# \`\`..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/87055 "2001-10-12T14:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![urban1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d07c76/32.png) [@urban1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/1 "2001-10-12T14:56:45Z")
I have noticed this construct used many times in published articles, in this context: ``I wasn’t there", said the suspect. Obviously the `` is an opening quote and the " a closing quote, but why not just use " in both cases? ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/2 "2001-10-12T14:57:31Z")
It’s only used when the article is rushed to press, so the wind blows the " back. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/3 "2001-10-12T15:09:55Z")
Same reason we don’t use )parentheses) like that. One’s an opener, one’s a closer. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/4 "2001-10-12T15:15:07Z")
Well traditionally there were seperate characters for opening and closing quotation marks, but we got stuck with the one double-quote character on typical keyboards. So this is a way to make up for it. You’ll notice that MS-Word obnoxiously changes " characters to open and close quotation marks, depending where you put them. (And it’s _usually_ correct.) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/5 "2001-10-12T16:00:27Z")
Isn’t it a user-preference option in Word that you can turn off and get regular straight quotes if you prefer them? (I’m not a Word user, but this is true of other word processors) ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/6 "2001-10-12T16:32:50Z")
Replacing “Straigt Quotes” with “Smart Quotes” is an option in Tools-\>AutoCorrect-\>AutoFormat As You Type tab. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/7 "2001-10-12T19:38:01Z")
Some typesetting software (well, TeX anyway) recognize `as an opening quote and '' as a closing quote. People who use that kind of software a lot start using the `‘’ convention elsewhere as well, which is why you see it in newsgroup postings, etc. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/8 "2001-10-12T20:15:50Z")
Old-school type (as in typesetting) guy checking in here. IMHO, “straight quotes” or “dumb quotes” are an abomination to proper typesetting. In fact, technically, there is no such thing; there are open quotes, closed quotes and **ditto marks**. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/9 "2001-10-12T20:29:40Z")
And here I thought this was going to be about ellipses. …what a disappointment…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smoke)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/10 "2001-10-12T20:45:51Z")
Is anyone here aware of a reason why there is a traditional-looking opening quote, and not a closing one? Why one “Smart” quote and one “straight” one? -j ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/11 "2001-10-12T21:13:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cargogal \* > \*\*It’s only used when the article is rushed to press, so the wind blows the " back. \*\* **Cargogal** , what a smartass you are 🙂 And in only your ninth post. Keep up the good work 😃 LOL ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/12 "2001-10-12T22:04:48Z")
As I see it, computers have easy access to a ditto mark, an apostrophe, and a thing I’ve usually heard called a “backtick.” None of which is an opening quote or closing quote like typesetters want. When a web site uses the double-backtick as an opening quote, they usually use a double-aspostrophe as the closing quote. However, I frequently copy a web page’s text to the clipboard and paste it in plain text fashion into an e-mail, which is usually viewed with a fixed-space font. The double-backtick and double-apostrophe look especially ugly in fixed-space fonts, so I wish they would just use the ditto mark. It’s a compromise, but a better one that the other way IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![urban1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d07c76/32.png) [@urban1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t//87055/13 "2001-10-13T02:33:13Z")
Thanks to all who responded. I think I learned something. Thanks to **The Great Gazoo** for the most original answer and, **gigi** sorry if I disappointed you.