866

Em dashes and emojis

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 3 weeks ago

How the hell do you even type an em dash?

I'm sure it's possible (I know it's easy on a touch keyboard), but if the person who sent it has never used em dashes in their life, then it's pretty definitive proof. Otherwise, it's just a big clue that you might combine with other factors.

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Word and Google docs will translate them from --

They'll also give you the stupid smart quotes.

I've never break up with anybody over text but if for some reason I had to I would certainly write it on a computer first.

edit: LOL apparently lemmy markdown also translates them from --

[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 weeks ago

Fair point. It's still a red flag (in more ways than one!) but I accept it's not definitive.

[-] TimewornTraveler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 weeks ago

that's odd, Voyager showed me -- double hyphen

[-] Zagorath@aussie.zone 5 points 3 weeks ago

On a mobile phone it's super easy. Long press the hyphen button and swipe over to the dash.

On Mac it's pretty easy still, but requires a little more knowledge. Option-shift-dash. (Without the shift gives you an en dash.)

On Windows it's the completely arcane alt-0151, and only possible if you have a numpad. I memorised it like 15 years ago and have regularly used it since, but it's hard to blame people for not doing so.

No idea about Linux.

[-] real_squids@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago

You could make it easier on windows with an on-screen keyboard probably

[-] petrol_sniff_king 1 points 3 weeks ago

This is what I've been using for years -> https://github.com/samhocevar/wincompose

[-] ewenak@jlai.lu 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Well it depends on the keyboard layout, on Linux, at least—but on other platforms too, I think.

[-] urandom@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

You use use the compose key with a sequence of characters. Mine is right alt, so it's gonna be:

right alt, then -, then -, then -

[-] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Considering that a comma has its own button, it's no wonder which one is preferred.

[-] urandom@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

We could ask an LLM, but it’s probably bot a good idea given the post 😄

[-] RavingGrob@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 weeks ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compose_key

If I had a nickel for each time this week, I needed to link to this, I'd have two nickels; which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[-] NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 weeks ago

Okay, I must confess, I knew about that, as well as the other options in the replies. I never used any of them but I knew they exist. When I asked it was sort of as a rhetorical question. People generally wouldn't know about these obscure typing options, so I was playing the everyman.

Even if you do know it, if you don't use it often enough you forget and have to look it up again next time.

this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
866 points (100.0% liked)

memes

16604 readers
2543 users here now

Community rules

1. Be civilNo trolling, bigotry or other insulting / annoying behaviour

2. No politicsThis is non-politics community. For political memes please go to !politicalmemes@lemmy.world

3. No recent repostsCheck for reposts when posting a meme, you can only repost after 1 month

4. No botsNo bots without the express approval of the mods or the admins

5. No Spam/AdsNo advertisements or spam. This is an instance rule and the only way to live.

A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment

Sister communities

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS