The Interrobang (‽)
One punctuation mark with two emotions…
For over ten years, I’ve been hooked on a punctuation mark that captures life’s wildest “You did WHAT‽” moments.
The interrobang (‽), a fusion of question and exclamation, bursts with shock, awe, and delight in texts. It’s often my go-to for messages, emails, and beyond. Here’s why this quirky symbol still lights up my words.
A Stroke of Madcap Genius
In 1962, ad man Martin K. Speckter, tired of the clunky “?!” in his punchy ad copy, created the interrobang. It delivers the jolt of “Are you serious‽” in one sleek glyph.
Its name, blending interrogative (question) and bang (printers’ slang for exclamation point), is a trivia not to be dropped at parties. Born from frustration, it’s a punctuation with swagger, perfect for rhetorics, moments too big for a single mark.
A Digital Companion
In our smartphone age, the interrobang is one of my instant-expression tools.
Weeks ago, a friend texted they’d joined a rare art commune, and one tap summed up my disbelief. Also, years ago, it saved a heated email exchange, turning “You forgot the deadline‽” into a playful nudge that eased tension.
From WhatsApp rants to Slack threads, it transforms “You got promoted‽” “Congratulations‽” into a mini-celebration (sometimes with a hint of honest surprise…). It’s not just a mark, it’s personality in a keystroke!
Online Spotlight
Rare in books (excluded from the standard keyboards as a non-standard punctuation mark‽), the interrobang quietly thrives online, often as a favourite amongst typography nerds across platforms. It punctuates posts like “You scored THAT deal‽” and chats like “She said WHAT at the meeting‽”
It’s ideal for bombshells like “You’re training for a unicycle marathon‽” Like a cult classic record, it’s quirky, bold, and sharpens language’s edge.
In an emoji-heavy world, it’s a minimalist’s mic-drop.
A Punctuation Philosophy
A decade(+) later, the interrobang is more than punctuation — it’s a mindset.
It blends curiosity with conviction, defying blandness. Each tap carries a thrill, whispering, “Feel this. Ask it louder.”
When the world is full of dull texts and auto-replies, it paints language with vibrancy, urging us to stay curious, bold, and open to surprises. It’s a tiny rebellion against the ordinary.
Here’s to the interrobang,
gloriously unnecessary, fiercely expressive, and timeless.
Find it (Unicode U+203D or just copy-paste ‽) and try it out!
Want to learn more‽
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrobang
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/punctuation-capitalization/say-what-meet-the-interrobang/
https://creativepro.com/the-interrobang-is-60/