4 ms·

Totally off topic, but I'm often tripped up by these multiple uses of quotes like this. Why do we use the same symbols out of a huge space for both quoting and

Totally off topic, but I'm often tripped up by these multiple uses of quotes like this. Why do we use the same symbols out of a huge space for both quoting and sarcasm ?

Bancakes 6y ago
Sarcasm should be put in single quotes.
corty 6y ago
There are separate symbols for sarcasm, but in "serious" writing emoji aren't considered appropriate. And sites/software likes to restrict them, like e.g. HN, which is why the sarcasm above is marked by quotes instead of the appropriate emoji. Some earlier internet cultures used :> But I fear that is understood less widely nowadays.
- codetrotter 6y ago
  On Reddit people sometimes put /s at the end of a sentence to indicate sarcasm. And then there is also the irony punctuation which looks like this: ⸮ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation But I have never seen anyone actually ever use it. In fact I only ever heard about it so rarely that I almost miswrote and was about to say that interrobang is sometimes used for indicating sarcasm. But when I looked it up I read that interrobang is for showing surprise of course! As for your :> there was a guy that used to use it on an IRC channel that I was on. But I never understood quite what he meant by that kind of smiley. And later I looked it up and in his case I think the description I saw on Urban Dictionary fit pretty well, which said it was like a mischievous or devious smile. And I guess that also fits good for when you are sarcastic. Ever since I read that definition of :> it makes me think of this cartoon grinch smile https://meme.fandom.com/wiki/The_Grinch_Smile https://meme.fandom.com/wiki/The_Grinch_Smile
smolder 6y ago
Not a linguist or anything, but I'd say there's really just two categories: direct quotes (usually with a source), and then scare quotes which are used to communicate that you don't endorse the usage of the contained word(s).
rzzzt 6y ago
BBC articles tend to use it a lot, it's probably part of their style guide. I snicker quietly at each title that "is worded" like "this", imagining a Dr. Evil air quoting each segment dutifully.

Totally off topic, but I'm often tripped up by these multiple uses of quotes like this. Why do we use the same symbols out of a huge space for both quoting and sarcasm ?

Bancakes 6y ago

Sarcasm should be put in single quotes.

corty 6y ago

There are separate symbols for sarcasm, but in "serious" writing emoji aren't considered appropriate. And sites/software likes to restrict them, like e.g. HN, which is why the sarcasm above is marked by quotes instead of the appropriate emoji. Some earlier internet cultures used :> But I fear that is understood less widely nowadays.

codetrotter 6y ago
On Reddit people sometimes put /s at the end of a sentence to indicate sarcasm. And then there is also the irony punctuation which looks like this: ⸮ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation But I have never seen anyone actually ever use it. In fact I only ever heard about it so rarely that I almost miswrote and was about to say that interrobang is sometimes used for indicating sarcasm. But when I looked it up I read that interrobang is for showing surprise of course! As for your :> there was a guy that used to use it on an IRC channel that I was on. But I never understood quite what he meant by that kind of smiley. And later I looked it up and in his case I think the description I saw on Urban Dictionary fit pretty well, which said it was like a mischievous or devious smile. And I guess that also fits good for when you are sarcastic. Ever since I read that definition of :> it makes me think of this cartoon grinch smile https://meme.fandom.com/wiki/The_Grinch_Smile https://meme.fandom.com/wiki/The_Grinch_Smile

smolder 6y ago

Not a linguist or anything, but I'd say there's really just two categories: direct quotes (usually with a source), and then scare quotes which are used to communicate that you don't endorse the usage of the contained word(s).

rzzzt 6y ago

BBC articles tend to use it a lot, it's probably part of their style guide. I snicker quietly at each title that "is worded" like "this", imagining a Dr. Evil air quoting each segment dutifully.