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Quick help on punctuating a quote

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Clever username, Dec 7, 2006.

  1. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    I struggle with punctuating quotes sometimes so I turn to you fine folks.

    “But I knew the system worked," Coach Jackass said. "You heard Nikki say it, last year we were robotic. But having ......"

    Should that be a comma, dash, colon, semicolon separating the You heard Nikki say it from the last year ....


    And I used Nikki's quote about being robotic, which I linked to my lead, so it makes sense to leave that part.
     
  2. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    I'd use an extended hyphen.
     
  3. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    That's what I thought at first and then went to the comma and then decided they both looked wrong. I went back to the M dash.
     
  4. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    M dash. That's what I meant. Whatever Shift-Alt-hyphen is.
     
  5. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    I knew what you meant.
     
  6. never use a colon or semicolon inside a quote
     
  7. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    You think people don't talk in colons?
     
  8. RokSki

    RokSki New Member

    This was my first take.

    But if this is true, an M dash.

    Don't tell that to Richard Gere's hamsters, or to Benicio Del Toro's character in "The Usual Suspects."
     
  9. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    Wait just a dolgarn minute. I can't let that hamster crack pass. That is an urban legend that was completely and thoroughly debunked. Yet, comments like that follow poor Mr. Gere all through his life.

    To be clear: Richard Gere did not stuff a hamster inside himself.










    It was a gerbil!!!
     
  10. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    OK, I'll bite -- since when?
     
  11. RokSki

    RokSki New Member

    Ha, ha! Thanks for the clarification, Ace. Wrongs have been righted, indeed! :D
     
  12. Clever username

    Clever username Active Member

    I've always wondered if people talk in semicolons, but they do talk in colons: "Our goal was this: score more points than the other team," Captain Obvious said.

    Or a real life example from the Rich Rodriguez thing: “I fully respect his decision and wish him the best,” Alabama athletic director Mal Moore said in a statement. “I want to remind everyone of what I said at the outset of this process: my only objective is to get the best person available to lead the Alabama football program.
    “I remain determined to bring to our program a proven head coach with impressive credentials.”
     
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