Is it like this: "Where are my slippers!?"
Or is it like this: "Where are my slippers?!"
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1As a (freewheelin'?!) native speaker I might occasionally include the non-standard sequence after a parenthetical term like that, "creatively" bending the rules to imply I'm just being whimsical - specifically, that whatever I wrote was both questionable (?) and surprising (!). In fact, as a (freewheelin'?! :) native speaker I might throw in a colon (or even a semicolon! ;) But as regards OP's context, it's not normal to use ?! or !? simply to indicate "question asked in a loud voice". Standard orthography requires just ? (a single question mark) there.– FumbleFingersCommented Sep 30, 2017 at 15:31
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When I use the combination, I choose the order based on the order of “emotions” I wish to evoke. If it’s primarily a question to which I want to add emphasis then ?! seems appropriate whereas if it’s an emphatic statement that puzzles me I would choose !?.– JimCommented Sep 30, 2017 at 18:16
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1 Answer
An exclamation mark and question mark used together are collectively known as an Interrobang in typsetting conventions. You can use them in either order, according to the Wikipedia entry. This less than reliable source is backed up by Mirriam-Webster, which says:
Most punctuation marks have been around for centuries, but not the interrobang: it's a product of the 1960s. The mark gets its name from the punctuation that it is intended to combine. Interro is from "interrogation point," the technical name for the question mark, and bang is printers' slang for the exclamation point. The interrobang is not commonly used-its absence from standard keyboards can explain its paucity in print perhaps just as well as its paucity in print can explain its absence from standard keyboards. Most writers who want to communicate what the interrobang communicates continue to do as they did before the advent of the mark, throwing in !? or ?! as they feel so moved. (emphasis added)
The Copy Curmudgeon has a whole post devoted to which order is to be preferred, and concludes:
So when one or the other just won’t do, it’s fine to use both an exclamation point and a question mark in casual writing, and it makes no difference what order you use them in.
answered Sep 30, 2017 at 15:34
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1"According to Wikipedia" Wikipedia is not a good source of information. Commented Sep 30, 2017 at 16:36
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@BobMcgill - yes, I'm aware of its dubious reputation. In this instance, though, I think it's correct. I'll amend my answer to show a few other sources that all suggest the same thing. Commented Sep 30, 2017 at 17:08
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@Bob Mcgill Are you aware of research showing that Wikipedia is now probably at least as reliable as the Encyclopedia Britannica? Presumably not. Commented Sep 30, 2017 at 22:28
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@EdwinAshworth Obviously it's not. Many groups print biased information on Wikipedia for promotional reasons, and lest we forget that it can be edited by anyone at any time. There's good reasons why universities won't accept Wikipedia as a reference. Commented Oct 1, 2017 at 8:43
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@Bob McGill You will probably agree the research quoted here should be seriously considered. Or at any rate must ratefar better than any you've provided links to. Commented Oct 1, 2017 at 13:51