Comments on: The mighty mighty em dash http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/ Ramblings, reflections, and occasional deep thoughts stumbled onto purely by chance. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:41:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jenn http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-18665 Jenn Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:52:24 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-18665 I can't get the em dash to appear when I use the keyboard combination on my laptop. It's driving me nuts! I blog using Blogger, and I know I can copy and paste using my character map, but that's really a pain in the rear. Is there any reason you know of that might be causing it not to work? I am following the keystroke instructions EXACTLY when I am writing my blog in draft mode, but absolutely nothing appears when I use the key combination. Could it be my browser? I'm using Firefox. Anyone have any thoughts? I know I could theoretically copy and paste the entire blog from Word, but I don't have Word licensed on my laptop, which is what I use for blogging. Suggestions? Thanks! I want to stop doing the stupid "--" that I've been using so far in place of the em dash! Thanks, Jenn -Jenn I can’t get the em dash to appear when I use the keyboard combination on my laptop. It’s driving me nuts! I blog using Blogger, and I know I can copy and paste using my character map, but that’s really a pain in the rear. Is there any reason you know of that might be causing it not to work? I am following the keystroke instructions EXACTLY when I am writing my blog in draft mode, but absolutely nothing appears when I use the key combination.

Could it be my browser? I’m using Firefox. Anyone have any thoughts?

I know I could theoretically copy and paste the entire blog from Word, but I don’t have Word licensed on my laptop, which is what I use for blogging. Suggestions? Thanks! I want to stop doing the stupid “–” that I’ve been using so far in place of the em dash!

Thanks, Jenn
-Jenn

]]> By: Marti http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-11718 Marti Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:00:05 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-11718 My mom recently sent me a shirt that displays, "I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned you." Anyone who would write a thousand-word post (yes, that's a hyphen) on the merits of the em-dash deserves similar attire. I told our critique group the other day that I was a reformed comma addict. I will confess that this holds true for the em-dash as well. Its (not it's, ) most appropriate use is—despite what general use might reveal—to mark interruptions of thought. And yes, I used it intentionally in the previous sentence. BTW, if you can't deal with the Alt + stuff (I couldn't make it work), you can always cut and paste from Word. Works for me. My mom recently sent me a shirt that displays, “I am the grammarian about whom your mother warned you.”
Anyone who would write a thousand-word post (yes, that’s a hyphen) on the merits of the em-dash deserves similar attire.

I told our critique group the other day that I was a reformed comma addict. I will confess that this holds true for the em-dash as well. Its (not it’s, ) most appropriate use is—despite what general use might reveal—to mark interruptions of thought. And yes, I used it intentionally in the previous sentence.

BTW, if you can’t deal with the Alt + stuff (I couldn’t make it work), you can always cut and paste from Word. Works for me.

]]> By: Sarah http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-10608 Sarah Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:47:07 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-10608 THANK YOU so much for this information!! I can not tell you how helpful this knowledge is. The codes are especially key to implementing these rules day to day. THANK YOU so much for this information!!
I can not tell you how helpful this knowledge is. The codes are especially key to implementing these rules day to day.

]]> By: Accidental Thinker » Blog Archive » National Punctuation Day http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-9481 Accidental Thinker » Blog Archive » National Punctuation Day Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:05:07 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-9481 [...] Punctuation Day. In honor of this special occasion, please join me in once again celebrating the merits of the em dash. This classic punctuational post receives frequent Google hits from visitors desperate to learn [...] [...] Punctuation Day. In honor of this special occasion, please join me in once again celebrating the merits of the em dash. This classic punctuational post receives frequent Google hits from visitors desperate to learn [...]

]]> By: Accidental Thinker » Happy Blog-iversary to me! http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-2134 Accidental Thinker » Happy Blog-iversary to me! Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:28:03 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-2134 [...] The mighty mighty em dash (22 comments) [...] [...] The mighty mighty em dash (22 comments) [...]

