I have posted the following limerick on OEDILF:

The arteries carry the blood;
Without them our bodies would flood.
They're elasticized...sorta;
The chief's the aorta.
If it ruptures, that's all for you, Bud!

Now, the reason for the ellipsis in L3 is because in some people arteries aren't as elasticized because of cardiac disease (i.e., "hardened" arteries). One of the workshoppers insists that an ellipsis in the middle of a sentence can only mean that words have been removed from that sentence. Note, for example, in this site how it says, "The ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in the flow of a sentence and is especially useful in quoted speech." Their example for the former description is: "Juan thought and thought...and then thought some more."

What do you think? Can I use an ellipsis there to indicate a pause? Or, do I need to change it to a dash (which is what I finally did out of frustration)?

Can I use an ellipsis there to indicate a pause?

You can do whatever you want, but some people will argue that you're wrong not matter what. Have you consider replacing it with an em-dash? Also, are the three dots called an ellipsis or ellipses? But seriously, one of the uses (the main one) of an ellipsis is to indicate the omission of words, but another (yours) is to indicate a pause. Go for it, K.!

I bowed to one OEDILF workshopper's desires and used an em dash, even though I don't like it as much. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, an ellipsis may serve the same purpose as the em dash when indicating sudden breaks.

The citation for my use of the ellipsis in the Chicago Manual of Style (15th Ed.) is in point
11.45, under faltering and interrupted speech. However, they also suggested as an alternative the use of em dashes.

I just happen to like ellipses. Everyone has his/her own style when writing, and that is hard to maintain with the workshopping that takes place on OEDILF. What really happens is the squeaky wheel wins out. I often just get tired of arguing with someone who insists his or her way is correct, so I give in. Considering my strong stands here, that's hard to fathom, isn't it?

Good question about whether one period is an ellipsis or not!

I'm with you on this one.
And you may quote me on that.

And you may quote me on that.

Oh, I will. You're a high honcho over there, while I am a little peon.

I regard dashes and ellipses are complementary. A dash shows a suddenly interrupted thought, an ellipsis a trailing off. In dialogue I use a dash when one person is cut off by another. As I try to write realistic dialogue in my stories, I use both a great deal.

As I try to write realistic dialogue in my stories, I use both a great deal.

Yes, I do too. In that limerick, for example, I had written it as I would talk about it. Most people have elasticized arteries, but then in thinking about it, some don't. Now, to be honest, I was restricted by the need to rhyme "aorta" with "sorta." Yet, to me, the ellipsis indicated a trailing off of thought. I can live with an em dash, too, because it is an interrupted thought. I just liked the ellipsis better in that limerick.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

I bowed to one OEDILF workshopper's desires and used an em dash, even though I don't like it as much.

I gave you leave to do as you wish ...

I gave you leave to do as you wish ...

Yeah, I know. However, they have a real hierarchy over there, and you and I, jheem, don't count for much!

I love ellipses . . . and I use them often . . . because they can make my chat seem more like spoken language! I also use an abundance of exclamation points! They're so perky! I say piffle on the rules!

Of course for poetry you might want to be more formal . . . but I totally understood the pause in your phrase, Kalleh.

As I understand it, M dashes should ideally be paranthetical whereas elipses don't need to be. However, for the Limerick cited I would suggest that the aside "sorta", is so separate from the main sense and flow of the Limerick that it could well be truly parenthetical (in other words, in brackets).

You're right, Richard. It could have been done your way, too. That means, all 3 ways (em dashes, ellipses, and parentheses) would be acceptable, and in the style manual that I use (Chicago's), all 3 ways are supported. Individual style in writing should be embraced as it adds to the multiple ways of saying something. Wouldn't reading be boring if everything written was rote and legislated? Forget all the classics!