# "What" exactly are "you" trying to "say"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 20, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175 "2001-08-20T16:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/21 "2001-08-20T18:58:16Z")
Grammar lessons in the Pit. And my dad said I was fool for getting an Engilsh Ph.D. (Notice how I worked that in? I can work my Ph.D. into any conversation in less than a minute. Impressive, huh?) Anyway, Fenris, well done. May I add one? 1. Quotation marks can be used to indicate that a word is functioning as a noun representing itself. “I” should always be capitalized. “Well” is the adverb form of “good”. ---
**Author:** ![missdavis102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@missdavis102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missdavis102)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/22 "2001-08-20T19:40:59Z")
[http://www.brunching.com/toys/toy-sarcasterizer.html](http://www.brunching.com/toys/toy-sarcasterizer.html) ---
**Author:** ![AuGratin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@AuGratin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuGratin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/23 "2001-08-20T19:48:29Z")
> [@](#): > > A helpful tip. Try reading the sentence aloud, using a smirky Jeff Goldblum voice every time a word is in quotations. If it doesn’t sound right, don’t do it! Or you could “read” them as if a certain “starship captain” were “saying” the “line” in “question.” As in: We “must” find out those “Marketing” clones are “doing” in this “sector,” Spock! ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/24 "2001-08-20T20:19:39Z")
Guess that “explains” where you’ve “been” late, eh? I dunno. for me, that rates so low down the ‘pissometer’ that it barely registers. It’s way, way, \*\* way\*\* below the sticking keyboard that makes typing a ‘b’ an adventure, way under the mass mailings of glurge, invites to the Jimmy Buffet party held by some one who works in the building that I’ve never met, and way way **WAY** under the latest thing I personally got (the ‘what does your organization do and how do you do it’ memo with the last item being ‘company recipe’. really. Honest. Now, I’ve worked there for 20+ years, and have been the director for the past 6 years, and trust me when I tell you _there ain’t no company recipe_. Although I’m sorely tempted to submit one for special brownies. ) I’m sorry, this was your rant. proceed. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/25 "2001-08-20T20:22:26Z")
It may not be grammatically correct, but I always use quotation marks to indicate a word that is a commonly accepted descriptor that is convenient, but isn’t really 100% accurate. And of course, I’m blanking on providing an actual example, just now 😉 . Well, I’ll make up one - Say I said **“Muslim” Palestinians** , in the context of of replying that someone who sloppily used the words Muslim and Palestinian interchangeably in a post. So, my reply: _Well let’s first of all remember that some of these “Muslim” Palestinians are in fact Christian…_ Does that make sense and seem clear to people? Or is that just some made-up rule that only exists in my fevered brain and nobody else gets 😉 ? That’s a serious question, because I really don’t know the answer, now that I think about it ( my technical knowledge of English mechanics has always been shaky ). Note that I do use this little technique in a context outside of just quoting people as well. Basically any word that I find a little dubious, but is convenient to use to convey a meaning. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/26 "2001-08-20T20:23:13Z")
It may not be grammatically correct, but I always use quotation marks to indicate a word that is a commonly accepted descriptor that is convenient, but isn’t really 100% accurate. And of course, I’m blanking on providing an actual example, just now 😉 . Well, I’ll make up one - Say I said **“Muslim” Palestinians** , in the context of of replying to someone who sloppily used the words Muslim and Palestinian interchangeably in a post. So, my reply: _Well let’s first of all remember that some of these “Muslim” Palestinians are in fact Christian…_ Does that make sense and seem clear to people? Or is that just some made-up rule that only exists in my fevered brain and nobody else gets 😉 ? That’s a serious question, because I really don’t know the answer, now that I think about it ( my technical knowledge of English mechanics has always been shaky ). Note that I do use this little technique in a context outside of just quoting people as well. Basically any word that I find a little dubious, but is convenient to use to convey a meaning. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/27 "2001-08-20T20:43:21Z")
I am reminded of a quote from a book I read in the late 80s entitled _College Admissions: Cracking the System_. It went something like this: > [@](#): > > Do not put a word in quotations if it is not exactly the “right” word. Instead, find an exact word and use that instead. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/28 "2001-08-20T22:54:52Z")
Ooh! Here’s an example - My post in this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1529073#post1529073](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1529073#post1529073) I do seem to do it a lot. Is it an annoying trait I should avoid? - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/29 "2001-08-20T23:13:00Z")
