The term 'DOTS' is a reference to the punctuation mark, which is used to indicate a pause in a sentence or to separate items in a list. It is also used to indicate an omission of letters in a word, such as when writing out a swear word. The term 'AND DASHES' refers to the punctuation mark known as the dash, which is used to indicate a break in thought or to separate words in a sentence. Together, these two punctuation marks are used to create a variety of effects in written language.