Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! 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Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes

Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes Scare Quotes Should Be Scarce Quotes By Mark Nichol Many writers- professionals and creators of casual composition alike- employ a form of emphasis that is usually unnecessary and often clumsily intrusive. Scare quotes, pairs of quotation marks placed around a word or phrase for emphasis, are valid when writers frame wording they are using ironically or mockingly, when they wish to imply that the enclosed word or words are not valid, or to communicate that they are reporting but not endorsing a term or expression. In any case, by using scare quotes, writers are making a statement and therefore calling attention not only to the wording but also to themselves. However, the use of scare quotes to superfluously bracket slang or figurative language is a hallmark of amateurish prose, and anyone who wishes to be taken seriously as a writer should avoid this misuse of a tool that is best employed in appropriate circumstances and in moderation. Examples of extraneous scare quotes follow: The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows. So-called and scare quotes are redundant, so employ one form of emphasis or the other, but not both: â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring so-called booth babes to attract passersby at big trade shows† or â€Å"The tech industry has a history of hiring â€Å"booth babes† to attract passersby at big trade shows.† (Because many people consider the phrase â€Å"booth babes† demeaning, it is probably better to employ so-called, which exonerates the writer, who is merely reporting the term and attitudes behind it, not suggesting his or or her approval of the term.) A â€Å"shoot the messenger† environment is a toxic environment. Metaphorical phrases need no special emphasis (but the figurative wording, a phrasal adjective, requires connecting hyphens): â€Å"A shoot-the-messenger environment is a toxic environment.† There are things organizations can do in the meantime to â€Å"hit the ground running.† Again, phrases that refer to nonliteral actions (as here, where no impact, surface, or speedy perambulation actually occurs) require no quotation marks: â€Å"There are things organizations can do in the meantime to hit the ground running.† Online crime will continue to â€Å"follow the money† and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave. The figurative phrase â€Å"follow the money† is understood as such and need not enclosed in quotation marks for emphasis: â€Å"Online crime will continue to follow the money and attempt to disrupt legitimate payment processes or divert digital funds in order to take advantage of the next online crime wave.† Manufacturers that have so far taken a â€Å"wait and see† approach with big-sata analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters. â€Å"Wait and see† requires no special emphasis, though because it is a phrasal adjective modifying approach, it should be hyphenated: â€Å"Manufacturers that have so far taken a wait-and-see approach with big-data analytics and similar digital innovations have the benefit of learning from the missteps of early adopters.† In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal â€Å"blind spots† in an organization. Readers understand that the reference to blind spots does not pertain literally to the sense of sight, so the phrase does not need to be emphasized to signal its figurative use: â€Å"In a rapidly changing environment, this behavior creates lethal blind spots in an organization.† This action was intended to purge â€Å"black money,† or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system. When a potentially unfamiliar term is introduced with a gloss (a brief parenthetical definition), as here, quotation marks should not frame the word or phrase: â€Å"This action was intended to purge black money, or illegal cash holdings, from its financial system.† The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as â€Å"demonetarization†) voided most of the cash in circulation. Again, a term introduced with a definition requires no emphasis: â€Å"The government action to remove these notes from circulation (known as demonetarization) voided most of the cash in circulation.† The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as â€Å"16 Psyche,† as the remnant of the core of a planet. Introduction of a proper name does not merit enclosure of the term in quotation marks: â€Å"The NASA mission’s lead scientist described the asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, as the remnant of the core of a planet.† Her new band, â€Å"Tempest,† has just released its debut album. Again, proper names have no need for framing quotation marks: â€Å"Her new band, Tempest, has just released its debut album.† A related, and also regrettable, use of scare quotes is frequently seen in advertisements and signs- when, for example, one sees â€Å"Sale† or the name of a product in quotation marks, as if to say, â€Å"This sale is not real† or â€Å"These ‘widgets’ are not actual widgets.†) So, how does one use scare quotes appropriately? Examples follow: â€Å"He ignores women he considers unattractive, and he talked to me, so I guess that means I’m ‘hot.’† â€Å"Evidently, in this upwardly mobile, uptight neighborhood, that is not ‘proper’ behavior.† â€Å"This strategy is reminiscent of the ‘pacification’ of a village achieved by bombing the hell out of it.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What is the Difference Between "These" and "Those"?Comma Before ButWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

Growth of Islamic banking in UK Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Growth of Islamic banking in UK - Case Study Example An important part of the paper is the approach of main regulator in UK to supervision and regulation of Islamic banking. Paper also specifically focuses on specific Islamic mortgage products and their development in UK market. Global size of Islamic finance has been long estimated between $200 and $500 billion with an estimated growth rate of 10-15% annually.A precise estimate escapes though.In comparison the sterling assets of UK banking sector alone amount to 2.5 trillion (around $4 trillion).Thus Islamic banking has some distance to cover . But that is just another way of emphasising the scale of the opportunity(Howard,2003). In the UK, with the exception of one purely Islamic bank there are only Islamic products on offer by Islamic arms of commercial banks(HSBC, Llyods TSB,UBS for example).A large and well-developed Islamic financial structure has not come about thus far. But there is already a significant amount of business of various kinds focussed around relatively wealthy individuals or large institutions. Some London banks use the London Metal Exchange for Murabaha. The customer buys and sells forward a metal on the London Metal Exchange and earns a profit(Howard,2003).The first service provider for islamic banking products Halal Financial Services has been set up in 2005 as full fledged company. This is first in Islamic banking space. It is actively marketing products of Ahli Bank and HSBC Amanah and propagating the concept of halal mortgage. Its Chief Executive Officer reported," At the moment it is halal mortgages but we are only looking at a matter of weeks before we see Takaful coming to the market in the UK in the middle of July(2005). Of course HSBC Amanah has also launched the UK's first Sharia compliant pension plan as well. In the same context we tend to get involved in halal commercial finance, Murabaha based commodity benchmarked transactions and so on. We will continue to diversify our product range as and when we can" (Paul, 2005).Thus a vibrant Islamic banking products' market is round the corner in UK financial markets. However strategic conditionalities as stated below must be met before this happens. Competition with conventional banks Warren Edwardes says that "Given a choice between a pure Islamic bank and a highly rated reputable international bank providing the same service, a client would rather go to the one that has a brand name than the one that provides Islamic-only services, without the brand name - so special purpose Islamic Banks will just have to keep innovating to stay in business just like the old British Merchant Banks"(Warren, 2002). To begin with renaming the Arabic terminology, such as "Ijara" with "leasing" or "Musharakah" with "equity participation", will lead to a greater understanding of the Islamic banking system. If products are structured in islamically acceptable way then Islamic banks would address a niche market. In a system where both parties to a contract have to have their Sharia compliance status verified, and where a fault at any subsequent stage of the deal can void it entirely, having a standardized set of Sharia

Pharmacy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pharmacy - Personal Statement Example Initially, I was intrigued and perplexed of how drugs could make a person lose his or her life; after all, I was regularly given medicine to remedy occasional flu and fever. Nevertheless, with time, I have come to understand why I was taking a spoonful of medicine rather than a whole bottle and why taking an overdose is lethal. As I proceeded to secondary school, the science subjects helped me to gain knowledge on the uses and benefits of medicine, and why medicines should be utilized safely and efficiently. Fortunately, such cases of a drug overdose are rare and accidental as most people use medication as a straightforward remedy to their illnesses. Other patients with complicated illnesses are required to take a â€Å"cocktail of medications† and will have to battle the side effects, expenses, and risks of non-adherence. This is what brings the art and science of pharmacy into life as one has to motivate the patients to continue with medication and collaborate with health care providers so as find the suitable course of treatment in managing the disease devoid of compromising their quality of life (Galiano 2001, p.38). Between 2008 and 2012, I served in the librarian board, while, in 2012, I was the head of the digital department. I also actively engaged in other favourable pastimes including sport, whereby I have been a state player for golf between 2010 and 2011 and bowling between 2009 and 2010, besides engaging in extracurricular activities such as undertaking a course in advanced baking (2012) and bread and flour confectionery (2011). In early 2014, I also volunteered programme in Tzu Chi as an assistant to a pharmacist in a community dispensary. The placement aided me to attain vast knowledge on various drugs, their characteristics and classes, functions, and side effects. Most importantly, I gained insights regarding prominent drugs to treat prevalent diseases in the