[...]

[ImLostAgain]

Leafing through a book today and there was a highlighted passage which began with [...].
Any idea what it means?

[bobbinwales]

...there was a few words before it but they have not printed them as it dosn't change the meaning or isnt relevant? But thats ... not [...]

[TheWinner]

possibly this,
https://www.google.com/search?q=ellipsis+in+parenthesis&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB958GB958&;ei=2HbOZK2oD6KG9u8PyLeCyAs&ved=0ahUKEwit9LSn9sWAAxUig_0HHcibALkQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&;oq=ellipsis+in+parenthesis&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiF2VsbGlwc2lzIGluIHBhcmVudGhlc2lzSABQAFgAcAB4AJABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAOIDBBgAIEE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

[bookbinder]

bobbinwales has given a good answer. In my humble opinion, the inclusion or omission of the square brackets does not change anything.

[ImLostAgain]

Cheers bobbinwales. Little things like that always interest me.

[ImLostAgain]

Oh crossed posts. Thanks all.

[DTCwordfan]

one could determine 'Space out' in other words, time to chill out....

[Khandro]

What was the book ? Was it a translation ?

[Khandro]

If say, I was translating or copying out something from a manuscript, and a word was illegible, I would make that parenthesis to show that there was in the original a word there, but I don't know what it was.

[ImLostAgain]

Hi Khandro. No it wasn't a translation. Indeed you'd be hard pressed to find a more 'British' book in my opinion.
It was 'The Shipping Forecast' by Nic Compton.
Just as a by-the-by, I was running a quiz a couple of weeks ago and I asked a question about the shipping forecast areas. The next week one of the participants brought the book in for me to have a look at. He said he had always had an interest in the subject.
Not that much of an interest as he got the answer wrong!!

[DTCwordfan]

I hope you gave him a mark in the forties.....

[ImLostAgain]

Groan!!! I say groan but you did make me laugh.