I don't claim to be the arbiter of anything. I first read "scare quote" about a year ago. I've heard of "sneer quotes" for over twenty years. And "scare" still doesn't match the clear intent. When people do that two fingers/both hands air-quote thing they are expressing mockery, not fear.
I'm not arguing. I'm just telling you why I believe what I do. It would never cross my mind to actually research something like that, given that (1) the mockery intention and (2) my experience.
The rest of my examples I am dead certain about, because of my teaching. I discussed "gotten" with a representative of the publisher of the books I taught from.
This isn’t a matter of belief! It’s not my opinion that “scare quotes” is the original phrase. Your suggestion that “scare quotes” is wrong, or that somebody misheard it, is just factually incorrect.
I’m not talking about the other ways people mangle the English language. We could talk all day about various mistakes people make with English and it wouldn’t change the facts of this example.
So maybe it *should* occur to you to research information you present as fact. Especially if you’re “correcting” somebody. Any single person’s experience, yes, even yours, is a terribly poor guide for the correct use of language. That goes without saying, no?
I don't claim to be the arbiter of anything.
I first read "scare quote" about a year ago. I've heard of "sneer quotes" for over twenty years.
And "scare" still doesn't match the clear intent. When people do that two fingers/both hands air-quote thing they are expressing mockery, not fear.
“I first read "scare quote" about a year ago. I've heard of "sneer quotes" for over twenty years.”
Right. The thing is, “scare quotes” was coined almost *seventy* years ago. Long before *either* of us heard of it.
Anyway, it’s silly to argue. As I said, they’re both correct.
I'm not arguing. I'm just telling you why I believe what I do. It would never cross my mind to actually research something like that, given that (1) the mockery intention and (2) my experience.
The rest of my examples I am dead certain about, because of my teaching. I discussed "gotten" with a representative of the publisher of the books I taught from.
Is "fat chance" correct?
“I'm just telling you why I believe what I do.”
This isn’t a matter of belief! It’s not my opinion that “scare quotes” is the original phrase. Your suggestion that “scare quotes” is wrong, or that somebody misheard it, is just factually incorrect.
I’m not talking about the other ways people mangle the English language. We could talk all day about various mistakes people make with English and it wouldn’t change the facts of this example.
So maybe it *should* occur to you to research information you present as fact. Especially if you’re “correcting” somebody. Any single person’s experience, yes, even yours, is a terribly poor guide for the correct use of language. That goes without saying, no?
OK then let me make it formal: I stand corrected. Thank you for educating me on the history of this colloquialism for a typographic convention.
"Scare" still does not make sense.