# "Misquoting" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 24, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395 "2006-01-24T15:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/101 "2006-01-26T20:09:02Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Oh, yeah? Up yours, buddy. No, thanks! That’s how I got the syphilis in the first place. I ain’t fallin’ for _that_ again. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/102 "2006-01-26T20:17:14Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Oh, yeah? Up yours, buddy This schtick has been beaten into the ground by the **schtick-beater!** ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/103 "2006-01-26T20:18:57Z")
Oh God, here come the puns… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/104 "2006-01-26T20:29:47Z")
Ill-conceived snarks aside, my general practice–here, at least–is to copy/paste, changing nothing, spelling or otherwise. I try to consistently note elisions within a paragraph as ellipses, and elided paragraphs with a line of ellipsis. I almost never us “[sic]” when quoting another Doper, because I think to do is comes off as snarky. I use it more frequently when quoting an external source, to cover my own ass. When I recently transcribed Kurt Vonnegut’s NPR interview for that thread, I omitted some non-word false starts. It’s always been my understanding that such omissions are kosher, when transcribing speech. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/105 "2006-01-26T20:42:05Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > In the interest of felicitous prose, I’ve removed a comma from the above quote. > > I don’t think it should be like a warning offense or anything. It just seems to me that we should err on the side of not encouraging liberties with quotes. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here. Are you arguing that correcting someone’s comma usage without indicating that you’ve done so is a good thing, or a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/106 "2006-01-26T21:04:32Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here. Are you arguing that correcting someone’s comma usage without indicating that you’ve done so is a good thing, or a bad thing? Practice reading comprehension. If one post isn’t clear, you can try to contextualize it by examining other posts. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/107 "2006-01-26T22:34:58Z")
Or you could just clarify, instead of trying to start something negative up again. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/108 "2006-01-26T22:37:02Z")
Or of course, one could try simply answering a polite question with a polite and factual answer rather than a haughty instruction to practice reading comprehension. It’s this sort of high-minded imperiousness that serves to undercut whatever good might be accomplished by your intelligence and education, **Excalibre**. It’s a shame, because as I’ve said before, you are an intelligent and educated person. I often like to read what you have to say because it’s frequently intructional, but then I run into something like this and it derails completely my desire to listen to anything you have to say. IMO, **lissener** is easily as intelligent as you, and for you to try to look down on him by issuing such a high-handed and dismissive answer only makes you appear to be striving for a mental superiority that is not only inordinately important to you, but which you can’t acheive otherwise. But other than that, thanks. I have been managing to learn a few things from this thread. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/109 "2006-01-26T23:20:38Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > > [@Excalibre](#): > > > > I don’t think it should be like a warning offense or anything. It just seems to me that we should err on the side of not encouraging liberties with quotes. > > I’m fine with that. It’s a perfectly reasonable stance. Followed by: > [@Excalibre](#): > > > [@Q.E.D.](#): > > > > I’m fine with that. It’s a perfectly reasonable stance[, assuming you’re a prostitute suffering from syphilis-induced dementia]. > > Oh, yeah? Up yours, buddy. Y’know, I realize that this was done as a joke and that **Q.E.D.** recognizes it as a joke, but you are not making life for the Moderators easier with this sort of stunt. While you and your target are going to be fine with it, today, some jerk is going to come along in another month or next year and point to this exchange as either an example of the Mods letting certain posters “get away” with stuff or as an example of Mods being jackbooted thugs for ctacking down on “obvious” humor. I’m going to let the **Pit** Mods decide which way they want to be stigmatized over the handling of this post, but I will point out that posters who make life harder on the Mods do not endear themselves to the Mods. