Keith Houston
Author and punctuation expert featured to discuss the history and process of creating new punctuation marks and the role of the Unicode Consortium.
Best podcasts with Keith Houston
Ranked by the Snipd community
9 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 23min
HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
Keith Houston, author and punctuation expert, explains how new marks are proposed and how the Unicode Consortium decides what becomes standard. The conversation also covers the origin of a newsroom’s “Breakfast Rule” for gross jokes and a heated debate over a colonoscopy bit. Short, witty takes on editing, punctuation design, and broadcast boundaries.
Mar 4, 2026 • 23min
The Breakfast Rule
Keith Houston, author and punctuation historian, explains punctuation history and how new Unicode characters get proposed. Peter Sagal, long‑time radio panel stalwart, shares behind‑the‑scenes stories about the show's 'Breakfast Rule' and vivid editing choices. They discuss grossness limits, a famously cut colonoscopy bit, and whether language needs new possessive marks.
