The Semi Colon is being driven out of existence; For those who don't know what one is here it is ;

On a recent survey 70% of the population did not know how or when to use one.

There are worries that if it is abolished it will lead to the abolition of the full colon:

So: how many people on this forum use a semi colon ; or full colon : ?

I think there are greater concerns with so many people already speaking out of the colon; for others, the only time they’re familiar with a semi is when walking down Beach Road and passing a gender-questionable creature with cracking norks.... 

 

25 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

There are worries that if it is abolished it will lead to the abolition of the full colon

That would be very sad 😞

Dammit - I can't post a colon and open parenthesis without it turning into a yellow emoji!

Edit:

 

18 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

So: how many people on this forum use a semi colon ; or full colon : ?

 

I think i'd be up s**t creek without a colon. I use it quite a lot.

Just now, Denim said:

 

I think i'd be up s**t creek without a colon. I use it quite a lot.

The full colon or the semi?

Can't let the semi. (;) and full (:) die.

Helps us challenged people or; ( 'not the sharpest tool in the shed' people: some Richard called me that on AN and when I meet them, depending on their size and weight,   I'll hit them. 🙂

How can you have a list without a :

How can you pause for a breath when you're oldish without a ;    .

If I use it it's usually an accident, I rarely saw it in business also

maybe some pretentious idiot put it into the language in the first place.

commas and periods are good enough to get a message across. 

 

I often have to write a list of points for work that require:

1. a colon to end the first part of the sentence to signify a series of points below; and
2. each dot point has a semi colon at the end except the final one which has a full stop.  

So they are needed. 

1 hour ago, Magictoad said:

The Semi Colon is being driven

I read an article about a ferrite or was it a girbil in a colon. 

 

If I remember it was in the gay forum. 🤔

 

1 minute ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I often have to write a list of points for work that require:

1. a colon to end the first part of the sentence to signify a series of points below; and
2. each dot point has a semi colon at the end except the final one which has a full stop.  

So they are needed. 

I agree, but; should you have a ; before an 'and'?

1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I read an article about a ferrite or was it a girbil up the colon. 

 

 

No more LEO for you. 🙂

2 minutes ago, carlyai said:

I agree, but; should you have a ; before an 'and'?

I think so.  Normally only the second last point needs the 'and'. In this case there is only two points so the ; before the 'and' in the first point is fine. 

Whenever I have a full colon, I reach for the laxatives.

I will be going for a semi colonoscopy soon

I think the semicolon; like the exclamation mark, is really only useful if you are writing a book or a play; a screenplay perhaps.

 

It helps the reader to understand the tone; the pace of the sentence.  Also helps separate two connected points without resorting to a comma or a full stop; without using a conjuction such as 'and'; without resorting to an emoji or other childish frippary.

13 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I will be going for a semi colonoscopy soon

Hope it all works out. 🙂

35 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

maybe some pretentious idiot put it into the language in the first place.

commas and periods are good enough to get a message across. 

 

How about using capital letters at the start of sentences? Is that pretentious too?

For 3 months my colon was disconnected, am well chuffed to be back to full colon.

3 hours ago, Magictoad said:

The full colon or the semi?

 

I tend to go all in with a full colon until I come to a full stop.

Just now, Denim said:

 

I tend to go all in with a full colon until I come to a full stop.

I'm starting to use semis all the time in an effort to save them.

3 hours ago, carlyai said:

Can't let the semi. (;) and full (:) die.

Helps us challenged people or; ( 'not the sharpest tool in the shed' people: some Richard called me that on AN and when I meet them, depending on their size and weight,   I'll hit them. 🙂

How can you have a list without a :

How can you pause for a breath when you're oldish without a ;    .

How can you open parentheses (see above lol!) and not close them?  (well maybe with a sad text emoji...)   😞

It seems like I use them slightly differently to some on here. I mostly use the semicolon in two situations: in complex lists that already contain commas or multiple clauses; and to join two closely related sentences. I also understood that when using a colon, it should be at the end of a complete sentence (see above), unless using it to introduce a quotation or in a title. God I'm boring...

12 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I read an article about a ferrite or was it a girbil in a colon. 

 

If I remember it was in the gay forum. 🤔

 

 

12 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I read an article about a ferrite or was it a girbil in a colon. 

 

If I remember it was in the gay forum. 🤔

 

 

The thread about taking your ferret for a run was probably the peak; the triumph; the climax of TV: from then on, we’ve been sliding the slippery slopes to mediocrity.

The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe.

 

33 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

The thread about taking your ferret for a run was probably the peak; the triumph; the climax of TV: from then on, we’ve been sliding the slippery slopes to mediocrity.

I enjoy adding that extra level of unnecessary information towards the thread. 

Just trying to lower the bar to that of the very low level already set.

 

24 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I enjoy adding that extra level of unnecessary information towards the thread. 

Just trying to lower the bar to that of the very low level already set.

 

That’s the spirit of limbo

 

I went to the doctor for an endoscopy. He said - “do you want a semi-colon; or a full colon: it will cost you extra”. 

You might be able to get by without a full colon at times, but try sticking it in with only a semi. She'll lose patience after a while.