Quotes are "Special"
Feb. 26th, 2012 10:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasaAm I crazy that whenever I see quotes around individual words, I assume they are intended in either an ironic or sexual context? Apparently a lot of people put quotes around things to give them emphasis, but then my mind always reads them in a sleazy voice. In my head, a delicious burger and a "delicious" burger are two totally different things.
As another example, I recently saw this contest posting: Whoever guesses the amount of tornado watches issued for the Continental US by 7/31/12 (including those already issued) will win a "special" prize.
I'm sure it's just, like, a poster of a tornado or something, but what ran through my head is the prize must either:
a) involve semen
b) be really unpleasant, like the contest judges will personally see to it that a tornado touches down on my house
(And of course "special" in particular has ableist connotations, like maybe this prize would only appeal to the developmentally disabled).
I don't know why people have to use quotes in these circumstances. Isn't special prize, without the quotes, appealing enough? (Or in my case, more appealing?).
As another example, I recently saw this contest posting: Whoever guesses the amount of tornado watches issued for the Continental US by 7/31/12 (including those already issued) will win a "special" prize.
I'm sure it's just, like, a poster of a tornado or something, but what ran through my head is the prize must either:
a) involve semen
b) be really unpleasant, like the contest judges will personally see to it that a tornado touches down on my house
(And of course "special" in particular has ableist connotations, like maybe this prize would only appeal to the developmentally disabled).
I don't know why people have to use quotes in these circumstances. Isn't special prize, without the quotes, appealing enough? (Or in my case, more appealing?).
