Bistro Bijou

[Angeline]

Thanks for this. It sent me back to my copy of The Chicago Manual of Style (13th Ed., which is somewhat out of date) to review the details on the use of ellipses.

I've been using them with no spaces, which is apparently incorrect, so thanks for that. But it seems that you are supposed to lead and trail with a space as well ("[t]hey are usually separated from each other and from the text and any contiguous punctuation by 3-to-em spaces"). So that means your first example should appear as: Annie, I would simply love . . . to read your poems this afternoon.

Where the omitted text falls between sentences, "the first dot is the period—that is, there is no space between it and the preceding word." So the second example should look like this: Write a sestina? Oh, gods. . . . The same rule applies if the omitted text follows a different punctuation mark, e.g.: Write a sestina? Oh, gods! . . .

I think.

All of this is at least somewhat a matter of personal style, or of the style guidelines of whatever publication the work appears in.

I used to use the 13th Edition of the Chicago Manual all the time. Then I got the 14th when it came out, but I don't remember ever reading that the first ellipsis point is considered the period. I always thought it was the last one. Lol. I also used the APA Style Manual and the U.S. Govt Printing Office Style Manual and the New York Times Style Sheet. Sigh. I'm sure it was the last dot in one of those.

I worked with this wonderful old woman who was my editor mentor. She had been educated at one of the "Seven Sisters" schools and was oh so proper and precise. (She was also a Quaker and suitably long-suffering.) Sometimes I'd ask her about some nutty esoteric point of style and she'd look over her half-glasses at me and say "Well dear it depends on what you had for breakfast this morning." In other words, it's absolutely precise except for when it's totally arbitrary.

(Personally I like most style manuals except for Fowler who I think is a boring old fart!)

 

[Homburg]

I'm so lost...




( )

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Well I only asked I didn't even know that several periods together had a different name! Whose daft idea was that then? Probably the same plonker who thought out the plan for the keyboard a male too. If it was a woman she wouldn't have put the keys at random all over the place, I wrote a poem about it once I must dig it out.
Thanks Eve. . . so many of us on here so many stories behind the names and we only get glimpses of what made us what we are and how our pasts shaped us.

 

[RhymeFairy]

Wandering in off the grey, gritty street.
Shaking off the cold ... takes a seat,
waiting to hear specials for today ~~

 

[Homburg]

(Personally I like most style manuals except for Fowler who I think is a boring old fart!)

I'm trying to concieve of a world in which a style manual is an interesting read chock full of danger and high excitement.

"Her fingers crept steathily to the keys. Unsuspecting, quiet, suddenly to strike!"

 

[Angeline]

I'm trying to concieve of a world in which a style manual is an interesting read chock full of danger and high excitement.

"Her fingers crept steathily to the keys. Unsuspecting, quiet, suddenly to strike!"

When I worked as an editor for a large corporation (which you all know well), we had a little library of style and grammar books, atlases, fact books. specialty dictionaries--all sorts of resources to check the accuracy of obscure grammatical usages and half-forgotten factoids. They paid me well to do this. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven: making all this money to ensure that a semi-colon was used the right way or that it was Black Codes and not black codes or Black codes.

Anyway I can tell you that Fowler's Modern Usage was always the last book anyone wanted to check in because he's so boring and droney. Fowler could take a simple piece of information and obfuscate it into the most mind-numbing grammatical lint you can imagine. Not a popular guy with me and my co-workers, was Fowler.

This book, on the other hand, everyone loved~

http://images.bestwebbuys.com/muze/books/23/9780139642623.jpg

cause Words Into Type is clear and to the point on some very sticky stylistic issues. That and Elements of Style are the two best books of their kind around, I think.

Yessss, I'm one hot mama! I can discuss grammar and style books tills the cows come home!

 

[Homburg]

Yessss, I'm one hot mama! I can discuss grammar and style books tills the cows come home!

I am certainly a little bit excited. I would ask if that sentence was sufficiently grammatically correct, but goodness knows that I have a casual and tawdry relationship with grammar at best.

 

[Angeline]

I am certainly a little bit excited. I would ask if that sentence was sufficiently grammatically correct, but goodness knows that I have a casual and tawdry relationship with grammar at best.

You're too kind.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Did you say Atlases? I love maps of any kind bung me in a room with maps and I am happy for hours. Who said women can't navigate lol?

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Thanks for this. It sent me back to my copy of The Chicago Manual of Style (13th Ed., which is somewhat out of date) to review the details on the use of ellipses.


