And the answer: Interrobang.
Considered a nonstandard or unconventional punctuation mark, an interrobang is a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point. It is used to indicate a question expressed in an exclamatory manner—for example, "can you believe how cool this question is‽"
You may be interrobanging your head on the table after finding out about such a multifaceted punctuation mark this late in the game, but don’t fret: we’re here to tell you that there are plenty more where that came from. Without further ado, please enjoy this list of lesser known punctuation marks.
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1. The Asterism. No, not just an asterisk—we’re talking multiple asterisks in a triangle formation. The point? To mark breaks in text, like scene changes or the end of chapters. These days, we more commonly see a line of asterisks, rather than the triangle that defines an asterism.
2. The Irony Mark. We’re frankly upset this idea didn’t catch on. The irony mark was proposed by French author Herve Bazin, who suggested that his symbol be placed at the start of a sentence to indicate the irony to follow. Interestingly, people have been arguing on behalf of an irony mark (in whatever symbolization that may take) since the 1580s!
3. The Love Point. Bazin wasn’t satisfied with suggesting just one punctuation addition—he actually proposed at least six unique ideas, one of which being the love point. As the name suggests, the symbol is to be used to denote affection in a sentence, and isn’t far off from an early predecessor of the heart emoji…
Which unique form of punctuation do you think makes the most sense? Learn more about grammar oddities here.
