pen in hand and my trusty stylebook by my side, I’ll be closing open quotation marks, removing colons after verbs, and adding commas around nonessential phrases with great enthusiasm. What a way to celebrate!
For a refresher on the proper use of punctuation, please check out my previous posts:
- Where’s the semicolon love?
- Put it in parentheses (please)
- The colon: an unappreciated mark with an unfortunate name
- Read this post about exclamation points!
- Save the apostrophes!
- Delete the caps lock key
Filed by rebecca at 6:24 am under Grammar guide
A holiday for copyeditors! Well, which we celebrate by working.
Rebecca, your enthusiasm is catching! Thanks for this! Now I feel like jumping in. My copyedit hasn’t yet arrived, but I can always edit my ebook…
Hilarious! I just sent it out to one of my communication listservs. Thanks for the laugh.
That’s the spirit, Steph! I knew this was a day you’d appreciate as well. (If you really wanted to get into it, you could make a meatloaf in the shape of a question mark, as the National Punctuation Day Web site suggests …)
Thanks, Beth! I just couldn’t let the day go by without acknowledging its significance in my life (and in the life of all copywriters/writers/copyeditors!).
But I’m vegetarian! LOL!!
I suppose it could have been a veggie loaf!
Better yet, a cupcake with a question mark in icing. Yum.
LOL, Steph! (I’m not a fan of meatloaf, either.) Cupcakes sound much, much better. Chocolate ones, of course
Another thing I’d like to see explained, is how you punctuate quotations.
“How should I punctuate this sentence?”, asked the Friar.
“If you break up a sentennce”, he observed, “how to you stop it and re-start it?”.
Friar: An excellent question. I’ll tackle punctuation and quotations in a future post for sure. Thanks for the suggestion!
But is it an excuse for a party? That’s what I want to know! *grin*
Urban Panther: When ISN’T good grammar an excuse for a party?!
I just love this blog, Rebecca. It’s my go-to for those niggling questions, like the use of “who” or “whom” and to wax on about why the punctuation issues between Jones’s and Jones’ drive me up a wall.
Have you read “Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies” by Jane Casagrande? I’d love to hear what you think of it.
Thanks, Lori! What a nice compliment coming from you. I haven’t read that book yet, but it sounds like it’s right up my alley. I look forward to picking it up.
I missed it again! National Grammar Day passed me by last year too. Well, I’m just glad we have such a day, and an organization that raises awareness about good grammar
I’m with you, Melissa. And even if you missed the actual day, it’s never too late to celebrate!