Re: OT: Punctuation

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 :)),
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

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