To give a real world example, anyone here read Poker Digest? Pretty good bi-weekly mag, but they seem to cater towards those without much experience in playing poker. As such they have made the very strange editing decision to put quotes around any vocab word to “help” the newbies. All it does is infuriate me. Once you see the “flop” you should remember the cards in the “hole” and determine whether the “pot odds” are worth a “check raise” or just a mere “call.” GAHHHHHHHH! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/30 "2001-08-20T23:58:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by trikas \* > Or you could “read” them as if a certain “starship captain” were “saying” the “line” in “question.” As in: > > We “must” find out those “Marketing” clones are “doing” in this “sector,” Spock! What are you talking about? Kirk didn’t put things in quotes. The proper character is Dr. Evil. “If they don’t pay my ransom, I will attack their cities with the ‘laser’. This ‘laser’ will cause massive destruction.” Every time you speak with the people responsible for the newsletter, you should randomly raise two fingers of each hand and flex them in the “quote” gesture. Tamerlane: relax. Take a look at Fenris’ second usage situation. Of course, since I’m posting in a thread that Scylla previously posted to, I must be “stalking” him. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/31 "2001-08-21T01:16:17Z")
> [@](#): > > **(Munch)** I wanna know what an asstrick is. It’s how **jarbaby** manipulates the cockwrench. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/32 "2001-08-21T02:27:04Z")
**The Ryan** : Thanks 🙂 . Perhaps instead of working on my mechanics, I should try brushing up on my reading comprehension 😉 . Don’t know why I slipped by that point - Must have been the word sarcastic, I’m not always using an obviously sarcastic tone in my head when I do that. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/33 "2001-08-21T04:51:43Z")
“Fenris” has no right to complain about nonsensical use of quotation mark’s, when he fail’s to make proper grammatical reference’s to “quote’s”, “italic’s” and “word’s”. Drive’s me nut’s when people leave out the apostrophe’s. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/34 "2001-08-21T05:15:27Z")
**Fenris** , mate, you are “funny”. Red"boss" ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/35 "2001-08-21T11:36:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jackmannii \* > \*\*Drive’s me nut’s when people leave out the apostrophe’s. \*\* True, very, true! “And” let, u’s not forget, the, “oft” misused, comma “that” come’s “third” behind, apostrophe’s, “and” quote’s! And a’s, “a” subpoint, “may” I, mention “that”, theres no, excuse “for”, multiple exclamation point’s? Putting six “or”, seven of them, “after” a sentence, just “makes” one, look “like” a wanker!!! Although “it” can, be used to humorou’s effect, “the” hyper-exclamation point, should, never “be” used in a, busines’s setting!!! “But” back, to comma’s. I “find” it, extremely, annoying that, “people” who, put comma’s “everywhere”, invariably forget “to” put “the” dreaded forgotten, “misplaced” serial (or Oxford), comma “in” the, correct place. Compare these two sentences: \* I’d like to thank my parents, God and Ayn Rand. _ **vs** _\* I’d like to thank my parents, God, and Ayn Rand. \* I don’t “know” who, you are but I’ll bet “that” only one of “those” two, sentence’s has even a, remote, possiblilty of “being” correct. To “conclude”: I dont, expect textbook “perfect”, grammar, spelling and puctuation “in” normal, correspondence, despite “how” nitpicky, thi’s sound’s. But these “common”, trends, “irritate” the “hell” out, of me. And in “a”, busines’s context, “this” stuff, just looks terrible!!! “Fe,nri’s”!!! ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/36 "2001-08-21T11:54:32Z")
You’re making me cry. ---
**Author:** ![Syzygy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Syzygy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syzygy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/37 "2001-08-21T15:46:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\*“But” back, to comma’s. I “find” it, extremely, annoying that, “people” who, put comma’s “everywhere”, invariably forget “to” put “the” dreaded forgotten, “misplaced” serial (or Oxford), comma “in” the, correct place. > > Compare these two sentences: > \* > I’d like to thank my parents, God and Ayn Rand. > > _ **vs** _\* > > I’d like to thank my parents, God, and Ayn Rand. > \* > I don’t “know” who, you are but I’ll bet “that” only one of “those” two, sentence’s has even a, remote, possiblilty of “being” correct.\*\* Uh, sorry, but I would use the first. I was always taught that in a set of three or more items, all but the last two items should be separated with a comma. For example: “I, my friends, my cow-orkers and my family all have terrible grammatical skills.” Four items, three commas. In your example, I would alter the order of the thankees, as it were. “I’d like to thank God, my parents and Ayn Rand.” Unless of course your parents really _are_ God and Ayn Rand, in which case you must have had a _very_ interesting childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Syzygy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Syzygy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syzygy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/38 "2001-08-21T15:47:29Z")
And then you have to count your commas properly, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/39 "2001-08-21T20:58:29Z")
**Fenris** , have you been reading **Wildest Bill** ’s threads again? How many times do I have to tell you? Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175/40 "2001-08-21T21:23:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\ ***Fenris** , have you been reading **Wildest Bill** ’s threads again? How many times do I have to tell you? > \*\* That was a really, really mean comment, **Esprix**! It was cruel and came completely without warning. I admire that! That’s why you’re my kinda guy! 😃 Fenris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-are-you-trying-to-say/77175.md?page=3)