All of this is at least somewhat a matter of personal style, or of the style guidelines of whatever publication the work appears in.

A bottle of Gewurtztraminer, some almonds and Havarti for the distinguished gentleman in the corner.

And another classic pairing.

Is that Colette he's reading? shocking! I must go talk to him...

Wandering in off the grey, gritty street.
Shaking off the cold ... takes a seat,
waiting to hear specials for today ~~

a sincere if apologetically belated welcome to you, eldritch one! On the other hand, you REALLY wouldn't want to meet me that early in the day...

A few specials. There may be more later - depends on what people are in the mood for.

There will definitely be candy.

And really fancy candy.

and some bad but delicious candy.


and perhaps some classic candy.

Yessss, I'm one hot mama! I can discuss grammar and style books tills the cows come home!

*shiver* stop. You know what that does to me. mmm. chicks who like to talk grammar and punctuation . . . mmm . . .

I am certainly a little bit excited. I would ask if that sentence was sufficiently grammatically correct, but goodness knows that I have a casual and tawdry relationship with grammar at best.

I have a casual and tawdry relationship with a number of things as well. I find they're often the most rewarding sort of relationships.

Did you say Atlases? I love maps of any kind bung me in a room with maps and I am happy for hours. Who said women can't navigate lol?

yup. *nods* know where you're coming from. I like the exotic names on maps. More than once I've been tempted to write some sort of found poem with weird place names.

welcome. How's everyone doing on Commercial Hallmark Love and Capitalism Day?

bj

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Doing more than ok really my dratted sister finally sent me my cheque for my third of the inheritance so that's sitting snuggly now/ himself bought me a dozen red roses and then went out tonight without me! It's ok though he went to play boys own games with the Freemasons and left me to my own devices which I enjoy

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I'm soooooooooo hungry I could eat anything

 

[unpredictablebijou]

I'm soooooooooo hungry I could eat anything

Well get started on this and I'll see what else I can dig up for you.

bj

eta: here ya go. Tuck in. It's Johnny Depp for dessert tonight, so save room.

 

[champagne1982]

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/wp-content/2006/09/johnny_depp_01.jpg

Johnny Depp IS CANDY​

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Bijou's Official valentine's day gifties to all the poets of Lit and the PF&D:

You need some chocolate

or for those who avoid it, here's regular candy.

How bout some really suggestive flowers.

A really fancy dinner. You deserve it, honey.

And I've rented a really romantic movie.

Happy Valentine's Day, all you lights of my life. You're the only ones for me.

*hopin' to get lucky*

bj

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Johnny Depp IS CANDY

Well I'd certainly eat him.

bj

 

[champagne1982]

Did you hear? Jane Fonda said CUNT on TV!

 

[Unbridled_Passion]

Hello Johnny Depp! But, I still think the Rock is the sexiest!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Could I possibly have Orlando Bloom instead especially when he had blonde hair in Lord of the Rings? I have never fancied blonde men much before that but ohhhhhhhh slurpppppp.
Bijou might sweet girl I need to lose weight or it will be overflowing bosom time when I try to get into my bikini (here' s hoping that brings Homb and LeBroz back on form!)

 

[LeBroz]

Did you hear? Jane Fonda said CUNT on TV!

See it here. For those on dial-up, it'll take awhile as TMZ loads its own player and then when the video starts playing the buffering kills it. Hint: hit pause for a couple minutes, then hit play; the viewing is better that way.

.
.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Here's how I like to think of Jane Fonda.


mmm. space grrrlz.


I am being forced to do my job today. Wacky, huh? But since I've been thinking about videos like "Business Time" that we play constantly in the shop, here's another favorite that I can post quickly since I have it bookmarked.

Legal statement:
The poster is in no way responsible for any damage to sinus cavities, computer equipment, walls, furniture, household equipment, pets or significant others resulting from food or liquid spewage.

link

bj

 

[Shankara20]

link

bj

wonderful.....

 

[Homburg]

link

bj

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Ruefully wipes coffee from out of computer keyboard

 

[champagne1982]

Legal statement:
The poster is in no way responsible for any damage to sinus cavities, computer equipment, walls, furniture, household equipment, pets or significant others resulting from food or liquid spewage.

bj

I am so glad this litigation prevention disclaimer has found it's way into our daily kibbitzing. A lesson well learned.

and LOL @ the JC vid. (I'd seen it before but I still giggle).