# Please stop using quotes for "emphasis"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-stop-using-quotes-for-emphasis/441201>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 13, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-stop-using-quotes-for-emphasis/441201 "2008-03-13T01:24:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-stop-using-quotes-for-emphasis/441201/81 "2008-03-17T19:57:55Z")

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[QUOTE=Frylock]  
If you read **DrCube** ’s post _very carefully_ you’ll notice something you missed…

-FrL-  
[/QUOTE]

Yep, that is why I apologized. I missed the joking example the first time.

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**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-stop-using-quotes-for-emphasis/441201/82 "2008-03-18T07:56:01Z")

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[QUOTE=Polycarp]  
**Jshore** is precisely on the money. The use of quotation marks around a single word or phrase says, “This is what **they** called it, but take the terminology with a grain of salt.”

An example from back in the 60s:

“After their successful revolution, the ‘freedom fighters’ established a rigid dictatorship.”

It’s equivalent to placing a “so-called” in front of the term, but slightly more tactful.  
[/QUOTE]

That’s what I always thought they meant, either so to speak, so-called, or maybe this is not quite the right word etc.

Though sometimes I’m lazy and use them instead of separating words in a phrase within a sentence with dashes (I’m very clumsy at getting dashes right).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-stop-using-quotes-for-emphasis/441201/83 "2008-03-18T07:59:50Z")

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[QUOTE=unconventional]  
What about the use of asterisks? Are they symbols _masquerading_ as quotations or possibly _wannabe_ quotes? I’ve often wondered.  
[/QUOTE]

I can’t speak for other dopers, but for me asterisks (Caps, one cap…etc) = I’m too lazy and klutzy to do tags quickly and properly and I’ll use any other tool that allows me to maintain a decent typing speed and doesn’t make me have to reach for the keys in the North 40.

😃

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