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It is frustrating that quotation marks have come to have two, almost perfectly opposite meanings (the traditional "words someone actually said" and the new "wor

by timbre 13y ago

It is frustrating that quotation marks have come to have two, almost perfectly opposite meanings (the traditional "words someone actually said" and the new "words no one actually said"). I guess the battle against the new usage is lost though.

MWil 13y ago
I think it's much more preferable that having (not!) next to phrases. Using quotation marks arose because there's no quick way to use a backwards question mark which was the traditional symbol.
blhack 13y ago
Language. Fascinating stuff! But seriously, "internet" is now a dialect of English, and putting things in "" marks as a substitute for tone is commonly accepted.
charlus 13y ago
I think it's interesting - Proust talks about this, an intonation to show detachment. As he spoke I noticed, what had often struck me before in his conversations with my grandmother’s sisters, that whenever he spoke of serious matters, whenever he used an expression which seemed to imply a definite opinion upon some important subject, he would take care to isolate, to sterilise it by using a special intonation, mechanical and ironic, as though he had put the phrase or word between inverted commas, and was anxious to disclaim any personal responsibility for it; as who should say “the ’hierarchy,’ don’t you know, as silly people call it.
- triplesec 13y ago
  V interesting. I found the reference (please add next time, it's useful) here, and fortunately it was that easy to find: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8g8rAEkl5-UC&lpg=PA92&ots=tqWf0A44jq&dq=As%20he%20spoke%20I%20noticed%2C%20what%20had%20often%20struck%20me%20before%20in%20his%20conversations%20with%20my%20grandmother%E2%80%99s%20sisters%2C%20that%20whenever%20he%20spoke%20of%20serious%20matters%2C%20whenever%20he%20used%20an%20expression%20which%20seemed%20to%20imply%20a%20definite%20opinion%20upon%20some%20important%20subject%2C%20he%20would%20take%20care%20to%20isolate%2C%20to%20sterilise%20it%20by%20using%20a%20special%20intonation%2C%20mechanical%20and%20ironic%2C%20as%20though%20he%20had%20put%20the%20phrase%20or%20word%20between%20inverted%20commas%2C%20and%20was%20anxious%20to%20disclaim%20any%20personal%20responsibility%20for%20it%3B%20as%20who%20should%20say%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20%E2%80%99hierarchy%2C%E2%80%99%20don%E2%80%99t%20you%20know%2C%20as%20silly%20people%20call%20it.&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8g8rAEkl5-UC&lpg=PA92&ots...
pjscott 13y ago
Strictly speaking, "I said everything in these quotation marks."
ewbuoi 13y ago
People have always used air quotes to show they're quoting someone's exact words, and also when they're being sarcastic and making up a quote. It's just hard to tell when people are being sarcastic in text.

by timbre 13y ago

MWil 13y ago

I think it's much more preferable that having (not!) next to phrases. Using quotation marks arose because there's no quick way to use a backwards question mark which was the traditional symbol.

blhack 13y ago

Language. Fascinating stuff! But seriously, "internet" is now a dialect of English, and putting things in "" marks as a substitute for tone is commonly accepted.

charlus 13y ago

I think it's interesting - Proust talks about this, an intonation to show detachment. As he spoke I noticed, what had often struck me before in his conversations with my grandmother’s sisters, that whenever he spoke of serious matters, whenever he used an expression which seemed to imply a definite opinion upon some important subject, he would take care to isolate, to sterilise it by using a special intonation, mechanical and ironic, as though he had put the phrase or word between inverted commas, and was anxious to disclaim any personal responsibility for it; as who should say “the ’hierarchy,’ don’t you know, as silly people call it.

triplesec 13y ago
V interesting. I found the reference (please add next time, it's useful) here, and fortunately it was that easy to find: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8g8rAEkl5-UC&lpg=PA92&ots=tqWf0A44jq&dq=As%20he%20spoke%20I%20noticed%2C%20what%20had%20often%20struck%20me%20before%20in%20his%20conversations%20with%20my%20grandmother%E2%80%99s%20sisters%2C%20that%20whenever%20he%20spoke%20of%20serious%20matters%2C%20whenever%20he%20used%20an%20expression%20which%20seemed%20to%20imply%20a%20definite%20opinion%20upon%20some%20important%20subject%2C%20he%20would%20take%20care%20to%20isolate%2C%20to%20sterilise%20it%20by%20using%20a%20special%20intonation%2C%20mechanical%20and%20ironic%2C%20as%20though%20he%20had%20put%20the%20phrase%20or%20word%20between%20inverted%20commas%2C%20and%20was%20anxious%20to%20disclaim%20any%20personal%20responsibility%20for%20it%3B%20as%20who%20should%20say%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20%E2%80%99hierarchy%2C%E2%80%99%20don%E2%80%99t%20you%20know%2C%20as%20silly%20people%20call%20it.&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8g8rAEkl5-UC&lpg=PA92&ots...

pjscott 13y ago

Strictly speaking, "I said everything in these quotation marks."

ewbuoi 13y ago

People have always used air quotes to show they're quoting someone's exact words, and also when they're being sarcastic and making up a quote. It's just hard to tell when people are being sarcastic in text.