]]> By: Monique http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-1462 Monique Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:10:40 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-1462 Mark is correct. I failed to apply my standard who/whom test. Yikes! I have corrected my error and all is right with the world. Mark is correct. I failed to apply my standard who/whom test. Yikes! I have corrected my error and all is right with the world.

]]> By: Mark http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-1458 Mark Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:06:50 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-1458 Monique, on October 25th, 2006, you wrote: “While that’s giving me more credit than I deserve (but go ahead and try to find a typo that hasn’t already been found and corrected by me, I double dog dare you—a prize might be involved for whoever finds one first), I AM a stickler for the rules.” Shouldn't that be “for whomever finds one first?” Kind of an ironic sentence in which to confuse nominative and objective case.... Anyway, do I get a prize? Monique,

on October 25th, 2006, you wrote:

“While that’s giving me more credit than I deserve (but go ahead and try to find a typo that hasn’t already been found and corrected by me, I double dog dare you—a prize might be involved for whoever finds one first), I AM a stickler for the rules.”

Shouldn’t that be “for whomever finds one first?” Kind of an ironic sentence in which to confuse nominative and objective case….

Anyway, do I get a prize?

]]> By: EF http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-1205 EF Mon, 20 Nov 2006 02:02:55 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-1205 I see my errors. Pardon me. That's what happens when one tries to cook and surf the Internet at the same time. I see my errors. Pardon me. That’s what happens when one tries to cook and surf the Internet at the same time.

]]> By: EF http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-1204 EF Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:31:50 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-1204 Thanks for the two keyboard shortcuts for the "en" and the "em" dashes. Back in the early '90's I had a list of several short cuts using the "Alt" key along with 4 digits but lost the folder containing them about 6 years ago. When I sat down today, some years later, I tried to create the "em" dash again but couldn't. I remembered the 0151 along with one of the keys (Shift, or Alt, or Ctl—couldn't remember which), but got stuck on the Ctl key for some reason) would bring up the "em" dash but was using the "Ctl" key instead of the "Alt" key and being doubtful of my memory regarding the 4-digits, when that combination didn't work, I gave up, assuming I had just forgotten, then decided to use Google to see if there may be a link to anyone or anywhere that I might find it. Lo and and behold, I found this site. ALT + 0151!!!! GREAT!!! Thank you! Using the two hyphens used to work on my word processor, but for some reason, it no longer does, and like the blogger here, I do not like to see two hyphens posing as an "em" dash! :-( I guess this just goes to show that it really doesn't take much to make this lady happy! Thanks for the two keyboard shortcuts for the “en” and the “em” dashes. Back in the early ’90′s I had a list of several short cuts using the “Alt” key along with 4 digits but lost the folder containing them about 6 years ago. When I sat down today, some years later, I tried to create the “em” dash again but couldn’t.

I remembered the 0151 along with one of the keys (Shift, or Alt, or Ctl—couldn’t remember which), but got stuck on the Ctl key for some reason) would bring up the “em” dash but was using the “Ctl” key instead of the “Alt” key and being doubtful of my memory regarding the 4-digits, when that combination didn’t work, I gave up, assuming I had just forgotten, then decided to use Google to see if there may be a link to anyone or anywhere that I might find it. Lo and and behold, I found this site. ALT + 0151!!!! GREAT!!!

Thank you! Using the two hyphens used to work on my word processor, but for some reason, it no longer does, and like the blogger here, I do not like to see two hyphens posing as an “em” dash! :-(

I guess this just goes to show that it really doesn’t take much to make this lady happy!

]]> By: Marisa http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/25/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/comment-page-1/#comment-1203 Marisa Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:55:57 +0000 http://accidentalthinker.com/2006/10/the-mighty-mighty-em-dash/#comment-1203 I'm buying you a pocket protector for Christmas! I’m buying you a pocket protector for Christmas!

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