# Colons or asterisks for "action" sentences in your posts?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 14, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626 "2005-01-14T00:18:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/21 "2005-01-14T13:28:29Z")

</div>

_Thinks about it_

I also avoid the double colon for the same reason as **Tengu**. The double colon looks cleaner, but the smileys tend to do weird things.

Also, the asterisk has less of a grammar function for me, so in my mind the asterisks stand out more as being separate from the “message” text.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/22 "2005-01-14T13:49:04Z")

</div>

Leaving a space after the final lead-in colon and before the first close-action colon prevents the inadvertent smilies, FWIW.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/23 "2005-01-14T13:54:16Z")

</div>

_::shakes head::_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/24 "2005-01-14T15:40:33Z")

</div>

> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> (::preview is your friend:🙂

/em laughs and snorts

← been chatting for far too long

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/25 "2005-01-14T21:18:44Z")

</div>

::ponders::

Depends on my mood, really.

_shrug_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/26 "2005-01-14T21:30:18Z")

</div>

> [@Harimad-sol](#):
>
> How many volunteers are you taking?

Only one at a time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/27 "2005-01-14T21:37:56Z")

</div>

> [@iampunha](#):
>
> [sub]Anyone want to come and kiss all my booboos?[/sub]

I read that as “baboos” for whatever reason, thought it was the cutest thing, then realised it was just booboos. Ah well.

I’ll kiss 'em if… well, _you_ know.

I’m a fan of the asterisks. This may already be known.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/28 "2005-01-14T21:55:38Z")

</div>

> [@Anastasaeon](#):
>
> I’ll kiss 'em if… well, _you_ know.

Yes, I do. Should I ever meet you in person, I may well just burst out laughing so hard I can’t even stand up straight;)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/29 "2005-01-14T22:11:15Z")

</div>

> [@matt\_mcl](#):
>
> ::d&r::

What does this mean, anyway? I see it all the time on here.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/30 "2005-01-14T22:45:42Z")

</div>

I used to use asterisks, but I use tildes now.

~is strange~

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/31 "2005-01-14T22:49:33Z")

</div>

> [@Idle Thoughts](#):
>
> What does this mean, anyway? I see it all the time on here.

- [d]uck and run. Or, depending on the use, [the poster] ducks and runs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626/32 "2005-01-15T04:44:10Z")

</div>

_shrugs_

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

::uses different symbols depending on mood::

\<-----sometimes uses the “arrow method” (but usually only in chat programs like AIM)

_~don’t think I use the /me thing much, though~_

I think that about covers all of mine.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colons-or-asterisks-for-action-sentences-in-your-posts/284626.md?page=1)