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Semicolon Followup

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by Erin

Many thanks for all the kind words about the Semicolon Appreciation Society!

Here are some followup links, in case you just can't get enough semicolon in your online diet:

Some letters to the NYT about the original story [Thanks to RLE for the link]

Trevor Butterworth sent me a link his longer article in the Financial Times, back in 2005, in which he outlines a purported American bias against the semicolon. (I believe Americans use fewer semicolons per capita, but more as a nation, in a kind of reverse image of our carbon footprint ...)

The Semicolon's Dream Journal [exactly what it says on the box]

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Semicolon Appreciation Society

Friday, February 22, 2008 by Erin

After all the recent discussion of the semicolon (in the NYTimes and other places) I couldn't resist the urge to make Semicolon Appreciation Society T-Shirts. Because, really, if a thing is worth talking about, it's certainly worth wearing.

semicolon shirt

semicolon shirt

Here's the back (on the white/light shirts only, no back printing on dark shirts):

semicolon shirt

I also made some 3x5 stickers, so you can edit signs to add semicolons where they ought to be:

semicolon sticker

And, of course, a membership card:

semicolon appreciation society membership card

Although I'm not happy with the wording of it. Anyone want to suggest new wording that actually, you know, includes a semicolon?

I was thinking that the Semicolon Appreciation Society's bylaws should be like those of humorous WWII servicemen's associations, with riddles and having to forfeit the price of a drink if you can't write a sentence including a semicolon on demand. Suggestions for further bylaws entertained in the comments.

Thanks are due to Garth, who recklessly encouraged me, and India Amos, who suggested the completely wonderful Cooper Poster font as the one that included the platonic ideal of the semicolon form.

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Erin McKean really likes dictionaries.

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