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/110 "2006-01-27T00:03:33Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Or of course, one could try simply answering a polite question with a polite and factual answer rather than a haughty instruction to practice reading comprehension. > > It’s this sort of high-minded imperiousness that serves to undercut whatever good might be accomplished by your intelligence and education, **Excalibre**. It’s a shame, because as I’ve said before, you are an intelligent and educated person. I often like to read what you have to say because it’s frequently intructional, but then I run into something like this and it derails completely my desire to listen to anything you have to say. IMO, **lissener** is easily as intelligent as you, and for you to try to look down on him by issuing such a high-handed and dismissive answer only makes you appear to be striving for a mental superiority that is not only inordinately important to you, but which you can’t acheive otherwise. > > But other than that, thanks. I have been managing to learn a few things from this thread. **Starving Artist** , since I’m quite certain you lack even **lissener** ’s rudimentary reading comprehension, I’ll explain to you that (1) I couldn’t care less about your opinion of me, your success at having started a pile-on on me notwithstanding, as you are well below many unicellular organisms in intelligence and you make up for your lack with condescension and ass-kissing, and (2) whether or not **lissener** was polite in _that single post_, he decided to throw a shit-fit directed at me earlier _in this very thread_ (no, really! Read it again if it’s already slipped through the holes in your sieve of a mind) and this left me somewhat disinclined to restate something that I have stated clearly more than once already, as I’ve discussed the finer points of it for several posts. I don’t really care about your comparative evaluation of **lissener** ’s and my intelligence, as there’s no possible relevance to it here, and I’m not as obsessed as you are with intellectual dick-measuring, though you (obviously lacking any puissance of your own in the arena) do it by attempting to squeeze yourself up the assholes of those you perceive to be smarter. Witness any of the **Liberal** pittings for copious examples. If **lissener** would like me to discuss things with him in a civilized manner, he will have to become more civil in his approach to me. You, my condescending and subnormal stalker, don’t really have such an opportunity any more; you might as well spare me your mindless blatherings on how I might remake myself in your image, as such a notion is deeply antithetical to every fiber of my being. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/111 "2006-01-27T00:30:08Z")
Hah! Just what I would have expected…but tell me, since I didn’t bother to read much of that glurge, did you also comment on my ‘titanic stupidity’ which you’ve ‘established’ so many times? If not, such an omission would be quite uncharacteristic of you. Further, as for my allegedly stalking you, in both this thread and **brightpenny’s** , I only took you on once you had continued to play the ass for so long I felt I could no longer let it slide. I’ve been following this thread for two days, and in the other, if you’ll recall, I started out criticizing the pile-on posters in the main and only went after you after your numerous and repeated bouts of assholism…kind of like here. (And I’ll have you know that, small as my _puissance_ may be, it most assuredly certainly dwarfs your own.) 😃 Cheers, you pompous, insecure dickweed, **SA** ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/112 "2006-01-27T02:08:13Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Hah! Just what I would have expected…but tell me, since I didn’t bother to read much of that glurge, did you also comment on my ‘titanic stupidity’ which you’ve ‘established’ so many times? If not, such an omission would be quite uncharacteristic of you. :: sigh :: I’ve forgotten that I have to use shorter words when speaking to you. Obviously my last message was taxing for you. > [@](#): > > I’ve been following this thread for two days, And yet you seem to understand none of it. How sad for you. Naturally, however, it hasn’t stopped you from offering commentary. > [@](#): > > (And I’ll have you know that, small as my _puissance_ may be, it most assuredly certainly dwarfs your own.) 😃 Yes, undoubtedly. Tell yourself what you have to in order to feel better, **Starving Artist**. I can take whatever slings and arrows you send my way, if it makes you feel happier for yourself to patronize me. I’m sure you don’t have many opportunities in real life to accomplish anything; for your sake, I’ll pretend that “No, you are!” is a major blow to me. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/113 "2006-01-27T02:57:03Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > :: sigh :: > I’ve forgotten that I have to use shorter words when speaking to you. Obviously my last message was taxing for you. Most of your messages are taxing, pal, and it’s not because they can’t be understood; it’s because they can. > [@Excalibre](#): > > And yet you seem to understand none of it. How sad for you. :rolleyes: > [@Excalibre](#): > > Naturally, however, it hasn’t stopped you from offering commentary. Well, that is a large part of what we do here, isn’t it? > [@Excalibre](#): > > Yes, undoubtedly. Tell yourself what you have to in order to feel better, **Starving Artist**. Okay: **Excalibre** has left the boards… **Excalibre** has left the boards… **Excalibre** has left the boards… Hey, you’re right! I do feel better! > [@Excalibre](#): > > I can take whatever slings and arrows you send my way, if it makes you feel happier for yourself to patronize me. It would make me even happier for there to be no reason for slings and arrows, but alas I’m coming to realize that it just isn’t possible. You’re an asshole through and through, and an eager one at that. So, given that I tend to take people as I find them, I guess I’ll just have to continue to treat you like the asshole you are. