Semicolon

[Mr. X]

Hi Everybody

I know that semicolons are followed by complete sentences, but can we make exceptions? For instance, I have a line where I repeat the 'neither, nor' combination, and I feel odd using a comma. He had neither X nor Y; neither A nor B.

I am wondering whether exceptions can be made, as in the above case. (in the second clause, 'neither A nor B' is more like 'he had neither A nor B').

Mr. X

[Rover_KE]

That looks like a very acceptable use of the semicolon to me, Mr X.

I await other opinions with interest.

Rover

[Coolfootluke]

I am not a teacher.

No. The version with the comma is unexceptionable. That's the way it has been done since the first air-breathing organism heaved itself up on shore and invented the typewriter. The semicolon makes the reader look twice, and that is always a Very Bad Thing.

[5jj]

I'd use a comma. I think that the semi-colon here is too strong.