The colon:
The colon likes to explain things. The colon likes to demonstrate ideas. The colon likes to list things. Good job, colon!
Aside from its function, they are two dots–one atop the other. Not touching. Keeping their distance from one another. Maybe the two dots talk to each other. It’s like one dot is explaining to the other dot what the following list is about.
How the dots in the colon behave:
√Ø√ùLikes to introduce a list. One dot says to the other, “let me share this list with you.”
ïÝEnjoys connecting ideas: A broad idea followed by a specific idea
ïÝExists in all time: 2:19pm. One of the dots is constantly asking the other what time it is.
√Ø√ùBible verses use em: From Galatians 6:6, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.” Yes, the dots share verses with each other all the time.
√Ø√ùUsed in ratios and proportions. Mix the oil and vinegar in a 2:1 ratio. Here the two dots are demonstrating together how to mix something. One dot says, “Hey, I’ll show you how much to use of the big number.” And the other says, “I’ll show you how much to use of the little number.”
√Ø√ùIntroduces a quote if it follows a complete sentence: “See what I mean! I am the dot and I am showing you how to follow a complete sentence. Do you understand this, my fellow dot?”
it does connect ideas, but it also separates them. it says “these two things are related, but they’re not the same.” in europe, time is often expressed with a dot instead of a colon: 2.19 pm actually they are on the 24-hour clock over there: 14.19
I think you have really managed to get inside the mind of the colon. At first I thought it was about the colon that aids in digestion but you managed to clear that up…Bravo!
is the origin of the dots in telephone numbers related to the european time? Personally, I’m a solid fan of having just dashes in the phone number. Putting periods in there seems too pretentious.
i like periods in phone numbers, its a nice change.
perhaps they are viewing the periods as a form of decimal points. 14 full hours and 19 minutes [partial increments of a full hour”> equals 14.19. it’s not technically metric, but it might be a similar function.
i too like the periods in the phone numbers. and in the time.
I guess I associate it with the mid-90s interning at Media Options.
(i’m associating dots in phone numbers with that internship)