| exclamation mark (!) |
| Usage:
1. Use it to show emphasis or surprise. I can't believe you like peanut butter and onion sandwiches! 2. Don't use more than one in a row unless you are Tom Wolfe. Don't do this!!!!! |
| Etymology:
According to Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, the symbol derives from the Latin Io, joy, with the o written under the I. Note: It was first used in English printing in the 1400s and was initially called the note of admiration. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first OED citation that shows the symbol's use is from 1657: "A note of Exclamation or Admiration, thus noted!" (J. Smith Myst. Rhet. 271) |