For the average reader, semicolons are simply archaic, and there is always a contemporary — which is why you don't see them that often.
When they're used to indicate a separate larger than a comma but less than separate sentences, an em-dash works just a well without any of the pretense: from
"My wife would like tea; I would prefer coffee."
to
"My wife would like tea — I would prefer coffee."
And using them to separate list items which themselves contain commas is asking the reader to do too much work to parse things visually, since semicolons are so similar to commas. Literature can use parentheses or em dashes, while technical material can use lists. Observe how much easier all of the following transformations are to parse at a glance:
The people present were Jamie, a man from New Zealand; John, the milkman's son; and George, a gaunt kind of man with no friends.
The people present were Jamie (a man from New Zealand), John (the milkman's son), and George (a gaunt kind of man with no friends).
Several fast food restaurants can be found within the following cities: London, England; Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain.
Several fast food restaurants can be found within the following cities: 1) London, England, 2) Paris, France, 3) Dublin, Ireland, and 4) Madrid, Spain.
Here are three examples of familiar sequences: one, two, and three; a, b, and c; first, second, and third.
Here are three examples of familiar sequences:
- one, two, and three
- a, b, and c
- first, second, and third.
In academic papers you can sometimes wind up having such hierarchies of information and restricted space (e.g. in footnotes) that semicolons become necessary, just like legal documents use § to mark sections... but academic writing and citations has all sorts of conventions of its own.
I guess pretense is in the reader, because I read and write semicolons without any feelings of pretense.
There's a different level of contrast, separation, and connection communicated by a semicolon vs. an em dash (not to mention vs. a period or comma or parenthesis). I, for one, am happy to have as wide an array of options as possible considering how central textual communication is to my work and personal life.
The semicolon version reads like you're just providing information about both your preferences. The em-dash version reads like you're disagreeing with your wife. Em-dash tends to indicate that the second clause somehow applies to the first clause.
> When they're used to indicate a separate larger than a comma but less than separate sentences, an em-dash works just a well without any of the pretense
It is a kind of snobbery to impute pretense to the use of semicolons over dashes; it may simply be that writer’s natural preference or habit to prefer semicolons.
Where does this worrying about coming across as pretentious end?
The purpose of writing is to communicate, and a writer has to be realistic (i.e. worry) about all aspects of how their writing choices will be interpreted.
My natural preference or habit might be to swear all the time, but when I write an HN comment I'd suppress that in order to be taken seriously. Semicolons aren't as strong as swearing, but it's hard to argue they aren't associated with a certain level of pretense in the general public's mind.
I’ve been taught to use the em dash to set off a point of emphasis, disagreement, or a caveat. So I parse your first example as: My wife would like tea; I would prefer coffee.
In modern usage, you could probably substitute an em dash. But, if a writer did that and I were editing, I'd probably go with the semicolon. A period would probably be fine too.
I usually think of em dashes as a substitute for parentheses.
There is no need to use a semi-colon: "Roses are red, violets are blue, I drink coffee, my wife drinks tea."
I think that ; is only really handy for delimiting lists: Firstly, I would like to thank the Queen <for>; Secondly, I would like to thank the President <for>; etc.
I think that the name is a bit of a pain: a colon is used for <statement>: <and here is why>. A semi colon is used for lists. However, the name seems to imply some sort of half interval and so people use them as an intermediary between , and .
> an em-dash works just a well without any of the pretense [of the semicolon]
The author makes a clear distinction between the semicolon and the em-dash.
> And using them to separate list items which themselves contain commas is asking the reader to do too much work
The article is specifically about prose, and at no point suggest using semicolons for lists, although I think you overstate the difficulty in parsing your first example.
When they're used to indicate a separate larger than a comma but less than separate sentences, an em-dash works just a well without any of the pretense: from
"My wife would like tea; I would prefer coffee."
to
"My wife would like tea — I would prefer coffee."
And using them to separate list items which themselves contain commas is asking the reader to do too much work to parse things visually, since semicolons are so similar to commas. Literature can use parentheses or em dashes, while technical material can use lists. Observe how much easier all of the following transformations are to parse at a glance:
The people present were Jamie, a man from New Zealand; John, the milkman's son; and George, a gaunt kind of man with no friends.
The people present were Jamie (a man from New Zealand), John (the milkman's son), and George (a gaunt kind of man with no friends).
Several fast food restaurants can be found within the following cities: London, England; Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; Madrid, Spain.
Several fast food restaurants can be found within the following cities: 1) London, England, 2) Paris, France, 3) Dublin, Ireland, and 4) Madrid, Spain.
Here are three examples of familiar sequences: one, two, and three; a, b, and c; first, second, and third.
Here are three examples of familiar sequences:
- one, two, and three
- a, b, and c
- first, second, and third.
In academic papers you can sometimes wind up having such hierarchies of information and restricted space (e.g. in footnotes) that semicolons become necessary, just like legal documents use § to mark sections... but academic writing and citations has all sorts of conventions of its own.