Why "do" people "randomly" use quotation marks "like this"?

Question

I was driving along the highway and saw a sign similar to this: '"We have native corn"', that is to say, a sign where all the words were in quotes. I see this frequently and I have no clue why people do it -- grammatically, it makes no sense, as it isn't a quote, but a statement. Also people will just "decide" to "put" "quotes" around "random" things (or so it seems to "me"). I am not referring to people who (correctly) put quotes around things they wish to highlight as not necessarily genuine, i.e., Michael Jackson's "nose". I am talking about a case where quotes make no grammatical sense and appear to have no meaning. Why on earth do people do this? Do they just want to "dress it up"? Do they want to get "attention"? Is it some perverse form of "emphasis"? Inquiring "anal-retentive" minds want to "know" ...

Answer 1

You're on the right track. Many self-proclaimed writers use quotation marks around words or phrases as a means of emphasis, or to draw attention to the reader that something about the word or phrase is unusual.

One example is "Fresh fish." That would tell me that I'd steer clear of buying such fish because I'd doubt the freshness.

Using quotation marks around words for emphasis is incorrect and every writer worth his salt will avoid such errors. In your example, it is clearly a major irritant to accomplished writers to read such a question. It's like nails scraping across a chalk board to us.

The approved method to indicate emphasis is by using italics.

Another irritant to writers is seeing duplicate exclamation points or question marks at the end of a sentence. Only one such mark is sufficient.

Answer 2

You're right. They just want to dress it up. They don't understand the use of quotation marks, and somehow think the marks should be used for emphasis. Along those lines, there's a bakery in San Antonio whose motto is Just "Good" Bread.

Answer 3

I think that almost every case of this is someone who believes that it is appropriate to use quotation marks for emphasis. My very favorite, which I've seen quite a few times, is

Big "Sale" Today!

...which of course means exactly the opposite of what was intended.

Answer 4

I teach English to German-speaking students and if they cannot be bothered to look up a word, they do one of the following:

a) stick the German word in quotation marks to magically make it right

b) stick an anglicised version of the German word into quotation marks (for example, schimpfen = to tell someone off, so the student will write HE "SCHIMPFED" WITH ME) to magically make the word right

c) translate word for word into English (for example, Fachhochschule is similar to the old Polytechnics and would be translated as follows - Subject High School) and stick this into quotation marks to magically make it right!!!

It sends me crazy, too. Especially as I know it is a case of them being too lazy to open a book and thinking "She'll sort it out!"

Answer 5

Usually they're just there to emphasize certain aspects of a sentance...but, of course, the general public tends to over use these marks and can sometimes be refered to as "moronic"

Answer 6

To make known to others / readers that the expressions or words, or quotes or terms used are not their own but borrowed from someone or somewhere!

Answer 7

Yeah, it's emphasis or when they're trying to mock at something, but I like the way u put it-- it's "funny" (and consider that as emphasis).

Answer 8

Face it, there aren't too many "Shakespeares" out there. :)

Answer 9

my "goodness" get a "life"