Punctuation-happy

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lenart_artur@poczta.fm - 22 Nov 2005 20:36 GMT

What does a speaker mean when he describes s.o./sth. as
"PUNCTUATION-HAPPY?" No dictionary for language learners provides a
definition.
Thanks for your kind explanation. Artur

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Einde O'Callaghan - 22 Nov 2005 21:42 GMT

> What does a speaker mean when he describes s.o./sth. as
> "PUNCTUATION-HAPPY?" No dictionary for language learners provides a
> definition.
> Thanks for your kind explanation. Artur

You'll need to post some context.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

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lenart_artur@poczta.fm - 23 Nov 2005 20:05 GMT

Thanks Einde for showing interest in my post. The context is as
follows:

When C. Zeta-Jones and M. Douglas married in 2000, they sold the
exclusive rights to photograph the affair to British magazine OK! for
$1.6 million. OK! rival, the equally PUNCTUATION-HAPPY Hello!, decided
to run pictures anyway and hit newsstands three days before OK!. Now
the couple are suing Hello!.

What does "PUNCTUATION-HAPPY" mean in the above context? Thanks for any
comments. Artur

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Einde O'Callaghan - 23 Nov 2005 20:28 GMT

> Thanks Einde for showing interest in my post. The context is as
> follows:
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> What does "PUNCTUATION-HAPPY" mean in the above context? Thanks for any
> comments. Artur

I think it's a rather dismissive reference to the fact that the title of
both magazines containse an exclamation mark. Never having read either
magazine I can't say much about the style of the magazines, but from
what I've heard they tend to have a prose style full of superlatives
punctuated by exclamation marks.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

P.S. I believe that the court case referrred to above ended last year
with the award of substantial damages to Mr. & Mrs Douglas.

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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / November 2005

Punctuation-happy