Mumsnet Talk

Aaaaahhh.... it makes me... want to.... scream.... what... I wonder.... is... the actual point?

I have no idea why people do it, or what effect they are trying to achieve. Am I missing something or I'd it a blatant misuse of a full stop?
I understand the use when you occasionally want to lead the reader on, and make them wait, for example

"I've just seen..... a flying pig"

But what is the use at the end, and even in the middle of, a normal sentence.

<Ducks...>

Sorry, had to do that. On active conversations your post was next to a post full to the brim of '...' but the OP sounds like she's having a hard time.

Your post made me giggle, which felt inappropriate. I had to separate them.

Meh, I do it

it has never bothered me

Doesn't bother me,especially if the poster is having a hard time.

But what does it mean? I've had emails like this too. What do the dots represent?

I do it. I write like I speak, so the dots are where I'm pausing. Sometimes to continue a thought, sometimes for a tangent. Lots of reasons really.... Have to admit it made me laugh to think it annoys anyone so much.

I don't use them in formal writing, just in written speech iyswim?

There should, of course, only be three...

Although presumably, there should be four at the end of a sentence.

I clearly don't have enough to do: I've just looked up "ellipsis" on wikipedia.

I don't object at all used as part of a written "chat". It is a useful conversational aid.

So... you are basically... forcing... the reader... to take... a break?

I still think the full stop button on the keyboard is stuck.

Technically shouldn't they be in brackets?

I... use it for effect... in FB updates and responses to threads. It represents a pause or to allow the viewer to fill in the words that I may have implied but not completed.

For example, recent FB status - "When you find an inexplicable slug on your arm, while sitting on a sofa... that."

I write texts, fb posts and thread posts on internet forums, in a conversational style and pausing for effect etc. is part of that for me, but everyone has different writing styles. I would not use them in formal writing, essays, letters or even emails.

Everyone has their bug bear - I hate LOL, roftl etc.

Ah summer... put my point my succinctly... before I posted

I keep doing it, I have no idea why as it annoys me too!

I do it as a sort of tailing off thing.

I don't care if people don't like it

FACT!

tailing off is fine...it's when people use it...instead of a comma...or a full stop...that it's infuriating...

like that

aaaaaargh

My boss does this and I have started to pick up the habit myself. Have to go through every email I write before sending to remove unnecessary ellipses.

Sometimes people use ellipses to indicate that the issue is continuing (e.g. 'Let's talk tomorrow...'). Sometimes the intent seems to be menacing ('I'm going to be very angry if he does that again...'). Sometimes it seems to show a lack of confidence, like tailing off in the middle of a spoken sentence.

<ponders>

Oh yes, I absolutely agree, Ponders. I always associate that way of posting with d a f t p u n k too, as that was how she used to type.

<shudders>

But nothing wrong with trailing away ...

Oh I always do it.

Shoot me now.

Or not...

no you don't, ferret - that would be:

Oh I always do it... Shoot me now... Or not...

I use ..... all the time and it works well for me...seems sad that something so irrelevant could become an actual issue for a person...
Don't you have enough to think about...really?

Apart from that, who on earth would I think I was if I thought I had any right to comment on what others were writing and whether I thought their writing style should be commented on.....sad....just quite sad I think

I like ellipses and I'm going to use them ...and I didn't come here for teacher marks (right or wrong)when I write my posts either...left school loooonnnggg time ago...thanks

Well, whatthewhatthebleep - this is pedants' corner!