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/114 "2006-01-27T03:20:00Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Hey, you’re right! I do feel better!It would make me even happier for there to be no reason for slings and arrows, but alas I’m coming to realize that it just isn’t possible. You’re an asshole through and through, and an eager one at that. So, given that I tend to take people as I find them, I guess I’ll just have to continue to treat you like the asshole you are. Yes, dear. It’s just like your mama always told you. If someone doesn’t like you, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you, it’s because there’s something wrong with them. Also, you’re the handsomest boy in the school, and it’s the cheerleader’s loss if she doesn’t want to go to prom with you. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/115 "2006-01-27T03:28:37Z")
I see once again the adults have left the playground unattended. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/116 "2006-01-27T03:42:56Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > I see once again the adults have left the playground unattended. Yeah, **Callie’s** calling me ‘dear’ now, so it’s definately gone too far. I’ll go stand in the corner now. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/117 "2006-01-28T21:49:49Z")
Not to interrupt the lovefest, but what about paraphrasing what others have said and putting it into quote marks? I do this, occassionally, and generally assume that people recognize that a paraphrase is not the same as claiming that a poster said exactly that. I am thinking of something like this - > [@Nobody](#): > > The Palestinians are in a militarily inferior position. Non-standard warfare is their only change to bring the Israelis to the bargaining table. Which I then paraphrase as: > [@Shodan - No](#): > > Your position of “it’s OK if the Palestinians kill civilians” is characteristic of the kind of poopy-headedness of the Left on these boards. Now certainly **Nobody** didn’t say what was in the quote marks. But isn’t that obvious? Especially if I quote them? I don’t wish to make life difficult, but it seems a fairly common rhetorical device. I suppose I could put dashes between the words, but that seems clumsy. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/118 "2006-01-28T22:27:14Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Not to interrupt the lovefest, but what about paraphrasing what others have said and putting it into quote marks? I do this, occassionally, and generally assume that people recognize that a paraphrase is not the same as claiming that a poster said exactly that. > > I am thinking of something like this - > Which I then paraphrase as:Now certainly **Nobody** didn’t say what was in the quote marks. But isn’t that obvious? Especially if I quote them? > > I don’t wish to make life difficult, but it seems a fairly common rhetorical device. I suppose I could put dashes between the words, but that seems clumsy. > > Regards, > Shodan Yeah, I’ve found myself doing that from time to time, I think because it’s a common tactic when speaking. I try not to do it, though, because I view the quote marks as implying something - and even if context makes it clear (as with the joke I made that **tomndebb** rightfully criticized above) it seems like a bad idea to imply one thing with context and something else with punctuation. I try to do it in other ways - saying, for instance, _You suggest here that Palestinians are in the right to blow up buses_ or _So you’re saying, basically, that Palestinians have every reason to blow up buses_ - rather than using quote marks. Occasionally I’ve resorted to single quotes rather than double to set off phrases since they don’t seem to imply quite as much that it’s a direct quote, but I feel uncomfortable doing so, and I’m going to make sure I don’t do it again. I would suggest, then, that you set off paraphrases with words rather than quote marks. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/119 "2006-01-28T22:44:14Z")
That’s a worthwhile suggestion. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395/120 "2006-01-28T23:07:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Not to interrupt the lovefest, but what about paraphrasing what others have said and putting it into quote marks? I do this, occassionally, and generally assume that people recognize that a paraphrase is not the same as claiming that a poster said exactly that. Oh great, “let’s all use punctuation to sow confusion and discord and possibly start fires.” Typical. 😃 It’s fine, actually. The question came up [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332480&page=5&pp=40) last September. Despite some initial confusion, it was decided that because quotation marks are so widely used to paraphrase that the rigorous rules governing attributed quote tags do not apply. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misquoting/341395.md?page=5)