“Suspicious” Quotation Marks

This one’s for all the grammar and type nerds: you’ve seen it – on handmade banners, store signs, that one grandparent who always puts smart quotes around your name on your birthday card, as if they’re not really wishing you the best this year, “Chris”

Unnecessary quotation marks. Or worse, suspicious quotation marks that seem to subvert the message they’re trying to convey in the first place. At some point, I’m guessing previous generations were taught to use quotation marks for emphasis, but on signs printed with type where italics and bold options exist, it’s simply wrong. And weird. Strunk and White say, “To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.”

Damn Cool Pics have collected thirty plus images that use quotes to ill effect, and if you haven’t been to The “Blog” of “Unncessary” Quotation Marks, please do. And, this “book” is great.