I wanted to put to bed the issue of the semicolon. This distinguished piece of punctuation, which resides squarely under your right pinky, is more than willing to jump into your writing. Why does the very thought of its proper use make many people break into a cold sweat? I feel the need to address this issue because I often tuck the semicolon into my writing and occasionally get flack from people who tell me that I’m using it the wrong way; yet they are often unable to describe it’s proper use themselves. Usually incapable of providing an articulate answer myself however, I’m often left stripped of my merit as a legitimate purveyor of the English language (or at least English Semicolons). It may seem like an ambiguous cross between a colon and a comma and many harbor resentment that it gets prime real estate on the standard keyboard.

Rather than unfolding all the rules here, I encourage you to review this cool infographic; which does a beautiful job of putting the semicolon’s use in terms we can all understand. Let’s stop ostracizing this poor punk-tuation; it’s own subculture has developed because of its mystery, intrigue and neglect. Take the time to learn about it; it’s not just for winking any more. ; )