# What Do Multiple Commas Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947 "2021-09-19T21:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/21 "2021-09-20T12:55:47Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > I used to have trouble distinguishing between a forward slash and a backslash, until I figured out that handy little trick to help remember. Did you figure it out while reading backslashdot? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/22 "2021-09-20T13:00:36Z")
OK, now that we have the slashes thing figured out, I’m still not clear about multiple commas. The article that was posted seemed to imply that they mean ominous ellipses, whatever that is. I haven’t seen multiple commas, as far as I know, or I just thought it was an error. So, what do multiple commas mean? ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/23 "2021-09-20T13:09:01Z")
I haven’t the faintest, but I feel it’s vitally important to point out that Ominous Ellipses would be an outstanding band name. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/24 "2021-09-20T13:48:15Z")
I think it was originally just an error, or a joke. Now it’s used as either (a) a “softer” ellipses, meaning a less ominous trailing off or (b) a _more_ emphatic trailing off. Which are obviously contradictory, but that’s online slang for you. You have to use the context to discern whether it’s a jokey/softer use of ellipses or a more emphatic one. More to the point, perhaps, it’s a way to use ellipses to indicate trailing off without looking/sounding like your parents. With the added bonus points that it might piss them off or confuse them. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/25 "2021-09-20T13:51:39Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Which are obviously contradictory, but that’s online slang for you. You have to use the context to discern whether it’s a jokey/softer use of ellipses or a more emphatic one. This is idiotic, Not your post, of course, just that usage. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/26 "2021-09-20T14:05:42Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > With the added bonus points that it might piss them off or confuse them. > [@RitterSport](#): > > This is idiotic, It’s working,,, 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/27 "2021-09-20T14:07:23Z")
Dang, forgot the backslashes. (Or, are they forward slashes,,,?) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/28 "2021-09-20T14:08:17Z")
Backslashes they are ,,, ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/29 "2021-09-20T14:18:46Z")
And see, I noticed the single misplaced comma and thought “hmm… maybe that was supposed to be a comma ellipsis” but had to snark anyway. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/30 "2021-09-20T14:21:53Z")
Backslash. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/31 "2021-09-20T14:23:54Z")
Inconceivable! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/32 "2021-09-20T14:34:21Z")
I’m so old I can remember people reciting URLs. “H…T…T…P…colon…backslash…backslash…w…w…w…blahblah…dot…com” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/33 "2021-09-20T14:37:33Z")
Hence the website name backslashdot. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/34 "2021-09-20T14:53:46Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > I used to have trouble distinguishing between a forward slash and a backslash, until I figured out that handy little trick to help remember. My “handy little trick” is to remember that regular slash is meant to show inline fractions, and “3/4” looks right as the best approximation of “¾” in a limited character set. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/35 "2021-09-20T14:54:25Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What an odd feature, collapsing multiple commas into one. Comma comma comma comma comma chameleon You come and go You come and go ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/36 "2021-09-20T19:38:47Z")
I don’t know how many people in the world use \TeX, possibly several million, and for us the escape character is the backslash \. The regular slash has always, in my lifetime, been for fractions. Now let me try ,,,. It works! ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/37 "2021-09-20T19:40:38Z")
So if you want to do it, you type backslash comma backslash comma backslash comma? ,,, I wonder why I couldn’t get it to work before? ETA: Was it the single quotes? ‘,,,’ Nope! Well, I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/38 "2021-09-20T22:21:04Z")
Modern browsers are smart enough to be able to figure out whether a back- or forward-slash is required, so it rarely matters anymore. I had a friend who often peppered his emails with `",,,"` (comma x3) and I asked him what that meant. He appeared mystified by my question. “What commas?” Then I noticed him typing another email, and his eyesight was so poor that a comma and a period looked the same to him. He thought he was writing ellipses. So that’s what multiple commas mean. Bad eyesight. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/39 "2021-09-20T23:33:15Z")
Probably a merge error, not normalized. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947/40 "2021-09-20T23:42:49Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I don’t know how many people in the world use \TeX TEX\TeX , possibly several million, and for us the escape character is the backslash . In addition to TeX, backslash is a common escape character in many contexts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-multiple-commas-mean/950947.md?page=3)