As noted in Situation-Dependent Quotation Punctuation: Questation Marks, Quoproximation Signs, Quoquivalence Symbols, Quodaptation Marks, I have become aware of an annoying and troublesome lack of appropriate punctuation for certain subcategories of quotations. Naturally, I could not ignore such a challenge.
Update: Also see Trumpty Dumpty Quotation Marks
Fabricated Quotation: Misattribution Marks
The writer creating an apposite quotation from whole cloth where none currently exists and attributing it to a well known or authoritative individual or using a quotation that the writer knows to be errantly attributed to an individual should, but probably wouldn’t, use the Misattribution Marks:
Correction Of Misquotation: Semi-Dolts
I would personally appreciate punctuation indicating that at least I eventually figured out my mistaken use of a quotation and am now taking corrective action. In that situation, one would bracket the pertinent passage between Semi-Dolts.
Self-aggrandizing Quotations
Self-quotations are not unusual1 and are surely qualitatively different from quotations attributed to others. So, why not signal such quotes by bracketing them between these Self-quotation Mirror Markers?
Out Of Context Quotations
Context Shifts, quotations taken out of their original context and presented in a misleading manner, are also frequent occurrences, especially during election years. Because they are typically disguised, many go unnoticed. In response, DrHGuy recommends legislative action to create a statute mandating the use of Contextual Deception Confessionals.
Quotations Bought And Sold
Incentivized Quotations are not, DrHGuy believes, necessarily evil – as long as the motivation for such statements is made clear to the reader. It turns out, however, that, much to DrHGuy’s amazement, such disclosures prove not to be universal. DrHGuy can imagine no reason for this failure to alert the reader to such possible bias other than the lack of a methodology to accomplish this task.
Consequently, DrHGuy is now introducing, for the first time anywhere, his solution to nondisclosure of financial incentives – the Quid Pro Quotation Marks
Note: Originally posted Jan 9, 2008 at 1HeckOfAGuy.com, a predecessor of AllanShowalter.com
- The use of self-quotation in scientific papers and musical compositions, in fact, is an ongoing issue of debate [↩]