I was talking to tech support and I had to give my password to the tech. I start spelling it out and I tell him “left paren†Server Guy says, “Excuse me†“Left parenthesis†SG: “When you say left parenthesis you mean?†“Frowny face†SG:“Shift 9?†“Umm yeah.†Does anyone else call it frowny face or do you just call it shift 9?
Yeah I say open sometimes, too. But when left parenthesis threw him off the first thing that popped into my head was frowny face.
And the poor bugger is probably still slapping himself on the temples and going, "Wha??? Huh??? FROWNIE FACE??!!?? #@$!^%$@????"
I call them left and right parenthesis. I have heard the other variations mentioned, and would know what people meant, though.
Well, I don't think any of us will be calling them left parentheses or left brackets or right parentheses or open parentheses or any of those things any more, will we now? From this day forth, they shall be known as frownies and smilies. So it is written. So it shall be. For the Keeper of the Saw hast cast down from the summit all those who would confuseth and bemuddleth the Tech Support Guy-eths. And lo, a mighty wailing was heard in the valley that night, I can tell thee!
I call the backslash Slash and the forward slash Axel. WTF do you call this | It's the symbol you when you shift Axel. I mean what is that called?
You just need to correct him as if he was the one that was clueless. Tell him it is the left curve or make up something new and then act like - duh, don't you even know what it is!?!?
You won't believe this, but I didn't even know that character |||| was even there!! I can't tell you why. -- I think I may be missing some brain cells after my snowboarding accident 3 years ago.