# This thread is not about sarcasm **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884 "2001-06-23T16:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nerd525](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f9ae1b/32.png) [@nerd525](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerd525)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/1 "2001-06-23T16:23:13Z")
How about a new punctuation mark to denote sarcasm? I call it the “sarcastic mark.” I can’t type it yet, but it looks like a circle with a dot in the middle. Here are some sample sarcastic sentences with the sarcastic mark (actually, I will use the @ symbol as it is the closest I can get). Martha Stewart’s not annoying@ The sarcastic mark will be the next big hit in punctuation@ Well, I believe you were abducted by aliens@ And so forth. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/2 "2001-06-23T16:32:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*nerd525 \*\* > Martha Stewart’s not annoying:rolleyes: > The sarcastic mark will be the next big hit in punctuation:rolleyes: > Well, I believe you were abducted by aliens:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/3 "2001-06-23T16:42:44Z")
Hey levi, (i know this doper, I thought of the idea of a circle w/ the dot in the middle). The sarcastic mark is a good idea, better than writing “umm” or “err” before some sarcastic line. ---
**Author:** ![nerd525](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f9ae1b/32.png) [@nerd525](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nerd525)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/4 "2001-06-23T16:52:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by thinksnow \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*\*nerd525 \*\* > > Martha Stewart’s not annoying:rolleyes: > > The sarcastic mark will be the next big hit in punctuation:rolleyes: > > Well, I believe you were abducted by aliens:rolleyes: > > \*\* That’s all good for StraightDope message boards, but who wants to write a face every time you write a sarcastic sentence on paper? ---
**Author:** ![SouprChckn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@SouprChckn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouprChckn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/5 "2001-06-23T23:11:52Z")
Since some people use the @ symbol, my friends and I have adapted the ~ as an indicator to all of our sarcastic sentences. It was pretty much a short term deal because we ended up getting lazy putting it in. Its always easier if they know you well enough to deduce the sarcasm from what you say rather than how your write it. Thus: ~Kazaam was a good movie. ~Richard Simmons is straight. ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/6 "2001-06-24T02:46:28Z")
Sarcastic. Yeah. Right. Whatever. -L ---
**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:** [June 24, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/7 "2001-06-24T03:04:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SexyWriter \* > Yeah. Right. Whatever. Is that the resigned, world-weary ‘whatever’, or the lilting, faux-valley-girl ‘whatever’? As to the OP, well, I do love the stunning creativity that netizens have brought to bare on the problem of expressing themselves through text-only means, but I prefer to go the other direction. I don’t know if I’ve ever lived up to it, but I like the idea of returning correspondence and debate to the art they once were. Listen to the letters written by Civil War soldiers, for example. They were able to describe the horrors of war in a fashion that can still move us one-hundred-and-forty years later, and without resorting to smilies. I have to think that any language that can do that can also express sufficient disdain for Martha Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/8 "2001-06-24T08:13:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > As to the OP, well, I do love the stunning creativity that netizens have brought to bare on the problem of expressing themselves through text-only means, but I prefer to go the other direction. I don’t know if I’ve ever lived up to it, but I like the idea of returning correspondence and debate to the art they once were. Listen to the letters written by Civil War soldiers, for example. They were able to describe the horrors of war in a fashion that can still move us one-hundred-and-forty years later, and without resorting to smilies. I have to think that any language that can do that can also express sufficient disdain for Martha Stewart. That’s a totally good point, Robot Arm@ ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-thread-is-not-about-sarcasm/69884/9 "2001-06-24T08:20:41Z")
¤ How about that? I’ve never used it, doubt I ever will. In fact I have absolutely no idea what it’s for. :¤)