Emdash fans!

[dirtyancom@kolektiva.social]

@mcc Yes and no. It depends on the length of the content behind or within the emdash or if the emdash closes. If it's just a word or phrase, especially at the end of a larger statement, I don't. If it contains a longer statement, I do.

[Guest]

I was about to say that we'd never dream of putting space around a long dash, but I think I have in fact done that for some obscure practical reason that I can't remember…I think it was simply to make sure that the character wasn't considered part of a URL or something of that sort. ~Chara of Pnictogen

[jonah@mastodon.neat.computer]

@mcc it depends on the font I'm using, because sometimes—like this—I will use an em-dash without spaces, and sometimes – like this – I will use an EN dash with spaces, depending on what I think looks better.

Em dashes with spaces seems superfluous to me in all cases though.

[aeva@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@mcc obviously the first one—how could I not always go for the Chicago Style emdash

[adamshostack@infosec.exchange]

@mcc Real pros — like me — — — put mdashes around their mdashes.

[phl@mastodon.social]

@mcc Being from an en-dash kind of language, spaces are absolutely necessary for my eyes when em-dashes are used for a break in thoughts — without them, it just parses as a hyphen and it throws me every single time when reading e.g. a novel typeset without any space around em-dashes.

[jesuismonsieurb@framapiaf.org]

@mcc In French, em-dashes require spaces on both sides.

[julian@activitypub.space]

@mcc@mastodon.social absolutely — they just look nicer that way.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@vn i share your concern D:

[confluency@hachyderm.io]

@mcc It's complicated. In plain text I use two hyphens with spaces around them -- like this. When I do proper typesetting, no spaces—like this.

[deborahh@cosocial.ca]

@mcc @mayintoronto I think em-dash with no spaces is insane, given what it's supposed to do: create a long pause.

Why drag the words together while creating a pause? Give it some air!

And, It's supposed to be a longer pause than n-dash, right? But when you omit the spaces, it's actually shorter!

Anyway, I don't use it. When I want a long payse, I use " … " .

[wdenton@cosocial.ca]

@mcc Chicago Manual of Style (my preferred guide) has no spaces around em dashes, for example from 6.91:

> She outlined the strategy—a strategy that would, she hoped, secure the peace.

> My friends—that is, my former friends—ganged up on me.

[kalshann@mastodon.social]

@mcc I do both sides, usually. I don't when using it to show abrupt changes in something's flow, like conversation interruptions or surprises, ect.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@xarvos advanced strats :O

[tarheel@mstdn.io]

@mcc

Emdash = two regular hyphens

@chiraag

[pteryx@dice.camp]

@mcc
Normally they belong on both sides. *However*, if the em dash represents interruption in mid-word, you only use a space afterward, not on both sides.

Oh, and for those who want to back things up with a style guide? Spaces on both sides is Associated Press style.

[blogdiva@mastodon.social]

@mcc ummmm… you forgot ―much to my chagrin― one other option.

[mcc@mastodon.social]

@blogdiva Blame Eugen and his 4 option limit >_>

[scott@sfba.social]

@xgranade @mcc 100% agree with this, only— oops, never mind: you just made that point. 😜

[blogdiva@mastodon.social]

@mcc indeed 😞