At 2017-11-19T11:47:53-0500, Peter Schaffter wrote: > On Sat, Nov 18, 2017, G. Branden Robinson wrote: > > As an American acutely aware of orthographic differences in U.S. > > and British usage, I must protest. U.S. quotation practice is > > for the innermost set of quotation marks to be double quotes > > (directional where available). The practice of using single > > quotes for the innermost set of quotation marks is a British > > convention. Nevertheless... > > Erm... as a Canadian, I'm wondering if "inner" and "outer" reverse > meanings as they cross the 49th parallel because it looks as if > you've stated the situation backwards. In North American usage, > double-quotes go on the outside, singles on the inside.
You're absolutely right! I think I had a moment of delirium when writing my response to Steffan. It's not a matter of nesting level, since humans tend to be LR(1) parsers[1], so the rule is simpler. In North America the first quotation mark you hit is supposed to be double, and if that's not closed before you hit another, the next should be single, and so on, alternating until the stack pops. The U.K. convention is the opposite, but I'm less sure of other Commonwealth countries. > North American: > John continued his story. "And then Marion said, 'Go to hell.'" > > British: > John continued his story. 'And then Marion said, "Go to hell."' Yup. That's what I'm used to seeing. On a more whimsical note: Are you familiar with the U.K. practice[3] that says an abbreviation doesn't get a period if the abbreviation ends with the final letter of the abbreviated word? So we see "Mr Smith" and "Dr Jones". This appears to have started as a somewhat lowbrow press convention (think of the Sun) that has slowly spread in popularity. Personally, I think it's ghastly... [1] Okay, except for Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, ...[2] [2] And except for some ancient Greeks who read in boustrophedon... [3] en_GB: practise -- Regards, Branden
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