this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2025
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xkcd #3143: Question Mark

Title text:

Although now people will realize three-per-em space that all this time I've been using weird medium mathematical space whitespace characters in my hair space hair space hair space speech dot dot dot...

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3143/

explainxkcd for #3143

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[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 45 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Tbh, I hate in much more when people say "quote unquote" before starting their quote.

It's like writing ""Here is the quoted text.

Unquote ends the quote. So "quote unquote" means ""Here's an empty quote, now let me ramble on about something that is not a quote.

[–] Toldry@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

you're thinking too much like a computer.

in human speech, when "quote unquote" is used, it's typically obvious when the quote ends from the tone and pace of what is said.

the function of "quote unquote" is to reduce the awkwardness and increase the impact of reciting a quote by obviating the need to state the word "unquote" at the end of a quote.

compare:

He ended every speech with quote and carthege must be destroyed unquote

with

He ended each speech with quote unquote carthege must be destroyed

Try saying both out loud. I think you'll agree that the second form sounds less awkward and more impactful

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

That's why in most other languages (and that works in english too), if you don't want to specifically mark the end of your quote, you just say something like "And then he said, I quote, your mom is so fat that she has her own gravitational well."

No need or point to put an unnecesary "end quote" marker before the beginning of your quote.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 weeks ago

it's just a part of the statement which rolls easily off your tongue, that's all there is to it

[–] despoticruin@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's the point though, quote to tell people it's a quote and unquote to signal that you are using it out of context or sarcastically, thus not quoting the original sentiment. It's correct.

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

I think they're more annoyed that some people say both right before they start the quote

[–] Deebster 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

People sometimes introduce a quote by doing that air quote gesture - I suppose with this logic they should only do it on one hand at the quote start and use the other hand to end the quote.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

The air quote is usually signed til the end of the quote. It being done in parallel to the spoken language doesn't really have an equivalent in purely sequential written language.

But yeah, I'd be kinda confused if someone quoted a longer segment and only used the air quotes super briefly before the first word, ending them before the first word started.

[–] SPRUNT@lemmy.world 21 points 1 month ago

Thought it was gonna be about when phone dictation bleeds into the real world.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago (5 children)

I don't recall ever hearing someone do that. Is this a thing people do?

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 10 points 1 month ago

I've done it on rare occasions to emphasize the uncertainty of a claim.

[–] 1D10@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

I use it as a way to say I'm pretty sure the thing I said is true but I have doubt.

" the glasses are only cosmetic, question mark"

Also turns out I'm pretty sure the devs patched the glasses,and they now negatively effect aim.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago

I think it's mostly people like me who use voice to text. You have to tell it the punctuation verbally.

[–] Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

Copy/paste instead of linking because Lemmy doesn't like me>

I can shad a light on that! [...]

When we're in a fast paces dialogue with a high level of rapport I start speaking my thoughts before they're finished - and it happens that a thought starts out as "my opinion is ..." And in the middle transfers to "oh it would be way more interesting what your thoughts on this are!".

Or I'm mentally distracted and fall back to the monologue voice ....

Either way: the flow of the sentence already started as a statement and now I want to make sure that it's clear that your input is wanted and appreciated - and instead of saying "and perhaps that sounded like a statement but please treat it as a question" I fall back to "question mark."

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I've heard some people use it when they don't have the rising inflection in their voice that usually denotes a question. I've also used and seen it used to mean dubious claim as the other poster mentioned! Not very commonly though.

[–] antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 1 month ago (2 children)

When people say "question mark" out loud

https://xkcd.com/2071/

always a relevant XKCD

[–] Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

Oh I can shad a light on that! Hope it's not en pair with the shelter animal hunting though.

When we're in a fast paces dialogue with a high level of rapport I start speaking my thoughts before they're finished - and it happens that a thought starts out as "my opinion is ..." And in the middle transfers to "oh it would be way more interesting what your thoughts on this are!". Or I'm mentally distracted and fall back to the monologue voice ....

Either way: the flow of the sentence already started as a statement and now I want to make sure that it's clear that your input is wanted and appreciated - and instead of saying "and perhaps that sounded like a statement but please treat it as a question" I fall back to "question mark."

[–] m4xie@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 month ago

I don't have a question, and don't call me Mark!

[–] nulluser@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This and inflationary language are two of my favorites from him!

[–] Deebster 1 points 1 month ago

That must have taken some practice!

[–] abrake@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

With Bruce Campbell as Chicken Bittle, the fourth Aqua Teen? How could I forget!

[–] dan@upvote.au 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Wow I've watched Aqua Teen Hunger Force in the past, but had never heard of this movie!

[–] s@piefed.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[–] techt@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

My favorite thing about this is the explainxkcd page keeps it going by also spelling out all punctuation

[–] Kenny2999@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Gonna start to call out the indentations and brackets for my inner dialogue.

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 5 points 1 month ago

Damn, a relavent xkcd to me IRL because I just did this today

[–] PieMePlenty@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Forgot to close out italics

[–] CuriousRefugee@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Charlie's Angels' Colon must have been a direct to TV sequel

[–] sundray@lemmus.org 1 points 1 month ago

Can you fully throttle a colon on television though?

[–] ksigley@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

There really is an xkcd for everything.

[–] klemptor@startrek.website 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I couldn't make it through to what I assume would have been the.good part, unfortunately

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

i think the hovertext is "[...]hair space  hair space  hair space  speech dot[...]" as in you missed some spaces.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Is this because valley girl raises the tone at the end the sentence?