Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Air Parentheses

 Like air quotes, but for parenthetical use
  (+6)
(+6) 		  [vote for,
against]

Suppose you want to indicate surprise, or mock surprise, by saying the word "gasp." This is where air parentheses come in handy.

You can say "gasp" and kind of hold your thumb and index finger of each hand in a vertical arc. That way people will understand that you're speaking parenthetically instead of just saying the word "gasp," which would be literally meaningless.

—snarfyguy, Jul 25 2003

( ) http://www.allmusic...M&sql=Algge4j476wa4
most fine. [my face your]

rats http://www.theonion.../archive_nib13.html
The Onion has already baked this, per [Detly]. [my face your, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004]

(???) rats http://www.theonion.../archive_nib13.html
The Onion has already baked this, per [Detly]. [snarfyguy, Oct 05 2004]

Or http://www.youtube....watch?v=lF4qii8S3gw
[MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 18 2011]

[link]






       Ask David Foster Wallace; I'm sure he knows.
—snarfyguy, Jul 25 2003
   

       Gasp
—bungston, Jul 25 2003
   

       (gasp) I'm shocked bung would say something so literally meaningless.
—Worldgineer, Jul 25 2003
   

       ( )
—thumbwax, Jul 28 2003
   

       I read an article in 'The Onion' about "Area Woman Starts Using Air Parentheses" or somesuch. Unfortunately, I can't find the link, because my place of employment doesn't consider us plebs deserving enough to peruse that particular news source outside of 12 - 2pm. Luckily, they haven't cottoned on to this site yet.   

       But I'll look tomorrow
—Detly, Jul 29 2003
   

       A cute idea that will get old fast but here's to now. +
—sartep, Jul 29 2003
   

       Just wait until the kids start doing the air umlat...
—DeathNinja, Jul 29 2003
   

       How about air smileys using ones face
—nichpo, Jul 29 2003
   

       Oh fudge, someone's beaten me to it (link). I'm not surprised; it's pretty obvious. I'll take this down in a bit. Thanks for playing.
—snarfyguy, Jul 29 2003
   

       I worked on one project with strict technical writing standards that we needed to talk about often. We began using not only finger quotes (do Brits call them finger inverted commas?) as well as air italics and air boldface. Air italics was slanted hands held vertically; air boldface was "jazz hands."
—ConsultingDetective, Feb 15 2004
   

       What a visual, CD. Gives a whole new meaning to the Elvis Costello song "Watching the Detectives"   

       Sounds like we need a whole "Air Punctuation". Classes should be taught. Government grant money will surely flow in mass quantities.
—gardnertoo, Jul 28 2004
   

       This was baked in a Billy Connolly skit.
—simonj, Jul 28 2004
   

       This makes me wonder, does sign language use much/any punctuation?
—luecke, Jul 29 2004
   

       I'm shocked!
—DesertFox, Jul 29 2004
   

       jeez with the whole condenced sms/msn launguage ie. L8R, U, C YA, WTF, CBF, i dont think people should waste there time creating punctuation in sign launguage...give it 5 years and we would be lucky if english grammer isn't obsolete.
—ShadowFire666, Dec 14 2005
   

       That's "their" time, [SF666.] And "language, " "English grammar." ;)
—csea, Dec 14 2005
   

       And "condensed", "don't".
—coprocephalous, Dec 14 2005
   

       "Jeez" (air ?) and I - Probably "S.M.S." and "M.S.N.", too.
—Dub, Dec 14 2005
   

       ITS ALREADY HAPPENING!!!! AHHH GOD PEOPLE OPEN YOUR EYES CAN YOU NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENING......WE WILL FIGHT AND WE WILL LOOSE, ENGLISH WILL FALL.........meow
—ShadowFire666, Dec 15 2005
   

       Shhh...[666]...You're waking my neighbors. The language evolves, fads come and go, some stay for a while, these days some are only good for a year.
—normzone, Dec 15 2005
   

       //GOD PEOPLE OPEN YOUR EYES CAN YOU NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENING// Yes, we can see what's happening; that's why we're making our own stand.
Your caps lock appears to be jammed on. It is the one on the left of your keyboard, labelled "Caps Lock".
—coprocephalous, Dec 15 2005
   

       (checks [copro]'s 'Irony-detection' setting. Hmm.)
—angel, Dec 15 2005
   

       [666] Your irony-lock appears to be off. It is the one on the left of your keyboard, labelled "Irony Lock".
—Minimal, Dec 15 2005
   

       //(checks [copro]'s 'Irony-detection' setting. Hmm.// Hmm, "irony" a little low, maybe a few more dBs of "sarcasm" are required.
—coprocephalous, Dec 15 2005
   

       God-people most certainly do not open my eyes. I can do that all by myself, thank you.   

       What are God-people, by the way?
—moomintroll, Dec 15 2005
   

       there people who have this problem with there eyes. sorry for all you homosapiens who arent god-people. you wouldent understand....time for more apple pie
—ShadowFire666, Dec 16 2005
   

       I was thinking of an entire Air Puncutation system, but found this! [+]
—xandram, Mar 16 2011
   

       bun for proper use of "literal"
—Voice, Mar 18 2011
   

       Or <link>.
—MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 18 2011
   
      
[annotate]
   


 

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