With these twenty-six letters...

October 30, 2006 9:23 PM

Popping the question with movable type (not Movable Type).

I've got a twenty-six letter (A-Z) set of metal type sitting around, along with four ligatures (fi/ff/ffi/ffl) and two large wooden Gs. Is there any way I can ask the love of my life (who will take one of the large Gs) to marry me, in one beautiful way or another, without duplicating any letters?

If I can't pull it off in metal, I'm willing to set less important words in rub-on or vinyl type, and I also have rub-on hiragana, katakana and a Polaroid camera at my disposal.

I'm hoping to pull this off by the end of the day...it's 2pm, hivemind, grab your Scrabble boards and help me figure out if this will work!

posted by avocet to Writing & Language (22 answers total)

You and I wed?
(bonus! all 5 vowels!)
posted by chrisamiller at 9:33 PM on October 30, 2006

join my fate


O husband me (not sure if you're male or female)

stay mine

unto wife (a random building block)
posted by amtho at 9:41 PM on October 30, 2006

You and I wed?

Er, two 'd's' in that. (Just sayin'... not that I have anything to beat it.)
posted by trip and a half at 9:47 PM on October 30, 2006

Take out the letters that spell "You" and "Me". Using all the rest, lay out an infinity symbol and then finally put You and Me inside the infinity loops. Probably only works if she know immediately realizes that it's an infinity sign and not an 8.
posted by Cog at 9:50 PM on October 30, 2006

Oh...sorry, I somehow I though you wanted to use all your metal type instead of not duplicating them.

Better head back to ReadingComprehensionFilter.
posted by Cog at 9:51 PM on October 30, 2006

Take My Ring?

Be my soul?
posted by oddman at 10:00 PM on October 30, 2006

Be my own?
posted by trip and a half at 10:02 PM on October 30, 2006

Response by poster: I just realized a French proposal might be most appropriate - he's the linguist, I'm the typographer. Yes, this is a woman planning to make this official.

ma bonheur is an appealing starting point...
posted by avocet at 10:10 PM on October 30, 2006

I, your fiance?

(using a ligature)
posted by vacapinta at 10:11 PM on October 30, 2006

Response by poster: eep, it's mon bonheur, which ruins that one. Doh.
posted by avocet at 10:12 PM on October 30, 2006

My ring, heart, & soul?

Remaining: bcdfjknpqvwxz
I suppose the & would have to be drawn on or somesuch.
posted by metaculpa at 10:14 PM on October 30, 2006

Then maybe:

Pour la vie?
posted by trip and a half at 10:17 PM on October 30, 2006

PLS U B MY WIFE

or

.................M
..................I
......Y.........N
I..LOVE..BE
......U

or

YOU

I

WE D
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:53 PM on October 30, 2006

You and I wed?

Er, two 'd's' in that. (Just sayin'... not that I have anything to beat it.)

You can use the P by turning it upside down to make it a lowercase d.

I'm probably too late now if you were planning to do it at 2 pm.
posted by catburger at 10:58 PM on October 30, 2006

Oh wait, you said end of the day, not 2 pm. Although I'm still probably too late.
posted by catburger at 10:59 PM on October 30, 2006

know l am thy bride

(assuming lowercase, & using the ell for an eye)
posted by misteraitch at 3:33 AM on October 31, 2006

You can use the P by turning it upside down to make it a lowercase d.

No self-respecting typographer would do such a thing!
posted by Robot Johnny at 8:19 AM on October 31, 2006

I WL MARY U
posted by govtrust at 2:06 PM on October 31, 2006

Wth 26 ltrs I do
posted by govtrust at 2:10 PM on October 31, 2006

'Lil followup? I'd really like to know how this went down!
posted by trip and a half at 8:33 PM on October 31, 2006

Response by poster: It didn't happen.

Long-term turned long-distance lovers after a job offer in Japan whisked him away - he'll be back next November, and until he returns to Toronto I try and visit as often as I can. Last night was our last night together for another few months, and I couldn't pull it off.

Now I'm packing my things up in preparation for my overnight bus trip to Tokyo to catch my flight home tomorrow morning, and I'm sure the neighbours can hear my loud sobs through the walls. I'm devastated to leave everything I love here to go back 'home' to a place I never really fit in.

I guess I get to look forward to purchasing more metal type to pull this off for real when he comes home for Christmas. Thank you for the input, hivemind - I'm just going to buy more letters.
posted by avocet at 10:01 PM on October 31, 2006

O, Avocet. I'm so sorry you're being torn from your love. Do you have to wait that long to propose? If it were set, you could spend the months preparing for your new life. You can do that anyway, can't you, though?
posted by amtho at 1:07 PM on November 1, 2006