A Quote by Lynne Truss

Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop. — © Lynne Truss
Punctuation marks are the traffic signals of language: they tell us to slow down, notice this, take a detour, and stop.
If a period is a stop sign, then what kind of traffic flow is created by other marks? The comma is a speed bump; the semicolon is what a driver education teacher calls a “rolling stop”; the parenthetical expression is a detour; the colon is a flashing yellow light that announces something important up ahead; the dash is a tree branch in the road.
The US no longer does decisions. It can neither stop the drug traffic nor legalize it. It can neither win wars nor abandon them, neither make money nor stop spending it, neither stop immigration nor assimilate the immigrants. Washington can beat its thumb with a hammer, yes, and notice that it hurts, but it can't stop beating its thumb. That would take a decision, and Washington doesn't do decisions.
I have this theory that there are two kinds of people in the world, people who stop at a traffic accident and those that just drive by. If I see a traffic accident, I am going to stop. I do notice. I don't think that makes me a good or bad person, or anybody else better or worse.
The Biblical text does not have punctuation marks like periods and question marks. Where we end sentences is a matter of interpretation.
We can't stop the world, but there's so much more that we could do You can't stop this girl from falling more in love with you You said nobody has to know Give us time to grow, and take it slow but I'd stop the world if it finally let us be alone Let us be alone oooo ohhh oh
I barely get four hours of sleep everyday. I am shooting non-stop for 'CNWK' and 'Akbar-Birbal.' But it's all worth it when people smile at me at traffic signals in warm recognition. I couldn't have asked for more.
Language both reflects and shapes society. Culture shapes language and then language shapes culture. Little wonder that the words we use to talk to each other, and about each other, are the most important words in our language: they tell us who I am, they tell us who you are, they tell us who 'they' are.
Not causing harm requires staying awake. Part of being awake is slowing down enough to notice what we say and do. The more we witness our emotional chain reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain. It becomes a way of life to stay awake, slow down, and notice.
There's a terrible stillness. I notice a small tear in the wallpaper above her shoulder. I notice finger marks grimed on the light switch. Somewhere down in the house, a door opens and shuts. As Zoey turns to face me, I realize that life is made up of a series of moments, each one a journey to the end.
I want to change my punctuation. I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses.
Stop and take your time to notice things and make those things you notice matter.
Punctuation has its own philosophy, just as style does, although not as language does. Style is a good understanding of language, punctuation is a good understanding of style.
The gift of language is the single human trait that marks us all genetically, setting us apart from the rest of life.
Slow down. Enjoy life. It's tough to slow down if your mind is going a million miles a second. It's tough to slow down if you think what these people do here matters.
Human beings are like timid punctuation marks sprinkled among the incomprehensible sentences of life.
Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair; I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. Great Nature has another thing to do To you and me, so take the lively air, And, lovely, learn by going where to go. This shaking keeps me steady. I should know. What falls away is always. And is near. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I learn by going where I have to go.
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