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2025-08-22T04:01:33Z

2001:569:55CA:7500:B01F:63EB:FFAC:BB4: Added a closed parentheses at the end. kek.

{{comic
| number = 859
| date = February 11, 2011
| title = (
| image = (.png
| titletext = Brains aside, I wonder how many poorly-written xkcd.com-parsing scripts will break on this title (or ;;"'<nowiki/>'{<<[' this mouseover text."
}}

== Explanation ==

In programming, punctuation is often used to mark sections of code. Paired punctuation marks must always be matched up with a corresponding closing mark, otherwise a so-called {{w|syntax error}} occurs. The programming language {{w|Lisp_(programming_language)|Lisp}} (also featured in [[224: Lisp]] is known for large numbers of nested/paired parentheses. Even in literary works intended only for human consumption, the absence of a matching closing parenthesis as appears in this sentence or other "balanced" punctuation sets creates a mental expectation of eventual closure and completion that remains unfulfilled even long after the unmatched mark is encountered.

There is also a reference to [[312: With Apologies to Robert Frost]] which could contain the missing parentheses.

It can also be interpreted as a {{w|metaphor}}, which compares the reader with a Lisp {{w|Interpreter (Computing)|interpreter}}. The interpreter looks for the parenthesis until the end of the file, where it eventually halts, and prints out the error. The comic claims that if you read an unmatched parenthesis, you will look for it for the rest of the day too.

It also refers to an awkward feeling when you see something out of place in a piece of literary text (like unmatched parentheses, spellying error or a randomly-plac,ed comma..

Also, it may refer to {{w|OCD}}.

Finally, some countries (Russia in particular) use just parentheses instead of text smileys so that <code>:(</code> becomes <code>(</code> and <code>:)</code> turns into <code>)</code>, and it's even somewhat common to stack multiple smiles together in such cases like <code>)))</code>. Hence those readers can magically resist the unresolved tension of the comic but may feel a bit sad instead as a side effect, although the parenthesis is placed in the beginning and not in the end as usual.

The title text refers to the same issue as already highlighted in [[327: Exploits of a Mom]]: if your scripts trust external input, you sometimes will be surprised. At the time of this comic, there were quite a few websites that would grab the xkcd comic three times a week and publish them on their own site. This comic likely broke at least some of the websites because of either the unmatched paren or the extra unmatched markup that is in the title text.)

==Transcript==
:[Caption inside an oblong panel:]
:(An unmatched left parenthesis creates an unresolved tension that will stay with you all day.

==Trivia==

* There are other comics with unpaired parentheses (not counting emoticons): [[19]], [[850]], [[1052]], [[1079|1079 (in "Colorado")]], [[1960]] This list is incomplete. Please expand it.
** Comic [[541]] discusses the relationship between emoticons and unpaired parentheses.
** By contrast, [[312]] has an unpaired close parenthesis.
* The well-known "helper website" [http://gChq.github.io/CyberChef/# CyberChef] has a text on its loading page that is a reference to this comic, probably as a joke.
* In Chinese Internet Slang, some people, especially [[:Category:Rhythm_Games|rhythm game]] enthusiasts, may place an unpaired open parenthesis at the end of a sentence to create [https://www.zhihu.com/question/28689654/answer/1038303988 a humorous effect].

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Programming]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

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