Single vs. Double Quotes in dialog

[Sonia_de_Beaumanoir]

Although I didn't notice this until I started frequenting this site, it seems that the convention for quoting dialog for UK writers is single quotes, as opposed to double quotes for US.

I see this difference in some books I read recently that were published in England.

Any ideas on this as an option vs. a rule?

 

[KillerMuffin]

Personally, I recommend that you use the method you were taught in school. Lit doesn't demand you use a US standard like some sites and most eBooks do. Keeping it the way you've learned it keeps you unique "voice" or accent in the text. I don't think Brits should write like Americans or American's should write like Brits. They should write like themselves.

If you pick one, stick with it consistently. If I ever wrote a story from a British perspective, I'd use the single quotes.

 

[Gus]

Speech Marks

Dear Mrs Muffin,
Please don't use single apostrophies or whatever they are called. We are taught to use what are now called 'Speech Marks' when writing direct speech viz "Now you have been told!", he said in that adorable arrogent way he affects.

When I was at school we called them inverted commas. The educationialists believed that this was too difficult for the following generations and now use 'speech marks'.

Love and kisses,

Gus
English, not a Brit. anyone can be a Brit!

 

[KillerMuffin]

Darling Gus,

All I know is what I read. The books I read, from the Encyclopedia of Mammals to J.R.R. Tolkien and CS Lewis, all use 'speech' rather than "speech." One cannot help but assume that this is the British standard, particularly when one peruses requirements for manuscript submissions that state they require the US Standard and use the 'speech' rather than "speech" standard as an example.

Thank you for enlightening me.

Muff

 

[Gus]

That's interesting.

Dear Mrs Muffin,
I was simply flabbergasted by your reply. In fact my flabber has never been so gasted.
I took down a family copy of Lion, Witch etc., just to check and there it was, 'speech'.
Next, I looked at the print dates: 1950 and various dates to 1971. Then a newspaper, not that they are the supporters of written English, but, same again. What a blow! My birthright being stolen, thrown away, I am distraught.
I will investigate further.
Yours in sorrow,
Gus

 

[Sonia_de_Beaumanoir]

fuel on the fire

The best solution to this "confusion," in 'my opinion,' is to switch to the French system:

<<Now you have been told!>> he said in that adorable arrogent way he affects.

 

[SpankMaster Flex]

Now that is guaranteed to get you lots of feedback.

"You wrote a good story, but I had to give you a low score cause you din't use good puntutishon. Can you send a pic of yourself? Naked. Love BubbaBrainless"

 

[cymbidia]

I'm only popping in to look at THAT name, to be honest. Having just mastered the elusive ellipse, it's decidedly wise of me to refrain from offering any of my pearls of grammatical wisdom, such as they are, in the matter of quote marks. I've got enough trouble just getting my characters to say what i want them to say when i want them to say it.

~looking again at that name, deciding that we do, yes we DO, we need more people like that round here, and going away with a smile~

[Edited by cymbidia on 05-13-2001 at 12:34 PM]

 

[KillerMuffin]

One wonders where Closet Desire is when one needs the man. Huhmph.

 

[MaxSebastian]

Single inverted commas are used in British publishing because it's a way of saving on ink and therefore keeps the costs down a little.

Ultimately, it's a style thing, and not even really a nationalistic difference. The true correct way of doing it is with double inverted commas. "Christ on a bike," said the Priest.

But it all depends on style. Newspapers and magazines all have 'house styles' (well, in Britain, they do - I have no knowledge of anywhere else). Each publication has their own 'style book', which contains all the rules that they follow. No publication has exactly the same way of doing things as another generally. Style books can be anything from a few pages stapled together to huge volumes as big as telephone directories.

Since Literotica has no house style, all versions are correct.

 

[Closet Desire]

As usual...

...it's all academic...hee hee.

It's true, the rule for academic writing here is to use singles rather than doubles as well as whole array of other differences to detailed for me to worry my feeble brain over. I often have to edit academic stuff depending on whether it's going to the US or the UK. Sometimes the editors just give up on me and do it themselves.

Just a quick check of current magazines and newspapers reveals singles. Books seem to vary somewhat although my wife's book, which was published by a UK publishers and distributed only here, was converted by the publisher to doubles. Go figure.

Somebody said be "consistent" and that sounds good to me.

Hi Killermuff!

 

[Sonia_de_Beaumanoir]

Single inverted commas are used in British publishing because it's a way of saving on ink and therefore keeps the costs down a little.

I was going to suggest this as a joke. Can it me true?

 

[Closet Desire]

Sort of like...

...fixing a drip on a fire hose.

What the British might save on quotes they make up for on commas and extra letters. Humo(u)r me! Sounds like one of those hokum reasons that's great fun, but ranks a bit low on the reality scale. It's just arbitrary and academic convention.