A few years back I set out to write a comprehensive punctuation book — one that laid out the rules for proper punctuation in every situation imaginable. How naïve I was. You don’t have to spend a lot ...

Some expressions are hard to punctuate. Take the phrase “How about that”; too sprightly for a plain ordinary . , it is sometimes too ironic to justify an ebullient ! . More often than not, isn’t it ...

Apostrophes are equal opportunity humiliators. As I wrote recently, apostrophes incriminate less-word-savvy types by popping up in plurals like “We play bridge with the Smith’s” and “He had two ...

The significance of punctuation is demonstrated in the difference between announcing dinner and suggesting cannibalism. “Let’s eat, Grandpa!” vs. “Let’s eat Grandpa!” are two totally different things.