As most of you know, the exclamation point was born in the late 1800s in the small English town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. According to the legend I am fabricating, the wisest woman in town was Eunice Exclam, who was very hard of hearing and yelled when she spoke.
On matters great and small, the townsfolk would seek Exclam's advice, which she would deliver at great volume from her front porch. Her statements came to be known as "Exclam's point."
Over the decades, the term evolved into what we now call the exclamation point, a symbol that represents Eunice, who was very skinny and always stood on a ball (!).
(There are conflicting theories that the exclamation point surfaced in the 14th century and was initially known as "punctus admirativus," but that sounds boring.)
Seriously, I think he makes a good point about exclamation points, but then definitely I am a "pointer."
Of course, we don't call them "points" in the UK; they are "exclamation marks". Which, I suppose, would indicate (were it not already obvious) a US origin for this tall tale.
Richard English
Posts: 8038 | Location: Partridge Green, West Sussex, UK
Ah yes, but we get our version because she also carried a stick and when people didn't understand her rapped them sharply on the forehead with it. the resulting reddening being an exclamation mark.
I'd have thought that was obvious.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
I was thinking that reporter would be great here on Wordcraft, coming up with fake definitions and fake etymologies! I just loved his creativity.
I call them "exclamation marks," too, but I called them "points" in this post because I thought I was wrong. The British just use "mark?" Americans, do any of you use "mark?"
