• Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    6 hours ago

    Agreed, except in the US we (edit: usually) use quotation marks for that, unless the whole thing is already in quotation marks.

    ICE detainees are dying by “suicide” at an alarming rate.

    I’m aware many other places use apostrophes, but ICE is a US peacecrime.

    Tangential question, how many fingers do people use for “finger quotes” (‘finger quotes’) where you live?

    • mastertigurius@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Two, on just one hand. We’re too lazy to lift both hands to quote someone, so the other hand stays firmly planted in the pocket (speaking on behalf of millions of Norwegians, of course).

    • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      My understanding is that quotes are used to relay what someone said verbatim, and apostrophes are used to emphasize words, to quote them informally, or to express sarcasm. Even here in the US. But this differences have become fuzzy over time.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        8 hours ago

        Hmmm… In the article, ‘alarming’ (as written in the headline) turns out to be a direct quote from Dr. Sanjay Basu. But as you say, fuzzy.