Safe Syntax
Do you know any of those “writers” who ( “seemingly” randomly) “wraps” things with “quotation marks”—like he’s slapping condoms on all the “naughty bits”?
No? Well, alright then. Let it “pass.”
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It particularly irks me in public signs or in email. It implies the quoted text is meant facetiously … or that the writer is quoting another email.
Comment by Mark — March 1, 2009 @ 8:26 am
Russ Franke, a fine writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette back in the day, used to read quote-ridden copy aloud to the office crowd, turning all girlish and conspiratorial as he pronounced each word that was in quotes. Nobody who ever heard him do it would ever again commit such atrocities.
Comment by Al — March 1, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
Come to think of it, there are legitimate uses for this vice; e.g. in speaking of Fox “News.”
Comment by Al — March 6, 2009 @ 9:15 pm
….and “President” Bush, which is how every newspaper in the country should have referred to him after he lost the election and then was appointed “president” by “Justice” Scalia.
Comment by Al — March 6, 2009 @ 9:17 pm