# What's the deal with exclamation marks!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547 "2003-06-17T21:19:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/1 "2003-06-17T21:19:48Z")
This is fast becoming one of my pet peeves: people who use exclamation marks with every phrase. Maybe it’s just my prejudice but it seems very bad style and unprofessional. I just got this email: > [@](#): > > Thanks for order I will advise when we can ship them!! Do they have a forecast! I would like to ship some of these units via boat ahead of time with their labels. What is their August demand look like? Can we get more visibility! > > Please make tentative arrangements on Friday July 18th. Please advise if you need more than one day with me! Thanks again and I look forward to meeting you guys again!! This guy is the vice president for sales and he writes worse than a teenager. I feel like replying: > [@](#): > > Dave! Big surprise! Please ship on time! Do not delay!!! See you the 18th!!! I know a couple of other people who do this and it looks awful to me. And one is a lawyer, no less. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/2 "2003-06-17T21:23:51Z")
!!! ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/3 "2003-06-17T21:25:37Z")
More than three is definitely excessive. And using exclamation marks in place of question marks is just grammatically wrong. But I have no problem personally with, for example: “What’s the deal with exclamation marks?!?” My two cents, anyway… ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/4 "2003-06-17T21:36:49Z")
Orbifold, exclamation marks should be used only when strictly needed and only one. Anything else looks totally unprofessional. Look at the message: \>\> Thanks for order I will advise when we can ship them!! First of all there’s a period missing and the exclamation marks are totally superfluous. Or is he surprised that he gets an order? \>\> Do they have a forecast! That should be a question mark. \>\> What is their August demand look like? What kind of grammar is that? Appalling. \>\> Can we get more visibility! Again, it should be a question mark but, furthermore, I have no idea what the guy means. Exclamation marks should be used only and strictly to denote surprise and only in ones. I have a lawyer friend who finishes every sentence with several exclamation marks and it denotes him as the hick that he is. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/5 "2003-06-17T21:37:16Z")
Exclamation points in a business e-mail? YIKES!!! My favorite is the … people. I wanted…to show…Mary how …to do…the backup…but… she was busy… ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/6 "2003-06-17T21:39:47Z")
As much as I try not to be a spelling and grammar nitpicker, when I receive e-mails which resemble your example in that they are complete nonsense, I have been known to respond with: Dear Sir or Madam, Your recent e-mail message (quoted below) appears to have been mistranslated from it’s original language. English is the only language spoken here, and as such we are unable to discern the intended content. Please make another attempt at translation. We look forward to your business. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/7 "2003-06-17T21:47:51Z")
Arrgh…hate all of those. I am constantly surprised by the people in my company who cannont compose a professional written communication. Do they think that because it’s e-mail it’s ok to be so informal? Or do they just not actually understand when you’re supposed to use a comma or exclamation point or whatever? We have someone here who **bolds** , underlines and CAPITALIZES numerous words in every sentence. It’s as if she doesn’t understand that by using those tools so often, she is actually detracting from the impact she is trying to make. And where’s the italics? It’s like bold, underline and capitals all make it seem important enough but the italics don’t. I always want to write back to her “When you **bold, underline and capitalize** EVERYTHING it just makes **you** look STUPID and **I** WISH you would **STOP!** ” Morons. All of them. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/8 "2003-06-17T21:52:32Z")
A colleague once received the following message in response to an advertisement for an EDITORIAL job: > [@](#): > > hi, > i’ve just seen ur job posting, so if you guys still hiring ppl then pls let me know…as i’m really interested in the position… let me know if u r still hiring so i’d drop my resume to u. Oh yes, your editorial and communication skills are so fantastic that I’m going to go along with your making me ASK you to send me your resume, instead of just including it with the original e-mail . . . I can’t decide if I’d want to see that resume or not. Would I laugh or cry? ---
