When Did Exclamation Points Become Ubiquitous?

RJM62

RJM62

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Geek on the Hill
I've always been under the impression that exclamation points were to be used when the content preceding them was, well, exclamatory in some way. Appending an exclamation point might invest the preceding content with joy, anger, urgency, excitement, tragedy, or any of numerous other shades of emphasis; but it always signified that the preceding content was outside the ordinary, routine, or mundane.

In the past few years, I've noticed more and more exclamation points appended to quite mundane content. It could be a greeting on a letter or email, a text message, a tweet on Twitter, or a title on a forum post. But they're all over.

I get a lot of letters and emails now from companies with which I do business that open with "Hi Richard!" First of all when did we become such close buddies that we're on a first-name basis? I buy groceries from you. That doesn't make us homeboys. Secondly, does your current sale on asparagus sprouts really qualify as such a monumental event that it warrants even a single exclamation point?

I got one a few weeks ago from a credit card issuer that went something like this: "Hi Richard! We have great News! Your credit limit has been increased effective immediately! Think of all the things you can do with all that credit!" And so on. Almost every sentence ended with an exclamation point.

I've also noticed a proliferation of multiple exclamation points, especially on Internet forums. For example, on a car forum, I may see something like, "I have a P0326 Code!!!"

Well, okay. Check your knock sensor. And yes, I can understand using a single exclamation point to convey frustration in that sort of case. But three of them? Come on. To me, three exclamation points mean something along the lines of a massive tidal wave approaching the East Coast (not the West Coast because that sort of thing is normal there), the launching of a nuclear weapon, or the Cubs winning the World Series. Not a knock sensor acting up.

In the case of electronic media, the excess use of exclamation points is also bad for the environment. How much carbon is spewed into the air from the electricity used to send all those exclamation points on their journeys through cyberspace? It's unconscionable! Those exclamation points, in most cases, serve absolutely no purpose. Their excess use is sheer waste, and it needs to stop.

I propose that the use of exclamation points be taxed. Everyone would be given a monthly ration of exclamation points, and once they are used, new ones would have to be purchased from an exclamation point exchange. Those who have excess exclamation points would be able to either roll them over for future use (hey, you never know when the need for a rant will arise), or sold to others.

Rich
 
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I get irritated with the person that sends out EVERY SINGLE EMAIL with the "exclamation point" indicating it's high priority/urgent/etc... So, I just said "eff it" and hid the column that displays whether it's low/normal/high priority. If it's *that* urgent, call.
 
I can tell you existed in the age of Gallagher, Lenny Bruce, Carlin, and several other observational satirists.
 
I think once you get to like three ! you have to then insert a few 1's in there as well.

You'll never guess what happened!!!!111!!!11!11!!
 
I just learned a new word today.

Well okay I didn't, I've just never seen it used before in normal conversation.
 
AggieMike88 said:
I can tell you existed in the age of Gallagher, Lenny Bruce, Carlin, and several other observational satirists.
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I did too, but I don't really give a hoot about this. Minor not even a nuisance, to me anyway. Rich why'd you change your avatar? :)
 
i think they became trendy right before the practice emerged to write sentences without any punctuation marks and all lower case now people are starting to type their names in all lower case i suppose this may be the result of texting it seems to have gotten to the point that some people don't even recognize the difference
 
write-stuff said:
i think they became trendy right before the practice emerged to write sentences without any punctuation marks and all lower case now people are starting to type their names in all lower case i suppose this may be the result of texting it seems to have gotten to the point that some people don't even recognize the difference
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and they speak that way too....
 
Oh crap... I'm that guy! I also use a lot of "..."s. Not saying I'll stop, but now I'll think about it every time I do it! I usually use one if I'm saying something that makes me smile.
 
I think much of it has to do with a general increase in the use of digital forms of communication. When typing out an email, you don't have the assistance from facial expressions or body language you normally would in a face-to-face conversation, or vocal inflections you could use over the phone. The use of an exclamation point in the greetings and bodies of electronic mailers is likely there to maintain a positive tone throughout your interaction with it.
 
its a failing of the public education system in the country... I'm trying to figure out how millennials are going to sign their mortgage papers when schools no loner teach cursive... Oh wait... I remember now, my refinance had all digital signatures... still not sure how the he!! that is legally binding... What do I know, I'm just a 1970s college grad. We didn't know shyt back then...
 
