Sometimes, I fear that I’m a word snob. I tried to get into the Reddit forums, but those “writers” shot me down with flaming arrows. Apparently, according to the “writers” on Reddit, I am a snob for using semicolons. It makes me look like I’m “showing off my knowledge of grammar,” and “rubbing it in your face.”
I know, that’s rubbish. Knowing how to use a punctuation mark isn’t being a snob. It’s intelligent. The person that said those things didn’t capitalize their “i’s” either. But, it did get me thinking about what it meant to be a word snob.
I don’t correct people when they speak; that’s snobby, and rude. I find myself making grammar mistakes in my spoken speech, too. It’s dialog. The rules are more fluid. Or, as we say, “fluider.”
Still, it leaves the question, what is a word snob? Is it being able to properly use a semicolon? Is the punctuation mark outdated? If so, then so are the rest, for we’ve been using them longer. The semicolon is a piece of our written language, and to ignore it because you don’t know how to use it, or don’t feel comfortable using it, doesn’t mean that it is wrong or “outdated.” Don’t hold prejudice because you don’t understand it.
Professional writers use semicolons. True. There’s a semicolon in the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Go find it.
Beatrice B. Morgan 
Definitely not a word snob. I find that a lot of writing communities are stuck in their ways which are rooted in very specific kinds of writing that’s considered “trendy”. You’re right in that published writers use semicolons – there are a lot of things that I’ve noticed get looked down upon by amateur writers in writing communities that can be found in well-loved published novels. If you know what works for you, use your better judgement, because a lot of these writing communities aren’t always right.
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I agree. I’ve come to enjoy the well-placed semi-colon. And, at the end of the day, it’s about finding your personal style as a writer and being comfortable with it.
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