Equivalent to German three dot ellipsis?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, in German we use three dots … to indicate an omission and we also use it orally, so we say “Punkt, Punkt, Punkt” (dot, dot, dot). What do we say in English to indicate a word is missing?

Thanks,
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Introducing a keynote speaker of business evening event[YSaerTTEW443543]

2

Mostly blank.

3

Interesting question.

I did some googling.

Here is ONE opinion, from Wiktionary.

You receive a note in the mail. It says: EITHER MEET MY DEMANDS OR …

You call the police.

The police ask you to read the note to them.

You say: “Either meet my demands or dot dot dot.”

The writer of that note used an ellipsis because he did NOT want to finish the thought. He wants to scare us by making us use our imagination as to what will happen if we do not meet his demands.

4

So, you would actually say ‘dot, dot, dot’?[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: A radio commercial for a herbal sleeping pill[YSaerTTEW443543]

5

IF I understood Wiktionary correctly: YES.

You are speaking on the phone with the cops. They want to know exactly what the note said.

You actually say “dot dot dot” so that the cops can copy the exact message that you received.

They will understand that the note’s writer did not want to finish his/her thought and was trying to scare you into imagining what would happen to you.

1 Like
6

Thanks a lot for clarifying the dot dot dot question. :+1: