Saturday, September 15, 2007

Another case of anonymous quotation?


Steve spotted this one in (surprise) Oxford. I have no excuse for the writers. Also, is that a pepper grinder with quotey action marks on it?

18 comments:

  1. I think it's actually a beer tap pull, not a pepper grinder. Which makes the action quotes slightly more logical. But barely.

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  2. You'd think that being in Oxford the language cops would swoop down on this like a SWAT team. That is, after all, where the rules are written. Apparently they're slacking in their own hometown.

    That, or it's Oxford, Ohio... in which case, this is wholly expected.

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  3. Remember kids: sandwich boards can be easily corrected.

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  4. Um, I'm pretty sure that the quotes are to imply that someone (like a reviewer or something) said that they had the best fish and chips in oxford. It totally makes sense to me.

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  5. Jonny: here at the "blog" we intentionally MISunderstand punctuation because it's funnier. And if it is a quotation of someone and therefore more credible, they should say who!

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  6. If they didn't put it in quotes, the Advertising Standards Authority would be down on them like a ton of bricks, saying "prove it".

    But I take your point on the humour... :)

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  7. If someone said it, they have to say who said it, otherwise it's incorrect. Seriously, why is everyone always defending these people?

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  8. The pepper grinder is not actually supposed to be a beer tap and those aren't quotation marks on them, they are lines that indicate motion. In this case, to show the motion of the beer tap being pulled. Those lines are drawn often times in cartoons, in the newspaper, etc. in England :-)

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  9. To me, this says, "Someone said ours are the best fish and chips in Oxford, but they aren't really and we're not going to tell you who said it so that you can check our source." Seems wholly apocryphal to me.

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  10. Okay if it isnt actually a beer tap then how can it be the motion of the beer tap being pulled?

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  11. Sorry, again, old chaps! they were quoting me!

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  12. Why is it that over-punctuation is such a "BIG DEAL?" ;-} It seems to me that punctuation comes under the general heading of "GRAMMAR." From what I've read, there are few comments on this site that are grammatically correct. Some of the captions are nightmarish - ("gramatically speaking!")!!! Don't even get me started on the comments being posted! For a bunch of grammar "SNOBS" you sure are lenient on yourselves!?!! I am of the opinion that you should "Wash your own dishes" before cleaning someone else's. (I love Southern quotes!!!) And Bethany, the last person to start sentences with the word, "And," was Hemingway!!!!! I think he was paid by the word, therefore; it was more acceptable! What a wonderfully perfect use of time and grey matter!!!!
    (Before everyone at Starbuck's has a chance to comment - I know, I made all the mistakes on purpose. It's called sarcasm!!)

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  13. I'm sure this was a quote taken from a newspaper or something describing the great food the restaurant offers.

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  14. anonymous - you should have put quotes around sarcasm!

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  15. Anonymous, you need to get your panties out of the knot they are in.

    Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are NOT the same thing. And please forgive those of us who love language. If it bothers you so that we have something that amuses us, why waste your own precious "grey matter" commenting on it.

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  16. Travis: If it's a QUOTE, they need to say who they're QUOTING!

    And seriously, this is just supposed to be for a laugh. Give it a rest. You're never going to convince anyone that the quotes are wrong, because the whole point is that they're merely unnecessary and it's fun to misinterpret them.

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  17. Beekeebear ...Who has her panties in a knot? Wow, a little too sensitive about the subject, are we?

    By the way... P{unct)"ua"t.ion is a part of grammar.

    Don't be fooled, I care very much about our language and the way it is abused. I also find it interesting that so many people are having their little mini-debates over what the quotes actually mean in any given instance. I was interested enough to find this site and find it amusing, but surprised to see so many "intelligent" people arguing over what really amounts to nothng. What did the writer really meant to say? Is it a "Beer Tap Pull" or a "Pepper Shaker" in the picture? I Just happen to be amused myself at the pretentiousness of the "whole" thing. Also, I'm just as amused that I let myself be dragged into this whole "blogging/arguing" thing.

    Anyway, beekee... don't call the death squad on me yet, I'm not making fun of you - I'm merely amused by you. Just in the same way you are amused by those who don't know how to use quote marks.

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  18. anonymous: your rebuttal is much more reasonable than than your original post (assuming you are the same person - the dramatic change in tone makes me skeptical), which I also interpreted as aggressive. Everyone should just settle down and have fun, which I believe was Beekeebear's point.

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