Conference thebay::joyoflex

540.0. "`Word' is a word" by HANZI::SIMONSZETO (Simon Szeto @HGO, Hongkong) Mon Jul 18 1988 10:16

    I thought this topic was to be found in this conference, but either
    I was mistaken or I just couldn't find the topic here.  Anyway,
    this is probably just as good a place to discuss this as in the
    Etiquette conference, from which I am cross-posting a few notes
    on the topic.
    
  --Simon
    

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Note 19.0                      'Bird' is the word                     17 replies
NUHAVN::CANTOR                                       11 lines   1-MAR-1985 02:43
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When using a word as a name for itself, please enclose it in single quotation 
marks.  This practice will increase the readability of the prose.

Some people use the accent grave (`) for the beginning single quote and the 
apostrophe (') for the ending quote; other people use the apostrophe for both.

Example:  I used 'quote' in the preceding paragraph, but I meant "quotation
mark".  'Quote' is a verb, not a noun.  (Of course, ''quote'' is a noun; any
word used as a name for itself is a noun.) 

Dave C.

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Note 19.9                      'Bird' is the word                        9 of 17
HUMAN::CONKLIN                                        9 lines   8-MAR-1985 10:26
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I believe that the correct style is to use quotation marks (") 
around the word.

You proposed to use apostrophe ('), which would be incorrect. 
Apostrophe is used (a) for possession, and (b) for quotes within 
quotes. But you did not notice the incorrect style because you 
referred to the apostrophe as a single quote. A single quote, 
according to the Digital style guides and character set standards 
(both Digital and ISO) would be one occurrence of ", not '.

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Note 19.11                     'Bird' is the word                       11 of 17
NUHAVN::CANTOR                                       31 lines  15-MAR-1985 18:38
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re .9

You forgot that the apostrophe is also used for (c) contractions.

If the quotation mark (also called the double quotation mark) (") is to be
used as the single quotation mark, what should be used for the double
quotation mark?  Is the following correctly punctuated?

    He said, ""She said, "What's up?"""

I don't think so.  I would punctuate it like this:

    He said, "She said, 'What's up?'"

The problem here is that ASCII does not contain different characters for the 
opening and closing single and double quotation marks.  There are only two 
characters with which to encode four.  On some equipment, the apostrophe is 
vertical and, so, isn't quite so objectionable for use as a single quotation 
mark for either end of the quotation.  Some terminal equipment renders the 
apostrophe at a steep slant, making it look like a right-hand mark.  In
typography, the closing (right-hand) single quotation mark is the same
character as the apostrophe. 

So let's do the best we can.  My real request is that words used to refer to 
themselves be set off somehow.  I think single quotes should be used; some 
people use double quotes, I think that's better than nothing.

I apologize to those of you who think I'm flaming.


Dave C.

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Note 19.13                     'Bird' is the word                       13 of 17
TRIVIA::BURROWS                                      11 lines  18-MAR-1985 17:10
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Not that it is relevant but the correct usage according to the Chicago Manual
of Style is to italicize a word used as a word. Of course in typescript,
italics are represented by underlining. That is possible in NOTES-11, but
not in VAX NOTES. The proper substitute in Notes is thus left as an exercise
for the noter.

As others have said both here and in other notes, the important rule is that
one should, to the best of one's abilities, use proper grammar, punctuation,
spelling and typography, so as to not confuse the reader.

JimB.

    $5.00 for short words
    $10.00 for long words
    $20.00 for words that have to be found in a dictionary
    $50.00 for words not aligned on an even boundary
    
    This quote is valid for 2 weeks.