# easy one: what does \[sic\] mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609 "2003-11-11T14:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/21 "2003-11-12T16:22:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*“If I have seen further, it is because I have been surrounded by dwarfs.” - Murray Gell-Mann \*\* That sounds so Gell-Man-ish! Is it a real quote? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/22 "2003-11-12T16:30:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rocketeer \* > \*\*That sounds so Gell-Man-ish! Is it a real quote? \*\* I couldn’t find a definite confirmation on Google, but if it’s not it should be! ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/23 "2003-11-12T17:07:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by [t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net) \* > \*\*Can you provide a cite for this? > > Because everything I’ve read about this, including statements by Kameny & Kurtz, the originators of BASIC say that this name started out as an acronym for Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. And while that name may have been chosen to create a nice sounding acronym, it does not seem to qualify as a back-formation. > > (Saying that it stands for Bill’s Attempt to Seize Industry Control _is_ a back-formation, probably an intentional one.) \*\* OK, bad example. I was referring to the second, intentional, humorous, back-formation. I remember Kameny or Kurtz (I can’t remember which) saying that originally it was named simply “Basic” because it was developed as a basic instructional language. It was turned into BASIC and “acronymized” (is that a word?) by the inventors before their first publication (Kemeny, J. G. and Kurtz, T. E. 1964 June. BASIC instruction manual. Hanover NH: Dartmouth College), so Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code is not a back-formation. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/24 "2003-11-12T17:08:07Z")
I always thought it was “Said in context”. Hmphf. Learn sumthin[sic] new every day. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/25 "2003-11-12T17:14:57Z")
> [@](#): > > a 2:1 degree in English What’s that? ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/26 "2003-11-12T17:36:01Z")
“I feel sic (sic).” ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/27 "2003-11-12T17:42:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slipster \* > \*\*For a good discussion of the widespread use of “(sic)” in lame attempts to appear superior, see satirist Michael O’Donaghue’s \*\*(sic) **essaby** (sic) _ **How to Write Good** _ I just couldn’t help myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tradnor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@Tradnor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tradnor)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609/28 "2003-11-12T18:36:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shade \* > \*\*This is a different general question, but is [sic] really used snidely more often than not? I can’t recall seeing it being used improperly; have I just forgetful, or lucky in what I read? \*\* In academic papers and published literature, it’s usually used without ill intent. As said before, without the “sic”, the reader can think it’s a typo, and the only way to find out for sure is to find the original location of the cited quote, which may involve a lot of work. But on a message board such as this, you can quote someone automatically by hitting the quote button to reply, or copying and pasting. (I should hope nobody bothers retyping the whole thing!) So it is not likely for the quoter to introduce a mistake that wasn’t there originally, and thus there is no need to clarify by using “sic”. By doing so, the only thing the quoter does is emphasize the mistakes of the original writer. And spelling flames are usually not a sign of intelligent discourse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-one-what-does-sic-mean/212609.md?page=1)