Tales from the Workplace: passive-aggressive use of punctuation

July 15, 2004

passive-aggressive use of punctuation

I don't know about all that "pen, mightier, sword" stuff, but I do know this: There can be plenty of sting in a well placed period, gentle flirtation in an ellipse, and some nasty, passive-aggressive crap in a colon when a comma would suffice. Don't get me started on slashes.

Brief background-- I am a writer for a nonprofit that puts out a magazine for its donors. The top editor just left because, well, she hated it here. Shortly thereafter, the program assistant left. That left me & dear old Jeff, my boss. Jeff is loathe to talk to me; as communications VP, he considers it a waste of time. His palpable resentment toward his employees is all too plain to see, if you look between the lines-- or dots, as the case may be....

Jeff,
I was wondering if we should discuss the upcoming issue of [our publication] since [top editor] has left.

His response...

[Youworthlessemployee]:
We need to discuss this, not via e-mail. Let's meet Monday, we'll resume department meetings at 10:30am.
/Jeff

"Department", mind you, refers to me...and him. We know he has a comma on his keyboard; look: he misused it twice in a two-sentence missive. But where a comma inserts a soft pause, a moment of savor even, after a salutation, a colon is a gut-punch-- like my name has been forcibly extracted from him under extreme duress, and he was using it only to serve the barest semblance of politeness.

Or am I just being sensitive?

Posted by Kgsavoie at July 15, 2004 05:03 PM

Comments

After some initial disagreement, I have decided to concur.

Employee:

Employee,

Seeing it laid out like this, I decided that the colon was serving to establish (or maintain) that sick man's sense of a hierarchy. Colons are common where? In form letters, the type one gets from IRS (Dear taxpayer: You owe us thousands.) It establishes you as a number and them as all powerful.

In times of such bitter punctutation use, I say go in there and do what the Dems did to Bush! Wite-out the man's colon.

Posted by: D. at July 16, 2004 03:03 PM

Having just gotten an e-mail from a prospective date in which he put a colon after my name, I have to agree it is totally disorienting. All I could think was -- I am NOT one of your clients! Colons are for business letters. Period.

My favorite part of the e-mail however is the "We'll resume department meetings on Monday." Um, you mean the two of us can discuss this on Monday?

Posted by: Karen at July 18, 2004 10:27 AM

No, you're not being too sensitive. This guy is a dork. "Department meetings..." Good grief. bp

Posted by: BP at September 9, 2004 01:43 PM



My newest book will be out in July. Preorder it now -- just click on it, go to Amazon, and help me earn royalties! And you can still buy my last book, The Big Bang Theory. Powered by Movable Type 2.661			« Mommy? \| Main \| The Killer Pistachio » July 15, 2004 passive-aggressive use of punctuation I don't know about all that "pen, mightier, sword" stuff, but I do know this: There can be plenty of sting in a well placed period, gentle flirtation in an ellipse, and some nasty, passive-aggressive crap in a colon when a comma would suffice. Don't get me started on slashes. Brief background-- I am a writer for a nonprofit that puts out a magazine for its donors. The top editor just left because, well, she hated it here. Shortly thereafter, the program assistant left. That left me & dear old Jeff, my boss. Jeff is loathe to talk to me; as communications VP, he considers it a waste of time. His palpable resentment toward his employees is all too plain to see, if you look between the lines-- or dots, as the case may be.... Jeff, I was wondering if we should discuss the upcoming issue of [our publication] since [top editor] has left. His response... [Youworthlessemployee]: We need to discuss this, not via e-mail. Let's meet Monday, we'll resume department meetings at 10:30am. /Jeff "Department", mind you, refers to me...and him. We know he has a comma on his keyboard; look: he misused it twice in a two-sentence missive. But where a comma inserts a soft pause, a moment of savor even, after a salutation, a colon is a gut-punch-- like my name has been forcibly extracted from him under extreme duress, and he was using it only to serve the barest semblance of politeness. Or am I just being sensitive? Posted by Kgsavoie at July 15, 2004 05:03 PM Comments After some initial disagreement, I have decided to concur. Employee: Employee, Seeing it laid out like this, I decided that the colon was serving to establish (or maintain) that sick man's sense of a hierarchy. Colons are common where? In form letters, the type one gets from IRS (Dear taxpayer: You owe us thousands.) It establishes you as a number and them as all powerful. In times of such bitter punctutation use, I say go in there and do what the Dems did to Bush! Wite-out the man's colon. Posted by: D. at July 16, 2004 03:03 PM Having just gotten an e-mail from a prospective date in which he put a colon after my name, I have to agree it is totally disorienting. All I could think was -- I am NOT one of your clients! Colons are for business letters. Period. My favorite part of the e-mail however is the "We'll resume department meetings on Monday." Um, you mean the two of us can discuss this on Monday? Posted by: Karen at July 18, 2004 10:27 AM No, you're not being too sensitive. This guy is a dork. "Department meetings..." Good grief. bp Posted by: BP at September 9, 2004 01:43 PM Life in the trenches -- as contributed by many of my friends. Recent Entries Filters I think I have Auschwitz Syndrome Quarter @ssed Efforts The Slow Death of The Wait Return of Hickey Boy Some Bridges are Better Burned The Killer Pistachio passive-aggressive use of punctuation Mommy? Counting to Ten Slowly Categories Topic: Day-to-Day Craziness Topic: Dealing with Clients Topic: I Work With These People?? Topic: The Woes of Getting a Job Writer: BP Writer: Chemical Lizzy Writer: Demon Writer: KCF Writer: Kgsavoie Writer: Leapers Writer: Proletariat#5768 Writer: Radio Lizzy Writer: Val Archives September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 Search Search this site: