"In vacant or in pensive mood..." I am: Bekah; 24; Law Student / Favorite Things: Carbs (so there!), Johnny Damon, Smiling at babies, Grilled cheese, Comfortable silence / Favorite Supreme Court Justice: Brennan / Favorite Wilson: Owen by an inch / Today's Special: Song: Elliott Smith, "Bled White"; Quote: "You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff." Please love me: mmbekah@yahoo.com

 
What the "hell" is "up" with "misuse" of "quotation marks"?

When did it become ok to put quotes around anything and everything for no apparent reason? In elementary school, I learned that we generally use quotation marks when recording a statement by another. This allows a writer to set off someone else's words from the rest of her piece of writing. Like if I wanted to report to everyone what Owen Wilson said when we met, I would organize it something like this: Sighing wistfully, Owen murmured, "I can't believe I've found the woman of my dreams already--right here in the poetry section of the neighborhood bookstore. Luke is going to be so jealous." As you can see, I used the quotes in that situation because that's what Owen actually said. There is also the equally acceptable ironic use of quotation marks. That would be something like: Freshman girls at this school wear clothes that don't fit them and drink a lot of "happy juice" on Thursday nights. See, "happy juice" is in quotes, because Freshman girls don't actually drink happy juice; they actually drink lots and lots of booze and then go do "laundry" with their "friends" at the frat house. Thus, the ironic use of quotes usually comes in handy when you're describing something metaphorically or with some other associational method.

The problem is that this ironic use of quotes is being severely abused. I think it's because people don't understand what irony actually is. When you have a takeout menu that says sandwiches "to go," you are misusing quotation marks. Quotation marks are not meant to place emphasis. That is what italics are for. I think part of the reason that misuse of quotation marks has reached epidemic proportions is the growing prevalence of air quotes. People just throw air quotes around without any thought. It's quote overload. Someone came to a party last year and said he brought three kinds of ice cream: vanilla, coffee, and "chocolate" (in air quotes). But you see my friends, the ice cream was in fact chocolate! Stop with the air quotes! They're "pissing" me the "hell" "off"!

I'm hoping that most establishments that use quotes on the menu are simply mistaken as to these grammatical fundamentals. Otherwise going to a Chinese restaurant that serves "mixed vegetables" will be much more disturbing than I'm prepared to deal with.

posted by Bekah at 1:56 PM :: |