**Author:** ![siberia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/siberia/32/9129_2.png) [@siberia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siberia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/9 "2003-06-17T21:54:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zette \* > \*\*Exclamation points in a business e-mail? > > YIKES!!! > > My favorite is the … people. > > I wanted…to show…Mary how …to do…the backup…but… > she was busy… \*\* Argh!!! ::::hanging head in shame:::: I am a(n) … person. If I don’t use the … then I will have to resort to the , . Then I will turn in to a , person. _sign_ There’s no pleasin’ some people. LOL:) 🙂 While I am a(n) … person the excessive use of punctuation, smilies, etc. were used in jest. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/10 "2003-06-17T21:56:37Z")
## This guy is the vice president for sales and he writes worse than a teenager. I feel like replying: quote: ## Dave! Big surprise! Please ship on time! Do not delay!!! See you the 18th!!! Do it **sailor**!!! Do it!!! At least he doesn’t put everything in quotation marks. We’ll be ‘shipping’ those ‘packages’ on ‘monday’. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/11 "2003-06-17T22:13:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \* > \*\*…I have been known to respond with: > > Dear Sir or Madam, > > Your recent e-mail message (quoted below) appears to have been mistranslated from it’s original language. English is the only language spoken here, and as such we are unable to discern the intended content. Please make another attempt at translation. We look forward to your business. \*\* You’re tough Fuji. As much as I might like to do that, it would get me in trouble. In answer to the OP: It really does make one wonder. Are these folks that excitable? They must be absolutely thrilled to say something like, “See you tomorrow!!!”, or whatever. UPS just delivered the package!!! Wow!!! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/12 "2003-06-17T22:19:19Z")
“And all those exclamation marks, you notice? Five? A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head.” –Terry Pratchett, _Maskerade_ ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/13 "2003-06-17T22:22:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by siberia \* > \*\*Argh!!! ::::hanging head in shame:::: > > I am a(n) … person. If I don’t use the … then I will have to resort to the , . Then I will turn in to a , person. > > _sign_ There’s no pleasin’ some people. LOL:) 🙂 > > While I am a(n) … person the excessive use of punctuation, smilies, etc. were used in jest. \*\* I’m not even being a smart ass, but WHY? Why do you do that? There is no need for the …, it’s actual written communication. We can imagine while reading your e-mail or posts where you would be pausing in conversation. There is no need for elipses to indicate it. On behalf of people who get e-mails from you that are typed full of …'s, STOP IT. Please. It’s harder to read then leetspeek for me. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/14 "2003-06-17T22:29:19Z")
For the record, my wife agrees with you **sailor**. And I admit I do treat “professional” correspondence differently from, say, a SDMB post. Wait until you start getting business e-mails with “lol” in them. Or other leetspeek. You know it’s only a matter of time. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/15 "2003-06-17T22:34:28Z")
I blame Pokémon. > [@](#): > > Camper Barry wants to battle! > Camper Barry sent out RAICHU! > GO! SNEASEL! And so on. I know its supposed to be a battle and exciting, but still. Fight the power **sailor**! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/16 "2003-06-17T22:51:00Z")
I use exclamation points a lot, i was influenced by the Fantastic Four who had many issues where almost every sentance ended in one! ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/17 "2003-06-18T00:22:35Z")
There _is_ a “guy” in my “office” who is an **excessive** emphasizer! “Unfortunately,” **he** is responsible for “sending” me information to be “posted” on a _website_! His “worst” offense is overuse of quotation marks! I deal with him by taking everything he sends me and stripping out every single bold, underline, and italic code and removing all exclamation points and quotation marks. So far he hasn’t complained that his prose has been cleaned up for human consumption. The funny thing is that I only need to read about three sentences into a document to know that “he” wrote it. 🙂 ---
**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:** [June 18, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/18 "2003-06-18T01:00:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \* > \*\*As much as I try not to be a spelling and grammar nitpicker, when I receive e-mails which resemble your example in that they are complete nonsense, I have been known to respond with: > > Dear Sir or Madam, > > Your recent e-mail message (quoted below) appears to have been mistranslated from it’s original language. English is the only language spoken here, and as such we are unable to discern the intended content. Please make another attempt at translation. We look forward to your business. \*\* Heh heh. I like it. But it’d be even better if you’d lose the apostrophe. ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/19 "2003-06-18T01:14:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fuji Kitakyusho \* > **Your recent e-mail message (quoted below) appears to have been mistranslated from it’s original language.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Forbin \* > \*\*You’re tough Fuji. > \*\* He may be tough, but he still managed to misspell its. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Petter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@Petter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petter)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547/20 "2003-06-18T01:15:14Z")
Damn you, **Thudlow Boink**!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-exclamation-marks/182547.md?page=2)