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Date:      Fri, 02 Jun 2000 11:40:37 -0600
From:      Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>
To:        Mark Ovens <mark@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org>, Freddie Cash <fcash@bigfoot.com>
Cc:        chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Punctuation conventions
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.2.20000602113424.04a2caf0@localhost>
In-Reply-To: <20000602180619.B232@parish>
References:  <3936A504.9741.9963DB1@localhost> <006d01bfcc13$1b573c10$2969a0d0@leviathan> <3936A504.9741.9963DB1@localhost>

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At 11:06 AM 6/2/2000, Mark Ovens wrote:

>Maybe they find quote marks annoying in our novels.

To me, the most annoying misuse of quotes in English is for emphasis.
Italics, boldface, or all caps are less confusing.

My guess is that this misuse arises because one sometimes sees
 quotes used as an editorial device to express sarcasm or
incredulity at the use of a word or term. (An equivalent 
"quotes" gesture is often used in face-to-face conversation.)
But apparently, some folks who don't get the sarcasm mistake 
both the typographical convention and the gesture as signifying 
emphasis.

--Brett



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