# What is the double colon “:: ….. ::” supposed to mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711 "2005-02-18T14:31:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/1 "2005-02-18T14:31:19Z")
I see a few posts using what I’ll call “double colon symbology” to set off some sort of parenthetical phrase. Made up example: :: foolishly looks at watch :: What are the double colons before and after the phrase supposed to indicate? What kinds of phrases are the colons supposed to surround? . ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/2 "2005-02-18T14:34:34Z")
It’s just used to indicate an action instead of a comment. There is no specific rule, and other characters can be used, depending on the preference of the user. \ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/3 "2005-02-18T14:44:10Z")
:: runs naked through thread :: ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/4 "2005-02-18T14:46:32Z")
:: ducks and runs:: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/5 "2005-02-18T15:00:04Z")
/me posts a different way to show action ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/6 "2005-02-18T15:02:06Z")
_Uses asterisks in places of double-colons_ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/7 "2005-02-18T15:04:12Z")
Am I right in saying that if we were in an IIRC chat space, what **Poly** just typed would be rendered: **Polycarp** posts a different way to show action ? ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/8 "2005-02-18T15:06:27Z")
The early interactive BB’s that allowed “actions” and their successors the chat rooms – did they use the double-colon convention? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/9 "2005-02-18T15:14:25Z")
I picked up the double-colon convention for marking actions here. Before, if I used anything, I used pseudo-HTML, like this: \ I can’t believe how those idiots have thrown away the NHL!! Someone oughta give the Stanley Cup to some other league this year!! \ But that’s not as useful for indicating single actions. I’ll still use it for marking a piece of text though. Asterisks, on the other hand, are good for _inline_ emphasis. I believe some early mailer software would actually render asterisked words in bold for the recipient. Likewise, I usually use underbars _like this_ to indicate underlining. I am not consistent in these usages. ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/10 "2005-02-18T15:21:56Z")
The ones I saw used a slash or backslash as a marker for a command. This was a common command convention in operating systems (e.g. JCL or Job Control Language) going back to the days of punched cards. the use of :: and other “invented” punctiations wasn’t much of an imaginative leap. I used it as a kid in the 70s (I wrote a lot of letters, and had a near fatal case of parenthitis – from which, as you can see, I never fully recovered). I’d been doing it for years by the time Piers Anthony used composite/invented punctuation marks as quotes (in fact “::”, which he called quadpoint, was among them) to distinguish the speech of various species in his “Kirlian Quest” series (starring Herald the Healer) back in 1979. I’m sure neither he nor I was the first. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/11 "2005-02-18T15:29:47Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > :: ducks and runs:: Duh…I finally figured out what **::d&r::** means! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/12 "2005-02-18T15:54:11Z")
I was a member of a text only (Pre HTML) chat board, and they used a software written by the owner, which replaced a leading “/me” with the particular users name, and changed the color of the text, to indicate “actions” They also had /whisper, and /look and a whole range of specific commands (which had their own consequences) An older board I briefly belonged to, (and evidently many others) had the double colon convention to separate action from statements, in the readers eyes. I don’t know if any of had replacement software to make it look different, but mine didn’t. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/13 "2005-02-18T16:33:22Z")
/me:then there are some of us that get them all mixed up\*) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/14 "2005-02-18T17:15:32Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > /me:then there are some of us that get them all mixed up\*) Everquest (a VERY fancy chat client) used backslashes as emotes. Hence, “/ducks” would be rendered as “Turek ducks” to everyone within range of me and if there was a graphical representation, my little Turek (on the screen, you filthy minded filthy-minded-people!) would duck. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/15 "2005-02-18T17:42:06Z")
**::** is the **scope resolution operator** What was the question again? ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/16 "2005-02-18T19:28:16Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > **::** is the **scope resolution operator** I laughed way to hard at this. I need to go get a life. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/17 "2005-02-18T23:21:46Z")
Remember to always use the spaces, because otherwise you end up screwing up and inserting smileys. ::places no spaces between the colon and the sentence:: See what I mean? Meanwhile, I reserve asterisks for marking off sound effects. _sneeze_ ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/18 "2005-02-18T23:38:01Z")
::gesundheit:: ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/19 "2005-02-19T00:48:16Z")
//me outta here// ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711/20 "2005-02-19T05:06:46Z")
On many MUDs, a single colon is the emote command… :dances around and breaks dishes. Would show up as: Mr2001 dances around and breaks dishes. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Am I right in saying that if we were in an IIRC chat space, what Poly just typed would be rendered: > > Polycarp posts a different way to show action > > ? Yes. Most IRC clients put an asterisk in front: - Polycarp posts a different way to show action > [@Turek](#): > > Everquest (a VERY fancy chat client) used backslashes as emotes. Hence, “/ducks” would be rendered as “Turek ducks” to everyone within range of me and if there was a graphical representation, my little Turek (on the screen, you filthy minded filthy-minded-people!) would duck. Nitpick: That’s a regular slash (or forward slash). \ is backslash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-double-colon-supposed-to-mean/290711.md?page=2)