A Few Colon Rules

Colons point toward clarifications, elaborations, restatements.

1. Rule: Introduce long indented quotations with colons.

Alfred Brgghshshshshshs says:

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah bllll ahhhhhh. Etch blwhglgh winkle wuzzer blah.

2. Rule: Introduce clarifications, elaborations, and restatements with colons.

Example 1:

Renee Banakghkkshh enjoyed three things: walking tired, dead dogs; pulsing gently in a heated swimming pool; and egging police officers on Fifty- Seventh Street.

Here, the list elaborates, clarifies the "three things" before the colon. Compare that to:

Renee Banakghkkkshh enjoyed walking tired, dead dogs; pulsing gently in a heated swimming pool; and egging police officers on Fifty-Seventh Street.

[Here, there's just a list with no elaboration or restatement.]

Example 2:

Robbrt Cronkkhorzzzshin was in love with only one thing: a dead whale on the beach off Catalina Island.

[The "dead whale" restates what the "one thing" was.]

Example 3:

Johnst Bragggnhgh was an unhappy fellow: a poor bozo out of touch with life's clots and beezers.

["Poor bozo" restates, clarifies the "unhappy fellow."]

Example 4:

Sandish Snnozzzer was unhappy: he had eaten too many English walnuts and now was paying the price.

[Note that these are two complete sentences combined with a colon. The second helps to clarify the first.]

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