I was talking to an old school friend the other day, about the grammar post I wrote about previously. Mainly about the fact I’ve gone from being a care free, hit and miss, generally anti type grammar girl: to being absolutely paranoid about everything I write or type. Even that is open to debate, is writing, writing?, or is it typing? or as Lynne Truss later relates: is it merely sending.
My friend, in her wisdom, attempted to lighten my obvious nervous disposition with a book recommendation.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Offers a humorous and historical background into the punctuation practises or craft. I admit to not being very savvy when it comes to punctuation; when it surpasses full stops and commas not to mention my comfort zone. I also suffer from over indulgence of the exclamation mark, not unlike Virginia Woolf to her semi colons.
In the first chapter Lynne Truss suggests that if you are not a ‘Stickler’ for punctuation, you might as well close the book now: but, knowing that the majority of us are interested in this historical practice, even if not fluent or fundamental in its usage. We will carry on even just for the comedic value. Which, if you ask me. Is worth it.
Although it has educated me in the correct usage of certain punctuational aspects. I think it will be a lifetime, before I execute them correctly: or even feel confident that my intentioned meaning comes naturally across with their guidance.
Some favourite snippets from the book.
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop.
(If punctuation wasn’t used)
Well, if punctuation is the stitching of language, language comes apart, obviously, and all of the buttons fall off. If punctuation provides traffic signals, words bang into each other and everyone ends up in Minehead.
“For every apostrophe omitted from an it’s, there is an extra one put into an its.” Thus the number of apostrophes in circulation remains constant.
. Next time she’s wearing the cone of shame. We haven’t been out for it feels like 2 weeks now. I couldn’t work her while she was doped up on vet meds, So this afternoon we are going to take her out for a short walk and hopefully she wont go mad and rub the scabs of on the grass!. 
pics to come. I’m waiting on a handmade bag from Roxanne in South Africa and I’m going to put the badges from Lizz on their – can’t wait!!. [i'm a dinosaur girl and proud]
