why do so many 'cyclists' use 'inverted commas' so often?

[MessenJah]

'I' was 'reading' Push Bikes' Cyclist magazine in a 'shop' in Brum today, and christ almighty, the 'writer' uses inverted commas about 3 times in every 'paragraph'. Most of them 'inappropriately' or unnecessarily.

I've noticed a 'couple' of people who post comments on the local 'fixed wheel meetup site' do it too. And a 'couple' 'of' people 'on' this forum!

Is inappropriate/excessive 'inverted' 'comma' use more prevalent among cyclists or am I just experiencing a 'statistical anomaly' through 'sampling error'?

 

[Keith Oates]

I have no idea what the 'true' answer is to your question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MessenJah]

Ahem.

 

[CopperBrompton]

A growing number of people seem to use them in place of italics. Very bizarre.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

'?'

 

[GrahamG]

Birmingham? Family visit or something?

 

[Over The Hill]

There are whole web sites out there with examples in signs. It is even worse when people make that silly quotation mark movement with their fingers when they want to add them in a conversation.

Sorry but I could not bring myself to add any additional inverted commas in this.

 

[wafflycat]

There are whole web sites out there with examples in signs. It is even worse when people make that silly quotation mark 'movement' with their fingers when they want to add them in a conversation.

Sorry but I could not bring myself to add any additional inverted 'commas' in this.

Sorted for you.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

There are whole web sites out there with examples in signs. It is even worse when people make that silly quotation mark movement with their fingers when they want to add them in a conversation.

Sorry but I could not bring myself to add any additional inverted commas in this.

I'm glad that you feel the same as I do - it's unutterably twee.

 

[Aperitif]

Ooooh! - a punctuation party...commas you are. Variety is the 'spice' of life.

 

[rich p]

i've used inverted commas in 'a-post-or-free'

 

[MessenJah]

A growing number of people seem to use them in place of italics. Very bizarre.

exactly.

 

[Blue]

MessenJah, how do you feel about people who don't use capitals when they begin a sentence?

 

[Globalti]

God knows what is going to happen when the last generation of people who actually know how to write in English retires. Business life is going to become a nightmare, especially when dealing with overseas customers for whom English is not their first language. I can see it now:

Current English: "Dear Customer, our invoice 12345 is overdue for payment. Please transfer the funds as soon as possible. We are due to ship your new order tomorrow but will be holding the goods until payment of the overdue invoice is received."

In 30 years: "Dude cn u send sum £'s pls ur 'late' & we wont 2 snd yr new order but wont b4 u pay LOL! ;-) "

 

[MessenJah]

MessenJah, how do you feel about people who don't use capitals when they begin a sentence?

It's excusable on internet forums, emails to friends, and text messages, but it would be inexcusable in a magazine or newsletter.

Besides, neglecting to use capitals is a careless omission, whereas the above examples of inverted commas are needless additions. I think the latter is worse.