What do inverted commas indicate to you?
By Fleur
@Fleura (30541)
United Kingdom
September 5, 2024 4:39pm CST
My understanding is that inverted commas indicate one of two things. Either they are used as speech marks, to report the exact words spoken by someone else as in, for example, “Would you like a drink?” Robin asked.
The second is to indicate that something isn’t actually true, but is just being called something when it isn’t real, such as, for example, Meghan Markle’s “truths”.
So I thought it was odd when I recently saw this sign outside a rather nice-looking restaurant. The fact that they have both “local” and “fish” in inverted commas suggests that in fact the fish they serve is not really local, and isn’t even really fish!
Presumably that isn’t the impression they wished to convey. How would you understand this sign?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2024.
12 people like this
12 responses
@wolfgirl569 (108144)
• Marion, Ohio
6 Sep
@Fleura That I don't know. I think in this case they just wanted to draw attention to those 2 words
@xFiacre (13150)
• Ireland
6 Sep
@fleura This irritates me greatly. What school did people go to who do such things? Little do the perpetrators know that their flourishes intended to attract my custom actually dissuade me from purchasing their wares, just as I refuse to buy crème brûlée when it appears incorrectly accented on a menu.
3 people like this
@LindaOHio (181642)
• United States
6 Sep
I would interpret it the same as you did. Have a good weekend.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8770)
• United Kingdom
5 Sep
I would understand it as you did. I would think, for example, that "fish" meant some sort of vegetable-based item made to look/taste similar to fish. As for "local", I would think that means not local at all but we want you to think it is.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (71773)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Sep
It could be someone's subtle way of saying they were forced to say 'local fish' when in reality they know it's not really 'local'. Quotes are also often, in the U.S. to enfisise something, too.
Another reason could be someone is misusing the quote. Because they have poor grammar skills. Given the sign looks to be fill-in-the-blank I would probably go with the fact the author was intentionally drawing attention to the product since you can't really bold or underline very well with chalk.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71773)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Sep
@Fleura It's possible. I've seen quotes used on boards like that when they want to enphsize a word when bold, itlic or some other form is unavible. Based on how the board is designed, trying to underline would be confusing as the line where local fish is written is meant to be a blank space that is regurally changed with the special of the day, week or month.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (6842)
• United Kingdom
7 Sep
I’m guessing that the restaurateur is sick of people asking if the fish is fresh and has it been caught locally.
Apart from emphasising the words “local” and “FISH” they have also included these words in each menu item, which isn’t necessary.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80748)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
5 Sep
It's toss-up. They might be emphasizing the it is local fish or they might be saying they will leave it up to the customer to decide,
2 people like this
@Ghostlady (1394)
• United States
6 Sep
Probably just infasizing "local fish" but really unless the fish are grown in a private area, fish are not local..they migrate. LOL So they may have been caught locally, but I bet they do not call the area home. LOL
2 people like this
