Analysis of [the] prose use of braces (curly brackets)
The convoluted and arguably superfluous nature of the title of this post is an apt reflection of my ambivalence associated with the use of braces in English prose. Earlier today, I blogged on the topic of braces {}, pondering the use -- and potential use -- of the braces. While used extensively in programming, the University of Lynchberg documented a potential use of braces in prose.
Eager to understand this topic further, a fellow amateur grammarian and I spent an hour analyzing the use of braces in prose, consulting the Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition, paperback), the Associated Press Stylebook (paperback), and internet sources including articles and discussions on curly braces across Wikipedia, Stack Overflow, and other websites.
The Chicago Manual of Style is surprisingly vague in its definition of braces. The Manual, in section 6.104 in the 17th Edition, notes:
Braces ({}), also called curly brackets, provide yet another option for enclosing data and are used in various ways in ceratin programming languages. They are also used in mathematical and other specialized writing (see, e.g., 12.28). Braces are not interchageable with parentheses or brackets. See the example phrases throughout chapter 5 for one possible use of braces.
