Warp wrote:
> Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
>> Or commas. Or, most recently, quotation marks to "mean" emphasis.
> 
>   Using quotation marks to express irony is perfectly valid in most languages,
> including English.

Yes, exactly. They're quotation marks. They are quoting what you 
surround them with, which is to say, they're marking what's inside as to 
be interpreted as the words themselves rather than as the meaning of the 
words.

>   For example: My brother claimed he was "too busy" to help me.

Well, I'd call that more "skepticism" than "irony."  But that's just my 
point. By putting it in quotes, you're saying this is what your brother 
said, and explicitly implying that his words didn't match the reality.

But if you write
    I really "did" want him to win the election.
rather than
    I really *did* want him to win the election.
then it comes out looking exactly opposite of what was intended.

> * indicate descriptive but unusual, colloquial, folksy words or phrases
> * indicate descriptive but startling, humorous, or metaphoric words or phrases

Yep and yep. In both cases, you're pointing out that the reader should 
pay attention to the words itself and not just their meaning.

> * distance the writer from the terminology in question so as not to be
>   associated with it. For example, to indicate that a quoted word is not
>   official terminology, or that a quoted phrase pre-supposes things that
>   the author does not necessarily agree with.

Right. And when you use quote marks for *emphasis*, this is exactly what 
happens. By using quote marks to mean you extra-agree, and you trigger 
most peoples' "I'm distancing myself from this statement" understanding, 
you're defeating the purpose.

> * indicate special terminology that should be identified for accuracy's sake
>   as someone else's terminology, for example if a term (particularly a
>   controversial term) pre-dates the writer or represents the views of
>   someone else, perhaps without judgement

Yes. These are all valid forms of quotes.

For example,
   By the way, Sally said hello.
is different from
   By the way, Sally said "Hello."

In the latter, that's the exact words she used. In the former, she might 
have said "Give Joe my regards when you see him."


I have nothing against quote marks used properly. It's when someone says 
  he "really" means it, it's just completely confusing. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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