# Pay for a Sarcasm Punctuation Mark? Oh, that's SO Worth It **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793 "2010-01-13T16:38:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/1 "2010-01-13T16:38:13Z")
Sure, sarcasm can be difficult to detect on the net without the benefit of being able to hear vocal inflections or facial expressions, but we’ve managed to get by for the most part with smileys, underlining, italics, or any combination thereof when used in conjunction with context. However, Sarcasm Inc. have come up with a new “sarcasm punctuation mark” that is an open circle with a dot in the center. It’s basically a stylized schwa with a dot, which kind of makes it look like an abstracted smiley face rotated 180°. Seems a bit pointless, frankly, but Sarcasm Inc. appear to be willing to bet that people will spend $2 on a program that will install and let them use this punctuation mark for them by pressing control-period. That’s _just_ what we needed. Granted, punctuation they invented, but is it even possible to copyright a punctuation mark? Even one you created? What’s to stop anyone from just adding it to existing fonts? Or is it that they’re copyrighting the software that lets you use it rather than the mark it displays? In any event, I can’t see this catching on. Wait, no, I can _totally_ see it catching on. Totally. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/2 "2010-01-13T16:44:42Z")
I’d love to find a good shrug icon. The ones I’ve seen aren’t very clear that it’s shrugging. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/3 "2010-01-13T16:53:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > i’d love to find a good shrug icon. The ones i’ve seen aren’t very clear that it’s shrugging. ^^ ? ^0^ ? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/4 "2010-01-13T17:00:29Z")
Here’s a [picture](http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/01/12/Company-creates-sarcasm-punctuation/UPI-55751263324278/?usesarctags) of the new sarcasm mark. What a _great_ idea. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/5 "2010-01-13T17:21:48Z")
Wow, there’s already a [commercial](http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/01/sarcmark-for-when-youre-not-smart-enough-to-express-sarcasm-online/) for it. Brilliant. I’m sure this will go down in history as being greater even than the [Interrobang](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrobang) and the [Irony Mark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark)! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/6 "2010-01-13T17:37:27Z")
I thought an exclamation point inside parentheses or brackets was sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/7 "2010-01-13T17:55:07Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > ^^ ? > ^0^ ? That last one just looks like wings. Which is cool in its own right, mind you. I love the idea of sarcasm punctuation! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/8 "2010-01-13T18:00:18Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > I thought an exclamation point inside parentheses or brackets was sarcasm. (!)? 😛 (!) :P(!) :b(!) :o 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/9 "2010-01-13T18:07:20Z")
I don’t see a need for the sarcasm mark. To me, it’s like explaining the joke. Either people get it or they don’t. If they don’t get it, it means I’ve either failed in the conveyance of my message or they’re just too dim to pick up that it’s sarcasm. And half the time the second one occurs, it’s probably for the best that they don’t believe I was being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/10 "2010-01-13T18:09:45Z")
I do see the need - my favourite mode of expression is deadpan exaggeration, which doesn’t come across at all in writing. It’s easier to get it in person, when you can see my eyes twinkling. No one can see your eyes twinkling over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/11 "2010-01-13T18:30:20Z")
Or your eyebrow raised. Your _left_ eyebrow. 'Cause that’s the funny one. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/12 "2010-01-13T18:31:40Z")
This thread is really good, and I’m so glad that **Mindfield** started it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/13 "2010-01-13T18:38:24Z")
Oh, yeah, they’ll sell a million of these. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/14 "2010-01-13T19:03:01Z")
This is a very stupid idea. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/15 "2010-01-13T19:06:55Z")
Then there are these guys selling the gullibility mark. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/16 "2010-01-13T19:26:06Z")
Question - can the company copyright the mark? Or is it possible for someone to legally include that mark in, let’s say, a font they are creating? ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/17 "2010-01-13T19:33:38Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Then there are these guys selling the gullibility mark. Hello, my middle name is now Gullible. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/18 "2010-01-13T20:59:46Z")
I thought we already _had_ a sarcasm punctuation mark and it was :rolleyes:. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/19 "2010-01-13T21:05:12Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > This thread is really good, and I’m so glad that **Mindfield** started it. I’m so glad you’re glad. I just wanted to bring this most useful information to the public eye as I knew it would be so well-received. > [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Then there are these guys selling the gullibility mark. Bastard. [sub]I tried.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793/20 "2010-01-13T21:11:20Z")
**Regallag\_The\_Axe** , that was brilliant. I tried, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-for-a-sarcasm-punctuation-mark-oh-thats-so-worth-it/524793.md?page=2)