Stop! Online Quiz | English

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. It feels like Emma's been around forever, but that isn't the case. The exclamation mark came into being largely through the invention of printing. In which century was this?

Answer: 1400s

Punctuation, as we know it, is a relatively modern creation. Prior to the fifteenth century, there were very few punctuation marks and these were geared to how the text should be read aloud. Once the written word had become important in its own right, grammatical structure was able to develop more fully, as well as punctuation marks as we know them today.

2. You've always known Emma by the name "exclamation mark" but, for two hundred years or so, she carried a different name. What was she first called?

Answer: The note of admiration

The term, "note of admiration", was in use until the middle of the seventeenth century. (Source: Wikipedia, itself citing Lynne Truss' book, "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", 2003. p. 137. ISBN 1-592-40087-6)

The most likely explanation for the shape of the exclamation mark is that it derives from the Latin word io (with the i above the o) meaning joy. It, thus, has a sense of admiration and awe built into it. By way of comparison, the question mark, at this time, was known as the "note of interrogation".

3. Like me, you're probably used to looking for Emma at the top left hand corner of your keyboard. You may be surprised to learn then that, prior to the 1970s, the exclamation mark did not appear as standard on a typewriter. What combination of symbols did typists use in order to create it?

Answer: Apostrophe and full stop (period)

The typist would type the apostrophe, return one space and then add the full stop (period). The rationale behind omission was to keep the keyboard as uncluttered as possible.

4. Where does Emma go when she's not with you? One place you could look to is the English county of Devon. There, an exclamation mark lends weight to the name of a coastal resort. What is the correct name of this Devonian town, named from a nineteenth century novel?

Answer: Westward Ho!

This is an example of a genuine exclamation rather than an exclamation mark used to communicate excess.

"Westward Ho!" is a novel by Charles Kingsley, first published in 1855. It is set, in part, in North Devon. A few years later, a resort was being planned locally to satisfy the growing Victorian demand for seaside holidays. The popularity of the novel was sufficient to persuade the developers to name their town after the book.

Canada can also lay claim to a town called Saint-Louis-du-Ha!Ha!.

5. Emma is very keen to please, so she doesn't mind standing on her head when asked to do so by the Spanish. When does this use of an inverted exclamation mark occur?

Answer: At the beginning of a sentence that finishes with an exclamation mark

Questions in Spanish should also begin with an inverted question mark. These conventions date back to a recommendation of the Spanish Royal Academy in 1754. It is a reminder that different cultures may use punctuation marks in different ways. In Germany, for example, it is common, when writing a letter, to place an exclamation mark after a recipient's name at the beginning of a letter, and in Turkey, parentheses around an exclamation mark, (!), are used to convey sarcasm or irony (Source: Wikipedia).

6. Emma has learned to expect a mixed response from writers. Some frown upon her; some use her sparingly, whilst others like to show her off at every opportunity. Which British fantasy author is known for his disdain of exclamation mark overuse?

Answer: Terry Pratchett

Pratchett, now sadly battling Alzheimer's disease, is not averse to putting this disdain into print, as the quotes below demonstrate. He also, allegedly, answers last those fan letters that contain "more exclamation marks than sanity dictates."

""Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind."" (From "Eric")

""What sort of person," said Salzella patiently, "sits down and writes a maniacal laugh? And all those exclamation marks, you notice? Five? A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head. Opera can do that to a man."" (From "Maskerade")

"Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind." (From "Reaper Man")

7. Emma is much in demand from writers of comic books and some in the music industry who use the exclamation mark to spice up their names. Which of these bands did she once follow?

Answer: Wham

Other acts to use an exclamation mark for some or all of their career include P!nk, Sash!, Panic! at the Disco and Ultravox!.

The comic book arena is, of course, littered with the use of exclamation marks. One writer, Elliot S! Maggin, even incorporated it into his name. He had mistakenly used it, through force of habit, to sign his name and retained it as he liked the effect.

8. Similarly, there are companies that employ Emma's services as part of their marketing strategy. Which of the following companies uses an exclamation mark after its name?

Answer: Yahoo

Many see Yahoo!'s use of the exclamation mark as a smart business move but it actually came about by accident. Yahoo!'s founders, Jerry Yang and David Filo, liked the name but discovered that it was already registered to EBSCO Industries. They, therefore, added an exclamation mark in order to obtain the necessary trademark.

9. In recent years, Emma the exclamation mark has taken to hanging out with another punctuation mark under the new name of interrobang. Who is her companion in this venture?

Answer: Question mark

The interrobang was created by American, Martin J. Speckter in 1962 and comprises an exclamation mark superimposed upon a question mark. The intention was for a symbol that could be used when the tone was both questioning and exclamatory. Its name is derived from the Latin word for "to query" (interro) and the term used in proofreading when reading an exclamation mark (bang). Two variations of the interrobang, !? and ?!, are used in chess notation for recording moves.

The symbol is also used by Michael Gerber in his "Barry Trotter" series of books which parodies Harry Potter. Here, the mark on Barry's forehead is an interrobang.

10. Turns out that Emma isn't just into languages but is a mathematician too. The presence of an exclamation mark behind a number indicates what is known as a factorial. If you saw, for example, 4!, what would this mean?

Answer: 4 times 3 times 2 times 1

Among mathematicians, a factorial is also known as a shriek or a bang. Crazy bunch, aren't we(!)‽

Source: Author glendathecat

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Stop! Trivia Quiz

You probably count the exclamation mark (Emma) as a dear friend in your writing, but how well do you really know her? Do you know where she comes from or all the things she gets up to? Now might just be the time to stop and find out.

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