I released Biting My Nails on July 19, 1999. I created it directly in Fontographer as an experiment in making a sci-fi display typeface that felt stark and unsettled. The design wasn’t fully rectilinear; I introduced diagonals at seemingly arbitrary positions to break the rhythm and make the forms look sharp, cold, and slightly illogical. The result was a techno-angular alphabet that conveyed unease rather than harmony.
The name reflected the anxious character of the design. I saw it working in science fiction contexts, though I never observed any notable uses. Over the years, I made modest technical changes. During the 2000s, I expanded language coverage, and in 2009 I corrected vertical metrics and some alignment problems.
The typeface was released with a free desktop license, and in August 2020 I placed it in the public domain.