Hi everyone!

I'm reading a great book on punctuation at the moment (never thought I'd say that! :D ) called 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves'.

It explains how massively important punctuation can be, and how frustrating it is when people seem to disregard it! I would recommend it to any punctuation-nazis (like me)!

I haven't read much of the book, but I'd like to add two examples I've read already that I really like.

The first is the title of the book and the story goes;

A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and proceeds to fire it at the other patrons.

“Why?” asks the confused, surviving waiter amidst the carnage, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

“Well, I'm a panda,” he says at the door. “Look it up.”

The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. “Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

This is the second;

Man: Without, women are nothing
Man: Without women, are nothing

Which actually made me laugh out loud! I think I'll remember that forever!
See how important a comma can be?

Wikipedia has a brilliant page with a couple more on it;
Amphibology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I was just wondering if anyone had any more to add!

Happy Friday everyone!

J

I've just remembered another one my Dad told me he'd seen in a paper years ago;

Racing bike for sale. One careful lady owner with drop handle-bars.

Brilliant!

The carnage. All because of one misplaced comma!

This site alone could be held as proof as to how important punctuation is. Some posts I just have to give up on because the spelling and punctuation are so bad that I don't understand what they want.

Punctuation isn't an ancient form of torture! It serves a purpose!

I have that book... I particularly like the stickers in the back that say "panda says No!"

What. Are. You.talking. About.

I. Does. Punct. Properly. Betterest. Person. On This. Site.

Lol, although funny curlyben, very, VERY accurate! He he!

There was always a tuck-shop lady at my school. And she used to sign her notices "Thankyou Mrs. McKenzie."
Always made me laugh, why was she thanking herself for?

Also at our work we have lots of cupboards labelled "Customer Return's". This actually shocked me that nobody in this place had pointed it out.

I notice you're not a spelling-nazi, though, Hunter? :p
And I disagree with your use of semi-colons in your first post.

I don't know whether people are scared to point it out in case they're wrong!

My Mum puts apostrophes in anywhere and everywhere!

I regularly get "Do'nt" and "Wo'nt"

A sign at the driveway entrance to a school I once attended - I took this one personally:

SLOW CHILDREN CROSSING

I saw this printed on an actual warning sign (on a site that posts such silly stuff)

WARNING

To Avoid Personal Injury And
Damage to the Cabinet, Do Not
Move the Cabinet While In a
Loaded Condition.

Well, they got the comma right.

Do I dare point out the importance of spell checking? See subject line ;)

Chell Specking? Wotz that?

:p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

Do I dare point out the importance of spell checking? See subject line ;)

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Someone's changed that! I swear I checked that about 5 times before I posted it! Lol!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ebaines

A sign at the driveway entrance to a school I once attended - I took this one personally:

SLOW CHILDREN CROSSING

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We have one that says;

SLOW TROOPS MARCHING

That makes me laugh too! :D

I remember seeing this years ago and only just found it again, I'm sure you will all enjoy it and appreciate just how clever it is. Punctuation is IMPORTANT.

Quote:

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A letter she sent me a few months after we met:

Dear Ched:

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy -- will you let me be yours?

Leigh Anne

A letter she wrote me 8 Months after we were married:

Dear Ched:

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?

Yours,

Leigh Anne

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*Claps*

Easily the best example yet! Brilliant! Thanks Capuchin!