Image Transcript
A 3x3 grid of images of signs.
Row 1: “Bees” Active In This “Area”, Employee Must “Wash Hands”, Entrance “E.R.”
Row 2: “NEW” underwear 50p each, The “CLUNK” in the elevator… will not… …harm you!!!, Beware of “Dog”
Row 3: “LIVE” Lobsters, “Women”, “Restrooms” located on other side of building
v1als: unnecessary quotation mark appreciation board
prettypinkdork: There are few things as profoundly funny as unnecessary/ominous quotations.
Quote marks used to be used for “emphasis”, and some older people still use them that way. I had an aunt who would use quotes like this on signs at her fruit stand.
if someone tried selling me a “fruit salad” i’d be scared
Why would one need to emphasize “fruit salad”? fruit salad is insane.
look at this guy not wanting their “salad tossed”, well more for me!
Is that true? Or just “true”? I couldn’t find a credible source for that with a very short search.
I know people who use “air quotes” to put “emphasis” on words if they are “trying” to make a “point”
But I don’t know if that comes from people using quotes originally to do the same thing.
It’s true in a sense that you can find examples of big companies and chains using them in such a way, even in national advertising and on products.
It was never part of any written standards to be used that way. But this situation counts more as communicating than language, and communication is whatever the people want it to be.
I think it comes down to people in any of the situations to make these decisions were never academics.
I’ve heard this before but I’m not entirely sure. Is it possible some old people just didn’t learn to write properly? Like when they used to write emails in all caps?
One of the first results I found was this Jeep advertising sign from the 60s
Neon sign, budget ver.