Everything about Scare Quotes totally explained
Scare quotes is a general term for
quotation marks used for purposes other than to identify a direct quotation. For example, authors might use quotation marks to highlight special terminology, to distance the writer from the material being reported, to indicate that it's someone else's terminology, or to bring attention to a word or phrase as questionable or at least atypical in some way. It is often intended to provoke a negative association for the word or phrase enclosed in the quotes, or at least a suspicion about the appropriateness or full truth that might be presumed if the quotes were omitted. When communicating face-to-face, an approximation of scare quotes is a hand gesture known as
air quotes or
finger quotes, which mimics the appearance of quotation marks.
Usage
Negative
The effect of using scare quotes is often similar to prepending a skeptical modifier such as
so-called or
alleged to label the quoted word or phrase, to indicate scorn, sarcasm or irony. Scare quotes may be used to express disagreement with the original speaker's intended meaning without actually establishing grounds for disagreement or disdain, or without even explicitly acknowledging it. In this type of usage, they're sometimes called
sneer quotes.
Examples:
- Liberal: We've heard about these conservatives and their tax "relief".
- Conservative: The liberals have proposed yet another form of "common-sense" gun control.
- Libertarian: We're disappointed with the liberals' and conservatives' "inclusive" debate.
Neutral distancing
Enclosing a word or phrase in quotes can also convey a neutral attitude on the part of the writer, while distancing the writer from the terminology in question. The quotes are used to call attention to a
neologism, special terminology (
jargon), or a
slang usage, or to indicate words or phrases that are descriptive but unusual, colloquial, folksy, startling, humorous, or metaphoric. They may indicate special terminology that should be identified for accuracy's sake as someone else's, for example if a term (particularly a controversial term) pre-dates the writer or represents the views of someone else..)
Style guidelines
While frequent in political material, advertising and other potentially manipulative forms of writing, style guides generally recommend the avoidance of scare quotes in impartial works, such as in encyclopedia articles.
The
Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), 15th edition acknowledges this type of use but cautions against overuse in section 7.58, "Quotation marks are often used to alert readers that a term is used in a nonstandard, ironic, or other special sense [...] They imply 'This isn't my term' or 'This isn't how the term is
usually applied.' Like any such device, scare quotes lose their force and irritate readers if overused."
Formatting
Scare quotes (and other quotation marks used in a special sense) are usually given in the same style (single or double) as those used elsewhere in a work.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Scare Quotes'.
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