I like to use exclamation points, but I don't think I over do it. I use them when, if I was speaking with a person in real life, my voice would be exclamatory. I tend to be a high energy kind of person when I speak with people. In written form I'll usually lead in with a an exclamatory type of statement, and then revert back to good old fashioned periods (.).

I do commiserate with their overuse however. There is one individual whom I work with on a professional level. He finishes every single sentence with an exclamation point. It is quite annoying.
 
FlySince9 said:
its a failing of the public education system in the country... I'm trying to figure out how millennials are going to sign their mortgage papers when schools no loner teach cursive... Oh wait... I remember now, my refinance had all digital signatures... still not sure how the he!! that is legally binding... What do I know, I'm just a 1970s college grad. We didn't know shyt back then...
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Digital sigs have been legally binding for a very long time. There's services that specialize in them.

As far as the poor millennials... they can just put their "X" on the papers for 30 years of servitude. Their new overlords won't mind. :)
 
And the use of all caps to emphasize words that don't really need emphasizing. I think it was Tom-D who pointed out that most of the time someone does that or uses exclamation points when they're not needed, their point usually wasn't a strong one to begin with.
 
WHY??!!

I Have No Idea!!!!!!
 
Ya'll got it all wrong. The exclamation point became ubiquitous when we started importing low-cost exclamation points from suppliers in southern and eastern asia. There is quite a history about how cheap labor is exploited to produce these exclamation points at such a low cost.

What is unknown is why r's can't be produced as cheaply as !'s so people in the northeast could put them back in their words...
 
Clark1961 said:
Ya'll got it all wrong. The exclamation point became ubiquitous when we started importing low-cost exclamation points from suppliers in southern and eastern asia. There is quite a history about how cheap labor is exploited to produce these exclamation points at such a low cost.

What is unknown is why r's can't be produced as cheaply as !'s so people in the northeast could put them back in their words...
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I thought for a second there you were going to make fun of Asians pronouncing "r"'s. ;)
 
denverpilot said:
I thought for a second there you were going to make fun of Asians pronouncing "r"'s. ;)
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write-stuff said:
i think they became trendy right before the practice emerged to write sentences without any punctuation marks and all lower case now people are starting to type their names in all lower case i suppose this may be the result of texting it seems to have gotten to the point that some people don't even recognize the difference
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Frankly, you struck a nerve. That bothers me more than extra exclamation points or all caps. I can understand if somebody is very excited about something (imagine if you bought a new airplane). I can also understand if people are dumb and misspell words of can't type with proper grammar.
But being dumb AND lazy to use proper punctuation just grinds my gears, especially with the example you presented. If George Carlin were still alive, I could imagine how much fun he would have with those a-hats.
Because, let's face it, we can't fix stupid. But at least we can have a laugh at its expense. (please note that I spelled "its" properly, unlike 98% of the general populace - also please note that 76% of all statistical quotes are made up, 93% of which is on-the-fly) :D
 
BigBadLou said:
Frankly, you struck a nerve. That bothers me more than extra exclamation points or all caps. I can understand if somebody is very excited about something (imagine if you bought a new airplane). I can also understand if people are dumb and misspell words of can't type with proper grammar.
But being dumb AND lazy to use proper punctuation just grinds my gears, especially with the example you presented. If George Carlin were still alive, I could imagine how much fun he would have with those a-hats.
Because, let's face it, we can't fix stupid. But at least we can have a laugh at its expense. (please note that I spelled "its" properly, unlike 98% of the general populace - also please note that 76% of all statistical quotes are made up, 93% of which is on-the-fly) :D
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You're so much better than anyone around you. How can you even stand to be in a room with anyone else?
 
When did exclamation points become ubiquitous?

Sh!!t, I don't know.

Oh, wait, I think it was when online forums started using f*ck!ing vulgarity filters.

And to make things worse, if you insert one exclamation point into sh!!t, the vulgarity filter still asterisks it out. It takes two for the word to show. So the only logical conclusion can be that the mods are to blame!!!
 
timwinters said:
And to make things worse, if you insert one exclamation point into sh!!t, the vulgarity filter still asterisks it out. It takes two for the word to show. So the only logical conclusion can be that the mods are to blame!!!
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That's because the vulgarity filter is set up a certain way. But if you want to type the word shit there are ways to do it.
 
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