Heh, heh. I couldn’t help myself, this thread was just the best place to use that gag.
Not entirely, but you’ve hit on the point. We’ve already got punctuation marks for all these non-verbal cues we can’t express via text: Smileys or emoticons. They grew organically. We don’t need any extras.
And it just makes sense to use the symbols we already have. It’s like interrobang: why wasn’t ?! sufficient? It was already in use.
(:rolleyes: can also be used to be condescending, for example. Or contempt. Or, well, pretty much anything actually doing it can be. When it’s used to indicate sarcasm, it usually is itself sarcasm.)
Are you being sarcastic? I wish I could tell.
I personally prefer the (--) or the (--’ ) for the guy just putting his head down and shaking it.
Really?
I don’t think “gullible” is actually a word. It isn’t in the dictionary, anyway.
What is the fourth word in that sentence?
See? Another post that could’ve been avoided, if only we had a handy-dandy punctuation mark to clearly indicate none of Malleus’ statements re: gullibility were actually serious.
Clearly, Sarcasm Inc ought to be first in line for the next Nobel Peace Prize.
Sorry, I couldn’t spring for the SarcMark/Fetus/Two Dollar Boob Job. Until then, I will use the ȸ, Ʉ, or ɷ symbols to denote that I am being a dick, a big dick, or an ass, respectively. Or maybe I’ll just revel in the confusionɷ
Priceless.
So, wait, are you all being serious? Or what? I just wish we had some way of making it all clear, beyond using ‘words’ or ‘already existing punctuation’ or ‘universally understood emoticons’ or ‘personal judgement and experience.’ There’s a huge need for a random squiggly thing to get us out of the nightmare of our own making. I really wish someone would devote precious time and energy to creating one.
I thought the tongue smiley was sarcasm, anyway. That uses the standard character set, which means it’s more likely to be used than an obscure add-on.
You’re not very good at it, then. People had to ask my father to give them warning when he was being deadpan… I’ve known several guys who, like him, could say the weirdest things with a straight face.
I knew a guy once who could eat an entire wheel of Gouda and then extrude it through his pores. It was like watching a Play-Doh barber shop in action, only over his whole body.
Hey, Poly, you have a giant dickfer on your nose. Better get that checked out.
Are you positive? It looks more like a hehnway to me.
It’s a trap!