#$%!*&

March 6, 2011 9:03 AM

An essay in two parts on the pilcrow (¶) kicks off a new blog called Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation.
posted by Horace Rumpole (17 comments total)

Gwyneth?
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:15 AM on March 6, 2011

I ♥ this, and will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment. I'm ashamed to have gone this far through my life in ignorance of the existence of such a thing of wonder as the Interrobang...
posted by protorp at 9:26 AM on March 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is why I come to MetaFilter. Thanks for this gem.
posted by knave at 9:27 AM on March 6, 2011

Not to be confused with this.
posted by Fizz at 9:33 AM on March 6, 2011

I had forgotten what love at first sight feels like.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:40 AM on March 6, 2011

interrobang introduced me to the interrobang.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:40 AM on March 6, 2011

Punctuation was, however, about to be well and truly shaken up by the biggest upheaval since Rome’s fall from Republic to Empire.

Just wanted to say that I really like the phrase 'fall from Republic to Empire" as indication of a degrading political system, rather than 'rise of an empire'.
posted by Space Coyote at 9:57 AM on March 6, 2011 [7 favorites]

This was a perfect Sunday read. Thanks for posting it!
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:54 AM on March 6, 2011

Huh. I knew about the pilcrow but never heard of the chi-rho. Good article.
posted by ctmf at 11:47 AM on March 6, 2011

Ack, I want to know how the story ends! I never thought there could be a cliff-hanger in an essay about punctuation.
posted by vytae at 11:51 AM on March 6, 2011

And in that instant, when I uttered the words "check out this awesome new punctuation blog," I knew that the Internet had proven its worth, its goodness, and its glory. And then I settled in to read.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:08 PM on March 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

My inner geek just had an orgasm.
posted by madred at 12:23 PM on March 6, 2011

This is internet pedantry at its best.
posted by sarahnade at 12:25 PM on March 6, 2011

We spend long enough complaining when someone posts a fugly site. Props to this fellow for a rich and gorgeous feel to his blog.

I'm also hoping he'll cover the Spanish inverted question and exclamation marks one day.
posted by imperium at 2:02 PM on March 6, 2011

I loved the pilcrow when I was in 3rd grade and inserted it everywhere. Most of my teachers had never heard of it. But I never knew I was continuing a medieval tradition until I saw this blog. This is grand.
posted by shii at 5:06 PM on March 6, 2011

Just released: The Pilcrow, Part 3.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:59 PM on March 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

The hotly anticipated Interrobang, Part 1.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:27 AM on April 2, 2011 [1 favorite]