A Language Question For The Linguists

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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BostonBeaneater wrote:
26 Sep 2017, 12:06pm
Yahoo Serious was a better Prime Minister than Paul Hogan.
This irritant was that country's greatest Minister of Culture.
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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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BostonBeaneater wrote:
26 Sep 2017, 12:11pm
I wonder if Yahoo Serious will ever reform the Jam.

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I do it sometimes when I'm feeling lazy. I guess that's all you need to know.
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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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Kory wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:54pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I do it sometimes when I'm feeling lazy. I guess that's all you need to know.
I'm certain that someone or something is teaching these kids this Limey atrocity. And why is this the thing that they choose to learn?
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Rat Patrol »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:56pm
Kory wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:54pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I do it sometimes when I'm feeling lazy. I guess that's all you need to know.
I'm certain that someone or something is teaching these kids this Limey atrocity. And why is this the thing that they choose to learn?
Just a theory...but if the apostrophe is easier to type on a phone than a quotation mark, they will double-down on the single-quote.

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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Rat Patrol wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:21pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:56pm
Kory wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:54pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I do it sometimes when I'm feeling lazy. I guess that's all you need to know.
I'm certain that someone or something is teaching these kids this Limey atrocity. And why is this the thing that they choose to learn?
Just a theory...but if the apostrophe is easier to type on a phone than a quotation mark, they will double-down on the single-quote.
Ugh. That is so awful it makes sense. Still, they do know to use proper double quotes when quoting a source or historical figure, so maybe not.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Inder »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I was surprised to learn it's standard in some newer/revised style guides.

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Rat Patrol »

Inder wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:43pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I was surprised to learn it's standard in some newer/revised style guides.
Not in the style guides that you use if you actually want to get paid for your work.

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In my line of work, I can still legally give you 10 lashes for misuse of single quotes.

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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Rat Patrol wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:50pm
Inder wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:43pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I was surprised to learn it's standard in some newer/revised style guides.
Not in the style guides that you use if you actually want to get paid for your work.

Image


In my line of work, I can still legally give you 10 lashes for misuse of single quotes.
:lol: Aye and then some.

The missuz just informed me that a number of her colleagues (mis)use single quotes in the way I describe above. I don't recall any clients doing that, tho.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Inder »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:55pm
Rat Patrol wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:50pm
Inder wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 6:43pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 5:30pm
When the fuck did North Americans start using single quotes? Student after student for the last six years turn in stuff where, if they aren't quoting something directly, they use single quotes. Stuff like scare or snark quotes, they use singles. Who the hell is teaching them this? We fought or negotiated our way free of the Limeys to use double quotes, dagnabbit!
I was surprised to learn it's standard in some newer/revised style guides.
Not in the style guides that you use if you actually want to get paid for your work.

Image


In my line of work, I can still legally give you 10 lashes for misuse of single quotes.
:lol: Aye and then some.

The missuz just informed me that a number of her colleagues (mis)use single quotes in the way I describe above. I don't recall any clients doing that, tho.
The MHRA, which is standard in the UK, requires single quotes.

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

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But that's the standard distinction between British rules and Canadian and American rules. I grew up knowing that in Canada we use double quotes for everything (except a quote within a quote). It's this recent, I guess distinction of quotation mark usage that I don't get. Quote JFK and they use doubles. Right. But for scare or snark quotes, where there's nobody actually being quoted—e.g., Trump is an ‘inspiring leader’—and they use singles. I have no idea where that's coming from.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Inder »

Ah yes. I think I misunderstood your point.

The obvious solution is go into your next lecture/seminar wearing these earrings:

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Inder wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 9:16pm
Ah yes. I think I misunderstood your point.

The obvious solution is go into your next lecture/seminar wearing these earrings:

Image
It might put the Billy Corgan thing to the grave … :twitch:
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Language Question For The Linguists

Post by Marky Dread »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
28 Oct 2017, 7:05am
Inder wrote:
27 Oct 2017, 9:16pm
Ah yes. I think I misunderstood your point.

The obvious solution is go into your next lecture/seminar wearing these earrings:

Image
It might put the Billy Corgan thing to the grave … :twitch:
Shouldn't Billy Corgan be in quotation marks? After all he is history"s biggest monster.
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