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9:28PM
Mar-06-10
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lynnmelo
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Post edited 9:30PM – Mar-06-10 by lynnmelo
The only one that I've seen in the past couple of months that raised my eyebrows was this sign posted in a grocery story bakery during Christmas (where, presumably, they wanted you to ring for service): "Every time a bell rings an angel gets their wings." That one isn't too bad, considering the ones that you guys have posted.
ETA: Well, I just realized that this thread is about punctuation. I guess the jokes on me (yes, no apostrophe deliberately; I might as well add something to this after all).
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5:27PM
Apr-13-10
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David Hoffman
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Grant Barrett said:
Actually, Joni, I believe that quotation marks are acceptably used as a way to bring attention to words, either to disparage them, to call them into question, or to emphasize their importance. I call them "shout quotes." But it is sometimes funny for a moment to pretend to misunderstand. Maybe the plaque creator was saying that the "door" wasn't really a door.
Gosh, I hope "shout quotes" aren't now universally accepted as proper. They grate me like "fingernails" on a "blackboard". The worst I ever saw was a sign over the commode in a University bathroom that read:
Please Don't Throw
"Paper Towels"
In The
"Toilet"
I always left wondering what the heck a "paper towel" might be…
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10:00PM
Apr-13-10
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Grant Barrett
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David, I think you're willfully missing the point. People use quotes to emphasize a word. They're not always calling a word's authenticity into question. Like I said, it's fun to pretend that's what they’re doing so you can get a laugh, but I can't believe anyone really misunderstand those quote marks, especially given how prevalent they are. It's dishonest to intentionally misread them and try to convince anyone that you really believe the person is using the quotes as anything other than emphasis.
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5:49AM
Apr-14-10
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Glenn
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Post edited 7:07AM – Apr-14-10 by Glenn
While I have come to understand that some people use quotation marks for emphasis, a college experience — seeing attributions to apt scholars and authors scribbled next to them — *always* makes me consider them briefly as quotes.
Still, even understanding this use of quotation marks for emphasis, some uses baffle in their choice of words to emphasize:
e.g. Please "place" your tray on the conveyor "belt"
Park your "car" within the lines (I might accept: Park your car "within" the lines)
This way to "locker" room
or any one-word sign: e.g. "FORKS". (This is an actual one from my college cafeteria, attributed to Sigmund Freud)
I have noticed in recent years in text communications the use of asterisk to bracket words for emphasis:
e.g. I don't *want* to go now. I *have to*. (see also above)
My initial reaction to this punctuation innovation is positive.
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7:29AM
Apr-14-10
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David Hoffman
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Glenn said:
While I have come to understand that some people use quotation marks for emphasis, a college experience — seeing attributions to apt scholars and authors scribbled next to them — *always* makes me consider them briefly as quotes.
Still, even understanding this use of quotation marks for emphasis, some uses baffle in their choice of words to emphasize:
e.g. Please "place" your tray on the conveyor "belt"
Park your "car" within the lines (I might accept: Park your car "within" the lines)
This way to "locker" room
or any one-word sign: e.g. "FORKS". (This is an actual one from my college cafeteria, attributed to Sigmund Freud)
I have noticed in recent years in text communications the use of asterisk to bracket words for emphasis:
e.g. I don't *want* to go now. I *have to*. (see also above)
My initial reaction to this punctuation innovation is positive.
I agree, Glenn. I much prefer "shout asterisks" to "shout quotes". They make a word you want to emphasize *sparkle* a bit, instead of seem "disingenuous".
On a tangent, I've noticed people using an asterisk in an IM to signify a correction of a typo. Has anyone else seen that? For instance:
– sorry, I have to un
– *run
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7:44AM
Apr-14-10
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Glenn
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I think that comes from a kind of computer (pseudo teletype) display convention. I know that I have used such a system that displays the keystrokes (rather than a true text editor). As a result, if you press a key that performs a nonprintable character action, such as Delete or Backspace the diplay device will show that keystroke as an asterisk. As a result, I got quite good at reading the likes of this:
Now is the tune***ime for ajj**ll gook*d men
I always assumed that was the source of the convention.
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9:01AM
Apr-14-10
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David Hoffman
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That's really interesting, Glenn. Who uses, or used, machines that have that kind of display?
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9:49AM
Apr-14-10
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johng423
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Post edited 9:51AM – Apr-14-10 by johng423
I usually add quotes when a word or phrase is colloquial or slang but might be misunderstood when written. (If spoken in conversation, the tone of voice and other clues in context would convey the intended meaning.) Examples:
That was bad!
. . . I would mean the usual definition, e.g., of poor quality.
That was "bad"!
. . . I would mean the 80s slang usage (equivalent to "cool", "groovy", etc.). Michael Jackson had a popular album with that one-word title.[The fact that this particular word was used to convey two opposite meanings is the reason Weird Al Yankovich was able to deliberately and humorously misinterpret it and produce a parody album with the title, "Even Worse."]
This is just my own usage. What do you think? Does it clarify? or confuse?
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3:14PM
Apr-14-10
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Glenn
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David Hoffman said:
That's really interesting, Glenn. Who uses, or used, machines that have that kind of display?
Well, the technology may be beyond my expertise, but I was pretty sure that it was a TTY device running UNIX (which uses TTY as part of the underlying architecture). As it turns out, based on the explanation I just got TTY can run in "raw" or "cooked" modes, and the "raw" mode shows each individual keystroke. It seems that TDD conventions (a form of TTY) tend to use X instead of * to indicate backspaces.
I usually add quotes when a word or phrase is colloquial or slang but might be misunderstood when written. (If spoken in conversation, the tone of voice and other clues in context would convey the intended meaning.) Examples:
That was bad! . . . I would mean the usual definition, e.g., of poor quality.
That was "bad"! . . . I would mean the 80s slang usage (equivalent to "cool", "groovy", etc.). Michael Jackson had a popular album with that one-word title.[The fact that this particular word was used to convey two opposite meanings is the reason Weird Al Yankovich was able to deliberately and humorously misinterpret it and produce a parody album with the title, "Even Worse."]
This is just my own usage. What do you think? Does it clarify? or confuse?
That use seems standard and, in my opinion, is self-explanatory. If I saw, for example, "That was 'bad'!" even out of context my first inclination would be that we were discussing the colloquial meaning of the word. Other possibilities would exist, of course.
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