January 30, 2008

The "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation "marks".
posted by tracicle 16 years ago
  • "Nice" "post".
  • "Thanks" a "bunch", my "friend".
  • You're a "great" "moderator." And I think your "kids" are "cute."
  • "Likewise". And you're really "funny".
  • What is going on in someone's head when they do this? The apostrophes aren't on accident, they aren't a typo, the person using them meant to use them, but why? What do they think they are doing? What is it supposed to mean? It ends up meaning the opposite to us readers, but since the writer didn't mean the opposite, what did they mean? They meant something. There was some reason they did it.
  • I think in some cases it's for emphasis, instead of bold or underline or caps or whatever. In others, I have "no" clue.
  • %%Has always been a "pet peeve" of mine.%% RalphTheDog, January, 2008
  • Longstanding tradition dictates that quotation marks on signs can be used to give attention to the word inside them. It's a good example of people adapting written language symbols to their needs. Kind of like how some of us, in the absence of italics or bold type, will use * symbols to draw attention to a word. Not correct at all, but it works. These days, of course, people are more educated about grammar and look askance at this usage.
  • Of "course" it could be "sarcasm" People who use "extra" quotes being so "smart" and all that Just like when we say RTD is so "cool" Or Hank is "such a peach" Or I just "love" your post, trac Heh.
  • "Bless" you, BlueHorse. :p
  • I prefer using "air quotes" when I talk.
  • I do that "way" too much. I've started talking to people with my hands clasped or in my pockets to break the habit.
  • I sometimes whip out my penis to indicate a comma.
  • I think it's related to the way people will Capitalize a Word when it's really Important. My theory is that both phenomena stem from people who can't figure out how to implement bold or italics. (Typically they discover the "text color" button at the same time. Then it's whoa, watch out, world!)
  • I dare not click the link.
  • Occasionally they have something on the blog which I think is actually a correct use of quotation marks - a slogan, or a name which might be in quotation marks because it is a title, like a story title. "fresh not frozen" is possibly a literal quotation of something someone has said.
  • Also, I hate posting on grammar threads. I always get something wrong. Or misspell something.
  • My sprog does air quotes using three fingers just to annoy.
  • That's "okay." We "understand."
  • Sometimes blog's are like box's of chocolate's, you never now what your gonna "get".
  • Those are actually summary marks.
  • *signs up for livejournalism school* Ooh! I bet that's where our friend Moooshy studied!
  • air guillemets
  • Over-use of quotation marks may be just a 'cute' cringing wish to avoid blame by distancing oneself from the idea. One can then 'die a thousand deaths' in any case.
  • Some of you may need help from the APWUAQATT. But be careful not to steal, as this fine example of website design is COPYRIGHTED!!!
  • It's a good example of people adapting written language symbols to their needs. Not correct at all, but it works. I beg to differ. The fact that so many people see this is sarcasm or just plain wrong means it doesn't work. I think this makes it a bad example of people adapting language symbols to their needs. (Or a good example of them attempting, but failing.) Especially since it's not like there's some void that had to be filled. Emphasis is easily given with underlining, bolding, larger lettering or color. Even capitalization is a better solution. Why choose to use none of these, and instead use something ambiguous?
  • It's hilarious that people are using something for emphasis that in fact de-emphasizes their statements. Compare: I'm really hungry. and I'm "really hungry." The second implies that you are not in fact really hungry, but are instead just being a jackass about it. That said, this is a "great" link.
  • Good points, Lara. In fact, I'm going to back way off on using the thingees. (Except in writing html, of course.)
  • I notice that in a lot of old movies, the title screen has the film title in quotes. Seems to me sa though s full-length work would be underlined ot italicized. My edition of CMoS doesn't seem to cover the question, though. Anyway, you usually don;t see them past the 1960's.
  • Short stories, chapter headings -- quotation marks. Books, Acts of Parliament -- underlined. Styles of cause -- italics (except for the v.) "Film titles", I "don't know". I'd "guess" "underlined". But these "rules" are only for "outside reference", so it "might" not "apply" to what's "on-screen".
  • *I think TUM needs a transfusion of "grammerglobulin"
  • But I see it all the time in hand-written signs. Here's one I've seen: "sale" TODAY!!! They used caps, underlines, and exclamation points all on the word 'today' so they clearly knew how to emphasize, and what they wanted to emphasize. But they used quotation marks with the the word 'sale', while keeping it lower case and with no other emphasis indicators. (This sign has been haunting me for a long time. Ever since seeing it I've been trying to figure out what they meant. I'm convinced they had a reason and it wasn't emphasis or sarcasm) I think it's more common on hand written signs than on non-hand-written signs (I'm unsure what to call them).
  • I beg to differ. The fact that so many people see this is sarcasm or just plain wrong means it doesn't work. I think this makes it a bad example of people adapting language symbols to their needs. (Or a good example of them attempting, but failing.) Yeah, I think it's old fashioned, but it worked just fine for a long time. Like I said, now it's considered ignorant so you're likely to see it scaled back. Consider it a disappearing dialect.
  • Oh! I love this site - this is my friend's entry.
  • ""'s are awesome!"
  • I just saw the resume of a person who may be hired to be my new boss. A passage from the cover letter reads, "I have a proven record for 'getting things done.'" He's either a quote abuser, a sex maniac, or a hopeless slackass.
  • I resent that. Except the sex maniac bit.
  • TUM, I don't think that's necessarily an egregious piece of stupidity on the resume. Maybe the applicant is making an implied quote of what (he wants people to think) others have said about him. (Some of the entries on the linked site are, I think, meant to be actual quotes or slogans quoted as if spoken, and so the humor is not there for me--like this one, or this one) Or maybe by quoting it he's acknowledging its slogan-like buzzword pervasiveness while still asserting it to be true. I.E., "I'm well known for 'Takin' Care of Business'." On the other hand maybe he's a jackass.
  • "I'm well known for 'Takin' Care of Business'." Or maybe he's Randy Bachman.
  • If that's the case, TP, then it's a valid use - but I'd still have misgivings about working for someone who throws about lame catchphrases in official correspondence.
  • Re: this thread... I think your handle could benefit from some quotes, TUM. Help clarify it. Is it The 'Underpants' Monster (the monster known as Underpants) or The 'Underpants Monster' (the Monster that, eh, lives in them)?
  • I am all underpants monsters to all people.
  • It's "The" Underpants Monster.
  • The underpanter with the ironic Jamaican accent: The Underpants "Mon"ster.
  • MonkeyFilter: "I'm well known for 'Takin' Care of Business'." It's The Under "Pants" Monster.
  • The Underpant's "Monster"
  • Every morning I assume the stance And slip into my underpants But will I ever get the chance To greatly enhance This mundane dance With a naughty glance That stirs my lance Oh, the elegance Of The Underpants Monster.
  • Whereof it came I cannot say But I'd assumed the meaning To be concerned with laundry day (the day for clothing cleaning). The Monster it had seemed to me Wasn't made of underwear But rather was that entity That made it disappear.
  • *chokes on coffee*