Blogger 'Exposes' Annoying Quote Abuse

AP via SFGate ^ | 9/21/7 | JOCELYN NOVECK, AP National Writer

[SmithL]

NEW YORK, (AP) --

Isn't it "funny" how something can "really annoy" you for ages and then you discover via "the Internet" that the same thing "really annoys" thousands of "other people," too?

The blight that Bethany Keeley exposes on her "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks ( ) is of a benign sort, of course, nothing like global warming or endangered wildlife.

But it bothers people mightily just the same, as this 24-year-old grad student and language-lover has discovered from the hundreds, occasionally thousands of visitors she gets daily. And nary a day goes by when she doesn't receive a bunch of e-mails with photographic evidence of quote abuse, misuse or overuse.

As in:

_The sign in Fletcher, Okla., which advertised a tractor club's ANNUAL SHOW -- "Labor Day Weekend."

_The restaurant billboard in Madison, Wis., which felt the need to put quotes around "Lunch" and "Dinners."

_The bathroom sign that asked visitors to Leave the Light "On" during business hours. ("On" was also underlined. Twice.)

_The currently featured "Good Luck Amy" cake, which not only wastes frosting on those quote marks, but adds parentheses around the whole message.

There's also a regular stop sign with a handwritten "Stop" beneath it, for good measure apparently. Then there's the security guard at a rest area in Mississippi, a "SECURITY GUARD" sign beneath him that unwittingly casts doubt on the whole enterprise.

Keeley comes from, you might say, a long line of unnecessary-quote watchers,

[SmithL]

"Well",

"OK",

"I guess".

[coloradan]

“Good” “post”.

[Sue Perkick]

Bethany, please “chill”. This is not a “big deal”. Just “cool your jets” already. It will be “OK”.

“Really”

[SmithL]

“thank” “you”

[Cecily]

Bethany needs to “get” a “life.”

[SIDENET]

What about the annoying quotes used by people (such as AP journalists) to make a Republican look bad in the news. Here's a fictional example.

Without quotes: President Bush stressed the need to win the War on Terror in a speech today.

With annoying quotes: President Bush stressed the "need" to "win" the "War on Terror in a speech today.

[Sue Perkick]

All the "real" problems in the world & "this" is what has Bethany's bloomers in a bunch.

[Mr. Blonde]

If she is “paying her bills” by blogging about this, I put forth that she has a pretty sweet “life”.

[ClearCase_guy]

Chris Farley had a whole routine “in which” he would constantly use “his” fingers in “the” air to highlight completely innocuous “words” for “no” apparent reason.

[Roccus]

Since it seems to “annoy” an AP “journalist” I see no reason to curtail my use of “quotes”

[JRios1968]

I “guess” I will “stop” using “so many” “quotes”

[JRios1968]

Chris Farley had a whole routine “in which” he would constantly use “his” fingers in “the” air to highlight completely innocuous “words” for “no” apparent reason.

I "think" you "mean" his "Matt Foley" "character"...

[llevrok]

I’d be happy if Sean Hannity would stop saying, “you know” like every other word.

[JRios1968]

I’d be happy if Sean Hannity would stop saying, “you know” like every other word.

Oh, you know, it doesn't, you know, bother me, you know, or anything, you know...you know??

[mwyounce]

Yeah, I was looking for video of that skit after I saw this story.... All I could find was this picture:

I guess the wires didn't "clear the lights" -- Kevin Nealon

[mwyounce]

Found one of his skits... It’s his “Bennet Brauer” character, not “Matt Foley”

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1006333104

[JRios1968]

“ok”, “thanks” for “that”

[martin_fierro]

“Ping.”

[Rightly Biased]

” “

[Aircop_2006]

I think I liked it "better" when I saw it the "first" time.