We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode Quotation marks in 1906. Starting stories in the middle. Road trip words.

Quotation marks in 1906. Starting stories in the middle. Road trip words.

2025/1/21
logo of podcast Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
G
Grammar Girl
Y
Yehudit
Topics
Grammar Girl: 我在阅读Ben Yagoda的《Gobsmacked》时,注意到Fowler兄弟在1906年的用法指南《国王的英语》中用了五页的篇幅讨论了引号的使用。虽然这部分内容很繁琐,但前面关于何时使用引号的部分却让我觉得很有趣。在《国王的英语》第280页中,他们指出引号应该只在必要时使用,并且必要程度会因读者的受教育程度而异。对于受过教育的人来说,不必要的引号会让人觉得作者在卖弄学识;而对于未受过教育的人来说,引号可能会让他们觉得作者很有学问,或者只是觉得引号很美观。他们举了一些例子,比如将地址中的地名“Chatsworth”用引号括起来,或者将常用短语“in the pillory”用引号括起来,都是不必要的。但如果引用的内容比较隐晦,比如引用《哈姆雷特》中的“with a difference”,那么使用引号就是有必要的。总的来说,Fowler兄弟认为引号应该谨慎使用,只在必要时才使用,以避免让读者觉得作者在卖弄学识或者画蛇添足。他们还认为,对于不同的读者群体,引号的使用也应该有所不同,对于受过教育的读者,应该尽量避免使用不必要的引号,而对于未受过教育的读者,则可以使用更多的引号。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores the Fowler brothers' humorous take on quotation marks in their 1906 usage guide, "The King's English." It highlights their witty commentary on the unnecessary and sometimes comical use of quotation marks, contrasting the approach for educated and uneducated audiences. The chapter also introduces the Fowler brothers and their significant contributions to English language writing.
  • The Fowler brothers dedicated five pages to terminal punctuation placement relative to quotation marks.
  • Their commentary on quotation mark usage was humorous and insightful, varying based on the audience's education level.
  • The chapter provides examples of the Fowler brothers' humorous commentary on the use of quotation marks.

Shownotes Transcript

  1.  I came across a hilarious entry about quotation marks in an old usage guide and had to share it. Then, we look at a technique that can work for both fiction and nonfiction writing — starting a story in the middle.

The "in medias res" segment is by Karen Lunde, a former Quick & Dirty Tips editor and digital pioneer who's been spinning words into gold since before cat videos ruled the internet. She created one of the first online writing workshops, and she's published thousands of articles on the art of writing. These days, she leads personal narrative writing retreats and helps writers find their voice. Visit her at ChanterelleStoryStudio.com).

🔗 **Share your familect recording in a **WhatsApp chat.)

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses).

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter).

🔗 **Take our advertising survey). **

🔗** Get the edited transcript).**

🔗 **Get Grammar Girl books). **

🔗 Join Grammarpalooza)**. **Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts) or Subtext). Learn more about the difference). 

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network).

  • Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
  • Director of Podcast: Brannan Goetschius
  • Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
  • Marketing and Publicity Assistant: Davina Tomlin
  • Digital Operations Specialist: Holly Hutchings
  • Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus).

| Grammar Girl Social Media 

| Links: YouTube). TikTok). Facebook).Threads). Instagram). LinkedIn). Mastodon). Bluesky).