Re: OT: Punctuation

Mark J. Reed wrote:
> On Fri, Jan 16, 2004 at 09:02:22PM -0500, Tristan McLeay wrote:
>
>>In variable-width fonts, an ellipsis is not spaced the same as three
>>fullstops placed after each other. Because of this, for some reason some
>>people put spaces between them (which is too large a space at least in
>>Times Roman, Palatino and Computer Modern Roman---it's about half-way
>>between).
>
>
> Well, I was taught in English class that when typewriting papers
> (on actual typewriters; you may have to look that word up, or go to
> a museum to see one, but fixed-width was the only option on them :)),
That makes me feel old. :)

I'm only 20 and I've used 3 different kinds of typewriters. (electric,
manual cursive, and a very old one that didn't have a "1" so you had to
type "l")

> there should be a space between the periods of an ellipsis.  I suppose
> the thinking was better too much space than not enough.  In any case,
> the habit persists.  Besides, though maybe for no other reason than
> that habit, I think it looks better that way, even though it is, as you
> say, much more space than you get with a true ellipsis in a
> typeset document.
>
> I also always put a space before an ellipsis, even if it's at the end
> of a sentence . . .
>
> -Mark
>
I haven't had many reasons to use an ellipsis in email, but if I needed
one, I probably wouldn't add spaces. Most likely, I've been corrupted by
the Distributed Proofreaders guidelines (which say to use "...", though
the old books usually have at least an em-sized space) :)


Michael

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