Interesting trend in comics (OOTS, etc.)

[Land Outcast]

Dunno, was like, ya know... that like they say its THAT... but I say like no way an' they're all like "no"... an' then like, I felt like slappin' the toaster ... ... ... with like a glass walrus after feelin' my neck go like THAT

 

[Nyaricus]

I don't know what you guys are [like] smoking...but Iron Porpoise is [like] totally a band name.

-Iron Porpoise-

(Formerly known as The Harbor Cetacean Experience, Featuring Craig)

Brilliant.

(fixed the image for you, BTW. You have the "[ i ] " before the "[ img ]" tag; switch the two)

 

[Galethorn]

That was an oversight on my part...lazy scripting. I should really know better, having done HTML and all.

 

[the Jester]

[typed elipses should have a space between each period and between the preceding and following words]

I did not realize this.

[do not capitalize the word following a colon, unless some other rule requires the capitalization]

Wow, I have had that rule wrong for... as long as I can recall.

And I am a fellow who got a 5 on the English AP exam. Either I have been out of school too long, or I mis-learned several things in my youth.

 

[Pielorinho]

And I am a fellow who got a 5 on the English AP exam.

No worries. I worked through college as a writing tutor, and when the going was slow, I read grammar books to pass the time. At least some of it stuck!

In any case, I do think that attempts to freeze language in its current state (or, rather, in its state fifty or a hundred years ago) are curious but doomed. Use of conventions in writing is helpful, and a Lingua Franca for the spoken word is similarly necessary, but beyond these two areas, the proliferation of new linguistic forms is something to be excited by, not something to disparage.

I recommend that folks who are interested in language pick up one of Steven Pinker's magnificent books, such as The Language Instinct. They're downright revelatory.

Daniel

 

[green slime]

Nevermind.