| ‽ ⸘ | |
|---|---|
Interrobang | |
| In Unicode | U+203D ‽INTERROBANG U+2E18 ⸘INVERTED INTERROBANG |
Theinterrobang (/ɪnˈtɛrəbæŋ/),[1] also known as theinterabang[2]‽ (often rendered as?!,!?,?!?,?!!,!??, or!?!), is an unconventionalpunctuation mark intended to combine the functions of thequestion mark (also known as the interrogative point)[3] and theexclamation mark (also known in the jargon of printers and programmers as a "bang").[4] The glyph is aligature of these two marks[5] and was first proposed in 1962 by Martin K. Speckter.[6]
A sentence ending with an interrobang states a question in an excited manner, expresses excitement, disbelief, or confusion in the form of a question, or asks arhetorical question.[7]
For example:
Writers using informal language may use several alternating question marks and exclamation marks for even more emphasis. However, this is regarded as poor style in formal writing.[8]
Historically, writers have used multiple consecutive punctuation marks to end a sentence expressing both surprise and question.
What the...?! Neves, Called Dead in Fall, Denies It
— headline fromSan Francisco Examiner, May 9, 1936
American Martin K. Speckter (June 14, 1915 – February 14, 1988)[9] conceptualized the interrobang in 1962. As the head of an advertising agency, Speckter believed that advertisements would look better ifcopywriters conveyed surprised rhetorical questions using a single mark. He proposed the concept of a single punctuation mark in an article in the magazineTYPEtalks.[10] Speckter solicited possible names for the new character from readers. Contenders includedexclamaquest, andexclarotive, but he settled oninterrobang. He chose the name to reference the punctuation marks that inspired it:interrogatio is Latin for "rhetorical question" or "cross-examination";[11]bang is printers' slang for the exclamation mark. Graphic treatments for the new mark were also submitted in response to the article.[12]
In 1965, Richard Isbell created theAmericana typeface forAmerican Type Founders and included the interrobang as one of the characters.[13] In 1968, an interrobang key was available on someRemingtontypewriters. In the 1970s, replacement interrobang keycaps andtypefaces were available for someSmith-Corona typewriters.[14]The interrobang was in vogue for much of the 1960s; the wordinterrobang appeared in some dictionaries, and the mark was used in some magazine and newspaper articles.[12]
Most fonts do not include the interrobang, but it has not disappeared.Lucida Grande, the default font for many UI elements of legacy versions ofApple'sOS X operating system, includes the interrobang, andMicrosoft provides several versions of the interrobang in theWingdings 2 character set (on the right bracket and tilde keys on US keyboard layouts), included withMicrosoft Office.[15] It was accepted intoUnicode[16] and is included in several fonts, includingLucida Sans Unicode,Arial Unicode MS, andCalibri, the default font in theOffice 2007,2010, and2013 suites.[17]
An upside-down interrobang (combining ¿ and ¡, Unicode character: ⸘), suitable for starting phrases inSpanish,Galician, andAsturian—which useinverted question and exclamation marks—is called an "inverted interrobang" or, rarely, agnaborretni (interrobang spelled backwards).[18] In current practice, interrobang-like emphatic ambiguity in Hispanic languages is usually achieved by including both sets of punctuation marks, one inside the other: (¿¡De verdad!? or¡¿De verdad?! [Really!?]).[19] Older usage, still official but not widespread, recommended mixing the punctuation marks:¡Verdad? or¿Verdad![20]
The symbol is encoded inUnicode'sGeneral Punctuation block atcodepointU+203D ‽INTERROBANG.
Unicode encodes these variants:
TheState Library of New South Wales, in Australia, uses an interrobang as its logo,[21] as does the educational publishing companyPearson, which thus intends to convey "the excitement and fun of learning".[22]
The logo of theNational Endowment for the Humanities incorporates eight exclamation marks and eight question marks; although their main strokes are separate, they all share the same dot, as in some variants of interrobangs.
Chief JudgeFrank H. Easterbrook used an interrobang in the 2012United States Seventh Circuit opinionRobert F. Booth Trust v. Crowley.[23][24]
Australian Federal Court Justice Michael Wigney used an interrobang in the first paragraph of his 2018 judgment inFaruqi v Latham [2018] FCA 1328 (defamation proceedings between former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham and political campaigner and writer Osman Faruqi).[25]
Inchess, an interrobang is used to represent a dubious move, one that is questionable but possibly has merits.[26] (See also theevaluation symbols ?! (dubious move) and !? (interesting move).)
We don't get it. In order to avoid arisk of antitrust litigation, the company should be put through the litigation wringer (this suit)with certainty‽ How can replacing a 1% or even a 20% chance of a bad thing with a 100% chance of the same bad thing make investors better off?
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