No Punctuation Is Funnier
Oh hey what's this trope over here
For some reason, a statement can become a bit funnier if there isn't any punctuation at the end. Compare the following:
- "Oh my god, that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"
- "Oh my god that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen"
Whereas the first one is grammatically correct, with punctuation in all the right places, the second has no punctuation, barring apostrophes. The reason the one without punctuation could possibly be funnier to you is that punctuation implies inflection. Without punctuation, the statement gives off the feeling that it was said in an emotionally blank voice, akin to the Flat What. Alternately, it might come across as breathless, as if the speaker was so excited their comments came out too quickly for punctuation. And, in particular, without the pauses denoted by commas.[1]
The phenomenon is common on the internet, where people seem to often forget that a keyboard has keys for periods and commas. In that respect, people might also associate punctuation-bereft sentences with those inexperienced with computers, adding another possible source for amusement. It's also used to suggest a silly point of view in an enthusiastic-but-not-too-bright manner, often with all-caps (another sign of being unfamiliar with computers): HEY YOU GUYS THIS IS THE BEST PAGE ON THE WIKI
Compare Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma and The No Punctuation Period, where the poor grammar is a source of annoyance rather than amusement. Contrast Nothing Is Scarier, where the lack of something invokes fear rather than humour.
- This newsreader learned an important lesson about vetting his Autocue script for proper grammar before making a live broadcast.
- Ubiquitous in Tumblr posts.
- what is this i don't even
- i'm 12 and what is this
- how is babby formed
- BOTH GOD AND THE DEVIL IN Dinosaur Comics ALWAYS SPEAK IN BOLD ALL-CAPS WITH NO PUNCTUATION
- Hark a Vagrant
- Hiimdaisy often uses this.
- Pictures for Sad Children
- Feel Afraid comics.
- Muse magazine once printed a fan letter that started out with her complaining that they never print any of her letters. Then she wrote that she loved the mag and requested a couple of article subjects, all without any punctuation or even spaces. The editors gave a reply that had punctuation but no letters.
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- ↑ It can also be humorously misinterpreted: "Oh, my god that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen" - "Your god is the most amazing thing you've ever seen?"