editor's note: quotes.
9:30 AMOh quotes. Like any relationship, everything can be going
great and easy…and then, suddenly, BAM! they hit you with the “You don’t even understand
me!” line in public—in front of everyone—leaving you hurt and confused. As in
this case with Viking Sewing Gallery:
What’s wrong with these quotes you ask? There is no irony, actual quote, unusual usage, or use-mention distinction going on with this the word “dig.” The sentence should simply read, “Dig in the sand for your savings!” Which, aside from all this, is a really lame thing for a sewing company to say…but I digress.
Here are some simple tips how to use quotes to express
things other than “I told you to leave and never come back!” she said.
Quotation marks to set off irony
Quotes indicating verbal irony, or
other special use, are sometimes called "scare quotes." They are indicated with quotation
marks in written form, and are often gestured in oral speech using air quotes,
or with a verbal tone change. When you are wondering if something requires
quotations, simply place supposed[ly] or so-called in front of the word and see if your sentence
still makes sense.
For example:
He shared his "wisdom" with James. He shared his so-called wisdom with James.
You’d only use quotes if the man who was sharing the wisdom
wasn’t really sharing any wisdom at all. If you are being genuine, don’t use
quotes.
Signaling unusual
usage
Quotation marks are also used to
indicate that the writer realizes a word is not being used in its current
commonly accepted sense.
For example:
Crystals
somehow "know" which shape to grow into.
The special terminology, being quoted also indicates that
the words or phrases are being used in an unusual, colloquial, folksy,
startling, humorous, metaphoric, or punny way.
Use–mention
distinction
Either quotation marks or italic type
can emphasize that an instance of a word refers to the word itself rather than
its associated concept.
For example:
Cheese
is derived from milk. (No quotes because it is referring to the actual cheese.)
"Cheese"
is derived from a word in Old English. (Quotes because you are referring to a specific word.)
Moral of the story, when you want to simply emphasize a
single word for effect, italicize or underline
to make it stand out. No quotes for you!
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